What do you think?
Rate this book
Will Patching's Short Shots: Blood On Their Hands: Three Killer Thriller Quick Reads - Justice, Old Flame & The Butcher
Killer Thriller Quick Reads — Three dark, twisted crime JUSTICE A convict is tormented by his wife’s memory — and his lack of one…OLD FLAME A twisted tale of lust, obsession and revenge.THE BUTCHER Meet Anthony Harding, psychopath. He'll make your skin crawl...PLUS Bonus introductory notes from the exclusive insights into how these short-form tales relate to the psychopathic characters in ‘The Remorseless Trilogy’, the author's British Crime Thriller series.
'Stand alone' three novelettes can be read as stand alone stories although readers may enjoy 'The Butcher' more if they are familiar with the main characters in the trilogy - Doctor Colin Powers and Detective Inspector Carver - as this tale fleshes out the backstory of how these two 'heroes' first started working together. The author's comments sections do contain some spoilers though.Publication ‘Justice’ has never been published although has, on occasion, been offered exclusively to Will Patching’s Readers Group Members.‘Old Flame’ was first published in ‘ An Anthology of Thriller Shorts’, edited by Peter Oxley and Simon Finnie and published by Burning Chair Publishing, 2018.‘The Butcher’ was first published in ‘The Murder Files — Eight Stories of Murder, Lies and Mystery’, edited by Terry Keys and published in 2017.
'Stand alone' three novelettes can be read as stand alone stories although readers may enjoy 'The Butcher' more if they are familiar with the main characters in the trilogy - Doctor Colin Powers and Detective Inspector Carver - as this tale fleshes out the backstory of how these two 'heroes' first started working together. The author's comments sections do contain some spoilers though.Publication ‘Justice’ has never been published although has, on occasion, been offered exclusively to Will Patching’s Readers Group Members.‘Old Flame’ was first published in ‘ An Anthology of Thriller Shorts’, edited by Peter Oxley and Simon Finnie and published by Burning Chair Publishing, 2018.‘The Butcher’ was first published in ‘The Murder Files — Eight Stories of Murder, Lies and Mystery’, edited by Terry Keys and published in 2017.
- GenresThrillerShort Stories
124 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 14, 2020
5 people are currently reading
19 people want to read
About the author
Will Patching
26 books151 followersWill Patching's approach to writing
Will writes gritty crime stories that mix murder mystery, psychological suspense and intense thrills while offering unique insights into the darker side of human nature. His ‘pull no punches’ style and sparse but often brutal descriptive passages will not suit all readers, so if you are into cozy mysteries you might want to look elsewhere!
With complex plots and rounded characters, Will’s novels are necessarily longer than average, usually well over 100,000 words, so these are definitely stories designed for readers who like to really get their teeth into a good yarn!
Now considered something of an expert on psychopaths, thanks to his extensive research and personal experience of people with this personality disorder, Will set up a popular website to help lay readers understand these destructive individuals and why their existence is so important to society in general. Visit the site here.
Will’s writing draws heavily on this expertise but his novels are designed to entertain rather than educate – though many readers appreciate both aspects of his writing. He is currently working on completing two trilogies, though each novel is a self-contained story.
The first novel in each trilogy, Remorseless and The Hack, are already published, with the sequels due in late 2016 and early 2017 respectively. The third and final instalments are expected by the end of 2017.
Personal background:
Will Patching was born and raised in ‘Sarf Lunnon’, Engerland, or at least, that’s how he pronounces it! Hence, many scenes from his novels are situated in London, the surrounding suburbs and other parts of southeast England, though they also span as far afield as Thailand and the USA.
His approach to writing is to hit the reader with hard truths about the world we live in, and his mysteries, thrillers, and suspense novels are designed to get your pulse pounding. One male reader decided he needed to check his door locks late one night while reading Remorseless and subsequently commented on social media:
‘Seriously scary!’
Will’s eclectic professional experience – from his teenage role as a ‘gardener’ weeding sewage treatment filter beds, through flying a Hawk jet very fast, very low and very dangerously before the RAF realised and booted him out, then attending Harvard on a course for potential CEOs, largely thanks to the Peter Principle of promotion, and more recently, to building his dream, a charter yacht that sank in SE Asian waters – all have led to a rich and varied life, often reflected in his writing.
If you would like to know more about this indie author you might like to join Will’s Readers Group. You’ll also gain exclusive access to novel backstories, author insights, prize draws and more, including notification whenever a new novel is released. Head to this webpage for more info!
Will writes gritty crime stories that mix murder mystery, psychological suspense and intense thrills while offering unique insights into the darker side of human nature. His ‘pull no punches’ style and sparse but often brutal descriptive passages will not suit all readers, so if you are into cozy mysteries you might want to look elsewhere!
With complex plots and rounded characters, Will’s novels are necessarily longer than average, usually well over 100,000 words, so these are definitely stories designed for readers who like to really get their teeth into a good yarn!
Now considered something of an expert on psychopaths, thanks to his extensive research and personal experience of people with this personality disorder, Will set up a popular website to help lay readers understand these destructive individuals and why their existence is so important to society in general. Visit the site here.
Will’s writing draws heavily on this expertise but his novels are designed to entertain rather than educate – though many readers appreciate both aspects of his writing. He is currently working on completing two trilogies, though each novel is a self-contained story.
The first novel in each trilogy, Remorseless and The Hack, are already published, with the sequels due in late 2016 and early 2017 respectively. The third and final instalments are expected by the end of 2017.
Personal background:
Will Patching was born and raised in ‘Sarf Lunnon’, Engerland, or at least, that’s how he pronounces it! Hence, many scenes from his novels are situated in London, the surrounding suburbs and other parts of southeast England, though they also span as far afield as Thailand and the USA.
His approach to writing is to hit the reader with hard truths about the world we live in, and his mysteries, thrillers, and suspense novels are designed to get your pulse pounding. One male reader decided he needed to check his door locks late one night while reading Remorseless and subsequently commented on social media:
‘Seriously scary!’
Will’s eclectic professional experience – from his teenage role as a ‘gardener’ weeding sewage treatment filter beds, through flying a Hawk jet very fast, very low and very dangerously before the RAF realised and booted him out, then attending Harvard on a course for potential CEOs, largely thanks to the Peter Principle of promotion, and more recently, to building his dream, a charter yacht that sank in SE Asian waters – all have led to a rich and varied life, often reflected in his writing.
If you would like to know more about this indie author you might like to join Will’s Readers Group. You’ll also gain exclusive access to novel backstories, author insights, prize draws and more, including notification whenever a new novel is released. Head to this webpage for more info!
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
May 20, 2021
Audio 5+++ Stars
Story - 4.25 Stars
Story - 4.25 Stars
June 16, 2023
Short Shots is a collection of three short stories about psychopaths, accompanied by the author’s musings about how they relate to the characters in his Remorseless trilogy - which I haven’t read, although I do have the first one, which I got for free, on the TBR. I’ve read and enjoyed his Hack trilogy, so had an idea what to expect. You get this for free when you sign up to his Reader’s group.
Justice - as he prepares to leave prison, a vicious thug is reminded by his aggravating cell mate of the wife he supposedly murdered - if only he could remember it.
Old Flame - an arrogant London City trader sets his sight on a beautiful new conquest - if only she didn’t remind him so much of the ex he destroyed.
The Butcher - a cold-blooded killer reminisces about his life of crime, and where it all went wrong…
Each short is a 15-25 minute read, perfect for slotting around the paperbacks I’m trying to get through just now. While each story features a particularly nasty protagonist, the enjoyment for me is seeing them get taken down, so they’re not as dark as you might think. I’m now intrigued to read Remorseless, and these are short enough to come back to later if needed. 4.5 rounded up.
Justice - as he prepares to leave prison, a vicious thug is reminded by his aggravating cell mate of the wife he supposedly murdered - if only he could remember it.
Old Flame - an arrogant London City trader sets his sight on a beautiful new conquest - if only she didn’t remind him so much of the ex he destroyed.
The Butcher - a cold-blooded killer reminisces about his life of crime, and where it all went wrong…
Each short is a 15-25 minute read, perfect for slotting around the paperbacks I’m trying to get through just now. While each story features a particularly nasty protagonist, the enjoyment for me is seeing them get taken down, so they’re not as dark as you might think. I’m now intrigued to read Remorseless, and these are short enough to come back to later if needed. 4.5 rounded up.
May 25, 2021
5 stars audio!
4 wonderfully entering dark stars stories! 😍😍😍😍😍
4 wonderfully entering dark stars stories! 😍😍😍😍😍
March 15, 2020
Will Patching is definitely my favorite thriller author. Storyline, suspense and psychological insight are always perfect. He has a way with words that's rare and precious.
As the title suggests these are three stories about blood-thirsty killers who are all somehow connected with his Remorseless Trilogy - and he explains how. It's not neccessary to know the novels, the "short shots" are enjoyable without the context of the novels - but they'll make you curious to read more.
As the title suggests these are three stories about blood-thirsty killers who are all somehow connected with his Remorseless Trilogy - and he explains how. It's not neccessary to know the novels, the "short shots" are enjoyable without the context of the novels - but they'll make you curious to read more.
March 25, 2020
Short stories then , from one of the masters of thriller writing. And. Just as good as the full novels. This author gives us an insight into what made him write novels. You can just see from the early ones where the books came from. Recommended.
August 2, 2020
3 interesting stories that are quickly read and helps explain some plots in the Remorseless Trilogy.
March 17, 2020
BLOOD ON THEIR HANDS by WILL PATCHING
Readers often wonder where authors get their inspiration from and in Will Patching's case it appears to be a curiosity and thirst for knowledge as to why people act as they do. The minds of psychopaths, serial killers, narcissists and their elk are very dark. To be able to weave a story around these characters takes skill. To make these stories credible, with 'real' antagonists and victims, is an art. An art that Will Patching has in spades. If you're into Stephen King and James Patterson, you will love Will Patching.
JUSTICE
Talk about an apt title! I really loved his comeuppance. Couldn't have happened to a nicer bloke.
OLD FLAME
I first read Old Flame in the anthology Burning. I loved it then, and love it now. Karma is a bitch and it was wonderful reliving how Creed 'got his'. I do wonder however whether or not he had the nerve to take the easy way out.
THE BUTCHER
This short story introduces you to Anthony Harding, a murderous psychopath and shows the connection between him, Doctor Colin Powers and Detective Inspector Carver, the main characters in the Remorseless Trilogy.
Readers often wonder where authors get their inspiration from and in Will Patching's case it appears to be a curiosity and thirst for knowledge as to why people act as they do. The minds of psychopaths, serial killers, narcissists and their elk are very dark. To be able to weave a story around these characters takes skill. To make these stories credible, with 'real' antagonists and victims, is an art. An art that Will Patching has in spades. If you're into Stephen King and James Patterson, you will love Will Patching.
JUSTICE
Talk about an apt title! I really loved his comeuppance. Couldn't have happened to a nicer bloke.
OLD FLAME
I first read Old Flame in the anthology Burning. I loved it then, and love it now. Karma is a bitch and it was wonderful reliving how Creed 'got his'. I do wonder however whether or not he had the nerve to take the easy way out.
THE BUTCHER
This short story introduces you to Anthony Harding, a murderous psychopath and shows the connection between him, Doctor Colin Powers and Detective Inspector Carver, the main characters in the Remorseless Trilogy.
November 4, 2023
OLD FLAME
I was so into this short story that I didn’t realize it was ending but it did. Wow! So intense!
This is about a guy who is cocky and self assured and certain he is what every woman wants. When the girl he was dating talked marriage, he laughed at her and then uploaded tapes he’d made of them together with her doing vile things for his pleasure. She killed herself, brutally and horribly.
A few years later a woman who looked like her began to appear where ever he went. Once he was sure this was not his ex, he was all about using her the same way. She convinced him she was into a rape fantasy and encouraged it knowing he’d be taping it. And then she drugged him and went to bed with him. When she left, she went to the police and cried rape and with the tape he had they believed her. As it ended he learns more about her than he wanted to know and he learns his life will likely end in a cell.
I was so into this short story that I didn’t realize it was ending but it did. Wow! So intense!
This is about a guy who is cocky and self assured and certain he is what every woman wants. When the girl he was dating talked marriage, he laughed at her and then uploaded tapes he’d made of them together with her doing vile things for his pleasure. She killed herself, brutally and horribly.
A few years later a woman who looked like her began to appear where ever he went. Once he was sure this was not his ex, he was all about using her the same way. She convinced him she was into a rape fantasy and encouraged it knowing he’d be taping it. And then she drugged him and went to bed with him. When she left, she went to the police and cried rape and with the tape he had they believed her. As it ended he learns more about her than he wanted to know and he learns his life will likely end in a cell.
March 19, 2020
Companion Book
An interesting look at how the author writes the books we read. I enjoyed reading the information in the book and how the gruesome details are used to make up a great story.
An interesting look at how the author writes the books we read. I enjoyed reading the information in the book and how the gruesome details are used to make up a great story.
March 16, 2020
Great read. Hard to put down
September 23, 2022
A very interesting collection of short stories about psychological killers. Very interesting the twists that the author points out during each story. Well worth reading.
December 23, 2023
*what a twist*
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 17, 2024
Was ok.. but I really don’t like short stories
July 5, 2025
Justice:
If you are looking for crazy and a quick thriller .. you won’t be disappointed. This quick read brings a level of crazy you don’t expect!
If you are looking for crazy and a quick thriller .. you won’t be disappointed. This quick read brings a level of crazy you don’t expect!
June 17, 2021
Audiobooks. Confronting books when you usually read romance.
May 19, 2024
I listened to the audio version of Old Flame and wasn't disappointed. Another excellent story from Will Patching
Brilliantly narrated as always
Brilliantly narrated as always
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews