What do you think?
Rate this book
The Nightmare Collection: Volume 1
From best-selling horror author Lee Mountford comes a terrifying short story collection that is certain to chill the blood.
An abandoned hospital that isn't as empty as it first seems. Two police officers pay a visit to an old industrial unit... and walk right into hell. A mysterious box that brings with it a terrible secret. A strange farm with an insidious past. A young boy who is sure his house is haunted. A husband returns home after a trip away... and brings with him an entity that wants to claim his family's souls. An ancient forest that hides a dark presence.
These short stories are guaranteed to have you sleeping with the light on. Dive into the perfect entry point to Lee Mountford's dark and twisted universe.
Buy now... because who doesn't love to be terrified?
An abandoned hospital that isn't as empty as it first seems. Two police officers pay a visit to an old industrial unit... and walk right into hell. A mysterious box that brings with it a terrible secret. A strange farm with an insidious past. A young boy who is sure his house is haunted. A husband returns home after a trip away... and brings with him an entity that wants to claim his family's souls. An ancient forest that hides a dark presence.
These short stories are guaranteed to have you sleeping with the light on. Dive into the perfect entry point to Lee Mountford's dark and twisted universe.
Buy now... because who doesn't love to be terrified?
306 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 15, 2019
33 people are currently reading
209 people want to read
About the author
Lee Mountford
64 books1,084 followersI am an author with a huge love of horror.
Of course, other genres float my boat as well; Sci-Fi, Thrillers, pretty much any Dark Fiction, but Horror is what I call home.
My first novel, Horror in the Woods, was released on in May 2017, and the second, The Demonic, on the the following July hitting multiple best seller lists. Since then, I have authored a number of horror novels that have terrified fans for the past few years.
You can find out more about me on my website, but also, don't forget to claim your FREE ebooks
: http://eepurl.com/dIaS0r
- Lee
Of course, other genres float my boat as well; Sci-Fi, Thrillers, pretty much any Dark Fiction, but Horror is what I call home.
My first novel, Horror in the Woods, was released on in May 2017, and the second, The Demonic, on the the following July hitting multiple best seller lists. Since then, I have authored a number of horror novels that have terrified fans for the past few years.
You can find out more about me on my website, but also, don't forget to claim your FREE ebooks
: http://eepurl.com/dIaS0r
- Lee
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
June 7, 2021
What a bloody good read! Seriously, there is lots of blood in these stories and that's ok! Lee Mountford writes great. The stories keep your attention and guessing then here comes buckets of blood! Hannibal Hills narrates this book. He does fantastic, as usual and adds to the creepiness of these stories. I would recommend this to all horror fans.
June 10, 2021
This was a great horror collection of short stories!
Stories include:
The Hobbes Hall Diaries
The Late Shift
The Box
The Demon on the Farm
The Brass Farm Murders
Always and Forever
5
Let Me Through
The Black Forest
All the stories were great and I do have favorites out of them all which are:
The Late Shift (reminded me of the movie The Blob) - a demonic entity that absorbs people in a very unique way.
The Demon on the Farm (this is actually a prequel to the full length novel "The Demonic" one of my first books by this author which I loved) - this was a very creepy and horrific story!
The Brass Farm Murders (this is actually an author's note of a tie-in to the The Demon on the Farm story) - has more of a reality shocker than anything - I found it very interesting and creepy.
Let Me Through - in this story the husband has a demonic attachment and his wife doesn't find out until it is too late.
The Black Forest - a forest that is haunted by an evil entity. (This is also a prequel to the author's book "Forest of the Damned" which I have yet to read).
As always with books by this author, the stories are always full of dread, creepy situations, haunting atmosphere, and spooky chills that sends shivers down your spine! Another great book added to my favorites shelf! Giving this one five "chills and thrills" stars!
Highly Recommend!
Stories include:
The Hobbes Hall Diaries
The Late Shift
The Box
The Demon on the Farm
The Brass Farm Murders
Always and Forever
5
Let Me Through
The Black Forest
All the stories were great and I do have favorites out of them all which are:
The Late Shift (reminded me of the movie The Blob) - a demonic entity that absorbs people in a very unique way.
The Demon on the Farm (this is actually a prequel to the full length novel "The Demonic" one of my first books by this author which I loved) - this was a very creepy and horrific story!
The Brass Farm Murders (this is actually an author's note of a tie-in to the The Demon on the Farm story) - has more of a reality shocker than anything - I found it very interesting and creepy.
Let Me Through - in this story the husband has a demonic attachment and his wife doesn't find out until it is too late.
The Black Forest - a forest that is haunted by an evil entity. (This is also a prequel to the author's book "Forest of the Damned" which I have yet to read).
As always with books by this author, the stories are always full of dread, creepy situations, haunting atmosphere, and spooky chills that sends shivers down your spine! Another great book added to my favorites shelf! Giving this one five "chills and thrills" stars!
Highly Recommend!
June 16, 2021
This was a Castle Dracula group read that I am so glad I was able to squeeze in. I flew through this book once I got started. I can’t wait for volume two! He has a terrifying way with descriptions. My imagination goes into overdrive; and some of the things he manages to come up with freak me smooth out. It’s fantastic and I think at times he can sound like a less wordy HP Lovecraft.
I love the extra details these stories revealed on the books of his that I have read; also that these were based on things Lee knew or researched! Spooky!
I got this free bc I had signed up for his mailing list so that was awesome.
I love the extra details these stories revealed on the books of his that I have read; also that these were based on things Lee knew or researched! Spooky!
I got this free bc I had signed up for his mailing list so that was awesome.
June 28, 2022
I really admire how quickly these stories are able to go from “Oh look, there’s a spooky house” to “face ripped off and screaming while an ancient god laughs maniacally”. It’s very well-written but for the most part unoriginal. Everything feels kind of padded and two of the stories are prequels for other books. It’s predictable but reasonably fun and gory. The first story and the possessed husband story were my favorites. This is my first Mountford book and it was decent but I think a novel might be a better way to go.
April 4, 2025
I have been meaning to write this review because I feel like I have so much to say, I liked the overall stories. The main reason I read this book is because I read the Demonic and saw that at the end of that book that there was a short story in this book, but it didn't really give me what I wanted. It did give me some back stories into the characters that were mentioned in the past of the story, but I really wanted to know WHY the Demon was on the farm in the first place and where it came from and how it got there, and it didn't really give me that. I did enjoy the story in the Asylum, and I am positivity frustrated at the Box because I wanted to know WHAT WAS IN THE BOX, and I felt like I had an idea, but I just wanted it confirmed, and it wasn't. Some of these stories are mid at best but some are captivating and interesting - separate to the story the narrator after a while does my head in and I feel like he is doing TOO much for the story but that's not the author's fault - This IS a good casual read but I feel like it lacked reasoning, it didn't wrap things up in a nice and neat little bundle and it lost two starts because it didn't give me the closure that I needed BUT if you like when things are open to interpretation and are open ended then this might be a higher rate for you
April 1, 2021
This is everything true horror fans want in a book and audiobook. This collection of tales are creepy, scary, and so dang good. This narrator did an amazing job at telling the tales. His voice was perfect for the atmosphere these stories needed. I'd like to listen to more from him. And I'd like to read for stories from this author. Lee Mountford understands what horror fans want and need. These tales aren't for the faint of heart. I am a huge horror fan and I even found myself looking over my shoulder a few times listening. A must read/listen for adult fans of the horror genre.
March 28, 2022
I have loved every one of Lee Mountford s book so far they are so gripping
September 21, 2019
An incredible collection of creepy and terrifying short horror stories. Horror is one of my favourite genres. I love the thrill of feeling scared. It takes a lot to affect me in fiction, but I felt really creeped out because the ideas and characters are so vivid and real, and the descriptions are so visceral, that I could only imagine how frightening it would be to be put in such bizarre and sinister supernatural situations. The storylines and mythologies are inventive. I would love to read more about the characters and their worlds. This is the first works of Lee‘s that I have read, but I will definitely read his other books. Well done, Lee, you scared me, and I enjoyed every moment of it! 5 stars!
July 21, 2020
I would rather not give this a star rating since I tagged it DNF, but... everyone liked this book so much, yet it falls flat for me. I reached the midway point, and it totally failed to grab me. I think it may be the narration. It's a little over the top and is distracting me from the stories. This was my follow-up to Postcards From The Void, so perhaps I was in a different mood. For me, this may be one of those collection better read than heard.
September 5, 2019
I got the free Ebook as a subscriber.
And my God am I so happy to have read these awesome stories.
The Demon on the farm, The Late Shift and The Hobbes Hall Diaries were my favourites, the stand outs for sure.
Lee always manages to scare me and I love it. I don't read many horrors that I actually enjoy. Definitely give these stories a go if your into the horror genre.
And my God am I so happy to have read these awesome stories.
The Demon on the farm, The Late Shift and The Hobbes Hall Diaries were my favourites, the stand outs for sure.
Lee always manages to scare me and I love it. I don't read many horrors that I actually enjoy. Definitely give these stories a go if your into the horror genre.
Currently reading
February 24, 2024*more in process thoughts*
Ugh. I may have to take back my compliments. I'm not here for bad splatterpunk. I'm not here for any splatterpunk but definitely not excessive generic splatter after a minimalist story. The first story was cool. I think they said someone's face was removed. That's nice. Second story was going fine, then suddenly pages of straight description of gore. You want to read gore go read Edward Lee or get weird and read Wrath James White. Read Haunter by Charlee Jacobs or Exquisite Corpse by Poppy Z. Brite. Hehe, read Wetbones by John Shirley or Cows by Matthew Stokoe.
*in process thoughts*
This is my first experience with the author. I'm intrigued. And wholly entertained so far.
A couple thoughts on craft. Interestingly it's tricky to express what I want. This is a workman-like book. Hmm. It's easier for me to say what this isn't and work from there. This is not an arty piece of literature. Nor is it in any way highly stylized. Nobody is putting this on a list with Neil Gaiman.
But it's also in no way bad. It's not one of those 80s trash paperbacks. Or those Brit horror series about rats. Or wasps. Or snakes. Or roaches. You get the joke.
The horror works. And it works well. Even in those moments when it's totally bare bones. I think that says something about horror that we may have forgotten. That it doesn't actually take much to spark terror. A couple figures watching you on a hike. A face that doesn't look as expected. Terror.
Ugh. I may have to take back my compliments. I'm not here for bad splatterpunk. I'm not here for any splatterpunk but definitely not excessive generic splatter after a minimalist story. The first story was cool. I think they said someone's face was removed. That's nice. Second story was going fine, then suddenly pages of straight description of gore. You want to read gore go read Edward Lee or get weird and read Wrath James White. Read Haunter by Charlee Jacobs or Exquisite Corpse by Poppy Z. Brite. Hehe, read Wetbones by John Shirley or Cows by Matthew Stokoe.
*in process thoughts*
This is my first experience with the author. I'm intrigued. And wholly entertained so far.
A couple thoughts on craft. Interestingly it's tricky to express what I want. This is a workman-like book. Hmm. It's easier for me to say what this isn't and work from there. This is not an arty piece of literature. Nor is it in any way highly stylized. Nobody is putting this on a list with Neil Gaiman.
But it's also in no way bad. It's not one of those 80s trash paperbacks. Or those Brit horror series about rats. Or wasps. Or snakes. Or roaches. You get the joke.
The horror works. And it works well. Even in those moments when it's totally bare bones. I think that says something about horror that we may have forgotten. That it doesn't actually take much to spark terror. A couple figures watching you on a hike. A face that doesn't look as expected. Terror.
August 21, 2020
As it's a short story collection, I'll give each story it's own rating for brevity:
The Hobbes Hall Diaries - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - The highlight of the collection. It succeeds in being genuinely chilling in a way that few stories actually do.
The Late Shift - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Slow start, but by the end it was zipping along, going places I never would've expected.
The Box - ⭐⭐ - The low point - unfortunately, this one really didn't go anywhere.
The Demon on the Farm - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - A prequel short story for one of his full length novels. A really great concept, although it did drag on a little longer than necessary.
Always and Forever - ⭐⭐⭐ - A very short story that tried to deliver an emotional gut punch. Sadly, it didn't really have the effect it was going for. For me, it just felt a little hollow.
Let Me Through - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Another strong one. Explores themes of mental health in a responsible way.
The Black Forest - ⭐⭐⭐ - Another prequel for one of Mountford's full-length novels. It probably would have been better placed in the middle of the collection, rather than the end.
Horror aficionados, Lee Mountford is a name you may want to add to your radar. This is a strong collection, written by someone who's clearly a true dedicated fan of the genre.
The Hobbes Hall Diaries - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - The highlight of the collection. It succeeds in being genuinely chilling in a way that few stories actually do.
The Late Shift - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Slow start, but by the end it was zipping along, going places I never would've expected.
The Box - ⭐⭐ - The low point - unfortunately, this one really didn't go anywhere.
The Demon on the Farm - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - A prequel short story for one of his full length novels. A really great concept, although it did drag on a little longer than necessary.
Always and Forever - ⭐⭐⭐ - A very short story that tried to deliver an emotional gut punch. Sadly, it didn't really have the effect it was going for. For me, it just felt a little hollow.
Let Me Through - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Another strong one. Explores themes of mental health in a responsible way.
The Black Forest - ⭐⭐⭐ - Another prequel for one of Mountford's full-length novels. It probably would have been better placed in the middle of the collection, rather than the end.
Horror aficionados, Lee Mountford is a name you may want to add to your radar. This is a strong collection, written by someone who's clearly a true dedicated fan of the genre.
July 27, 2021
These stories begin in the modern era. Chapter 4 takes us, briefly, back to Thomas Kerr 1679, then Margaret Hobbes 1866. After a little return to more modern days, we find ourselves with Eileen (Scotland 1627).
These stories seem so different, both in time zones and the storylines but there are little echoes.
The first person narrative draws the reader in. Their emotions, especially the fear and grief are gripping. You are with these individuals every step of the way, unable to help, but unable to step away.
A fabulous read and, for me, a great introduction to Lee Mountford's work.
These stories seem so different, both in time zones and the storylines but there are little echoes.
The first person narrative draws the reader in. Their emotions, especially the fear and grief are gripping. You are with these individuals every step of the way, unable to help, but unable to step away.
A fabulous read and, for me, a great introduction to Lee Mountford's work.
April 4, 2022
I was completely hooked right from the very beginning of this collection, which by the way, thank you very much, Lee Mountford, for making it freely available to download from your website.
I'm going to slightly break my rigid 'no spoilers ' rule here, because there's a fascinating synchronicity with the lead character in the first story, that just got creepier and creepier... First of all, his surname is almost the same as mine - the character being a 'Clementine' and my birth surname being a 'Clements'. OK, that's interesting. Then I learn he's into 'urban exploring' - the pastime of looking around abandoned buildings, something I was very, very into as a teenager. Then, and here's a spoiler alert, he suffers an accident, while exploring an abandoned school, which results in his being confined to a wheelchair with a broken back. OK, now I am seriously getting more than goosebumps, because my own life was irrevocably changed in 2001, in a near-fatal car wreck. And...yes, I have been confined to a wheelchair since then.
