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Seasons of Blood #1
Midnight Harvest: Seasons Of Blood Book Three
When a string of increasingly brutal serial murders spills into his jurisdiction William Coe, a homicide detective stricken with OCD and an eidetic memory, is forced to search for answers as the body count grows.
As clues begin to surface, Coe starts to wonder about the exact nature of the killer he’s after. In a game of cat and mouse that could make or break his career, he’s forced to follow a trail that will lead him to places darker than he could ever have imagined.
As clues begin to surface, Coe starts to wonder about the exact nature of the killer he’s after. In a game of cat and mouse that could make or break his career, he’s forced to follow a trail that will lead him to places darker than he could ever have imagined.
344 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 18, 2014
311 people are currently reading
1381 people want to read
About the author
Elias Anderson
19 books51 followersBorn in 1978 in the wastelands of southeastern Montana, Elias Anderson was moved to Colorado at the age of six weeks. He spent the next 21 years in various parts of the state until relocating to California and Oregon, only to settle back in Denver with his wife and two daughters.
His professional writing experience ranges from staff writer and reporter for the Coastal View News (Carpinteria, CA) to food critic, freelance copy writer, and editor. He has published poetry, articles, essays, and short stories in a variety of hard copy and web-based publications.
His professional writing experience ranges from staff writer and reporter for the Coastal View News (Carpinteria, CA) to food critic, freelance copy writer, and editor. He has published poetry, articles, essays, and short stories in a variety of hard copy and web-based publications.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
February 25, 2024
Read a book that scares you.
4.5 stars.
I am currently 8 reviews behind. This really tears me up inside. Whenever I leave a read book unreviewed, I get that nagging feeling every day like something is lingering over me. Seriously. That is how crazy I actually am. Every time I catch up, I read another book and I'm back to where I started. So naturally, instead of writing reviews for books I read months ago, I will review this one. Because this book deserves a proper review. I know what you all are thinking. Kindle freebie, independent publishing house, stupid looking cover. All of these things added up can usually add up to crap. But not in this case. This book is not crap. Not in the slightest. This book is a diamond in the rough.
I am extremely jaded when it comes to thrillers and horror. Nothing short of Mr. Stephen King himself can usually elicit anything more than a 3, maybe a 3.5 for me. And as all my friends know, I can get pretty stingy with my stars. I cannot recommend this little gem enough to all my friends (ahem Kelly) who love a little stabby stabby.
Detective William Coe has an impeccable record. There is no case he's been assigned to that he has not closed and put a sicko behind bars. He is extremely good at what he does and everyone knows it. He also has been stricken with severe OCD which gets worse and worse the older he gets and the more crimes he solves. Along with this are a photographic memory and a major heartbreak in his past. His isolation and loneliness keeps him levelheaded, but it also makes visible the faint cracks in his psyche. When a string of absolutely horrific murders takes place in his jurisdiction, murders that leave too many clues that do not make sense, Coe begins to doubt his own sanity.
He was a man who mostly ran on logic, on facts and truth. It was his job to divide these things amongst the chaos of a homicide, yet he was largely a superstitious man as well. it was what field his mania, his sickness.
This book is one part police procedural thriller and one part supernatural horror. One part action-packed mystery and one part psychological character study. Usually this formula makes me cringe, but in this case, the paranormal elements are woven flawlessly into the narrative. The combination of the two really works and makes this work a work of art. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. I love an author who isn't afraid to write gore. And this book is delectably gory and grotesque. And scary. In this crawl into the crevices of your mind kinda way.
This book also serves as a fantastic character study of a lonely and brilliant detective who tries every day to get through another 24 hours. He is a dynamically and deeply rendered character and I loved reading about his inner conflicts as much as I enjoyed reading the horror. There are so many facets of his character, and I cannot wait to read more about him.
This book is awesomesauce. Horror writing at its finest. All those in love with this genre should read this book. I was so bummed when I found out it is no longer free on Amazon. But it is still totally worth the 5 bucks it is now. This author is an author to watch. And I am still giving this series room for improvement because I cannot wait to continue on. The ending does leave on a bit of a cliffhanger, but the author has respect enough to tidy up the direction of this book before continuing on with the next. It is a respect for his readers that many authors ignore. Anybody looking for something new, something bloody, and something very readable should read this book. Now.
