The Reckoning of Jason

by Tina Wingham

Haunted by loss and numb to the world, Jason is a hitman who operates with cold precision, eliminating those he deems deserving. But when he takes a contract on Ted Monroe, a man accused of being a controlling father, he unknowingly becomes a pawn in a much darker game.

Dark, brutal, and relentless, The Reckoning of Jason is a psychological thriller that explores morality, vengeance, and the consequences of one’s actions.

89 pages, Paperback

Published February 24, 2025

About the author

Hi, I’m Tina Wingham, an award winning horror writer who thrives on keeping my readers entertained and hooked from the very first page to the last.

I have a passion for storytelling that blends suspense, emotion, and unexpected twists, I like to craft stories that leave my readers on the edge of their seats, eagerly turning the pages.

Stay tuned for my upcoming releases—you won’t want to miss them!

You can find me at:
Website - www.tinawingham.com
Facebook - Tina Wingham Author
Instagram - Tina.wingham

Reviews

[Literary Reviewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tina Wingham’s The Reckoning of Jason is a gritty, unflinching plunge into the mind of a broken man teetering on the edge of sanity. At its heart, it’s a story about grief, violence, and the thin, blurred line between justice and vengeance. Jason, once a loving husband and father, is consumed by the death of his daughter and the collapse of his family. What begins as sorrow slowly rots into something darker. He becomes a hitman, dealing in blood and pain, until a contract forces him to face a devastating truth that he’s been a weapon in someone else’s game.

The prologue paints this tender, golden scene of Jason splashing around with his wife and daughter, and then the rest of the book rips it all away like a storm through glass. The tonal shift is brutal and effective. That opening chapter, when Jason is alone in his crumbling apartment, haunted by Lily’s memory and Emily’s departure, it’s raw and beautifully ugly. The way Wingham describes the smell of “dust, gun oil, and the faint remnants of whiskey” paints more than just a room. It’s a portrait of grief made physical. I felt suffocated just reading it.

And then there’s the violence. It’s not just graphic, it’s meticulous, clinical, even poetic in its monstrosity. The torture scenes with Ted Monroe made my stomach knot. Page after page, Wingham doesn’t flinch, and neither does Jason. One moment that stuck with me was when Jason presses his thumbs into a man’s eyes in an alley not out of rage, but because it “felt like the right thing to do.” That’s the kind of moral vacuum the book thrives in. And what’s wild is that it never feels gratuitous. It feels… honest. Ugly, disturbing, but honest.

What surprised me most was how The Reckoning of Jason turns itself inside out in the last act. When Jason realizes he was manipulated, the book takes on this sudden weight. The revenge is sadistic but also strangely justified in the warped world Wingham builds. The scold’s bridle, the rats, the blowtorch, it’s all medieval and horrific, but it’s laced with this cold clarity. Wingham doesn’t just show a monster; she lets you watch as that monster realizes he’s been someone else’s tool. The moment Jason mutters, “This wasn’t just a contract. This was personal,” I got chills. It’s that shift from killer-for-hire to grim executioner that sets this book apart.

In the end, this novel left me a little numb, a little shaken, but it stuck with me. It’s not for the faint of heart; the gore gets intense, but it’s also not mindless. It’s a slow dive into moral decay and grief so deep it turns a man into a myth. I’d recommend The Reckoning of Jason to anyone who likes their thrillers gritty, their characters broken, and their villains not so easily defined.

[Jess Amon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A dark, gripping masterpiece that gets under your skin.

The Reckoning of Jason pulled me in from the very first page. Tina Wingham doesn’t just tell a story — she dissects the human mind, exposing the thin line between justice and vengeance. Jason is not your typical hitman; he’s haunted, broken, and searching for redemption in all the wrong places.

What I loved most is how every twist challenges your sense of right and wrong. The tension never lets up — and by the end, you’re left questioning who’s really the villain.

This book is raw, cinematic, and emotionally charged. If you’re drawn to psychological thrillers that make you feel something long after you turn the last page, this one’s a must-read.

[Ellen Read · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd don't normally read horror but this is more pyschological horror than scary.

I found some scenes difficult to get through, but if you like a horror/thriller then I would say you would love this book.

It's well-written and has a great ending.