He's My Man: A psychological thriller short story

by Daniel Hurst

A short story with a shocking twist...

He comes home to me. He eats dinner with me. He sleeps close to me. But there is a distance between us, and I can feel him slipping further away. So I need to fight for us. I cannot give up on what we have.

I cannot give up on my man. Especially not if somebody else is coming in between us. Because he's not anybody else's man. He's mine. I'll do anything to keep it that way...

A shocking standalone short story from Daniel Hurst, the bestselling author of UK #1 The Doctor's Wife

What readers are saying about the first two books in The Shocking Standalone Short Story

'Usually I am not totally shocked by the ending of a book! But I was never prepared for that ending. WOW! I had to go back to make sure I read it correctly!! If He Finds Us is the BEST short story I have ever read. WAY TO GO DANIEL HURST!!!! You are surely my favorite author!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Goodreads reviewer)

'Wow! Daniel Hurst has done it again! This was a fast-paced thriller with an amazing twist! If you haven't read any of Daniel Hurst's books, this is a good place to start, then you will be hooked for life!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Goodreads reviewer)

'Fast paced psychological thriller with totally unexpected final twist from the master of the psychological thriller. Thoroughly recommended reading for Daniel Hurst fans.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Goodreads reviewer)

Genres: Short Stories

47 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 20, 2025

About the author

Daniel Hurst is an Amazon #1 bestselling author of fast paced psychological thrillers. His most popular titles include Til Death Do Us Part, The Passenger and The Doctor's Wife, the latter title reaching #1 on the Amazon UK Kindle store in February 2023. A regular KDP Select All Star since he became a full-time author in 2021, Daniel prides himself on writing fast, releasing stories often and engaging with his readers.

You can visit him at www.danielhurstbooks.com, where you can also download a copy of his FREE thriller 'Just One Second.'

Reviews

[Tonya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Suspenseful short story with a killer twist

This is a gripping quick read from start to finish. It’s twisted in all the right ways. Daniel Hurst never disappoints! This could easily be a prequel to an addictive series. I highly recommend this intriguing short story.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 3 in this standalone series and DH offers us a quick, dark tale with a shuddery ending, anymore will give clues…….a worthy standalone read

Book 4 due Jan….

[Melody McNamara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book 3 in Daniel Hurst's standalone series, and my least favorite so far. I felt that the prologue gave away too much of the plot, and I pretty much guessed the twist early on.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Looking for something to end the year with a bang, I turned to this story by Daniel Hurst. This psychological thriller is sure to have the reader take note as they forge onwards. There's nothing like being in a relationship and feeling close to one's partner. Mel loves the fact that her husband, Harry, lives with her, eats next to her, and sleeps close at hand when the lights go out. But, there is a strain emerging, one that is troublesome and will require fighting to ensure her man does not slip away. With the sense that someone may be capturing his attention, action will be required, which will mean doing anything necessary to ensure complete connection. Whatever the cost, it will be done...no questions asked. Then again...there is a twist! Daniel Hurst gets the spine tingling with this piece!

The holiday season is the ideal reading time, no matter what genre interests you. This piece by Daniel Hurst was a quick and highly entertaining read, with a dark undertone. The story is complemented by a strong narrative that clips along from start to finish. The reader cannot help but wonder how far things might go, pushing things to the limit. Hurst knows how to write and keep the reader curious until the final reveal that no one saw coming!

Characters are not plentiful, but Hurst knows how to create those who will pique much interest. The story is seen through Mel's eyes, who has little doubt in her abilities to be successful. She seeks to quell any doubt and will do whatever is needed to push for complete control. Harry plays a minor role in comparison, but there is no lack of tension built into the story all the same. Hurst delivers a well-crafted set of characters and little time to question what's going on.

Surprises emerge to keep the reader on their toes.I was not expecting what came to pass by the end, but that is the brilliance of this piece. I liked how Daniel Hurst delivered a great twist once more and kept things going until the final page turn, where the larger surprise awaited me. I will have to read Daniel Hurst's full-length novels in 2026, as this was a piece of writing that kept me curious from beginning to end.

Kudos, Mr. Hurst, for a great way to end the year!

Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

A wild kind of twist.

[Rosie Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m infatuation is a dangerous thing a very good read #KindleUnlimited

[Ritta Kloss · Rating 2 out of 5]

More disappointment

I only gave you two stars because I usually like your stories. However, these short stories have definitely put a damper on that. My thought is if you were to develop these characters, from all your short stories and turn them in to full length thrillers, I think you’d do well!

[Sherri Thacker · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very quick book. My 50th Daniel Hurst book!!!! And I’ve met my reading goal for 2025!!!

[Sofia Rodrigo · Rating 4 out of 5]

i’m rather liking danial hurst as an author

[Laura Felty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Had not expected that

Again, what an ending. These shorts by Hurst just leave you wanting more. The build up is crazy. The conversations and interactions.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick read. 3.5 stars. Starts off with a woman named Mel explaining why she killed her husband. We then meet her husband Harry, who does not seem appreciative of dinner. She thinks they’re going through a tough patch. He works a lot in finance and she works at a library. She finds him talking on the phone with someone whom he says he’s excited to order room service with and spend a weekend at a hotel with. She sleeps in the couch. She decides to find out what is going on. Mel says it’s Harry or nothing and if she can’t have him, no one will. She also says if he’s lying and cheating, she’ll be cutting into his heart with a knife.

She intends to follow him to the hotel, and after swindling the key card out of one of the workers decides not to go into the hotel room. Harry comes home the next day and makes it clear that there is nothing between him and Mel. She decides that her only option is to stab him. She stabs him in the stomach and kills him.

She decides she is going to call the cops on herself and turn herself in. She’s charged with murder. She then sits with a detective who upon getting her confession is confused. Mel does not seem to understand that they were not married. They were not husband and wife. They were roommates.

It then flops to her telling her therapist in jail that she now understands that they were roommates and she obsessed over him so much that she acted like they were married. They did hook up one time and that led her to believe that there could be something else even after he made it clear that there wouldn’t be. He had trouble finding another place to live, and she took that to her advantage. He was seeing another woman named Claire.

Mel then sees a pink ribbon on her therapists desk that she thinks someone special must’ve given it to her. She questions who else the therapist could be seeing that is better than her. Mel admits she wants the therapist like she wanted Harry. She states this was the last time she will think of her as her therapist, from now on, she will think of her as her girlfriend. She thinks about killing her in her office, but hopes she does not have to.

[Louise Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

He comes home to me. He eats dinner with me. He sleeps so close to me. But there's a difference to us, and I can feel him slipping further away. So I need to fight for us. I cannot give up on what we have.

There's not a lot I can say about this short story as I would spoil it for potential readers. I did enjoy the way the story ended. It's a very quick and easy read, it only has 47 pages.

#KindleBook

[Holly Cerutti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Daniel Hurst’s short stories never miss for me. In just a few pages, he pulls you completely into a character’s world, making everything feel solid and believable—until he flips the script and proves nothing was ever what it seemed. That sudden, gut-punch shift is what he does best. Sharp, unsettling, and wildly addictive, his shorts easily rival the masters of the genre. I loved every minute of it.

[Patti Ann Sherrock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best of the last three short stories by Mr. Hurst I’ve read

I’m an avid Daniel Hurst fan. I love all the twists and turns of his books! He always has me guessing right up until the end. This short story, was no different. I thought the ending might be different. He genuinely fooled me! That’s what I like about his writing, he always keeps you guessing. I recommend reading this very interesting story. You should enjoy it!

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another quick win from Daniel Hurst! At just 47 pages, his signature pacing kept me hooked, and I flew through this in one sitting.
While the big twist wasn't too shocking if you're a frequent thriller reader, those final few lines really elevated the whole story. It’s a perfect, bite-sized palette cleanser between longer novels.

Want to see spoilers or trigger warnings? Check out: https://www.spoiltheplot.com/books/he...

[karin whitehead · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fast-paced story line with believable characters, and a carefully thought out storyline. A good husband should be coming home to his adoring wife, instead of working long hours to earn a good living for them. She adores him and wants to have him home more, appreciating her. A big twist that shocked me, I didn't see that coming!

[SKP · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like this short story series so much that I read all 3 of them in one day. And I saw there is a 4th one coming soon… This one was the quickest of the 3 & I liked the 2nd one best, but this was still good. This author is very good at short stories & full length novels. I hope to read all of his books eventually.

[Richard Angrave · Rating 5 out of 5]

Infatuation

Infatuation is clearly a dangerous thing. What extremes can a woman go to to secure a relationship. An excellent example of this and where it might lead. But it does take "Two to tango". Excellent short story.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read

This was such a good short story. Daniel Hurst knows how to draw you in and keep you hooked all the way to the end and throws in that unbelievable big twist that makes your jaw drop!

[marjorie birney · Rating 2 out of 5]

Waste of time.

At first I was enjoying this book but it became pretty stupid. I can't really tell you much about this but need to let you know it was a waste of my time. Hopefully I won't get another book like this. Unbelievable.

[Marla · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nice fast paced short story. I enjoyed the story and wondered if there will be a continuation of it or not? I would love to read one! The author is a brilliant storyteller. If you haven't read any of his books
I would highly recommend you start. Once you start you will need to read them all!

[Sharon Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful as always

She thinks he is her man, her husband. He is cheating on her. She has been trying to make things work he doesn't want to. Good characters great story. Surprises as always

[Kimberley H · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fast paced page turner with a shocking twist that will blow your mind!

[Jodie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this short story. So twisty. I hope Daniel Hurst continues to put out more of these types of short stories. It’s a nice break from long books. But his short stories are amazing.

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third instalment in the shocking standalone series, I enjoyed this one quite a bit, a nice twist at the end, tense throughout. I find it hard to rate such a short book any higher than 3.5 but not because it’s a bad book, not at all! All three of these books could be read in one sitting.

[Pheadra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick story about obsession and craziness. 3 stars

[Caryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Woah

This. Scared. Me. I mean like, not badly, but totally not what I was expecting. What a twisted tale! I'm going to need a part 2 to this, lol.

[Jolovesbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ This was a good read but just like with his other short story, I feel like one sentence gives away the twist which is annoying

[Priyanka · Rating 5 out of 5]

whoa!!!

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did guess the ending, but this book kept me on my toes. I hope there will be more in this series like the 20 minutes until series.