Twice Served Cold

Revenge is a dish best served cold. But why do people say that? Is it because revenge is more satisfying after you've had time to savour the anticipation? Because the best plans take time to hatch? Or perhaps because the greatest revenge is the one that catches its victim completely by surprise. Whatever the reason, today's stories serve revenge on a silver platter, lavishly garnished with betrayal, jealousy and dark retribution.

Featuring

‘The Unwanted Legs’ by Roz Watkins (03.45), read by Cornelia Colman. This first story comes, fittingly, from our brand-new anthology, Best Served Cold. Like her novels, this story is unsettling, psychologically sharp and guaranteed to leave you with a lingering sense of unease.

‘The Cask of Amontillado’ by Edgar Allan Poe (31.50), read by Richard McIver. A relationship poisoned by resentment provides the spark for vengeance, as an irresistible temptation conceals a deadly betrayal. Found in our Edgar Allan Poe Short Stories collection.  

Biographies

Roz Watkins is the author of the acclaimed DI Meg Dalton series and the standalone thrillers, The Red House and The Wicked Girls. Her first book was shortlisted for the Debut Dagger award, and The Red House was in the Times 100 best books of summer. Roz lives in Falmouth with two demanding cats, and is the Royal Literary Fund Fellow for Exeter and Falmouth Universities.

Edgar Allan Poe (1809–49) was born in Boston, Massachusetts. Poe is well known for being an author, poet, editor and literary critic during the American Romantic Movement. Poe is generally considered the inventor of the detective fiction genre, and his works are famously filled with terror, mystery, death and haunting. His better known works include The Tell Tale Heart, The Raven and The Fall of the House of Usher. The dark, mystifying characters from his tales have captured the public’s imagination and reflect the struggling, poverty-stricken lifestyle he lived his whole life.

Cornelia Colman is a Voice Actor, Hand Model and Actor with a background in Food Science. Although her resting accent is RP, her range includes several African and Caribbean accents, other foreign accents, and various English dialects. When narrating, she aims to bring diverse, multicultural characters to life. Hopefully, via using these accents, to enhance the experience and increase the enjoyment listeners have when listening to her the audiobook narrations.

Originally from Reno, Nevada and now based in London, Richard McIver brings a rich transatlantic perspective to his work. He has performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company, Theatr Clwyd, and Hull Truck Theatre, and has appeared on screen for ITV and Sky/HBO, alongside his work as an intimacy coordinator across film, television and theatre. In voiceover, his recent work includes audiodrama, feature film ADR, and video games. He most recently voiced multiple characters for a major upcoming video game releasing in 2026.

This episode was hosted by Bea.

‘The Unwanted Legs’ is ©2026 Roz Watkins and appeared in Best Served Cold (Flame Tree Publishing, 2026).

‘The Cask of Amontillado’ by Edgar Allan Poe was first published in Godey's Lady's Book in 1846, but more recently appeared in Edgar Allen Poe Short Stories (Flame Tree Publishing, 2017)

.....................................................................................................................................

Music is an extract of Sunbeams by Allen Stroud, from his Fractal Series album, licensed courtesy of fpl-digital 2025.

This podcast is hosted and sometimes narrated by Beatrix Ambery (also audio editor), Olivia Jackson (also podcast coordinator), Shilpa Varma and Nick Wells (also producer). 

Chosen from hundreds of wonderful tales, short stories such as these are selected by our short window open submission process, giving opportunities to writers of all levels of experience, culture and location. Look out for our submission announcements, and see the full list here:  flametreepublishing.com/gothic-fantasy-book-series-list.html

Our full range of thematic short stories, epic tales, mythology and folklore titles are available at all good bookstores, online and in retail, and at flametreepublishing.com 

Flame Tree Publishing, Best Indie Press 2024 & 2025 (British Fantasy Society). Beautiful Books, Timeless Storytelling, Fresh Perspectives.

The Flame Tree Myth and Fiction podcast is created and © copyright 2025 Flame Tree Publishing Ltd.