There are so many passages that follow that echo my own life experiences, like the friends who swear they'll keep up with their friendship with you, only to eventually fall away one by one. In my experience, this was because I had to keep saying 'Sorry, can't meet up there...' wherever 'there' was, because it wasn't wheelchair accessible. And let's face it, I don't blame any of them, because how many times do you keep getting told 'No' before you just stop asking? Ten? Twenty? It doesn't matter. Your life is never the same. Neither is theirs.
This author wrote something I highlighted in the book as I was reading it, which reads "Life in a wheelchair is difficult. It is not until you are in one of these chairs permanently that you come to find it is restrictive in ways able-bodied people can never really comprehend." I'll skip the bit about huge lump in my throat, and say thank you to someone who has pointed out something that is so often overlooked...
And then, just when I thought things couldn't get any closer to home, they literally did, because the lead character relocates to County Durham, literally to a town a few miles from where I was born! OK, absolutely completely freaked out now!!!
This has all got extremely personal, and probably not even really relevant to someone just reading the stories in this collection, but I just wanted to share. Because it freaked me out so much!!!
So, as for the other stories, well, don't miss them. They are extremely well written, compelling, and creepy. And, yes fine, I was freaked out to start with but that aside...! I am really looking forward to following up more work from Lee Mountford. The Nightmare Collection Vol. 1 is a cracking read, and I highly recommend it.
Can't wait to get into more of his tales (freaky synchronicity or otherwise is optional!).
I'm going to slightly break my rigid 'no spoilers ' rule here, because there's a fascinating synchronicity with the lead character in the first story, that just got creepier and creepier... First of all, his surname is almost the same as mine - the character being a 'Clementine' and my birth surname being a 'Clements'. OK, that's interesting. Then I learn he's into 'urban exploring' - the pastime of looking around abandoned buildings, something I was very, very into as a teenager. Then, and here's a spoiler alert, he suffers an accident, while exploring an abandoned school, which results in his being confined to a wheelchair with a broken back. OK, now I am seriously getting more than goosebumps, because my own life was irrevocably changed in 2001, in a near-fatal car wreck. And...yes, I have been confined to a wheelchair since then.
There are so many passages that follow that echo my own life experiences, like the friends who swear they'll keep up with their friendship with you, only to eventually fall away one by one. In my experience, this was because I had to keep saying 'Sorry, can't meet up there...' wherever 'there' was, because it wasn't wheelchair accessible. And let's face it, I don't blame any of them, because how many times do you keep getting told 'No' before you just stop asking? Ten? Twenty? It doesn't matter. Your life is never the same. Neither is theirs.
This author wrote something I highlighted in the book as I was reading it, which reads "Life in a wheelchair is difficult. It is not until you are in one of these chairs permanently that you come to find it is restrictive in ways able-bodied people can never really comprehend." I'll skip the bit about huge lump in my throat, and say thank you to someone who has pointed out something that is so often overlooked...
And then, just when I thought things couldn't get any closer to home, they literally did, because the lead character relocates to County Durham, literally to a town a few miles from where I was born! OK, absolutely completely freaked out now!!!
This has all got extremely personal, and probably not even really relevant to someone just reading the stories in this collection, but I just wanted to share. Because it freaked me out so much!!!
So, as for the other stories, well, don't miss them. They are extremely well written, compelling, and creepy. And, yes fine, I was freaked out to start with but that aside...! I am really looking forward to following up more work from Lee Mountford. The Nightmare Collection Vol. 1 is a cracking read, and I highly recommend it.
Can't wait to get into more of his tales (freaky synchronicity or otherwise is optional!).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
dnf
April 5, 2024Was entertaining “enough” to keep going to kill time but as we kept repeating the same story over and over it wasn’t worth wasting more time on it anymore and it got moved to dnf. Telling the same story from different perspectives is tricky and should be done by skilled writers who have really honed their craft. This is NOT the case here.
July 2, 2021
Such a rollicking good horror fest! The narration for these books is over the top drama but I love the voice of Hannibal Hills! This one has me racing to the next after hearing that a few were prequels! On to the Supernatural Horror Collection!
August 13, 2022
The Nightmare Collection
Finished reading a collection of short stories that are prequels to his other main books published by the author. I enjoyed reading his books and look forward to reading more books from Lee Mountford
Finished reading a collection of short stories that are prequels to his other main books published by the author. I enjoyed reading his books and look forward to reading more books from Lee Mountford
January 24, 2023
I enjoyed this book. The stories were good. Narration by Hannibal Hills was excellent . I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
January 27, 2024
Some weren't so scary and some were really good!!!
November 13, 2024
This was a solid collection the two standouts were The Late Shift and The Demon in the Barn.
February 11, 2020
It was a good read. Felt something new in these short horror stories. Loved the author's way of writing and the atmosphere he had created in these stories.
Looking forward to read his other novels in this genre.
Looking forward to read his other novels in this genre.
October 26, 2019
Spooktober 2019 Book 12
So far, in my never ending quest to find the best books in the horror genre during this “spooky” month, The Nightmare Collection is the only book that’s really delivered on the promise of real horror.
Even though the stories that Mountford collected here are short, it doesn’t change the fact that the author still remains criminally underrated in the world of horror fiction. Mountford is no Stephen King, of course, but that doesn’t really matter once you’ve read his full length novels, or, in this case, the 7 stories in The Nightmare Collection.
Some are prequels to other works, some are stand alone. All are great stories that I enjoyed reading. If you want my honest opinion, the real standouts are “Always And Forever” and “Let Me Through”.
So far, in my never ending quest to find the best books in the horror genre during this “spooky” month, The Nightmare Collection is the only book that’s really delivered on the promise of real horror.
Even though the stories that Mountford collected here are short, it doesn’t change the fact that the author still remains criminally underrated in the world of horror fiction. Mountford is no Stephen King, of course, but that doesn’t really matter once you’ve read his full length novels, or, in this case, the 7 stories in The Nightmare Collection.
Some are prequels to other works, some are stand alone. All are great stories that I enjoyed reading. If you want my honest opinion, the real standouts are “Always And Forever” and “Let Me Through”.
August 31, 2019
Got this for simply being a subscriber to his newsletter.
This collection has absolutely no bad stories within it. I usually find one story that I try and speed through in the hopes that the next story will be better...did not have to do that. And what's great about most of these stories is that they are back stories for his full length novels so that you will enjoy his universe even more.
This is a real horror novelist and I enjoy everything he writes, and if youre into horror, I know you'll get into his writing as well.
I highly recommend everything this guy writes!!
This collection has absolutely no bad stories within it. I usually find one story that I try and speed through in the hopes that the next story will be better...did not have to do that. And what's great about most of these stories is that they are back stories for his full length novels so that you will enjoy his universe even more.
This is a real horror novelist and I enjoy everything he writes, and if youre into horror, I know you'll get into his writing as well.
I highly recommend everything this guy writes!!
December 16, 2019
Excellent short stories especially the prequels
From haunted places to possession this is full of nightmare fuel
Hannibal’s narration is always the highest quality
If your a horror fan lee mountford doesn’t disappoint
I received a free review audiobook and voluntarily left this review
From haunted places to possession this is full of nightmare fuel
Hannibal’s narration is always the highest quality
If your a horror fan lee mountford doesn’t disappoint
I received a free review audiobook and voluntarily left this review
December 24, 2019
I love how Lee Mountford can take a simple everyday thing and flip it to the point that you are promised to be made uncomfortable. A great collection of short stories and prequels to some of his novels. Guaranteed to make a our skin crawl... several times over.
August 27, 2019
Amazingly horrific, terrifying and sad at times. Loved the prequels to a couple of his full length novels. Can't wait for volume 2?!
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews