In seven years, I have read and reviewed over 160 books on my blog, most of which were indie books in multiple genres. The “A” months, April and August used to be dedicated to indie books and their authors. I don’t see too much of that now, but I still like to celebrate it in some capacity each year.
Below I’ve pulled 16 adult fiction indie books that I have read, reviewed, and would recommend. Check out these picks, and consider buying a copy and supporting these authors, and reminding them that the work they have put out there is worth reading.
I’ve included links to buy each book below. The links from bookshop.org are my affiliate links, and I will earn a commission on any sales. If they aren’t listed on bookshop.org, I’ve included a link to their Amazon listing. Links will open in a new tab.
Happy reading!
Then Came Darkness by D.H. Schleicher
Set in the 1930s, Then Came Darkness is a historical thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat. When an old friend of his father’s comes looking for the family fortune, the youngest child in the Kydd family, Tyrus, seeks to protect his family and their fortune from this man.
Then Came Darkness reminds me of the film Night of the Hunter with its high-stakes, horrific premise and its kid heroes. It’s very much an adult novel with its dark tone and sophisticated plot. It’s the perfect story for a rainy day indoors or when you’re looking for some suspenseful entertainment.
You can read my full review of Then Came Darkness here!
Killer Blonde by Allan Evans
A deadly car accident kicks off a hunt for a serial killer led by Investigator Cade Dawkins. However, Dawkins finds himself under the magnifying glass of the killer who wants to prove he’s smarter than his hunter.
Set in Minnesota, Killer Blonde is a classic crime story full of twists and turns. Led by a dedicated hero and a team of allies out to solve the case before another blonde woman in the area is murdered, the story ticks all of the boxes of an adrenaline-fueled detective novel.
Read my full review of Killer Blonde here!
Blood and Silver by Vali Benson
In 1880, a 12-year-old girl named Carissa and her mother move to Tombstone, AZ to work at a brothel. However, her mother’s addiction keeps her from working, and the young girl seeks help from some of the locals who find a way to help wean her mother off of the drug. In the process, Carissa finds a tunnel of silver and plan to excavate it in order to bring herself and her mother out of poverty.
Blood and Silver is a unique historical fiction novel with very admirable female characters navigating a very male-driven world. The odds are stacked against our heroes, yet they triumph in a very believable way.
You can read my full review of Blood and Silver here!
Take the Long Way by Christopher Tait
The day before he leaves for college, Ethan Hudson “borrows” his father’s Mustang and drives to a small town in New Jersey. There, he meets a girl, Sally, and the two spend the next 24 hours together. The two don’t see each other again for 20 years, and when they do, they find that their lives took a much different turns than expected.
Take the Long Way is a page-turning road trip story with very vivid imagery and very likable characters. So many of us wish we could reconnect with people we knew from our past, and it’s fun to see such a scenario play out in such a positive way.
You can read my full review of Take the Long Way here!
Passing Through by Jenny Sundstedt
Dana Park works as a kind of counselor helping newly dead soles transition to the afterlife while she and her coworkers remain in a limbo state. As she returns to the land of the living to help solve a mystery on behalf of one of her patients, it causes her to question her own death and dive deep into how she ended up in her current state.
Passing Through is a creative story that mirrors the experiences of those who feel like they’re just going through the motions of living. I love the paranormal spin, the mystery element, and the dash of romance that encompasses this story. I highly recommend it for those looking for something a little different from the usual stories on the bookstore shelves.
You can read my full review of Passing Through here!
In Twilight’s Hush by Laurie Stevens
Investigator Gabriel McRay is assigned to investigate a cold case disappearance of a teenage girl in the 1980s. He’s offered support from a TV psychic named Carmen Jenette. While he navigates this unorthodox partnership, he also wrestles with his engagement to medical examiner Ming Li and his past violent professional history.
In Twilight’s Hush is an engaging mystery novel with well-drawn characters and multiple interesting subplots that keep you reading for more than just the resolution of the murder. It holds up to any crime/mystery novel that you’ll find in the corresponding sections of Barnes & Noble.
You can read my full review of In Twilight’s Hush here!
MEAT by Dane Cobain
Tom Copeland, the new vet at Sunnyvale Farm, begins to treat the animals for a strange illness that soon transfers to the human workers at the farm. The disease turns the infected aggressive and murderous, creating a zombie outbreak that the survivors seek to contain while keeping themselves alive hoping that help will arrive.
MEAT is both a fresh yet classic take on the zombie genre which ties into a morality tale about the dangers of inhumane farming practices. Full of action, horror, and suspense, MEAT is a great addition to the genre and is a highly recommended for any horror lover’s bookshelf.
You can read my full review of MEAT here!
The Vanishing by David Michael Slater
When a young girl turns permanently invisible in the middle of a Nazi raid on her home, she uses this ability to protect her best friend, Gideon, from their clutches through the duration of the war. And when the opportunity arises to take an extreme measure to end the war, she risks her life to take it.
Though told from a child’s perspective, The Vanishing is a very sophisticated adult novel filled with historical horrors and intense situations. There’s no way to sugarcoat this era of history, and Slater doesn’t, despite his protagonist. This one was a page turner, and it’s a fresh addition to World War II stories with a respectful supernatural element.
You can read my full review of The Vanishing here!
Miranda Nights by Gail Ward Olmsted
Fromer Assistant D.A. Miranda Quinn is content with her job offering legal advice to listeners on her radio program. But when a mysterious caller begins calling in making threats to her, it sets off a chain of events that get progressively more violent and threatening to our hero.
Miranda Nights is the second book in the Miranda Quinn series, but as my first read in the series, I had no problem catching up with our protagonist’s backstory and following along with the current trajectory of her life. While most legal thrillers are more plot-driven, this series is more character-driven, making it a lot easier to root for Quinn and her close circle of friends and family members. It also doesn’t rely on shock value or darkness to be entertaining or engage its readers.
You can read my full review of Miranda Nights here!
The Black Magician by KayCee Jones
An enslaved man in the south named George joins forces with his grandmother to lead the fellow slaves on their plantation to freedom. Armed with their cunning and a few props, they employ multiple methods of trickery in order to sneak countless slaves to Pennsylvania while evading capture by their white hunters.
The Black Magician provides a realistic yet hopeful historical tale that dives deep into this dark era of U.S., and human, history. I love all of the build up to the execution of the plan and how expertly it’s pulled off. The characters are also well drawn and very three dimensional, making it easy to root for them beyond being victims of their circumstances.
You can read my full review of The Black Magician here!
What Happens in Montana by Kim McCollum
Four old friends reunite on a health retreat to Bridger Hot Springs. There, they come to terms with their individual demons. Unbeknownst to them, they are being watched and protected from the dangers of the retreat by an elderly employee, her dog, and the ghost of a young woman who was murdered on the property long ago.
What Happens in Montana is a unique women’s fiction read that expertly juggles several storylines and throws in multiple genre elements to create a fun an entertaining story. This would be a great book to read for a book club or one to read while out on your own girls’ trip.
A Bird Alone by Ericka Clay
When 80s teen Whitney finds out she’s pregnant, she’s forced to break the news to her widowed mom and her autistic little brother. Whitney’s initial intention to raise the baby with her boyfriend, Jamal, doesn’t go as planned when she learns a shocking secret about Jamal. As the years pass, the family endures more turmoil which tests their relationships and defines their lives.
A Bird Alone is a sadly realistic family drama. Clay is adept at writing characters and descriptions, and if you’re looking for a tearjerker that’s not too heavy or graphic, add this book to your TBR.
You can read my full review of A Bird Alone here!
The Demon Secret by Dan Gindlesperger
After performing a solo exorcism on a young boy against orders, Father Luke is exiled to a remote cabin where he encounters a group of priests who share their own experiences of the actions that got them banned from the church. Unfortunately, this new knowledge has made him a target of enemies both in the physical and spiritual world, and Father Luke goes on the run as he attempts to uncover and expose top secret information on exorcisms that the church does not want to be released.
The Demon Secret is a religious horror novel turned thriller that explores abuse of power, supernatural/religious ideologies, and personal morals. I typically steer away from possession stories, but this book gets most of that out of the way in its initial chapters, and is literally off and running from there, throwing in tongue-and-cheek humor and a unique take on the genre.
You can read my review of The Demon Secret here!
Going Home by Marci Wilson and Haven Saunders
Old flames Dean and Melanie reconnect after Dean returns to his hometown of Cloverton as a renowned freelance photojournalist where single-mother Melanie is working as Cloverton Police Officer. After spending the night riding out a storm in the old mill where Dean used to work, the two admit their long-held feelings for one another and weigh their ability to engage in a full-on relationship.
Going Home is a short but sweet romance novel with likable characters and a very realistic premise. It’s tough trying to merge two separate lives in adulthood, something that most romance novels don’t address, but Going Home runs with this conflict and kicks off an entire series set in Cloverton starting with these two residents.
You can read my full review of Going Home here!
The Decision/A Novel of Germany by Karen A. Wyle
Young Hansi is the middle of three children who are being raised by their mother while their father is away fighting in World War I. The family is on the brink starvation when their father comes home raving about a new leader named Adolph Hitler who he is banking on to improve things for their family and their country as a whole. As Hansi grows up, his father’s ideologies are frequently instilled in him, but a chance encounter with three young Jewish boys years later leads to a decision that goes against everything he has been taught.
The Decision features this historical area from a unique perspective, that of one man who should grow up to become a notorious figure but instead becomes a champion of the oppressed. I went into this book not knowing what to expect and found myself desperate to read further to find out what happens next that leads to that intense opening chapter.
You can read my full review of The Decision here!
Madame Sorel’s Lodger by Tracy Wise
A struggling artist arrives in a small French town in the 1800s and rents a room from Madame Sorel as he seeks to paint the countryside and make a name for himself in Paris. As his mental health deteriorates, it evokes the sympathy of the townspeople who have grown close to the artist, and they seek to save him from an inevitable fate.
Madame Sorel’s lodger is a creative take on a historical figure’s life story. Full of descriptive detail and interesting characters, it’s a book that you have to read slowly and absorb so that you can feel fully immersed in this world and in its hero’s mindset. It’s the type of book we should all read once in awhile to break us of the fast-paced consummation of content that the internet tries to push on us.
You can read my full review of Madame Sorel’s Lodger here!
Which of these books are you most interested to read? Leave your answers in the comments below!
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