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A Watched Pot

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Revenge is a dish best served blistering hot!
Graham is trying his hardest to save his marriage. When his wife Cressida, invites two new friends over for dinner he offers to cook even though he has no experience with vegan food.

Something troubles Graham about the couple but he can’t quite put his finger on it. He takes a journey into Facebook to find a terrible truth which creates a sinister consequence.

A brooding psychological thriller with a shocking twist!

14 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 25, 2018

22 people are currently reading
257 people want to read

About the author

Mr. Blue

1 book16 followers
Hi, I'm Mr. Blue, I love reading, watching and writing thrillers. I enjoy observing the murky undercurrents of human nature, that which lies beneath the surface of polite society and rarely sees the light of day. I live and write close to the sea on the south coast of England. If you would like occasional updates on my writing, please join my readers list at: http://eepurl.com/dyPQhD

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5 stars
45 (39%)
4 stars
31 (27%)
3 stars
17 (15%)
2 stars
9 (7%)
1 star
11 (9%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
Profile Image for Sinisa Mikasinovic.
136 reviews29 followers
December 22, 2018
What did I just listen?

Yes, it's a short story and you shouldn't really look too deep but I really couldn't find anything here. The dispassionate narrator didn't help either.

I'll count the fact that it's only 15 minutes long in the "pro" side of thing. A counter on the "con" side would be that it's completely uninteresting.

Married to a real bitch our boy Graham is, for some reason, trying to please her every step of the way. He doesn't even like her friends but when she states they'll come for dinner - he offers to cook. Also, they are vegans. He never cooked vegan food. What the hell?

It is again a "let place a situation on the scene, however improbable, so we can fire off that one twist in the end" story. The thing is, the twist isn't even that good. I've seen it before with Ending In V. I won't link the book in hopes you never find it or click on it.

"A brooding psychological thriller with a shocking twist!" Right. That tagline belongs to Se7en, not here.

This one could have something along the lines of "Screw you, bitch, and your entitled friends". I'd probably take it more seriously then.

Using a standardized voting scheme, this book is a straight 2*.

5 - It was amazing / I love it
4 - Really liked it / It's great
3 - Liked it / Pretty good
2 - It was OK / It's okay
1 - Did not like it / Not for me

I didn't hate it and I surely didn't like it. It was, at best, OK.

The narrator didn't even try, although he wasn't flat out horrible. An epic narrator could possibly bring it up to even 4* with the right amount of... well, everything. Like emotions, for starters.

Amazon Polly could probably get this experience to 3*. I could tell David Morley Hale approached this task like someone gave him a phonebook, slapped him across the face, and yelled: "Read!"

Yeah, quite a good way to ruin a book. I'm not saying A Watched Pot is a masterpiece in any way but it was certainly taken out back and shot in the head by the narrator.


These 15 minutes would have been better used by taking a power nap.

 

A Watched Pot
Mr. Blue (Author), David Morley Hale (Narrator)

Verdict     Stay away from the audio version!
Runtime     00:15
Overall    
Performance
Story      
731 reviews23 followers
March 19, 2020
This short story was bizarre. It's also very good. I like this kind of writing, short and weird. I would not call this book a thriller, it would have to be under a tripe of its own, which would have to be "physiological weirdness". I know, it's not a genre but it should be with Nicky Blue's writing.

I got a free copy of the book and is voluntarily leaving a review
Profile Image for Syeda Sumayya Tariq.
311 reviews67 followers
February 14, 2019
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.
Profile Image for Kayla Krantz.
Author 46 books739 followers
April 5, 2019
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!
Profile Image for Emilija.
1,983 reviews31 followers
October 7, 2018
I was given a free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

I found this pretty funny. It may be short, but it had a range of emotions, and they all felt real and in character. The ending was a bit predictable, but the book itself was enjoyable.
Profile Image for CARLEEN.
178 reviews7 followers
September 12, 2018
SHORT, SWEET PAYBACK!

I loved this short story, it had depth, jealousy, anger, revenge, and a sad but sweetly shocking ending, nothing more you could need in a read.
Author 43 books91 followers
July 16, 2018
Eye popper ending

I enjoyed this short read. It was an engrossing story from beginning to end. I felt like one of the guests waiting for the answer at the end. Yep, my eyes popped out of my head. Thank goodness for fiction.
Profile Image for Weasel Weasel.
Author 55 books31 followers
February 8, 2019
Graham just can't seem to get a break. Living with a failed marriage, competing with spoiled yet adorable dog, he has been charged with making dinner for a dinner party his wife threw together. Though it seems he takes some pride in his cooking, the dinner guests are in for an immaculately twisted meal.

A Watched Pot is a quick, yet engrossing read, filled with a hornets nest of jealousy and rage as Graham uncovers the secret life of his wife. The description promised a "killer twist" of an ending, and it did not fail. It gave us a glimpse of how far someone can go when the crud of life piles on them in a quick time. Though I was left wondering, how much farther would Graham go? There is room for growth here, room for more flesh to the bone.

Don't pass this one up. It's a short ride, but one that will not let you go until it's finished.
Profile Image for Stephanie Matthews.
Author 2 books45 followers
March 10, 2019
An ending that reminded me a bit of Poe, or even a hail back to Greek tragedy, "A Watched Pot" is a well written short story that invites you to join a couple no longer in love for an innocuous event: a dinner party. Very little about it turns out to be very innocent at all, however, and a well placed red herring keeps you from expecting the ending. Though, I question if the protagonist was telling the truth with his big reveal at the end and was only trying to make a point to his wife. A mystery for you to judge for yourself!

I listened to the audio version of this and compliment the narrator for having done a very fine job.

*This is an honest review in exchange for a free copy of this short story.
Profile Image for Nikki Landis.
Author 144 books2,112 followers
December 1, 2018


What a delightfully twisted little short story! This is the first I've read from this author but it won't be the last. I'm a sucker for an excellently written tale but throw in the underdog Graham and I was addicted from the first few pages. Not at all what I expected but that goes to show that a talented author can always surprise you. This is one short story you should pick up today!

Characters: 5/5
Plot: 5/5
Word Building: 5/5
Story Flow: 5/5

Picky Bitches OVERALL SCORE: 5/5
Profile Image for Sheila Patel.
Author 20 books50 followers
September 24, 2018
I listened to the audio version of this wonderful short story. Poor Graham is cooking for vegan friends and his annoying wife Cressida is moaning. Love the narrative and banter. Great twist in the end!!
3 reviews
September 27, 2018
Enjoyed this quick tongue-in-cheek read! Lovely descriptions and attention to detail. Would love to read more like this from Mr. Blue!
Profile Image for Deedra.
3,933 reviews40 followers
October 24, 2018
I did not see it coming!A good story.David Morley Hale was a fine narrator.I was given this book by the narrator,author or publisher free for an honest review.
1 review
February 19, 2019
Not at all what I was expecting! The characters were vivid - after about 2 lines I realised I hated the horrible wife Cressida. Poor postman just wants his wife to love him and instead gets stuck making dinner for her pretentious vegan friends. Then he discovers something even worse about the wife and friends. What's a man to do when he has to make chilli con carne, but without the carne?
Profile Image for Lazarus Churchyard.
2 reviews
October 3, 2018
I enjoyed the way it poked fun at a somewhat serious subject, or should I say a rather seriously taken subject? Nice to see something not too politcially correct. Fun.
4,031 reviews15 followers
October 5, 2018
( Format : Audiobook )
"Going vegan."
This little satire might be short in length but is packed full of character. A dinner party, vegan guests who are the friends of the disagreeable hostess and the poor underdog husband who is doing all of the work. Yes, the ending was predictable, but none the less delicious because of it. The narrator, David Morley Hade, with exaggerated accents and gloriously sardonic reading, perfectly captures the spirit of the story. Only his very audible sharp intakes of breath between some sentences cast a shadow on his otherwise excellent performance.

My thanks to the rights holder for freely gifting me a complimentary copy of A Watched Pot, at my request, via Audiobook Boom. I will certainly be looking out for more works by Mr.Blue.
Profile Image for Fouli.
84 reviews35 followers
February 7, 2019
OH, COME ON, IT'S NOT OVER, IS IT? I NEED MORE!

This short story was sent to me by the author and I was requested to review it. I'm so happy because it was my first collaboration and I really enjoyed the procedure.

This book is a short read thriller about Graham, a desperate husband, and his much too annoying wife Cressida. Graham seems to have had enough of his wife's (and her friends') conceited (and deceitful, maybe?) behavior and crazy ideas seem to go through his mind. I really enjoyed this little journey. I loved the writing, it was really good. The plot is interesting, it keeps your attention and you can't stop reading. The writer can create some very vivid images and can really convey the feeling of the scene. Some of the descriptions made my hair stand on end and I felt like anything could happen at any moment. Like Graham could snap at any moment and do something crazy. I really enjoyed this feeling.

I could really get a good sense of the characters and their distinct voices, even in this short amount of pages, which was very impressive. I almost immediately connected and had feelings for all of them. I felt sympathy for Graham, while I felt the urge to slap Cressida and her friends.

The ending was weirdly satisfying, it gave me evil laughter. The only problem I had with it is that I wanted more. I really wanted to know what happened with all of them afterward. How much did they freak out? How did they react? What happened later? Did they walk out of the house alive and well? Or maybe not? Did things take a turn for the worse? Because I would love that! It left me wanting some more and very curious.

I would rate this book with a 4,5 but since I can't, and since I enjoyed it very much, I'm going to give it 5 stars. I recommend it to anyone who loves a good thriller story and I'd love to read some more of the author's work in the future.
Profile Image for Bela Vasileva.
29 reviews1 follower
February 26, 2019
***SPOILER ALERT**


This bitter-sweet psychological story does end with a twist. And a scandalous little twist it is, which would definitely send animal rights activists into an apoplectic fit. Me including, but I will come to that.
This very short story touches on two main topics as I see it: 1) the oppressed husband with no balls to stand up for himself and 2) the new generation of self-righteous pseuso-intellectuals-turned-vegans who have adopted the right environmentally-conscious attitude for the wrong reasons, as a trend.
Graham in the role of the hen-pecked husband is cooking a “vegan” pot as they are entertaining a couple of his wife's pretentious friends. While dutifully obeying Cressida's orders (what kind of a pompous name is that!), he reminisces on the beginning of their love affair which has abruptly ended in an utter contempt on his wife's part. Lately she has granted the pet poodle Mr Darcy with the role of the alpha male of the household instead.
Something is gnawing at Graham and while watching his experimental pot he stumbles upon the truth and his humiliation escalates into a silent revenge. At first I was appalled but then I got it – so subtle and clever it did not only punish the betrayal but was also a blow against the new-found snobbish philosophy of the threesome at the dining table.
Well, done Mr Blue! Just one objection – why not sacrifice the WIFE!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Margarida.
206 reviews
March 7, 2019
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.
Profile Image for Brianas_best_reads.
532 reviews27 followers
January 29, 2019
Synopsis: “Graham is trying his hardest to save his marriage. When his wife, Cressida, invites two new friends over for dinner he offers to cook even though he has no experience with vegan food. Something troubles Graham about the couple but he can’t quite put his finger on it. He takes a journey into Facebook to find a terrible truth which creates a sinister consequence.”
Review: I was sent this short read thriller from the author himself and WOW. This was definitely a 5⭐️ read for me. Do not be fooled by the length, this thriller packs a punch. With only 15 pages, this story has more twists and turns than you can imagine. I was hooked from the very beginning and by the end I had chills. This short read was better than some longer thriller books I have read and I would highly recommend it to all thriller fans. The writing is sharp and easy to read and the ending will leave you in shock! This story is available to all readers now and can be found through Amazon. Don’t hesitate! Pick this thriller up now, but be sure to keep the lights on if you read it at night!
Profile Image for Bec (paperbackparamour).
140 reviews
February 10, 2019
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.
Profile Image for Zingisa Gono.
2 reviews
February 13, 2019
A watched pot
By Mr Blue
I was given this free review copy audiobook/ebook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.The story is interesting; With Graham and his wife Cressida as main characters; all the characters fit in the storyline and make it easy to get lost in imagination and Martha was my favourite character she knows exactly how to keep the conversation going. A watched pot is a good thriller with its characters which kept me alive throughout the story. My favourite part is when Graham avoided to give them the recipe and came up with a game to guess the ingredients used – he is so creative, seemingly he knows how to get out of sticky situations and knows how to control himself. The thriller is short and enjoyable it will leave you longing for more. I will definitely recommend this short thriller to other readers as I find it good.
1 review
March 10, 2019
A thrilling read. Not only because of the plot, but the sheer power of narration! Mr. Blue uses brief but satisfying character descriptions, just enough to justify their actions. I personally found the story, written from the protagonist's perception, a beautifully described character analysis from the POV of a troubled mind. Psyche surely plays an important role. Insecurities are portrayed really realistically.
The story touches upon a lot of issues that relates to the modern times and the changing society. To me, each character portrayed a certain section of people that can be found in the society. The twist of the tale, which comes at the end, might have been predictable, but the turning point evaded the possibilities of such predictions.
Overall, a satisfying read with an apt title. Will be looking forward for more from Mr. Blue!
Profile Image for Hayley (Backpacking Bookworm).
530 reviews12 followers
April 14, 2019
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.
Profile Image for T.J. Blake.
Author 6 books21 followers
May 21, 2019
A darkly humorous thriller.

A Watched Pot was a devilishly dark and humours read, which made me chuckle and really drew me in.

The most rewarding reads are those ones that slowly drip feed all the key information into the story beyond your realisation that it’s going to be significant later in the story. A Watched Pot did exactly that. It was a clever narrative and really easy to read. It may have only been short but I really got involved in it. The twist at the end was great. I won’t say too much more on this!

The only way it could have been better is if the writing was stronger in places. I noticed a couple of errors, but it didn’t take away from the read itself, which is why this is still a 4 star review.

I reviewed A Watched Pot after the author provided me with a free ecopy.
Profile Image for Jo-Ann Duff .
316 reviews19 followers
February 11, 2019
Mr Blue is a snappy writer and that’s what you need for a successful short sharp thriller. It takes some writing talent to set the scene and develop characters in such a short space of time. Blue does this well and I was intrigued by browbeaten Graham and insufferable Cressida from the outset.

A Watched Pot is a fast, punchy thriller with a twist and a cautionary tale of what happens if you push someone to the edge.

Buy your copy for just a dollar over at Amazon and enjoy reading a short burst of clever, well-written suspense, or if you want to switch off for a short while, listen to the audio version.
Profile Image for Ruth O'Neill.
Author 9 books81 followers
February 12, 2019
This was a very enjoyable short story – maybe even too short, as the character development and interactions kept me wanting to know more about everyone, and for the story to continue – But then again it’s only supposed to be a short story. The story is very well written with excellent dialogue between the characters and with a background that seemed to come from a bygone era with a touch of the Tales of the Unexpected comics and /or the Twilight Zone stories I read in my childhood. This short story kept me engaged all the way through and I wasn’t expecting the ending, so full marks to the author for a quality short story.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews