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Crop of Cadavers: A Collection of Horror
Prepare for a horror anthology that’ll scare you to the core!
Welcome, dear reader, to a three course picnic of pure fear! Dine, if you dare, on these freshly harvested tales of terror.
• By Their A gang of bank robbers find something far worse than alligators in the swamps of Shady Bayou.
• A widowed beekeeper struggles to survive when her hives are overtaken by an unholy horror.
•All the Fixin’ A cannibalistic warlock has invited some friends to dinner, and not everyone will survive.
The picnic blanket is laid, dear reader. Relax and savor some of our finest fearsome fruits. They’re bound to put dread in your belly and a quiver your guts that will last long after they’ve been sampled.
Welcome, dear reader, to a three course picnic of pure fear! Dine, if you dare, on these freshly harvested tales of terror.
• By Their A gang of bank robbers find something far worse than alligators in the swamps of Shady Bayou.
• A widowed beekeeper struggles to survive when her hives are overtaken by an unholy horror.
•All the Fixin’ A cannibalistic warlock has invited some friends to dinner, and not everyone will survive.
The picnic blanket is laid, dear reader. Relax and savor some of our finest fearsome fruits. They’re bound to put dread in your belly and a quiver your guts that will last long after they’ve been sampled.
85 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 6, 2025
7 people want to read
About the author
Ivan K. Conway
5 books4 followersIvan K. Conway wrote his first story at four years old using crayons and construction paper. He’s rarely stopped writing since. Yet, it was only after graduating from college that he chose to share his tales with the world. His short stories have been included in numerous anthologies (including the award winning collection, Curbside Curses). Ivan currently resides in his hometown of Helena, Montana.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 7, 2025
Three stories with the same origin, yet each is unique. I don't want to spoil anything, but I enjoyed reading these shorts. Particularly the varying formats/writing styles. I lóved the second due to the letter format.
Received and read the free ARC voluntarily.
Received and read the free ARC voluntarily.
August 15, 2025
The title and the cover is what drew me to this book. I was not expecting three amazing stories. All interconnected, you can really see the timeline from the events of the first story to the last. When I started reading the second story I was so excited to realize the connection to the first story.
Set in the Civil War era, the author did a fantastic job of transporting me back to that time. There was no need for the author to be overly descriptive to convey the time period. He was able to paint that picture in minimal words, the focus was on the story not the time period or locations.
By Their Fruits: I would consider this a folk horror story and an unusual way that vampires are created. It's also a story of greed and loyalty. A great bloody tale!
Zombees: Told in letters between a woman and her niece, I think this was my favorite simply because I'm a sucker for epistolary style stories. While we only get one side of the story, it is still terrifying and you don't really need the other person's letters.
All The Fixins: Cannibalism and civil war soldiers. A fabulous way to end the collection. For this one you do have to pay attention because it's one of the stories that takes place in the present and the past.
All in all, picking this book simply based on the cover and title was a great choice!
Set in the Civil War era, the author did a fantastic job of transporting me back to that time. There was no need for the author to be overly descriptive to convey the time period. He was able to paint that picture in minimal words, the focus was on the story not the time period or locations.
By Their Fruits: I would consider this a folk horror story and an unusual way that vampires are created. It's also a story of greed and loyalty. A great bloody tale!
Zombees: Told in letters between a woman and her niece, I think this was my favorite simply because I'm a sucker for epistolary style stories. While we only get one side of the story, it is still terrifying and you don't really need the other person's letters.
All The Fixins: Cannibalism and civil war soldiers. A fabulous way to end the collection. For this one you do have to pay attention because it's one of the stories that takes place in the present and the past.
All in all, picking this book simply based on the cover and title was a great choice!
November 17, 2025
CROP OF CADAVERS
By: Ivan Conway
Release: 9/6/25
Page count: 85
KU: No Hoopla: No
Synopsis: Three interweaving stories will make the hair on the back of your neck stand up and force you to keep the lights on while you read.
First line: “‘Would you look at this?’ Ranted Clem, disgusted waving his wanted poster.”
Favorite line: “Women love themselves a bad boy. But only if he’s good lookin’. Ain’t no gal with working eyes gonna swoon over this doodle.”
Thoughts: These three stories are so stellar. They read like a seasoned short story author is at the helm. ‘By Their Fruits’ is one of the best shorts I’ve read all year. But I love stories about wishes gone terribly wrong. Conway is definitely on my “to watch list” for 2026.
Rating: 5/5
By: Ivan Conway
Release: 9/6/25
Page count: 85
KU: No Hoopla: No
Synopsis: Three interweaving stories will make the hair on the back of your neck stand up and force you to keep the lights on while you read.
First line: “‘Would you look at this?’ Ranted Clem, disgusted waving his wanted poster.”
Favorite line: “Women love themselves a bad boy. But only if he’s good lookin’. Ain’t no gal with working eyes gonna swoon over this doodle.”
Thoughts: These three stories are so stellar. They read like a seasoned short story author is at the helm. ‘By Their Fruits’ is one of the best shorts I’ve read all year. But I love stories about wishes gone terribly wrong. Conway is definitely on my “to watch list” for 2026.
Rating: 5/5
October 3, 2025
This is a fairly short collection of horror stories by the same author.
It was a good read, with some Lovecraftian elements cosmic horror fans will recognize.
I especially liked the one about the bees.
Good solid writing.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
It was a good read, with some Lovecraftian elements cosmic horror fans will recognize.
I especially liked the one about the bees.
Good solid writing.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
July 28, 2025
I enjoyed this trio of creepy tales, and blew through the book in one sitting! Excellent pacing and surprisingly fleshed-out characters and plots for such short stories. My favorite of the three is "Zombees", which is told through a series of letters.
August 5, 2025
Crop Cadavers, three different stories one book. The first story was great. One of those, yep, they got what was coming to thems. The second story I did not like, it wasn't the story itself but how it was written. The last story was enjoyable, I got the Silver Bullet vibe from it. Don't let my review deter you from reading, the stories are good.
October 20, 2025
A fresh trilogy of tales with a subtle connective tissue that stretches like sinew across each story.
I was expecting a trio of short stories but I wasn’t expecting them to be connected, nor for them to set around an old west/civil war US period. It had never really occurred to me to factor in a ‘time period’ when it came to short stories, but that was an extra element for my brain to think on!
Each story was well written, dark,and had a good smattering of humour in there. Though I’ve mentioned the tenuous connection, every story felt very much its own thing, and had a varied pace and tone from each other.
I think of the three, the opener: By their Fruits, was my favourite, but they each brought something to the table. It’s a short read and one you can easily get through in a single sitting. Conway has certainly brought something unique to the horror world with this historic horror bundle.
I was expecting a trio of short stories but I wasn’t expecting them to be connected, nor for them to set around an old west/civil war US period. It had never really occurred to me to factor in a ‘time period’ when it came to short stories, but that was an extra element for my brain to think on!
Each story was well written, dark,and had a good smattering of humour in there. Though I’ve mentioned the tenuous connection, every story felt very much its own thing, and had a varied pace and tone from each other.
I think of the three, the opener: By their Fruits, was my favourite, but they each brought something to the table. It’s a short read and one you can easily get through in a single sitting. Conway has certainly brought something unique to the horror world with this historic horror bundle.
September 29, 2025
A set of three short semi-horror reads that center around a common theme/element. I appreciate how the author transitions smoothly from one story to another and doesn’t spoon-feed the reader. You do need to start with the first story, and it helps to read them in order. Moreover, there is a difference in settings, characters, and style that makes each story unique. All of them are quick, fast-paced reads, filled with twists. I particularly loved the epistolary-style story, for this is one of my favourite reading themes. I received an advance review copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews