Horror Book Review-- Grisly Deeds: Mini Edition by TM Ellis

 

They’re back! 

Wales’ bestselling husband and wife horror writing team are back with the third book in their Grisly Deeds series. This time it’s a mini edition, but don’t let the length fool you. The book, as always, delivers big on horror. 

 Grisly Deeds: Mini Edition is a collection of ten short horror stories, each of them a spiral into madness, revenge, and the unpredictable. As always, each grisly tale comes with a twist you will never see coming. 

Grisly Deeds: Mini Edition Review and My Take

The collection opens strong with the first story, Line of Duty. Sure, it may seem like a story about war and survival, but the twist reveals something else entirely. Something that will leave you between shock and humor. 

Next up is Shave and a Haircut that shows just how reality and imagination can often blur, especially if you’re a crime writer. 

Then it is my favorite story of the lot, No Strings Attached. The authors give us a twisted version of the beloved tale of Pinocchio. It is almost as if they wondered, what if Geppetto wasn’t a nice old man who wanted a son but was a deranged criminal instead? Without giving away spoilers, as the story progresses, you will find yourself horrified at what you are reading. 

The next story is Scarecrow Billy, and fortunately, it’s not based on a classic. Fear and prejudice lead to an unthinkable fate for the town’s simpleton. It’s actually one of the stories in the collection that tugs at you, but not for long, because in true fashion, the twist sorts out all the things that have gone wrong. 

Power and ambition take prominence in the next story King of the Lab. The drive to win leads the protagonist to make a catastrophic decision, one with equally disastrous consequences. 

Too Much Monkey Business punishes a bully, which lands him exactly where the likes of him should be, while Daddy Dearest shows how powerful imagination and creativity can be, especially when delivering punishments. 

Ironic and grotesque, the next story Loyalty and Honour shows that winning often comes with strings attached. 

Ambition and envy lead to doom for the protagonist in the next tale Soul 2 Soul.

The protagonist makes the mistake of exchanging souls with his boss, only to learn he has a terminal illness and is now trapped in that body forever!

The last story of the book is based on true events. In The Bruton Street Murders, a girl is beaten and starved until she dies. But justice is served as her abusers are eventually punished for their crime. 

But could the girl’s ghost be behind it all?

Final Thoughts about the book

A sharp, chilling collection of ten horror shorts, Grisly Deeds: Mini Edition delivers quick shocks with clever twists. Each story blends dark irony, grotesque detail, and satirical bite, making the anthology both unsettling and entertaining. Perfect for readers who enjoy fast, punchy tales where ambition, revenge, and tradition end in grisly irony.

Get the book