November 14, 2014
This is hands down one of the best things about Kindle. Finding books like this. My first experience with the author and what an auspicious introduction. Midnight Harvest achieves a perfect blend of procedural and supernatural, which can't be easy because it's seldom done right. The main protagonist is a terrifically nuanced memorable and engaging character. One of the best literary detectives I've come across. The fact that he has OCD was just a cherry on top (since it's of great interest and personal relevance to me), although no one will replace in my heart the original obsessive compulsive detective Adrian Monk. Throw in a (disturbingly sexy, lethally so)serial killer who fits no standard profiles, the crimes visceral enough to rival any horror story, the deception, cover ups, suspense, murders that test any belief in a by the book, evidence based world and you got an awesome thing, a thriller that actually thrills. Ideally I would have liked it to be a stand alone with a more conclusive finite ending, but if one has to read series/trilogies, they better be this good. Excellent read, tough to put down, entertains without insulting one's intelligence, darkly visual, haunting even. Hope parts 2 and 3 can get promotionally discounted to budget friendly freebies someday. Highly recommended.
February 17, 2015
Great story, creepy events and loads of gore! But, seriously, the writing is great and some scenes were brilliantly written. A clever, twisty, thoughtful book with a believable hero. I will be buying the second in this series, although the story could easily stand alone without any further books. (Which I appreciate, having been the victim of a few too many....'read the next book to find out what really happens'... endings.)
January 23, 2020
Couldn't put this book down. Elias is a master of his craft.
October 21, 2014
3.5/5
I found this one for free in the Kindle store and really enjoyed it! I have really been into detective/crime/murder mysteries here lately and this book had all of that with a very gory horror element as well. If you are into graphic horror, then this book is for you because it certainly doesn't skimp on the red stuff, but if your squeamish or grossed out by gore, you might want to think twice before reading this one.
This is the first book of the Seasons of Blood trilogy and I definitely plan on checking out the other books at some point.
I found this one for free in the Kindle store and really enjoyed it! I have really been into detective/crime/murder mysteries here lately and this book had all of that with a very gory horror element as well. If you are into graphic horror, then this book is for you because it certainly doesn't skimp on the red stuff, but if your squeamish or grossed out by gore, you might want to think twice before reading this one.
This is the first book of the Seasons of Blood trilogy and I definitely plan on checking out the other books at some point.
September 23, 2014
Holy crap! Great read if you are in to horror! This book had me grossed out, yet seriously engrossed! Blood, guts and all the carnage you want rolled into a nifty story! I don't like to give the story away, si I don't recap any of it. Just know that if you like horror.... this IS for you!
October 12, 2014
Murders were occurring during the new moon, every month. They already had a man in a psych clinic for a string of similar murders. William went to speak to him and was convinced he didn't do it. The wife he was accused of killing was still out there.
October 15, 2014
stopped at about 70% Just couldn't finish.
August 14, 2019
Scary
A rather unusual book. It ends as a cliffhanger and makes the reader wonder how the killer is going to be killed. Very interesting characters. The story ends with Coe chosen by the killer to be the personal foe. It is not in this book, but now the reader figures they will go head to head.
A rather unusual book. It ends as a cliffhanger and makes the reader wonder how the killer is going to be killed. Very interesting characters. The story ends with Coe chosen by the killer to be the personal foe. It is not in this book, but now the reader figures they will go head to head.
July 29, 2018
Horrifying Thriller
Move over horror writers, Elias Anderson is in town! A horrifying tale with rich and gory descriptions. Not to be read in the dark! This story will send chills up and down your spine.
Move over horror writers, Elias Anderson is in town! A horrifying tale with rich and gory descriptions. Not to be read in the dark! This story will send chills up and down your spine.
November 18, 2020
Page turner
If you can look past the horrible formatting, its a page turned. Its not so much a who dunnit but if they will be caught. The plot is fast paced and full of gruesome imagery that might just make you queasy.
If you can look past the horrible formatting, its a page turned. Its not so much a who dunnit but if they will be caught. The plot is fast paced and full of gruesome imagery that might just make you queasy.
March 24, 2021
4 stars instead off 5
The only reason I wouldn't give this book 5 stars was because a lot off typing errors in this book. More the printers fault then the author. Really annoying but otherwise a book worth reading as its a page turner.
The only reason I wouldn't give this book 5 stars was because a lot off typing errors in this book. More the printers fault then the author. Really annoying but otherwise a book worth reading as its a page turner.
April 4, 2021
I did not finish this book. It’s poorly written with a massive lack of imagination and the author feels that it is all right to use the word spastic as an insult. 2 per cent was as far as I got. If I come across this author again I will not be reading any per cent
January 24, 2017
good book
this was a pretty good book. Will read more by this arthor. Good plot .Will read the next book in series.
this was a pretty good book. Will read more by this arthor. Good plot .Will read the next book in series.
