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Beautiful Atrocities
"Even though most of the stories contained in this collection deal with cruelty in some form, one must not forget the importance of the word 'beauty' when coupled with the word 'cruelty'. Ross executes these moments of barbarity, of viciousness, of unbridled depravity with the tenderness and care of an accomplished surgeon. Of course, this unique coupling of 'beauty' and 'cruelty' conjures the likes of writers who have dabbled in the area before with uncompromising skill and verve. I think of authors such as Clive Barker or Michael McDowell veterans of the grotesquely beautiful horror, writers who conjured the most horrific and unsettling images and rendered them as things of beauty."
Eric LaRocca - Author of 'Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke"
Beautiful Atrocities collects eighteen stories of literary dark fiction from the Bram Stoker Award-nominated author Ross Jeffery, who terrified us with the sensational Juniper series. These chilling stories run the gamut of modern horror and will leave the reader entertained, breathless and horrified in equal measure but still wanting to turn the page.
This is a masterful debut collection from on of horror's bright shining lights.
Eric LaRocca - Author of 'Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke"
Beautiful Atrocities collects eighteen stories of literary dark fiction from the Bram Stoker Award-nominated author Ross Jeffery, who terrified us with the sensational Juniper series. These chilling stories run the gamut of modern horror and will leave the reader entertained, breathless and horrified in equal measure but still wanting to turn the page.
This is a masterful debut collection from on of horror's bright shining lights.
166 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2022
10 people are currently reading
615 people want to read
About the author
Ross Jeffery
28 books363 followersRoss Jeffery is the Bram Stoker Award-nominated author of 'Tome', 'Juniper', 'Scorched', 'Only The Stains Remain' and 'Tethered'.
His debut collection 'Beautiful Atrocities' was published in the summer of 2022 through Cemetery Gates Media.
His works to date have been self-published / indie-published and his stand-out, self-published and award-nominated series 'The Juniper Trilogy' is getting a well-deserved re-release in late 2022.
He is also a 3x Splatterpunk nominated author and has had his novellas 'Tethered' and 'Only The Stains Remain' translated into Czech.
'The Devil's Pocketbook', his latest and most anticipated novel to date, will be published by DarkLit press in 2023.
Ross lives in Bristol with his wife and two children.
His debut collection 'Beautiful Atrocities' was published in the summer of 2022 through Cemetery Gates Media.
His works to date have been self-published / indie-published and his stand-out, self-published and award-nominated series 'The Juniper Trilogy' is getting a well-deserved re-release in late 2022.
He is also a 3x Splatterpunk nominated author and has had his novellas 'Tethered' and 'Only The Stains Remain' translated into Czech.
'The Devil's Pocketbook', his latest and most anticipated novel to date, will be published by DarkLit press in 2023.
Ross lives in Bristol with his wife and two children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
March 25, 2023
18 horror stories, all of them a bit macabre, morbid and melancholic. A grave digger, a collector of curious things, the living, the dead, special relationships, extreme situations... the author knows how to form an intriguing tale out of nothing but after some stories they all seemed a bit similar in their tone, a bit too depressing at parts for my taste. Nothing against his writing abilities, everything there in that department but those 18 stories in a row simply were too much for my taste. Could have done with half the number that would have been enough for me. Nevertheless recommended!
March 10, 2022
A masterful and utterly compelling collection of modern horror fiction from one of the genre's most consistently unique and unsettling voices.
October 25, 2022
This was my first time reading Ross Jeffery's work, and I'm so glad that I did, because I really enjoyed this collection! It's a heavy, tough read at times, as Ross doesn't hesitate to tackle serious and difficult topics, but it's also creepy, melancholy, and lovely.
I won't go into each story individually since there are so many of them (clocking in at a lengthy 18 stories), but I do want to say a few were stand-out favorites. It was a bit tough to narrow things down since I loved so many, but here are a few that have really lingered with me after putting the book down:
• 'One Piece Remains': the very first story kicks off with a surprising, gory tale of a narrator who keeps receiving very unfortunate packages. I didn't see this ending coming and was taken aback in the best way; it's one of those collection introductions that holds no punches and lets you know that you should go ahead and buckle up, because you're in for quite a ride.
• 'When it is Truly Time': the second story shifted gears into a very different tone that I quickly realized Ross excels at, which is horror that breaks your heart. I knew this story was going in a painful direction, but I was still left a little raw when I realized the full extent of the protagonist's source of pain.
• 'Hail Maud Full of Grace': I can't say much about the feelings this story left me with, mostly because they'd be spoiling the entire thing for you, but what I will say is that this is definitely a story with potential for polarizing its readers tremendously, and I definitely fell on the side of folks who enjoyed seeing the tables turned for once.
