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Scarecrows
Once you're in, they'll never let you go....
*** This story is also available in the collection, Funhouse***
When three teenagers decide to explore the urban legend of the crazy old man on Samsonite farm and the army of scarecrows he has built, they soon discover that not all urban legends are false, and sometimes the biggest threat comes from within.
SCARECROWS is a twisted tale of psychological horror from the best selling author of Whisper, The Island and Funhouse.
*** This story is also available in the collection, Funhouse***
Audible Audio
First published November 10, 2015
2 people are currently reading
46 people want to read
About the author
Michael Bray
119 books236 followersMichael Bray is a bestselling author/screenwriter of more than twelve novels and numerous short stories. Influenced from an early age by the suspense horror of authors such as Stephen King, Richard Laymon, Shaun Hutson, James Herbert & Brian Lumley, along with TV shows like Tales from the Crypt & The Twilight Zone, his work touches on the psychological side of horror, teasing the reader’s nerves and willing them to keep turning the pages. Several of his titles have been translated into multiple languages including a major bookstore distribution deal in Japan and his biggest selling title, Whisper, has, on numerous occasions topped the overall horror charts for Amazon titles in both the UK and US with thousands of copies sold.
His work has been featured in anthologies alongside such horror greats as Clive Barker, Adam Nevill, Shaun Hutson, Brian Lumley, Paul Tremblay, Ramsay Campbell, Ray Bradbury and many others and he continues to be an active and popular member of the horror/suspense genre.
A feature film written by Bray based on his co-written novel MONSTER starring Tracy Shaw (Coronation Street), Daniele Harold (East Enders) & Rod Glenn (American Assassin / World War Z) was shot in January 2018 whilst another of his titles, MEAT is currently with a leading Los Angeles based production company with a view to production in 2019.
My IMDB page: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm8960144/?r...
Where to find Michael Bray online
Official website: www.michaelbrayauthor.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/michaelbrayauthor
Twitter: www.twitter.com/michaelbrayauth
Instagram: www.instagram.com/michaelbrayauthor
Google +: www.plus.google.com/michaelbrayauthor
Where to find my books
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Michael-Bray/...
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Michael-Bray/e/...
To discuss publication or television / movie rights to
any of my work, or for any other queries, please
contact me directly at darkcornersbook@gmail.com
His work has been featured in anthologies alongside such horror greats as Clive Barker, Adam Nevill, Shaun Hutson, Brian Lumley, Paul Tremblay, Ramsay Campbell, Ray Bradbury and many others and he continues to be an active and popular member of the horror/suspense genre.
A feature film written by Bray based on his co-written novel MONSTER starring Tracy Shaw (Coronation Street), Daniele Harold (East Enders) & Rod Glenn (American Assassin / World War Z) was shot in January 2018 whilst another of his titles, MEAT is currently with a leading Los Angeles based production company with a view to production in 2019.
My IMDB page: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm8960144/?r...
Where to find Michael Bray online
Official website: www.michaelbrayauthor.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/michaelbrayauthor
Twitter: www.twitter.com/michaelbrayauth
Instagram: www.instagram.com/michaelbrayauthor
Google +: www.plus.google.com/michaelbrayauthor
Where to find my books
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Michael-Bray/...
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Michael-Bray/e/...
To discuss publication or television / movie rights to
any of my work, or for any other queries, please
contact me directly at darkcornersbook@gmail.com
Ratings & Reviews
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
October 23, 2022
Spooky Strawmen!
A small backstory:
When three friends (Dwayne, Randy, and Kenny) trespass on an old man's property (Jorell Samsonite) they get more than they bargained for when they start exploring the property as Jorell has scarecrows guarding his house and land. The friends find out real quick that the scarecrows are not ordinary and once they are on the property the friends might be stuck there with no escape!
That is about all I can give with a backstory without giving away spoilers, so if want to know more about the story then you will need to read the book!
Thoughts:
The story starts out creepy especially when the friends arrive on the property then things kind of escalate with some spooky happenings surrounding the scarecrows. This story is a short novella with about 44 pages so it was kind of quick read.
The pace of the book picks up through the last half of the book but I wasn't happy with the ending of the story which that is why this book is getting three stars and not four. I was planning on giving it four stars but then when the ending hit me it left me wondering what happened.
I know sometimes things are not wrapped up with a bow in horror books but I was thinking there would be more to the story and it just totally ends with a crashing boom leaving me with a "what was that ending about" look. Trust me - you would not want to see my face when I finished the book. Most of the time this author writes some cool books as I have read a few by Bray but this one isn't up there with those other cool books he has out there. Giving this book three "Scarecrow Spooky" stars!
A small backstory:
When three friends (Dwayne, Randy, and Kenny) trespass on an old man's property (Jorell Samsonite) they get more than they bargained for when they start exploring the property as Jorell has scarecrows guarding his house and land. The friends find out real quick that the scarecrows are not ordinary and once they are on the property the friends might be stuck there with no escape!
That is about all I can give with a backstory without giving away spoilers, so if want to know more about the story then you will need to read the book!
Thoughts:
The story starts out creepy especially when the friends arrive on the property then things kind of escalate with some spooky happenings surrounding the scarecrows. This story is a short novella with about 44 pages so it was kind of quick read.
The pace of the book picks up through the last half of the book but I wasn't happy with the ending of the story which that is why this book is getting three stars and not four. I was planning on giving it four stars but then when the ending hit me it left me wondering what happened.
I know sometimes things are not wrapped up with a bow in horror books but I was thinking there would be more to the story and it just totally ends with a crashing boom leaving me with a "what was that ending about" look. Trust me - you would not want to see my face when I finished the book. Most of the time this author writes some cool books as I have read a few by Bray but this one isn't up there with those other cool books he has out there. Giving this book three "Scarecrow Spooky" stars!
October 27, 2020
I requested this audio book in exchange for a honest review.
Well this was a nice way to spend a hour! We have 3 boys that decide to check out a local urban legend. They find the scarecrows all right! I liked this story. the characters were ok but it was more the subtle things they said that really made me take notice. "It's in the soil." what is and how long has it been there? Well we don't find out but i was ok with that. This is a great listen for the Halloween season or lifestyle.
Well this was a nice way to spend a hour! We have 3 boys that decide to check out a local urban legend. They find the scarecrows all right! I liked this story. the characters were ok but it was more the subtle things they said that really made me take notice. "It's in the soil." what is and how long has it been there? Well we don't find out but i was ok with that. This is a great listen for the Halloween season or lifestyle.
November 13, 2022
You and your friends are driving down a lonely country road. You spot a field full of scary-ass scarecrows. You stop the car and . . . :
a. You pretend you didn't see anything. You slowly put the car into drive and get the hell out of there.
b. You pull over and get out with your friends to explore the field. Nothing like romping through a field of scarecrows to get the blood flowing!
Yeah, no one really goes for the smart choice, do they? No sense in playing it safe when you can run with the scarecrows.
This was a fun book. Kudos to the author!
a. You pretend you didn't see anything. You slowly put the car into drive and get the hell out of there.
b. You pull over and get out with your friends to explore the field. Nothing like romping through a field of scarecrows to get the blood flowing!
Yeah, no one really goes for the smart choice, do they? No sense in playing it safe when you can run with the scarecrows.
This was a fun book. Kudos to the author!
October 19, 2017
Loved the lovecraftian vibe of this short tale (there are some echoes of "The terrible old man" and "The color out of space" here), but first half of the story was far better than second one for me.
Not bad at all, but after reading a few time ago the amazing Cabin Fever from the same author, I was just expecting something more.
September 30, 2020
Bloody Scarecrows, they get to you. You know
December 2, 2022
What Kind of Baggage was Samsonite carrying around?...
No spoilers. 3 1/2 stars. Spyder (Dwayne) wants to get drunk and reckless with his friends Kenny and Randy...
Because his mother had just died...
Speeding down the country lane in a drunken fog, Dwayne got an inspiration...
He wanted to visit the Samsonite farm...
Jorell Samsonite was the local hermit who lived in his boarded up farmhouse and rumor had it that he was surrounded by 100s of scarecrows...
Was it true?...
The boys were on their way to find out. The old man's farm was on the edge of town and they arrived after dark...
They parked the car a ways from the farm and walked to the house in the moonlight just in case the rumors were true that Samsonite would...
Shoot trespassers on sight...
Nothing prepared the boys for the 100s of scarecrows in the old man's fields surrounding his house...
The scarecrows didn't appear to be protecting Samsonite's crops, they seemed to be protecting his house...
But...
What were they protecting it from?
What kind of baggage was old man Samsonite carrying?
This was a fairly decent quick story (about 45 pages) if you have a few minutes to kill.
No spoilers. 3 1/2 stars. Spyder (Dwayne) wants to get drunk and reckless with his friends Kenny and Randy...
Because his mother had just died...
Speeding down the country lane in a drunken fog, Dwayne got an inspiration...
He wanted to visit the Samsonite farm...
Jorell Samsonite was the local hermit who lived in his boarded up farmhouse and rumor had it that he was surrounded by 100s of scarecrows...
Was it true?...
The boys were on their way to find out. The old man's farm was on the edge of town and they arrived after dark...
They parked the car a ways from the farm and walked to the house in the moonlight just in case the rumors were true that Samsonite would...
Shoot trespassers on sight...
Nothing prepared the boys for the 100s of scarecrows in the old man's fields surrounding his house...
The scarecrows didn't appear to be protecting Samsonite's crops, they seemed to be protecting his house...
But...
What were they protecting it from?
What kind of baggage was old man Samsonite carrying?
This was a fairly decent quick story (about 45 pages) if you have a few minutes to kill.
May 15, 2018
Not bad, not great.
It passed the time well enough.
Old man finds evil dirt, plants scarecrows who require constant tending.
The "crows" eat all visitors
Somehow, two kids get in after losing their friend to the monsters, and they are stuck in the farm.
Time to help tend the scarecrows.
It passed the time well enough.
Old man finds evil dirt, plants scarecrows who require constant tending.
The "crows" eat all visitors
Somehow, two kids get in after losing their friend to the monsters, and they are stuck in the farm.
Time to help tend the scarecrows.
October 24, 2020
Alright. The situation wasn't what I expected, but it played out only okay.
June 7, 2020
I really liked this story and thought it was interesting and different. I enjoyed the end even if I didn’t find it particularly original. It was a short story and was laid out as such. Glad I took a chance on it.
November 29, 2025
Three teenage boys are on a joy ride and decide to check out the local legend of a crazy recluse who lives surrounded by scarecrows. Little do they know that there is something dark and malevolent at work in these fields. Soon, they will be drawn into a situation that will have them fighting for their very lives! Will they survive or will they be sucked into the craziness surrounding these scarecrows?
The narrator is one of my favorites and he does his usual wonderful job with this book. His performance really brings the horrors of the story to life in a perfect way.
The narrator is one of my favorites and he does his usual wonderful job with this book. His performance really brings the horrors of the story to life in a perfect way.
February 3, 2017
Great Short Story
This story was unlike any horror story I've ever read. The story revolves around the scarecrows guarding the old man's crops. Three young men decide to investigate what was going on with the old man and all the scarecrows. That's when the intrigue starts to take a toll on everyone who wonders into the scarecrow field. Just when you think you have everything figured out there's an unexpected ending. This short story is well worth reading!
This story was unlike any horror story I've ever read. The story revolves around the scarecrows guarding the old man's crops. Three young men decide to investigate what was going on with the old man and all the scarecrows. That's when the intrigue starts to take a toll on everyone who wonders into the scarecrow field. Just when you think you have everything figured out there's an unexpected ending. This short story is well worth reading!
October 24, 2022
Wasn’t bad, wasn’t great, but I did enjoy it. Good creepy atmosphere, and the author did a really good job describing the setting so you could really picture all the scarecrows surrounding this lone farmhouse. I am always wanting more when it comes to short stories (and this one is no exception) but you get enough information throughout to not be left completely hanging at the end of the story.
Definitely different and interesting, and I would like to read more from this author. Also would highly recommend for the Halloween/spooky season!
A solid 3 out of 5 stars for me.
Definitely different and interesting, and I would like to read more from this author. Also would highly recommend for the Halloween/spooky season!
A solid 3 out of 5 stars for me.
December 10, 2023
Three teenagers decide to explore the farm of a crazy old man that has hundreds of scarecrows. They end up discovering more than they had expected. It’s a horror short story that scratches an itch but doesn’t really go anywhere that hasn’t been gone before. It is engaging enough when you have a spare hour to fill.
September 13, 2017
Scarecrows was a great read!
Scarecrows is a book, you don't want to read, late at night, all alone at home....lol. A read best done, with the lights on! A totally engrossing story, all the way to the surprise ending!! Michael Bray at his very best!!
Scarecrows is a book, you don't want to read, late at night, all alone at home....lol. A read best done, with the lights on! A totally engrossing story, all the way to the surprise ending!! Michael Bray at his very best!!
September 7, 2020
This was an okay short story. Was expecting a little bit more bite from the scarecrows.
February 11, 2017
Fun, captivating story here from Michael Bray. Great premise with some creepy imagery and action. And if you grab the audiobook, there is some nice narration from S.W. Salzman.
May 8, 2017
Short, fun, but not particularly memorable.
November 27, 2017
This one is a great short story that packs a punch!
(Even though I rated it the same as Seat 6A, I enjoyed this one even moreso.)
(Even though I rated it the same as Seat 6A, I enjoyed this one even moreso.)
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews