Reviews

A Watched Pot by Nicky Blue, Mr. Blue

kgnade's review

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3.0

I received a free copy of A Watched Pot, in return for my honest opinion.

A Watched Pot is a short, dark, sarcastic read about revenge in a marriage that's gone awry.

wolfshine's review

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5.0

Be careful who you betray!

This short read was packed with all the psychological goodness as we are dropped into a night in the light of Graham. His marriage to his wife Cressida isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, and he’s got the feeling something is wrong. When he discovers that his suspicions were spot on, he takes revenge the best way he knows how.

Even though this is a short piece, I though the character development was very well done. I really felt for Graham and I laughed out loud about the way he’s treated by Cressida’s poodle, Mr. Darcy. Very realistic writing.

Highly recommended for fans of psychological reads!

nerdontheloose's review

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4.0

What a short, twisty read! I had no idea where the story was headed considering how short it was untill I was actually near the end, & even then I did not see it coming. Oh! sweet revenge, or was it savory?!
But I have questions, like, what did Cressidy actually write on the note? And how did they all react afterwards? I'd give anything to see their expressions. Also, I wonder if Graham planned anything special for the desert too *evil grin*.

Thanks to the author for providing me with the audio & ebook in exchange for an honest review.

becr34reads's review

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4.0

This short story was sent to me by the author in exchange for my review. My opinions are honest and impartial.

What a dark and disturbing little story this is!

With previous short stories I have read I always struggle with the fact that I am never given enough detail, which wasn’t the case with A Watched Pot.

Although I am left with a few questions, I found I really did get a sense of who the characters were as people and could picture their backstory/history. I even found myself sympathising with Graham, who was more a servant than a Husband.

The ending was definitely disturbing with a nice little twist, but made me laugh. I wasn’t quite expecting the story to go in that direction.

I also listened to the audiobook, which I felt was performed well. I really got the full experience of Cressida’s condescending and whiny tone.

If you are looking for a quick and twisted story, I’d definitely recommend giving this one a go - It is a fun read.

Mr Blue is a talented writer and I look forward to reading more of his work in future.

last_page_books's review

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4.0

A quick read leaving you wanting to know more about what happens after the "truth" is revealed.

izzybella's review

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5.0

This was such a fun, twisted short story! Not at all what I expected, but still very well written and good. The descriptive writing style is right up my alley, just as the dark humor is. I feel like it could've been a bit longer, simply so I could enjoy more of the story and see what everyone's final reactions would be. Overall however, amazing job, Nicky!

backpackingbookworm's review

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3.0

I received a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

At only 15 pages long I was intrigued to see how the story would develop in such a short space of time. I mean how do you create a thriller in 15 pages?!

I'm happy to say that this was the case. The characters were well-developed, I enjoyed the concept and I was surprised by the ending - all important elements I look for in a thriller.

The downsides for me were that I thought the story was a little unoriginal in places and I couldn't help but pick up on a lot of grammatical errors which ruined the flow of the story for me (I'm a copywriter by trade so things like this automatically stand out for me).

Other than that, I enjoyed the plot and would give this book 3.5 stars.

magsapt's review

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2.0

DISCLAIMER: I was asked to review this book my the author in exchange for a feature in his Instagram page and a permanent link in his review's highlight.

This is an extremely short story that I can only describe as too short for its own good. Why? Because nothing really happens. Right before its pinacle, the story ends. So, what is the point of it? Suspense?
The synopsis makes it sound way more interesting than it actually is, especially since we don't get any answers and nothing sinister happens - yes, Graham cuts his finger and lets blood drip to its stew. All I thought was wow, is this it? I've read things way more sinister.

The characters are pretty standard and flat, as there's no time for them to grow or for us (readers) to develop empathy or any kind of emotion for them - we have a standard bitchy wife who cheats on her husband with a couple; and a husband who only figures it out when it's too late and they're at his table having diner.

This extremely short story tries to ironically tackle vegetarianism and the ignorance of hipster bandwagoners. But then again, it's a 12 pages book, don't expect much of a critic.

Overall, I enjoyed the writing (even though the epub version had a few mistakes) and was curious to read a longer book by the author to see how he develops his ideas and how his writing evolves.

arathi's review

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4.0

I received a copy of the book from the author -

this is a very short read (15 pages only!) - Graham is married to Cressida who is not easy to please. One evening Cressida invites her friends Martha & Barnaby for dinner and the same night Graham discovers a shocking truth about his wife and the reason why she could be acting distant.
Quick read, fast paced - all ok and good, the end kind of made me rethink why the author chose "the recipe" Grahams chooses to make for his guests.
#awatchedpot #thrillers #mrblue #creepythrillers #mystery #shortreads
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