February 7, 2017
Extremely well written.
A fine writer of characters, dialogue, narrative, and story line. Truly up there with Patterson, Koontz, and DeMille. Read him free while you can.
A fine writer of characters, dialogue, narrative, and story line. Truly up there with Patterson, Koontz, and DeMille. Read him free while you can.
June 13, 2017
entertaining
Read
September 2, 2021Went to find the next book and it is out of print. oops
April 12, 2023
Love Love Love This Book
I absolutely loved this book. It was truly a page turner. I didn’t want to put my iPad down it was truly that good.
I absolutely loved this book. It was truly a page turner. I didn’t want to put my iPad down it was truly that good.
April 11, 2015
(Formatting is messed up on iPhone for some reason. I'll look into it...)
This book could have been amazing, but it just sort of fell flat for me. I did finish it to the end, but the end isn't a proper ending. It just sort of stops, and then begs you to buy the next installment.
That said, it also has a lot of other pretty serious flaws, and either should have been heavily edited, or whomever did the editing should be fired. The writer constantly uses names where pronouns would be significantly less clunky, uses abbreviations (TOD, the Loo, etc) where they aren't necessary, and contradicts himself fairly consistently. Major plot points (Coe's photographic memory) are discarded when inconvenient (not remembering who Bowden was) and there are a *lot* of spelling and grammatical errors that almost had me putting the book down on multiple occasions.
Also, I hate to nitpick, but I live in the Pacific Northwest and a lot of the location stuff is weird and, again, clunky. The author mentions "the Puget" on a couple of occasions, but never says it is the Puget Sound, which we just call "the Sound." If he was calling it "the Puget" to avoid confusion for non-locals, I don't think he achieved that here. There is also a lot of unnecessary chatter about location names that distracts from the story.
To end on a happier note, the bones of this story are good, and I believe it is told well despite editing troubles. The characters are interesting, if sometimes not very well-developed, and the Big Bad is fairly original. The main character's OCD is surprisingly well done considering the usual handling of the disorder, and I feel like the author handled it with care, which I appreciate a lot.
I gave this book 3 stars because it did hold my interest well enough to push through the glaring errors. If it was edited better, for grammar and spelling, *and* content, it would probably get a solid 4 out of me. If you're less picky than me, and a fan of the genre, you will most likely find this an enjoyable read. For me, it just missed the mark a little.
This book could have been amazing, but it just sort of fell flat for me. I did finish it to the end, but the end isn't a proper ending. It just sort of stops, and then begs you to buy the next installment.
That said, it also has a lot of other pretty serious flaws, and either should have been heavily edited, or whomever did the editing should be fired. The writer constantly uses names where pronouns would be significantly less clunky, uses abbreviations (TOD, the Loo, etc) where they aren't necessary, and contradicts himself fairly consistently. Major plot points (Coe's photographic memory) are discarded when inconvenient (not remembering who Bowden was) and there are a *lot* of spelling and grammatical errors that almost had me putting the book down on multiple occasions.
Also, I hate to nitpick, but I live in the Pacific Northwest and a lot of the location stuff is weird and, again, clunky. The author mentions "the Puget" on a couple of occasions, but never says it is the Puget Sound, which we just call "the Sound." If he was calling it "the Puget" to avoid confusion for non-locals, I don't think he achieved that here. There is also a lot of unnecessary chatter about location names that distracts from the story.
To end on a happier note, the bones of this story are good, and I believe it is told well despite editing troubles. The characters are interesting, if sometimes not very well-developed, and the Big Bad is fairly original. The main character's OCD is surprisingly well done considering the usual handling of the disorder, and I feel like the author handled it with care, which I appreciate a lot.
I gave this book 3 stars because it did hold my interest well enough to push through the glaring errors. If it was edited better, for grammar and spelling, *and* content, it would probably get a solid 4 out of me. If you're less picky than me, and a fan of the genre, you will most likely find this an enjoyable read. For me, it just missed the mark a little.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 7, 2020
This is a re-read, so i wanted to write a review to this book since the first time i didn't, so here is my thoughts on Midnight Harvest.
The book follow detective William Coe, he is the lead investigator of a series of horrible and brutal homicides that seemed impossible to have been committed by a human, and then goes into the rabbit hole of this investigation and learns that the glimpses of the monster he had encountered inside humans during his work as a detective could get so much worse when face with a true monster come straight from his worse nightmares.
Coe is a brilliant character, he has photographic memory wich in the past had helped him solve countless cases, he is a flawed character he has psychosis and ocd as well as being quite rash and angry with those around him, and after losing his wife to an accident he found himself a deep pit of sadness that makes him use his work as an outlet out of this deep wound that has the form of his wife, he is very rational and throughout the story we see him struggle to come to terms with the irrational parts of the investigation.
In this story we also have Jentzen Roeper, he serves as the secondary antagonist, and he is a slimy blogger that uses the tragedy of the crimes to try to make a breakthrough into the world of real journalism, but let's say he goes for more than he can chew.
This book is fantastic, i would recommend this one for anyone for a passion for horror and detective stories, but i would warn people who don't like very descriptive of brutal wounds and guts because you will find a lot of those here, from the part of the detective as well as the supernatural, so if you don't like that you might want to stay away, this is a solid 5 stars for both the narrative and for personal enjoyment.
The book follow detective William Coe, he is the lead investigator of a series of horrible and brutal homicides that seemed impossible to have been committed by a human, and then goes into the rabbit hole of this investigation and learns that the glimpses of the monster he had encountered inside humans during his work as a detective could get so much worse when face with a true monster come straight from his worse nightmares.
Coe is a brilliant character, he has photographic memory wich in the past had helped him solve countless cases, he is a flawed character he has psychosis and ocd as well as being quite rash and angry with those around him, and after losing his wife to an accident he found himself a deep pit of sadness that makes him use his work as an outlet out of this deep wound that has the form of his wife, he is very rational and throughout the story we see him struggle to come to terms with the irrational parts of the investigation.
In this story we also have Jentzen Roeper, he serves as the secondary antagonist, and he is a slimy blogger that uses the tragedy of the crimes to try to make a breakthrough into the world of real journalism, but let's say he goes for more than he can chew.
This book is fantastic, i would recommend this one for anyone for a passion for horror and detective stories, but i would warn people who don't like very descriptive of brutal wounds and guts because you will find a lot of those here, from the part of the detective as well as the supernatural, so if you don't like that you might want to stay away, this is a solid 5 stars for both the narrative and for personal enjoyment.
February 13, 2017
Horrifying
Not a genre I typically read and \ or enjoy. I found this difficult to finish because it was so horrific. Blood and gut details beyond terrifying. Not for the faint.
Not a genre I typically read and \ or enjoy. I found this difficult to finish because it was so horrific. Blood and gut details beyond terrifying. Not for the faint.
April 12, 2015
No romance here. Just a good, scary, paranormal, detective story. The lead detective is, Detective Coe, who is OCD with a photograpic memory. The villian is... well, I dont want to spoil it. This is a story where the truth is so unbelieveable, those in charge do all they can to keep it buried, making it impossible for Coe to solve the horrific crimes.
This story makes me think this is the way our officials would behave if something like this creature really existed. Cover the truth with plausable lies rather than panic the population. Ruin the reputation and careers os anyone who might expose the truth.
A warning that tbis is ony one book in the series and the ending is a set up for ghe next book in the series. I see two more and have put those on my TBR because I like Coe.
This story makes me think this is the way our officials would behave if something like this creature really existed. Cover the truth with plausable lies rather than panic the population. Ruin the reputation and careers os anyone who might expose the truth.
A warning that tbis is ony one book in the series and the ending is a set up for ghe next book in the series. I see two more and have put those on my TBR because I like Coe.
February 2, 2021
This was an interesting combination of detective /horror story. The reader is taken on a journey of discovery as the lead detective Coe struggles to make sense of a series of violent murders that appear to defy relational explanation. As the number of murders increase Coe is forced to embrace the truth that the murders are not what they appear to be and is forced to accept the scorn and ridicule of higher ups in the police department.
One negative on the book was the ending, as there is only partial resolution of the story lines, as several of the main ones are left hanging for book 2. This might make for a good commercial opportunity but is a bit frustrating for the reader. Am left undecided as to whether or not I will continue with the series.
One negative on the book was the ending, as there is only partial resolution of the story lines, as several of the main ones are left hanging for book 2. This might make for a good commercial opportunity but is a bit frustrating for the reader. Am left undecided as to whether or not I will continue with the series.
May 9, 2015
It has been a long time since I have read a Horror this satisfying.
This is part Horror, paranormal and part suspense. There is a lot of suspense. This one is a very gruesome Horror, only for readers with a strong stomach.
Love the web that has been spun. But one thing that stuck at me was that the plot developement was rather slow it seemed. It felt like Midnight Harvest was depending on the gruesome nature of the murders to go by a lot. There was a lot of suspense and a lot of ups and downs. The information was not well distributed througout the book.
But otherwise as a Horror story it is great, only if you love suspense as well as Horror.
This is part Horror, paranormal and part suspense. There is a lot of suspense. This one is a very gruesome Horror, only for readers with a strong stomach.
Love the web that has been spun. But one thing that stuck at me was that the plot developement was rather slow it seemed. It felt like Midnight Harvest was depending on the gruesome nature of the murders to go by a lot. There was a lot of suspense and a lot of ups and downs. The information was not well distributed througout the book.
But otherwise as a Horror story it is great, only if you love suspense as well as Horror.
November 12, 2015
Required to shadow a path that will take him to dwellings gloomier than he could have ever pictured, William Coe finds himself in a tough situation that could either further his career or end it. Coe begins to speculate about the precise conduct of the murderer he’s going after as the indications start to become clear. The number of the dead is growing, linked to a heartless serial killer. Elias Anderson wrote this dark story well, and the style grants it suitably, while still upholding sure expressiveness. The story matures well, and is bounded by excitement that’ll keep you right with the characters until its stirring ending.
September 14, 2014
A good read
I give this four stars because it was pretty good, but I never really got 100% absorbed in it. This is a good read for anyone who's in to good bloody horror and gore. Not really for anyone under 18 though, it's pretty graphic (and has some sexual parts). A pretty evenly paced book. It also being a mystery, it keeps you wondering and wanting to know more, though in my case it wasn't enough to keep me reading for long periods of time. It's still good though. Good to read if you need a daily dose of horror.
I give this four stars because it was pretty good, but I never really got 100% absorbed in it. This is a good read for anyone who's in to good bloody horror and gore. Not really for anyone under 18 though, it's pretty graphic (and has some sexual parts). A pretty evenly paced book. It also being a mystery, it keeps you wondering and wanting to know more, though in my case it wasn't enough to keep me reading for long periods of time. It's still good though. Good to read if you need a daily dose of horror.
February 25, 2015
This book gave me nightmares.
Written mostly from the main characters point of view, thou really connect with him. It's a spectacular mystery and you won't be able to put it down. This is not a sappy romance. Elias makes you empathetic towards the detective and almost feel protective of him. It's unlike any I've read. I read the sample of She Devours, the next in the series of seasons of blood and have a feeling it's going to get the juices of vengeance going. I'm a shut in so I won't have the luxury of finishing this series. But this is a must read!
Written mostly from the main characters point of view, thou really connect with him. It's a spectacular mystery and you won't be able to put it down. This is not a sappy romance. Elias makes you empathetic towards the detective and almost feel protective of him. It's unlike any I've read. I read the sample of She Devours, the next in the series of seasons of blood and have a feeling it's going to get the juices of vengeance going. I'm a shut in so I won't have the luxury of finishing this series. But this is a must read!
April 6, 2015
The joke was on me when I started reading, thinking this just another murder mystery. Flash forward to 2 a.m., and there I am, fearful of peering through the vertical blinds and terrified to go to sleep.
This is a gory, but brilliantly written, thriller with a hefty dose of the supernatural. I really loved how I could envision the characters and literally feel every horrored nuance they experienced. The novel does end quite suddenly, but that simply made me want to begin the second installment, which I promptly purchased. Can't wait to follow Coe on his search!
This is a gory, but brilliantly written, thriller with a hefty dose of the supernatural. I really loved how I could envision the characters and literally feel every horrored nuance they experienced. The novel does end quite suddenly, but that simply made me want to begin the second installment, which I promptly purchased. Can't wait to follow Coe on his search!
July 21, 2014
Possible spoiler
good book. sometimes could not read before sleeping- there are creepy parts. gave it a 3 star bc I did not think this book was going to be so supernatural. I liked how everything was before we found out what the killer was. the author did a good job in hooking you in, just not what I expected. I personally would have liked the ending to be more "human based?" rather than supernatural. all in all good book. very descriptive. felt like I was there.
good book. sometimes could not read before sleeping- there are creepy parts. gave it a 3 star bc I did not think this book was going to be so supernatural. I liked how everything was before we found out what the killer was. the author did a good job in hooking you in, just not what I expected. I personally would have liked the ending to be more "human based?" rather than supernatural. all in all good book. very descriptive. felt like I was there.
November 10, 2014
This is the sort of book that you might not want to read when you are by yourself, late at night. There are some really graphic sections, and some that are other worldly. William Coe was married but lost his wife many years ago. His work is his life, but he suffers from some OCD. He has been a good cop, but things change somewhat and his sanity is in question. Midnight Harvest is definitely not for the squeamish.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews