First and foremost, this was such a fun thirty minutes! This story was published two months ago, so this will be a review filled with spoilers.
We start off with Gwendolyn meticulously putting a parcel together. Gwen has been seeing a married man and she has decided she knows just how to get her happily ever after. Gwen plans to send videos, photos, and a letter to Amber to show her just how her husband Ben has been spending his late nights and urgent meetings. We see Gwen very pleased with her work and the package goes on its way to Amber who is just going back a normal day.
We switch to Amber as she wakes up on a normal morning, enjoying the beauty of her husband of six years, and taking part in some her "marital duties" before he young daughter Ava breaks in screaming and demanding to be breastfed which leads to a long argument on weaning and her husband demanding she shut the child up and prepare his breakfast. (Obviously a wake up roll in the hay was NOT getting Amber out of tending to her husbands every whim.) Breakfast is prepared and Ben eats and then leaves without a second thought and you really feel the simmering resent most neglected and underappreciated housewives battle on a daily basis. As a woman, I found myself grinding my teeth without even realizing it even before the package arrived... but then it arrived and you get to sit with Amber as her world implodes, she finds out her husband has been referring to her as a millstone and a burden, and she decides to take action.
Amber decides to look up poisons, nice and clean and nearly unnoticeable poisons... and then bakes Ben his very favorite celebratory chocolate cake because Ben is making partner today. Once the cake is made, Amber is left alone to wait and wait and wait for her newly promoted husband to come home and enjoy his cake with her. Feeling as though you are setting at the table waiting with Amber and then watching Ben as he eats his beautiful cake was so beautifully written. If you have ever hoped for revenge for yourself or others, this is a fun quick story you won't regret right up until the very end... As a wife and mother, I knew how it would all end up and even knowing how it would end, the suspense and anxiety nearly had me quitting before the final twist happened, but I still had to follow the story to the conclusion and it was a terrible pleasure.
The audio author was also just perfection for this book! The voice was melodic and creepy and filled with just the right amount of emotion. Thank you, NetGalley for allowing me to enjoy this creepy tale.

This was a tense and tragic short story. I loved the concept and how so much happened in such little time.

I have mixed feelings - it was quick and fun! But I have to say it was completely predictable. I am looking forward to future additions to this collection, hopefully a little more surprising.

This ARC was provided by NetGalley and the publisher, the opinions expressed herein are strictly my own.

This was a short very horrifying story … make sure to eat your cake :)

I enjoyed how quick and fast paced the short story was. The main character did not hesitate to act ! You go girl

This audiobook was narrated very nicely and it created a story of mystery, betrayal and revenge that leaves you sad and angry with the injustice of it all. It was really good!

Thank you netgalley, the publisher and author for the arc audiobook!
I loved how short this was, was perfect for my journey to work. It grips you right from the beginning, will definitely keep an eye out for the next installment!

Till The Last Piece
VOL. 1 Till The Last Piece : The Perfect Recipe For Murder
By Kenneth Cruz
Publish Date December 22, 2024

Review:

OMG! I love Dena Kouremetis voice! Kenneth Cruz has a way with words to be able to fit so much into a short story. I truly enjoyed reading the short story and it got dark really fast! I can’t wait for more!

Amber couldn’t believe the package she received. What would you do to?! We would all be furious, sad, questioning life… but could you commit murder over it?

Description:

Amber’s life seems perfect—on the surface. A loving husband, an adorable daughter, and a home where laughter once reigned. But appearances are fragile, and secrets have a way of creeping into the light. When an unexpected package arrives at her door, Amber is forced to confront a truth so devastating it threatens to unravel everything she thought she knew. That night, a plan takes shape—a meal prepared with care, a cake rich with meaning, and a table set for something far darker than celebration. But the lines between love, vengeance, and justice blur as the evening unfolds, leading to consequences no one could predict.

Till the Last Piece is a gripping psychological thriller that will keep you questioning:
What would you do when betrayal meets opportunity? How far would you go to take back control? And at what cost?
For readers who savor gripping twists, simmering tension, and morally complex characters, this story will linger long after the final bite.

I am partial to a short story. I like the succinctness and how it gets right to the point.
This one was well written if not totally predictable. I would definitely read more from the collection though.

Im not really an audiobook person but this was perfect to listen to as it is only 30 minutes so perfect for those who feel they dont have time to listen to audiobooks. I really want to know more about what happens next!

I really enjoyed this nice short horror tale. Although I was able to predict the ending, the story itself was well told and I definitely could have read this in longer form. The protagonist's voice was compelling and the narrator brought the atmosphere to the story perfectly.

found this on Netgalley and decided to try.
Nice short thriller if you're looking for something quick to read.
I listened to the audiobook and it was like 30 mins long so it was great to listen while commuting from work to home.

Perfectly chilling and relentlessly terrifying, written beautifully and leaving you breathlessly wanting more.
Fantastic storytelling make this a must.
Absorbing, atmospheric and highly recommended.

Audio book - as short stories go this one was macabre and disturbing in equal measures, however the narration was superbly equal to the task. Sinister and tragic

The 30 minute thriller initially intrigued me, but it failed to engage or hook me. The pacing felt so slow making it more of a sleep inducer than a gripping watch. While the revenge angle was well portrayed, the twist was predictable. Overall it lacked the thrill I expected. 2/5 stars due to slow paced and not engaging .

For a story that runs just about 30 minutes, this packed a surprising amount of impact.

The narration had an almost atmospheric bedtime story quality—if the goal was to induce nightmares. Normally, this style wouldn’t work for me in a story of this genre, but here, it added a distinct and unexpected charm.

Overall, this was a quick, engaging listen with a twist at the end. While I found the twist predictable and somewhat familiar, it was still an entertaining take on a well-worn concept. Kenneth Cruz’s writing stood out, and I’m eager to read more from them in the future. I’m also looking forward to exploring the rest of the stories in this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the audio copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Victoria Editing NetGalley Co-Op for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

What would you do if you found out your partner had betrayed you? Would you leave? Or maybe look to get even? Kenneth Cruz explores these questions in the thriller Till the Last Piece. This 30-minute audiobook novella walks readers through the dark world of secrets, cheating, and retaliation.

I give Till the Last Piece 3 out of 5 stars. This book moves fast and I actually went back and listened to it again to make sure I got all the plot points. Part Agatha Christie novel, part disturbed plot that feels beyond belief, this novella left me questioning what I’d just heard. Disturbed is really an understatement here. If you’ve followed me long, you’ll know that I’m not a fan of books with violence or harm towards children. I was following along ok until that point of this story.

Because of the inclusion of harm to a child, I am finding it difficult to recommend this book to you. If you like very dark psychological thrillers, this may be a book you enjoy, but it was not a book for me. I chose this book on NetGalley because I was looking for a quick audiobook listen. The publisher’s blurb sounded so interesting and mentioned nothing about the section that has troubled me so much – I would not have chosen it if I had known that.

I am totally behind the purpose of this audio series—a 20-30 minute narrated short story is a great way to bring literature into an otherwise jam-packed lifestyle! While this story wasn’t particularly original or mind bending, I did enjoy the narration. A couple pieces of practical feedback: there were several instances where certain descriptors or turns of phrase were repeated within a few lines of each other—for example, there’s something about how the weather was perfect for nestling into a heavy quilt, then the author proceeds to use the exact same verbiage to describe a character “nestling into her heavy quilt.” Definitely was a bit redundant! Secondly, due to the short form and relatively predictable nature of the story, the cover art and prologue combined made it too easy to anticipate what was to come, which certainly lessened the “thrill” of the story.

I fancied something different, the short story format appealed. I gave it 15 mins and just hated every minute.

I had the Audiobook and didn't like the narrator, but the narrator had little to play with. It was pedestrian and for a short story surely it needs some pace, excitement and action? It lacked all 3 and a lot more besides.

It was so bad that I couldn't even go beyond 15 minutes, I couldn't do it to myself.

Giving this 1/5 as I don't think you can give it 0??

‘Every slice hides a secret; every crumb conceals a sin.’

From the outside, Amber seems to be living the perfect life with her loving husband and their beautiful young daughter. The evening of her husband’s big promotion is supposed to be one of celebration, however all of this changes when Amber receives a mysterious package on her doorstep that tears her life apart. Amber’s shocking new discoveries cause her to make a decision that will ensure the night takes a far different turn…
and soon enough nobody will be celebrating.

For a story that clocks in at around 30 minutes, this packed quite the punch.
This was narrated by Dena Kouremetis, and the narration gave me a feeling not dissimilar to that of an atmospheric bedtime story- if the story’s intention was to cause nightmares. Usually this style of narration mixed with a book in this genre would not mix well for me, however in this case I felt like it added its own unique kind of charm.

Overall, I thought this was a fun, fast paced listen and I enjoyed the twist at the end, although I did find it very predictable and lacking in originality; it felt like a slightly different take on a story that’s been told many times before.
I enjoyed Kenneth Cruz’s writing and will gladly read more of their work in the future, and I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the stories in this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for an audio version of this story in exchange for my honest review !

Thank you Netgalley & Victory Editing Netgalley Co-op for the opportunity to listen to this Audio ARC.

Macabre Minutes Till The last Piece is a delectable listen for anyone looking for a short stories. This is absolutely perfect for anyone driving to and from work, on a lunch break, exercising, winding down before bed, or even while you're preparing a meal. The story is well written and well narrated. This is one of betrayal and revenge that does leave you wanting more & thinking well after it's the last word is spoken. I look forward to listening to more Macabre Minutes in the future as a thoroughly enjoyed this one.