• 'Beautiful Atrocities': I am nothing if not a sucker for revenge stories, and while this collection as a whole features multiple occurrences of abuse victims getting their justice one way or another, this one explored the theme in my favorite way. It was such a fun, bizarre way of carrying out this protagonist's revenge on his abuser and I loved rooting for him the whole way.
Like I said, while these were my favorites, it was really hard to narrow things down to just a few because I loved the collection so much as a whole! Not only is it deeply unsettling, violent, and frightening, but it's also full of a ton of heart and emotion and tragedy. Ross Jeffery's writing is absolutely lovely and I am so happy to have read this. I can't wait to pick up more of his work and highly recommend this anthology to anyone who enjoys horror shorts.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy! All thoughts are honest and my own.
✨ Content warnings for:
———
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I won't go into each story individually since there are so many of them (clocking in at a lengthy 18 stories), but I do want to say a few were stand-out favorites. It was a bit tough to narrow things down since I loved so many, but here are a few that have really lingered with me after putting the book down:
• 'One Piece Remains': the very first story kicks off with a surprising, gory tale of a narrator who keeps receiving very unfortunate packages. I didn't see this ending coming and was taken aback in the best way; it's one of those collection introductions that holds no punches and lets you know that you should go ahead and buckle up, because you're in for quite a ride.
• 'When it is Truly Time': the second story shifted gears into a very different tone that I quickly realized Ross excels at, which is horror that breaks your heart. I knew this story was going in a painful direction, but I was still left a little raw when I realized the full extent of the protagonist's source of pain.
• 'Hail Maud Full of Grace': I can't say much about the feelings this story left me with, mostly because they'd be spoiling the entire thing for you, but what I will say is that this is definitely a story with potential for polarizing its readers tremendously, and I definitely fell on the side of folks who enjoyed seeing the tables turned for once.
• 'Beautiful Atrocities': I am nothing if not a sucker for revenge stories, and while this collection as a whole features multiple occurrences of abuse victims getting their justice one way or another, this one explored the theme in my favorite way. It was such a fun, bizarre way of carrying out this protagonist's revenge on his abuser and I loved rooting for him the whole way.
Like I said, while these were my favorites, it was really hard to narrow things down to just a few because I loved the collection so much as a whole! Not only is it deeply unsettling, violent, and frightening, but it's also full of a ton of heart and emotion and tragedy. Ross Jeffery's writing is absolutely lovely and I am so happy to have read this. I can't wait to pick up more of his work and highly recommend this anthology to anyone who enjoys horror shorts.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy! All thoughts are honest and my own.
✨ Content warnings for:
———
twitter | booktok | bookstagram | blog
August 27, 2022
Finding the balance between haunting and beautiful is so well done with these stories. They are horrific but also tinged with sadness.
September 7, 2022
4.5/5 The only reason this didn’t get 5 stars is because I didn’t love ‘The Great Withering’ but I can appreciate it’s genius.
This is my first read by Jeffrey & I’m incredibly impressed. 40% through I added his other works to my TBR. This collection had a bit of everything. Some disturbed me & some hit close to home.
Jeffrey’s ability to blend together important topics within these short story’s of beautiful atrocities is impeccable. Particularly ‘Two Beasts, One Master’ hit home as I personally am on a journey of healing to not pass down the generational curses that were bestowed upon me by my own parents. How he actualized turning into the beast, knowing it, yet it still controls you. Absolutely, hauntingly poetic.
‘A Place to Lay Me Down’ also struck a nerve. How Jeffrey managed to intertwine the sobering reality that you get what you deserve in this life within a short grave digger/zombie story is award worthy.
Each story will stay with you. They haunt you in description & meaning. I can’t wait to read more of his work. Ross, if you happen to see this. Bravo.
This is my first read by Jeffrey & I’m incredibly impressed. 40% through I added his other works to my TBR. This collection had a bit of everything. Some disturbed me & some hit close to home.
Jeffrey’s ability to blend together important topics within these short story’s of beautiful atrocities is impeccable. Particularly ‘Two Beasts, One Master’ hit home as I personally am on a journey of healing to not pass down the generational curses that were bestowed upon me by my own parents. How he actualized turning into the beast, knowing it, yet it still controls you. Absolutely, hauntingly poetic.
‘A Place to Lay Me Down’ also struck a nerve. How Jeffrey managed to intertwine the sobering reality that you get what you deserve in this life within a short grave digger/zombie story is award worthy.
Each story will stay with you. They haunt you in description & meaning. I can’t wait to read more of his work. Ross, if you happen to see this. Bravo.
June 12, 2022
This collection gave me whiplash, I charged through it over the course of 24 hours. I've been eyeing up Ross Jeffery's work for a while and then I was so excited when Nightworms included this in their June package. I knew I would make it my first read from the package and here we are.
Short story collections are a great way to test the waters with an author and see if you like them. Jeffery has a way with words, his style is both dark and beautiful. With this author, the waters are shark infested and darkness is always lurking, and I'm looking forward to diving into these murky waters again.
My favorite was probably TheCollectorOfRuinedThings, which was brutal and surprising. Other highlights for me were: One Piece Remains, When It Is Truly Time (Ross if you read this, I'm looking forward to seeing what else you do with this idea), A Place To Lay Me Down, Cat Box, and Beautiful Atrocities.
Short story collections are a great way to test the waters with an author and see if you like them. Jeffery has a way with words, his style is both dark and beautiful. With this author, the waters are shark infested and darkness is always lurking, and I'm looking forward to diving into these murky waters again.
My favorite was probably TheCollectorOfRuinedThings, which was brutal and surprising. Other highlights for me were: One Piece Remains, When It Is Truly Time (Ross if you read this, I'm looking forward to seeing what else you do with this idea), A Place To Lay Me Down, Cat Box, and Beautiful Atrocities.
August 15, 2022
Ross Jeffery hits the ground running with his debut (Whud? Milk kisses and other stories??) collection of short stories. With his writing quality firmly established through the Juniper series (with the eagerly awaited “Scorched” somewhere soon on the horizon closing the trilogy off) and having experimented with novellas such as Tethered – by telling a tale through collected flash pieces (one of my favorites from the author), this was pretty much an instant-buy.
The opener -One piece remains – is a great concept, taking a common trope and running it through the extreme reversal of what could happen if unable to meet a kidnapper’s demands. The mindset of the MC here is the jewel to open the collection – a wonderfully positive twist on something sickening, it really sets the scene for the tone of the whole book.
This collection is a pretty broad canvas, Jeffery flexes his writing chops with pieces like “The collector of ruined things”, leading the reader to an assumption that is proven woefully false. Clever in presentation, and clinical in its timing, it’s one of the highlights of the collection and is a great example of misleading the reader, present also in shorts like "Even Death can't separate us".
There were a couple of stories in here that felt incomplete (The great withering, Cat box). A place to lay me down - quite clearly defined around a word, Jeffery interestingly enough re-enforcing the word several times throughout the piece. I get the idea of enforcement through repetition but felt it hit the first time around. That’s just probably me, and the writing on all of the pieces is so smooth and easy to read, that the reader is nevertheless rushing to the end of every short.
There’s a crowd pleaser in Hail Maud, full of grace”, which will have you smiling along as soon as the reality of the situation kicks in. Gotta love it when a writer can get you cheering on murder, especially with the protagonist the age she is.
Even death can’t separate us – was one I saw coming from the opening sentence, but beautifully written and actually pretty satisfying. I could imagine it a singular short given away for subscribing to a newsletter – It’s as complete an example of Ross’ writing as it gets.
The titular short Beautiful Atrocities ties up the bow at the end, leaving us no doubt the collection was "Bram stoker nominated" 😁 strong, and Ross’ writing will only get stronger from here on in.
This is a 4 out of 5 ⭐ ‘s read for me, the collection is solid, the cover beautiful, and the typeface and inside illustration work great.
Can’t wait for Scorched.
The opener -One piece remains – is a great concept, taking a common trope and running it through the extreme reversal of what could happen if unable to meet a kidnapper’s demands. The mindset of the MC here is the jewel to open the collection – a wonderfully positive twist on something sickening, it really sets the scene for the tone of the whole book.
This collection is a pretty broad canvas, Jeffery flexes his writing chops with pieces like “The collector of ruined things”, leading the reader to an assumption that is proven woefully false. Clever in presentation, and clinical in its timing, it’s one of the highlights of the collection and is a great example of misleading the reader, present also in shorts like "Even Death can't separate us".
There were a couple of stories in here that felt incomplete (The great withering, Cat box). A place to lay me down - quite clearly defined around a word, Jeffery interestingly enough re-enforcing the word several times throughout the piece. I get the idea of enforcement through repetition but felt it hit the first time around. That’s just probably me, and the writing on all of the pieces is so smooth and easy to read, that the reader is nevertheless rushing to the end of every short.
There’s a crowd pleaser in Hail Maud, full of grace”, which will have you smiling along as soon as the reality of the situation kicks in. Gotta love it when a writer can get you cheering on murder, especially with the protagonist the age she is.
Even death can’t separate us – was one I saw coming from the opening sentence, but beautifully written and actually pretty satisfying. I could imagine it a singular short given away for subscribing to a newsletter – It’s as complete an example of Ross’ writing as it gets.
The titular short Beautiful Atrocities ties up the bow at the end, leaving us no doubt the collection was "Bram stoker nominated" 😁 strong, and Ross’ writing will only get stronger from here on in.
This is a 4 out of 5 ⭐ ‘s read for me, the collection is solid, the cover beautiful, and the typeface and inside illustration work great.
Can’t wait for Scorched.
July 14, 2022
Atrociously Beautiful!
Insanely good. These stories not only move, they also move you. This is fast, vivid, absolutely riveting fiction. Highly recommended!
Insanely good. These stories not only move, they also move you. This is fast, vivid, absolutely riveting fiction. Highly recommended!
July 4, 2022
The debut collection from Stoker Award-nominated author Ross Jeffery continues Jeffery's unfettered mark-making on the current state of the horror genre. Fans of Jeffery's poetic and contemplative prose, present in books such as Juniper and Only the Stains Remain, will find their needs met by Beautiful Atrocities. Jeffery showcases what he can do in the short form with stories that range from barely two paragraphs to offerings that border on novelette length.
Whether the author's intention or not, the title reminded me of early Chuck Palahniuk's attempt at oxymoronic two-word titles (Fight Club, Invisible Monsters), pitting a series of words that have no earthly business occupying the same cover. Yet "beautiful" and "atrocity" are apt descriptions of what you will find inside. Grisly and ghastly imagery, often perpetrated by human monsters, written about in a fluid way that makes the reader believe Jeffery is digging for any beauty to latch onto in this atrocious world.
A story-by-story dive into each story would rival the length of Eric LaRocca's stunning introduction, but some of my favorites include: "TheCollectorofRuinedThings", "Hail Maud Full of Grace", "The Yellow Man and His Insatiable Hunger", and "Two Beasts, One Master".
This is personal preference, but I do wish the book had included a table of contents. It did not detract from the stories themselves, but as a reader I like to see where I am in the collection and the length of each entry. In a way, it's like viewing the back of an album. A small gripe, to be sure. Beautiful Atrocities is a debut collection to be proud of and another steady stepping stone in the burgeoning career of Ross Jeffery.
Whether the author's intention or not, the title reminded me of early Chuck Palahniuk's attempt at oxymoronic two-word titles (Fight Club, Invisible Monsters), pitting a series of words that have no earthly business occupying the same cover. Yet "beautiful" and "atrocity" are apt descriptions of what you will find inside. Grisly and ghastly imagery, often perpetrated by human monsters, written about in a fluid way that makes the reader believe Jeffery is digging for any beauty to latch onto in this atrocious world.
A story-by-story dive into each story would rival the length of Eric LaRocca's stunning introduction, but some of my favorites include: "TheCollectorofRuinedThings", "Hail Maud Full of Grace", "The Yellow Man and His Insatiable Hunger", and "Two Beasts, One Master".
This is personal preference, but I do wish the book had included a table of contents. It did not detract from the stories themselves, but as a reader I like to see where I am in the collection and the length of each entry. In a way, it's like viewing the back of an album. A small gripe, to be sure. Beautiful Atrocities is a debut collection to be proud of and another steady stepping stone in the burgeoning career of Ross Jeffery.
July 29, 2022
I don't normally like short story collections but as a big Juniper and Tome fan, I had to read this one and I'm glad I did... 👍👍 Looking forward to the next collection!
August 27, 2022
After reading “Only The Stains Remain”, I was stoked to see a debut collection by Ross Jeffrey. He tackles the most difficult topics in the most haunting way. The writing it creepy, gloomy and highly addictive.
“Beautiful Attrocities” contains 18 elegantly written, dark tales that reach into the depths of your soul. I loved all the stories, but my absolute favorites were ‘beautiful atrocities’ and ‘mortal would.’
5 twisted stars for this beautifully twisted book.
September 25, 2022
This was my first time reading Ross Jeffery. His writing flows really well. The first story set the tone for the book. 18 dark stories and enjoyed every single one. I can't read to read more by this author.
December 16, 2022
Spent the morning reading and I loved every minute of this dark and beautiful book. The thing seeps unease. Just when you can’t take another second of the horror, the story ends and the bad part of me wants more. Consider me a part of the Ross Jeffery fan club.
February 24, 2023
I absolutely loved this! This is one of those rare story collections where every story really packs a punch. It's impossible to pick a favourite! Each story is a little gem that doesn't behave in the way you think its going to. Reading each one was a delight. Really looking forwards to reading more from Ross!
October 21, 2022
Loved everyone of these stories, it took me a while to read the book as I was Saving it for when I had some spare time to fill so when I found myself waiting around I read one of these stories. Each story just as horrific as the next bit in its own unique way.
July 13, 2022
BEAUTIFUL ATROCITIES. Ross Jeffery's first short story collection.
With collections I mostly just pick out a favourite or two, but this time I decided to write a few notes after each one.
Here are my thoughts.
ONE PIECE REMAINS: As each description unfolds, the more it becomes unsettling. Anticipation is ramped to the hilt. It's not long before the story shifts, and things get really gruesome, in a surprising way, too. Definitely not one for the squeamish. Loved it.
WHEN IT IS TRULY TIME: A heavy hitting heartbreaker.
THE COLLECTOR OF RUINED THINGS: A thief for the dark market. I laughed at some of the usernames in this. It was a nice touch with the humour. I appreciated the addiction to his thieving and how he felt it was justified. I kinda wanted this one to be a little longer. I appreciated the ending too, even though I was hoping for a real gut punch.
ALL THE LITTLE CHILDREN: It's nice to see some stories in this that were written during the pandemic. I have a feeling a lot of authors chose to avoid it. Maybe because people were sick of it all, or perhaps thought that everyone would be writing about it, but to be honest, it's the opposite. Anyway, Ross has done well here keeping it unique. It's where he took the NHS clap in this one. Nicely executed. I would have liked to have seen a bit more of the to and from hospital, and also I think the ending on this one could've been beefed up a bit, but that's just a personal thing, because it was fine really. It still had me saying "to hell with that." A good sign. Another really uncomfortable read again. I get a feeling some people may be divided on what stories they like in this collection, but I do think most people will say that each one is written kind of lovely and gross at the same time.
CUCKOO, CUCKOO, CUCKOO: Some really unsettling moments in this. Quite short, too. Great ending.
A PLACE TO LAY ME DOWN: I saw where this one was going but I still really enjoyed it. Quite a fun one in a way. Pieced together really well.
HAIL MAUD FULL OF GRACE: Really loved this one. Absolutely brutal. That ending... Ooft.
MORTAL WOUND: I'd say that this collection is worth buying for this one story alone. Tragic and wonderful. This one hits a hell lot of emotions in one go and leaves you breathless at the end. Truly fantastic work.
TRAPPED IN THE AMBER OF THIS MOMENT: This short poem was a nice choice to follow the previous story. Short, but a heavy hitter for sure.
CASUALTIES OF WAR: I thought this one was handled really well. Nothing outplayed. Nothing forced. The title kind of says it all. It's about a traumatised ex-soldier.
I'm appreciating the order of these stories.
HEADS THAT COULD SHATTER GLASS: This was a fun one. Mental fun, but fun nonetheless. It's about a father trying to keep his son quiet in the car.
CAT BOX: A very twisted found-footage story. That's all you need to know going in.
THE YELLOW MAN AND HIS INSATIABLE HUNGER: Not a favourite in the collection, but a good spin on a familiar story, which I always appreciate. Still good work.
EVEN DEATH CAN'T SEPARATE US: Love the nod to a certain place in Ross's other work. Always cool having an Easter Egg now and again. I enjoyed this little journey.
THE GREAT WITHERING: Extremely violent and unsettling. A gripping read.
A DISTANT SILENCE: Haven't said it yet, but there really are some great titles here. Nice drabble here.
TWO BEASTS, ONE MASTER: Again... quality title. I really liked this one. Very relatable to people of a certain age... Great ending, too.
BEAUTIFUL ATROCITIES: Beautifully written and stomach churning. A good way to end the collection.
Enjoyed reading the story notes at the end, too.
Five stars deserved for a diverse horror collection.
Highly recommend you picking this one up.
With collections I mostly just pick out a favourite or two, but this time I decided to write a few notes after each one.
Here are my thoughts.
ONE PIECE REMAINS: As each description unfolds, the more it becomes unsettling. Anticipation is ramped to the hilt. It's not long before the story shifts, and things get really gruesome, in a surprising way, too. Definitely not one for the squeamish. Loved it.
WHEN IT IS TRULY TIME: A heavy hitting heartbreaker.
THE COLLECTOR OF RUINED THINGS: A thief for the dark market. I laughed at some of the usernames in this. It was a nice touch with the humour. I appreciated the addiction to his thieving and how he felt it was justified. I kinda wanted this one to be a little longer. I appreciated the ending too, even though I was hoping for a real gut punch.
ALL THE LITTLE CHILDREN: It's nice to see some stories in this that were written during the pandemic. I have a feeling a lot of authors chose to avoid it. Maybe because people were sick of it all, or perhaps thought that everyone would be writing about it, but to be honest, it's the opposite. Anyway, Ross has done well here keeping it unique. It's where he took the NHS clap in this one. Nicely executed. I would have liked to have seen a bit more of the to and from hospital, and also I think the ending on this one could've been beefed up a bit, but that's just a personal thing, because it was fine really. It still had me saying "to hell with that." A good sign. Another really uncomfortable read again. I get a feeling some people may be divided on what stories they like in this collection, but I do think most people will say that each one is written kind of lovely and gross at the same time.
CUCKOO, CUCKOO, CUCKOO: Some really unsettling moments in this. Quite short, too. Great ending.
A PLACE TO LAY ME DOWN: I saw where this one was going but I still really enjoyed it. Quite a fun one in a way. Pieced together really well.
HAIL MAUD FULL OF GRACE: Really loved this one. Absolutely brutal. That ending... Ooft.
MORTAL WOUND: I'd say that this collection is worth buying for this one story alone. Tragic and wonderful. This one hits a hell lot of emotions in one go and leaves you breathless at the end. Truly fantastic work.
TRAPPED IN THE AMBER OF THIS MOMENT: This short poem was a nice choice to follow the previous story. Short, but a heavy hitter for sure.
CASUALTIES OF WAR: I thought this one was handled really well. Nothing outplayed. Nothing forced. The title kind of says it all. It's about a traumatised ex-soldier.
I'm appreciating the order of these stories.
HEADS THAT COULD SHATTER GLASS: This was a fun one. Mental fun, but fun nonetheless. It's about a father trying to keep his son quiet in the car.
CAT BOX: A very twisted found-footage story. That's all you need to know going in.
THE YELLOW MAN AND HIS INSATIABLE HUNGER: Not a favourite in the collection, but a good spin on a familiar story, which I always appreciate. Still good work.
EVEN DEATH CAN'T SEPARATE US: Love the nod to a certain place in Ross's other work. Always cool having an Easter Egg now and again. I enjoyed this little journey.
THE GREAT WITHERING: Extremely violent and unsettling. A gripping read.
A DISTANT SILENCE: Haven't said it yet, but there really are some great titles here. Nice drabble here.
TWO BEASTS, ONE MASTER: Again... quality title. I really liked this one. Very relatable to people of a certain age... Great ending, too.
BEAUTIFUL ATROCITIES: Beautifully written and stomach churning. A good way to end the collection.
Enjoyed reading the story notes at the end, too.
Five stars deserved for a diverse horror collection.
Highly recommend you picking this one up.
March 19, 2023
Stellar collection! I can easily say I’ll definitely will be reading more of his work! It was a book that I couldn’t put down. All the stories were great!
July 17, 2022
Ross Jeffery writes with prosaic lyrics, creating a soft easy read which is a shocking contrast to the vile words he strings together on the page. “When I pulled my hands away they were covered in dribbling flesh, strings of gory skin-like melted cheese-connected my hands to my face.”
Exploring the depths of how low humanity will sink in the name of greed, revenge, exploitation, and grief; these 18 stories create exquisitely dark watercolor art in your head that blurs the lines between what is beautiful and what is atrocious.
Exploring the depths of how low humanity will sink in the name of greed, revenge, exploitation, and grief; these 18 stories create exquisitely dark watercolor art in your head that blurs the lines between what is beautiful and what is atrocious.
August 30, 2024
4.5 ⭐️ short story collection.
5 ⭐️ narration.
Now I have been a fan of Ross Jeffery ever since I read Juniper and Tome (Both on audio book, worth checking out too!), so reading Beautiful Atrocities was a no-brainer.
Beautiful Atrocities a collection with haunting short stories that will stay with you long after you have read them.
Jeffery's prose paints these horrors in vivid colours. The stories are filled personal terrors, grief stricken horrors, vengeance filled tales and tormenting wails .
It is hard to pick a favorite. The really stand out stories for me are:
- One Piece Remains.
- The Collector of Ruined Things.
- Hail Maud, Full of Grace.
- Casualties of War
- Cat Box
- Heads That Could Shatter Glass
- The Yellow Man and His Insatiable Hunger
- Two Beasts, One Master
OK, that is most of the stories in this collection... the point is that Beautiful Atrocities is a testament to Ross Jefferys talent as a writer.
So go get this one!
as for the narration, Ritchie Berrie delivers a solid performance, Easy five stars!
5 ⭐️ narration.
Now I have been a fan of Ross Jeffery ever since I read Juniper and Tome (Both on audio book, worth checking out too!), so reading Beautiful Atrocities was a no-brainer.
Beautiful Atrocities a collection with haunting short stories that will stay with you long after you have read them.
Jeffery's prose paints these horrors in vivid colours. The stories are filled personal terrors, grief stricken horrors, vengeance filled tales and tormenting wails .
It is hard to pick a favorite. The really stand out stories for me are:
- One Piece Remains.
- The Collector of Ruined Things.
- Hail Maud, Full of Grace.
- Casualties of War
- Cat Box
- Heads That Could Shatter Glass
- The Yellow Man and His Insatiable Hunger
- Two Beasts, One Master
OK, that is most of the stories in this collection... the point is that Beautiful Atrocities is a testament to Ross Jefferys talent as a writer.
So go get this one!
as for the narration, Ritchie Berrie delivers a solid performance, Easy five stars!
August 28, 2022
Wow. This is a collection I will be recommending to everyone! It has grief horror, body horror, abuse, and a host of other twisted and tortured stories to devour. I soaked up each and every word on these pages, sometimes going back to read them again, overcome with emotions.
I think Eric LaRocca had it right when he wrote the forward for this collection- that its best to approach these stories with the same uncertainty and the same ambiguity that we both went into them with. Go in blind, with no hint of what is to unfold and you will be glad you did 🙌. I was surprised, delighted, disgusted and disturbed…. What more could you ask for?! 😄.
“𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘦, 𝘤𝘶𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘐 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘧𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨.”- ꜰʀᴏᴍ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴛᴏʀʏ ᴍᴏʀᴛᴀʟ ᴡᴏᴜɴᴅ
As much as I desperately want to discuss each of these stories, you need to experience them for yourself, so instead, I will just tell you which ones I loved the most without spoiling them, although I can tell you that this collection as a whole was a complete and total masterpiece 🤩.
—-
𝓞𝓷𝓮 𝓟𝓲𝓮𝓬𝓮 𝓡𝓮𝓶𝓪𝓲𝓷𝓼
This was the opening story, and Ross was right in saying it was the perfect tone setter. This one will have you loving the entire puzzle, one piece at a time…. 🧩
𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓒𝓸𝓵𝓵𝓮𝓬𝓽𝓸𝓻 𝓸𝓯 𝓡𝓾𝓲𝓷𝓮𝓭 𝓣𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓼
I have to ‘hand’ it Ross; This one had my stomach churning in disgust with a nice little surprise added to it! I think this may have been my favorite 🤔😍
𝓐𝓵𝓵 𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓛𝓲𝓽𝓽𝓵𝓮 𝓒𝓱𝓲𝓵𝓭𝓻𝓮𝓷
Wow. Ross actually went there. This was… unreal. Dripping in grief and more horrific than one could imagine. This may be my favorite grief horror story to date 😳.
𝓣𝓻𝓪𝓹𝓹𝓮𝓭 𝓲𝓷 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓐𝓶𝓫𝓮𝓻 𝓸𝓯 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓜𝓸𝓶𝓮𝓷𝓽
This one was short and powerful. Poetic yet tragic. A must read ❤️
𝓑𝓮𝓪𝓾𝓽𝓲𝓯𝓾𝓵 𝓐𝓽𝓻𝓸𝓬𝓲𝓽𝓲𝓮𝓼
“𝘐 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘨𝘰𝘥𝘢𝘸𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘦. 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥, 𝘤𝘶𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘥 𝘮𝘦 𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘳.”
This was the last story in the collection, and in my opinion, the perfect one to close with. If you love body horror, don’t look any further. It was truly a work of art 🧑🏻🎨.
——
The title of this collection really sums it up best. Beautiful Atrocities. It takes real talent to make horror beautiful. To make poetry out of sadness. To make light out of dark. But Ross has managed to do this in more ways than one.
New auto buy author? Yep. I think so 😃
I think Eric LaRocca had it right when he wrote the forward for this collection- that its best to approach these stories with the same uncertainty and the same ambiguity that we both went into them with. Go in blind, with no hint of what is to unfold and you will be glad you did 🙌. I was surprised, delighted, disgusted and disturbed…. What more could you ask for?! 😄.
“𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘦, 𝘤𝘶𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘐 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘧𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨.”- ꜰʀᴏᴍ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴛᴏʀʏ ᴍᴏʀᴛᴀʟ ᴡᴏᴜɴᴅ
As much as I desperately want to discuss each of these stories, you need to experience them for yourself, so instead, I will just tell you which ones I loved the most without spoiling them, although I can tell you that this collection as a whole was a complete and total masterpiece 🤩.
—-
𝓞𝓷𝓮 𝓟𝓲𝓮𝓬𝓮 𝓡𝓮𝓶𝓪𝓲𝓷𝓼
This was the opening story, and Ross was right in saying it was the perfect tone setter. This one will have you loving the entire puzzle, one piece at a time…. 🧩
𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓒𝓸𝓵𝓵𝓮𝓬𝓽𝓸𝓻 𝓸𝓯 𝓡𝓾𝓲𝓷𝓮𝓭 𝓣𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓼
I have to ‘hand’ it Ross; This one had my stomach churning in disgust with a nice little surprise added to it! I think this may have been my favorite 🤔😍
𝓐𝓵𝓵 𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓛𝓲𝓽𝓽𝓵𝓮 𝓒𝓱𝓲𝓵𝓭𝓻𝓮𝓷
Wow. Ross actually went there. This was… unreal. Dripping in grief and more horrific than one could imagine. This may be my favorite grief horror story to date 😳.
𝓣𝓻𝓪𝓹𝓹𝓮𝓭 𝓲𝓷 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓐𝓶𝓫𝓮𝓻 𝓸𝓯 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓜𝓸𝓶𝓮𝓷𝓽
This one was short and powerful. Poetic yet tragic. A must read ❤️
𝓑𝓮𝓪𝓾𝓽𝓲𝓯𝓾𝓵 𝓐𝓽𝓻𝓸𝓬𝓲𝓽𝓲𝓮𝓼
“𝘐 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘨𝘰𝘥𝘢𝘸𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘦. 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥, 𝘤𝘶𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘥 𝘮𝘦 𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘳.”
This was the last story in the collection, and in my opinion, the perfect one to close with. If you love body horror, don’t look any further. It was truly a work of art 🧑🏻🎨.
——
The title of this collection really sums it up best. Beautiful Atrocities. It takes real talent to make horror beautiful. To make poetry out of sadness. To make light out of dark. But Ross has managed to do this in more ways than one.
New auto buy author? Yep. I think so 😃
January 19, 2023
I'm a longterm admirer of Ross Jeffery's work. More recently, I've been spending time with his long fiction so it was a treat to read his short stories again. Deft and descriptive prose, haunting themes, and characters we cringe to see ourselves in, Jeffery's tales come with wicked twists and grotesqueries that will never leave you. Readers of both horror and literary fiction will appreciate this collection.
July 18, 2022
Horror readers if you aren't reading EVERYTHING that Ross Jeffery writes...You are missing out!! This man is a Master of the horror genre. His debut collection of horror filled tales rightly called "Beautiful Atrocities" is the best of the best!
This book broke the spell I was under concerning not being able to complete an entire collection of short stories, I devoured this collection and enjoyed every single tale.
This book broke the spell I was under concerning not being able to complete an entire collection of short stories, I devoured this collection and enjoyed every single tale.
September 10, 2022
This is a fabulous collection of disturbing short horror stories. A few trigger warnings, but very well written, and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
September 3, 2022
This is one of the best collections of stories I've read in a while. The writing is fearless and is not afraid to go into the darkest places. It is rare that I enjoy every story in a collection, but this is the case with Beautiful Atrocities. A more apt title I can hardly imagine. It was also special to be able to read the story notes at the end. As someone trying to delve into fiction writing it was both enlightening and encouraging. I love when authors let us into their thought processes and the publishing business. Highly recommend these stories and will move his other books up on my TBR list.
August 6, 2022
This collection of short stories is relentlessly brutal, and there is more than a hint of vintage Clive Barker here. Disturbing and unexpected stuff, all written with an immense level of dread, fear, and gore.
Damn.
Damn.
February 4, 2023
This is a killer collection of yummy horror stories. I'll be looking for more from this author!
September 15, 2022
Beautiful Atrocities is amazing. Haunting, raw, scary, and at times heartbreaking. Ross Jeffery writes beautifully and I love all the descriptive details.
A few of my favorites; One Piece Remains, The Collector of Ruined Things, Hail Maud Full of Grace, Cat Box, and Beautiful Atrocities. Each story was unique and wonderfully written.
I can’t recommend this enough! If you love beautifully written horror that will reach into your soul, give this a read.
A few of my favorites; One Piece Remains, The Collector of Ruined Things, Hail Maud Full of Grace, Cat Box, and Beautiful Atrocities. Each story was unique and wonderfully written.
I can’t recommend this enough! If you love beautifully written horror that will reach into your soul, give this a read.
September 28, 2022
Having loved "Only The Stain Remains" I was very keen to read more of Ross Jeffery's work.
This did not let me down. A great collection of 18 stories that take in a wide spectrum of horror. I really enjoyed the majority of these tales.
Special mention must go to The Collector of Ruined things for completely blindsiding me with that killer twist
This did not let me down. A great collection of 18 stories that take in a wide spectrum of horror. I really enjoyed the majority of these tales.
Special mention must go to The Collector of Ruined things for completely blindsiding me with that killer twist
July 15, 2022
This collection had a little bit of it all. From body horror to torture to scary stuff that could happen in real life to terrifying stuff that sadly does and has and will continue to happen in real life, the author has run the gamut of horror here. Some of my personal faves were “One Piece Remains,” “The Collector of Ruined Things,” “Two Beasts, One Master,” and “Beautiful Atrocities.” There was some really original stories in here, too, that I would love to see expounded upon, like “When It Is Truly Time.” There were also powerful pieces about police brutality, race relations, PTSD, generational trauma (this one in particular really resonated with me), and physical abuse, both man against woman and woman against man. I also really appreciated the story notes at the end!
February 19, 2022
This is a hair-raising anthology that features one particular story that stays with me to this day--I don't think I've read anything like it. I had no idea where it was going, and even curled my toes on one occasion only to have the ending bludgeon me over the head and double down on the dread. That one story was worth the price of admission alone--do yourself a favor and enjoy all of the decadent slices of Ross Jeffery's mind served up here.
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