This was a fast moving story and i struggled to keep up! But it was an amazing insight into 'fixing' anything, football, tennis, horse racing, it big money and a whole other world Id rather not see!

I seem to be in a minority,but I did not enjoy this book. I found the constant changing of scene and characters a bit too much for me. Personally I felt that the story lacked a specific theme, as for me the main plot kept getting lost somewhere.
It was well written and really a well crafted novel, but just not for me I am afraid.

The review will be placed on Waterstones site.

This series just gets better and better. Holly Watt is an excellent writer and her journalist lead Casey Benedict is one tough and feisty heroine! The action is fast-paced, the characters well drawn and the plot engrossing. More please.

This is a stunning and fiersomely intelligent addition to Holly Watt's brilliant journalist Casey Benedict series, not only is it a cracking, fast paced thriller that will have you biting your nails, additionally we get great characters and a forensic examination of the gambling industry, on its terrifying implicatons for addicts and their families, and its effects on wider society. It paints an eye opening picture of what happens to your data, the algorithms generated, and the power and wealth it delivers into into the hands of the few in our contemporary world. A grieving Casey is in recovery, haunted by previous events, and to aid the process she has been seconded to The Post's politics team. Invited by a former colleague to Ascot, she finds herself saving the life of a desperate man being chased across the racecourse.

This plunges her into her most dangerous and challenging investigation into match fixing, gambling, and it seems wherever she turns, she is confronted by murder after murder, although it takes some time before others at The Post, including Miranda, Hessa, and Dash begin to believe in her. In a narrative which has Casey travelling to Marbella, Budapest, Venice and Geneva, she is chasing the shadows of a ruthless and powerful figure and a exclusive that could cost her everything. However, nothing stops her, she is deploying techniques in geolocation and chronolocation, getting help from Russian Sergei Kiselov, as she races against time to prevent further killings, but there are manipulations, a betrayal and twists Casey does not see coming.

Watt does not sugarcoat the dark underbelly of journalism, the way it can destroy lives, something that Casey is herself guilty of, she is not always aware of all the facts or what happens to individuals when the media and the public move on. While Casey does feel guilt, she accepts this is the price of operating in her chosen field, she tries to do her best to ameliorate this, but she cannot avoid it. This is a gripping read which culminates in a thrilling finale in the icy mountains of Switzerland. If great thrillers are your thing, then I would strongly urge you to read this series! Highly recommended. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

Thanks to a great author we have warmth, wisdom and emotional intelligence, this book was a huge pleasure to read! A fabulous, really enjoyable read.

This book had me turning the pages and staying up late reading! It's rare to find a book that has your heart beating madly within the first 20 pages, but this one definitely did the trick. The story was unpredictable, fast-paced and felt well researched - I loved the fact that it covered a range of different themes and changed direction constantly. When I started reading, I didn't realise that this book is part of a series following the journalist Casey Benedict and while The End of the Game works perfectly as a standalone, I will definitely go back to look at Holly Watt's previous books. Highly recommend!

I've really enjoyed catching up with Casey Benedict again. It's fair to say that in The End of the Game, Casey is still struggling with the aftermath of events that unfolded in The Hunt and the Kill, and it is, in part, the emotional toll of this that informs some of what comes to pass in her latest investigation. It is easy for her friends and colleagues, even the police, to write off Casey's assertions as being driven by paranoia and a desire to be able to rewrite the past but, as we follow Casey's investigation, as we learn more about the corruption that is driving all of the ill deeds being uncovered, it's clear that there is far more to this story than meets the eye. History is about to be brought front and centre, and for Casey, this could prove to be her very lat investigation.

The book takes readers deep into the world of gambling. Online betting to be precise, and the people that seek to cheat the odds, often loading them in their favour. Corruption, match fixing, insider knowledge and enhanced computer based algorithms all inform the investigation, but as to the root cause of all of the destruction that unfurls throughout the course of the book, it will be a long time until the truth is revealed. I liked the way in which Holly Watt built the tension throughout the book. As readers, we know and trust Casey, trust her judgment and her nose for a story, even if, at times, emotion did seem to overwhelm her common sense. But the author has kept the antagonist just at the edge of our vision this time around. Not quite invisible, there is often a very clear and over threat which present itself, but just hidden enough that you are not sure if it is Casey's imagination that is working overtime, especially as she becomes more wrought at every turn in the investigation.

I like Casey as a character. Like her conviction and her dedication to a story. it's fair to say that it almost becomes an obsession this time around, and there are times when her life really is under direct threat which keeps the tension and the pace of the story really high. There is a large amount of emotion, and perhaps resignation, on Casey's part which comes through in the narrative, but there is also that part of her that you know can't give up. She is a master at tracking down a story, no matter the costs, and this time, it really does come close to costing her everything. I may have guessed a couple of the small twists in the story but they were not enough to impact upon the big reveal towards the end of the book, The real reason that Casey has become mixed up in this latest case, and the real threat to everything she holds dear.

This is a compelling thriller. Intriguing enough to capture my attention right from the start, and with a broad array of characters. Although I have little interest in sport - pretty much at the heart of this story - the concept is very clever, and the possibilities had a really plausible feel. The author's own experience as a journalist lends this whole series a really authentic feel, and there are enough heart thumping moments to keep me very satisfied and racing through the pages. The ending satisfied completely, although it has made me wonder what next for Casey because there is no doubt she has been forced to confront demons from her past and some memories are hard to forget.

Fast, tense and packed with intrigue and action, if you love the series, you are going to love this one too. A brilliant addition and definitely recommended.

The End of the Game by Holly Watts is another in the Casey Benedict series of books. This storyline is even more explosive and complex than the others.
What starts as match fixing, moves onto gambling and murder and so much more. Casey and Miranda chase across countries from London to Budapest from snowy mountains to very glitzy Mediterranean resorts, all to find out who is the shadowy figure behind all these secret organisations collecting information.
A very complex story with very complicated characters, fascinating read.
Highly recommended

The End of the Game is a page turner. It is the latest in the Casey Benedict series, which explores the cutting edge of investigative reporting. This time the focus is on gambling.

The plot has several strands that are expertly brought together. It is not simply about gambling but how time-sensitive data can be used to manipulate markets and predict the future. It turns out that gambling is just a visible part of a very complex set of relationships.

The locations continue to be an important part of the fun in these stories. Casey may be based in London but her travels take her around Europe to Marbella, Venice, Budapest and Geneva. Multiple ‘local’ locations also make this a great novel for those of us interested in the geography of London. The story is an international one and the stakes could not be higher. People who get too close or know too much are summarily killed, so Casey is navigating dangerous waters. As always, Casey is both Hunter and Hunted. The tension remains high throughout the novel as her targets are largely unknown and so hard to defend against.

But there is a real twist in the denouement of this novel. Tables are turned and suddenly there is a link back to an earlier novel in the series. Nothing is random and Casey is forced to confront her own actions in the past. And she may be compromised in the present because one of the Post team is working for the other side. It’s a memorable and dramatic ending in snowy Switzerland.

This feels like the right time for a novel to open up the world of gambling, which has destroyed so many lives.

Thanks to Bloomsbury and NetGalley for ARC.

Investigative journalist Casey Benedict is seconded to politics at the London based Post newspaper. One of her contacts, former journalist turned public relations specialist tips her off about a corrupt government minister and Casey and Post colleagues investigate, publishing details that have far reaching consequences for all concerned. A trip to the races uncovers a potentially huge matchfixing scandal that Casey is compelled to follow to the end, but she begins to wonder if she is a pawn in someone else's game. Is she unwittingly complicit in something bigger?
The action ricochets from various parts of London to Budapest, Marbella and Geneva, and the fashion department works overtime to keep Casey appropriately kitted out. She's no slouch as an action heroine.
This works well as a thriller, although the shadowy Machiavellian character pulling a lot of strings strained my credibility a touch.
It's the fourth in a series, and to my delight I hadn't noticed publication of books 2 and 3 so I can delve back into Casey's life and that of her intrepid and resourceful Post colleagues. It works well as a standalone.

4* The End of the Game is the 4th in Holly Watt’s fantastic series featuring Casey Benedict, investigative reporter. Each of the books would read equally well as a stand alone but the series is worth reading in it’s entirety.

A trip to the racing at Ascot inadvertently leads Casey into the murky world of gambling and match fixing. As Casey, Miranda and her colleagues from The Post delve further, they uncover an intricate plot involving hedge funds, murder and blackmail.

Holly Watt is a master of smart suspense and building a smart but pacey thriller. The story romps along and keeps the reader guessing throughout. The characters are fantastic and the investigative journalist angle lends a new angle to the genre.

Queen of crime fiction, Val McDermid, plucked Holly Watt’s first book in this series as a debut of the year in 2019. The End of the Game is her best yet.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bloomsbury for an ARC.

Thanks to Holly and NetGalley for allowing me to read The End of the Game before the publication date.
This is the 4th book in the Casey Benedict series but it reads well as a stand-alone book.

It is an intriguing tale of ruthless, powerful people using their influence and connections to further their own interests, whilst hiding behind shell companies.
Holly has obviously carried out a lot of research into the topics of finance, the stock market, sport and gambling to develop the different strands of the story.
It is not what I would traditionally call a page turner, rather that the reader feels drawn into the twists and turns of the storyline.

My thoughts about Holly Watt’s The End Of The Game is a tour de force that really has it all, a great story, outstanding characters, and great suspense. Holly Watt’s The End Of The Game is a gripping, powerful drama about match fixing, gambling and murder mayhem that will blow your mind. This excellent, thoughtful drama contrasts two conflicting ways of looking at the world and especially at responsibility. Holly Watt’s fourth book in the journalist Cassandra Casey Benedict series The End Of The Game, begins with When match fixing leads to murder, only journalist Casey Benedict can expose the truth and risk her own life doing so. Casey Benedict is the globe-trotting star reporter at London paper the Post. Casey is tenacious, fearless, inventive and still in recovery after her last major story jeopardised her life, and all of those she held most dear. Invited to spend the day at the races at the invitation of a former colleague, it is meant to be a chance to relax and recover. But when she sees a man being hunted across the racecourse, a horrified Casey intervenes to save his life and in doing so finds herself face to face with her next major investigation. Match fixing. Gambling. And murder.
From London to Budapest, from snowy mountain retreats to glitzy Mediterranean coastal resorts, Casey is on a desperate hunt to find the person behind the shadowy organisations responsible and expose them to the public before anyone else’s lives are lost. Holly Watt’s story is incredible as it does total justice and takes the story to a whole new level. Holly Watt’s thriller is also gripping and raises tension levels considerably. The best part about Holly Watt’s The End Of The Game is its gripping second half, especially the last hundred pages. This is where the whole book unravels by introducing one twist after the other. The situations are seamlessly put together making the whole sequence exciting and believable. I would like to say a big thank you to author Holly Watt, and publishers Raven books, for kindly giving me a chance to read and review this excellent book on NetGalley. All in all Holly Watt’s The End Of The Game establishes the mood for an alluringly flexible and climactic noir thriller right from the start. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥💥💥💥💥💥