The Best Truly Independent Books of 2022
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This is it—our list of The Best Truly Independent Books of 2022.
None of these books—around 75 titles—are published by the ‘Big 5’ companies that control American publishing. Instead, they’re published by small independent presses or independent writers. We created this list to fill a gap. Most end-of-year lists—not all, but most—rehash the NY Times Bestseller list or lean toward books with huge marketing budgets. That’s not to say those books aren’t great, but readers aren’t seeing the full picture. Each year there are great independent books published that never reach the hands of big time fancy book reviewers…And readers rarely gain awareness of these books. This list is meant to give readers a look at alternative reads…Books they likely won’t find on end-of-year lists or perched on Barnes & Noble shelves, or secretly privileged by the Amazon algorithms. We’ve organized this list loosely by genre, but beyond that…you just have to dig in and explore.
SCROLL DOWN to find purchase links and descriptions for each book.
The Best Truly Independent Books of 2022
Crime/Noir
Midnight Drive by Kenneth Price | connect with the writer
Kenny Prince enjoyed the finer things in life - namely cocaine, strippers, and a 1976 Corvette Stingray. But Kenny wound up dead on his couch with two bullet holes in him and a QR code slapped onto the wall above his body. So now it's up to Logan Claybourne to find who did it. Not that Logan gives a rat's ass. He's not a detective. He's a repo man. And if he wants money to fund his unhinged gambling addiction, he's going to have to find the Stingray before the police do.
“Brilliant!” - Author’s Mom
Bad Day on the Bayou by Mark Johnson | connect with the writer
A teenager is found dead, handcuffed to a fence in a swamp. The cuffs belong to a wounded, unconscious police detective, yards away. News media trumpet "Black Youth Slain in Police Custody." Itinerant justice warriors roil restive crowds. Unreported is the friendship shared by the cop and the kid. The detective's rogue investigation triggers mayhem surpassing even the brutality of the crime that set it off.
"A rich, evocative Southern cop novel that manages to be both bruising and thoughtful." - Sgt. Adam Plantinga, SFPD, author of "400 Things Cops Know"
Like Whitewashed Tombs by Ryan Sayles | connect with the writer
In the city of Rigid Creek, ugly things have come to blot out the light. Corporal Joshua Marks struggles with his place in life. Widowed, months from retirement, called to the priesthood. His partner, Officer Bale Hammond, a once respected hotshot who has slowly left a trail of errors and questionable actions. Burned-out, unsatisfied, tortured. As autumn settles along the city, a man robs a liquor store for some quick cash but winds up leaving two dead bodies. The murderer escapes the police, only to be squeezed by both his dealer and his loan shark for more. Always more. Tensions escalate as both Corporal Marks and Officer Hammond reach impasses in every aspect of their lives as well as their partnership. All the liquor store robber sees is an ever-increasing amount to his debt. A fantastic storm on Halloween. Violation and carnage. Extreme failures. Corporal Marks looks at his world crashing around him, wanting to save his friend and partner from his self-induced downward spiral. Wanting to show him the light cannot be blotted out, even when they’re in full dark. Officer Hammond wants to fix his broken life, but only has broken tools to use. Wants to stop feeling like a corpse with a pulse only because even death isn’t through with him yet. They all want redemption, but violence keeps getting in the way.
Below the Line by Steven Jankowski | connect with the writer
Hollywood movie Teamster, Mike Millek freelances as an armed chauffeur to the stars. Arriving one night to pick up his successful but deadbeat rap producer client, Mike finds him freshly murdered with a satchel full of cash. Mike decides to take what's owed him, which leads him down into the sordid underbelly of the Hollywood power elite
“Mike Millek is as hardboiled as a shark in hot water and his Los Angeles is a City of Angles … so if you take your java Noir with a double shot of expresso, take just one bite of Below the Line and it will reel you in...hook, line and sinker!” - Rupert Holmes, Multiple Edgar and Tony-winning author, Creator of the AMC-TV series Remember WENN, author of Where the Truth Lies
Canary in the Coal Mine by Charles Salzberg | connect with the writer
Pete Fortunato, a New York City PI who suffers from anger management issues and insomnia, wakes up one day with a bad taste in his mouth. When he arrives in his "office," a desk in back of a friend's real estate office, he's hired by a beautiful woman to find her husband, dead or alive. He successfully completes his job in a couple days--he finds her husband shot dead in the apartment of her young, stud boyfriend--only to find that his client's check bounces. This is only the beginning of a nightmare that gets him in trouble with the Albanian mob and sends him half-way across the country in an attempt to find money which can save his life.
"Canary in the Coal Mine is a terrific old-school crime novel with a machine gun pace.It delivers style and satisfaction on every page." - Peter Blauner, NY Times Best Selling Author.
A Grifter’s Song novella series edited by Fank Zafiro | connect with the editor
Grifters Sam and Rachel love two things -- the game and each other. The rest of the world is either a mark, an obstacle, or doesn't matter. Each episode of A Grifter's Song is penned by a different author in a different city and explores a complete story, but there is a series arc as well. Created and edited by Frank Zafiro.
"An absolute banger of a book" - Bobby Matthews, from a 5-star review of The Low White Plain
The Eviction of Hope anthology edited by Colin Conway | connect with the editor
It’s eviction day for the Hope Apartments. The residents have known about it for over a year, but most ignored it until the final moments. These are their stories. An anthology of bad choices and their consequences.
“Likely one of the best anthologies I’ve read. Does a good job of having all the authors write along the same lines. A bit humorous, sad, and dark all at the same time. Worth the reading.” – Amazon reviewer
A Bag of Dick’s anthology edited by Colin Conway | connect with the editor
Detective James Morgan gave Roy Utt the opportunity off his lifetime—a get-out-of-jail-free card. Unfortunately, Roy couldn’t keep a secret. An anthology of hustlers, swindlers, and junkies chasing after an elusive prize.
“This book was a hoot. I laughed or smiled at each bizarre situation that was acted out. Very creative, but very different.” – Amazon reviewer
Back Road Bobby and His Friends anthology edited by Colin Conway | connect with the editor
A legendary driver lies on his deathbed. His protégés and those they have trained race to see him. Some come to honor the man; others come to do him harm. These are their stories. A high-speed crime fiction anthology.
“When I don’t have a lot of time to read, I enjoy a good short story. These were very good, and the ending of some of them took me by surprise! Nice read!” – Amazon reviewer
Beneath the Black Palms by Nolan Knight | connect with the writer
Hardboiled yet heartfelt, Nolan Knight’s eleven masterful, stylistically-diverse short stories expose the human condition within Los Angeles’ outcasts, squares, con men and have-nots.
"Unapologetically confrontational, grimly poignant; a gritty depiction of LA vice and vicissitude.” -Kirkus Reviews
The Neon Lights are Veins by Nolan Knight | connect with the writer
Los Angeles, 2008. Alvi Drake is an aged pro skateboarder whose lone thrill is a pill-fueled escape from the terror of past ghosts. When news hits of the disappearance of an old flame, he sets out to find her—the biggest mistake in his track ridden life.
“The Neon Lights Are Veins is a dope-fueled gutter-punk odyssey through a gaudy nightmare version of Los Angeles. With echoes of James Ellroy and Nathanael West, Knight carves out his own bit of L.A. crime-writing turf in this impressive debut.” - Richard Lange, author of Rovers, Dead Boys, This Wicked World, Angel Baby, Sweet Nothing and The Smack
Mystery/Thriller
The Gray Detective by Stephen Burdick | connect with the writer
Homicide Detective Joe Hampton and his wife, Joyce, had planned to move to Clearwater Beach, Florida, once he'd retired from the Philadelphia Police Department. After Joyce unexpectedly passes away, Joe settles into the Crimson Conch Condominiums where he is called upon to help solve a series of murders.
To Bring My Shadow by Matt Phillips | connect with the writer
This haunting, hardboiled tale follows detective Frank “Slim Fat” Pinson and his partner as they try to unravel the vexing mystery surrounding a who-done-it drug murder in San Diego.
“An intelligently conceived and executed crime drama...A thrilling addition to an old but still vital literary genre.” —Kirkus Reviews
The Wandering Man by Terrence McCauley | connect with the writer
It’s 1927, and corrupt NYPD Detective Charlie Doherty has been ordered by Chief Carmichael to hunt down a cop killer at all costs.
Seeking justice for a fellow comrade in blue while also protecting his crooked way of life and serving his best friend and chief, Charlie begins hunting down the man who killed Detective Spann. His first suspect? The Wandering Man.
From first-rate storyteller Terrence McCauley comes this gritty and jaded hunt for a diabolical villain running rampant on Manhattan’s streets.
In the Cut by Frank Zafiro | connect with the writer
Boone has been prospecting with the Iron Brothers outlaw motorcycle gang for a year. When a simple muscle job goes wrong, his world changes forever. He's plunged deeper into a world of conflicting loyalties. Boone soon learns what it means to live his life…in the cut.
“With In The Cut, Frank Zafiro crafts a captivating biker-crime-cop tale, but this book is more than all that—it’s a balls-out ride down the most treacherous of highways, twisting into the abyss of unavoidable mistakes and veering back into the shadowy terrain of loyalty, brotherhood, misshapen lust, and the transitory nature of true justice. It doesn’t take long for Zafiro to hit fifth gear, and when he does he’s leaning like hell into every wicked turn…” – Matt Phillips, author of Countdown and Know Me from Smoke
The Ride-Along by Frank Zafiro and Colin Conway | connect with the writers
A community reform activist spends the graveyard shift with a third-generation cop. Things will never be the same for either of them.
“The Ride-Along will challenge your assumptions, prejudices, and biases. With unflinching honesty and remarkable balance, this important novel tackles the issues of policing, politics, institutional racism, Black Lives Matter, and more, all over the course of a dramatic graveyard shift ride-along.” – James Ziskin, author of Bombay Monsoon
Tenerife by James Whelpley | connect with the writer
Former merchant marine, Mickey Fairfax, travels to Tenerife to retrieve the illegitimate son of a Tennessee beef baron and finds himself caught up in a battle raging between a sleeping giant and an emerging titan. Sabotage at the Pesca oil refinery has forced a lockout of the employees, rolling blackouts, riots at the gate, and rumors of an ancient people with a bone to pick with the mainland. Mickey must uncover the party responsible before the island explodes in violence.
“The characters are both sharply drawn, realistic, and genuinely funny. Donald Westlake wound be proud. The loutish Robbie acts as an able foil for Fairfax when he's not in some convalescent facility or other. Whelpley's comic voice is a treat, but he doesn't overdo the comedy, there are dark aspects to this novel and they are treated appropriately. Fairfax's voice is strong, I liked him again in this book, maybe it's the way he throws himself into hopeless causes. PS, the sinister longshoreman is a helluva bad dude!” - Amazon review
Hunting Gold by Ann Aptaker | connect with the writer
April 1955, New York City. A golden city. Cantor Gold, dapper art thief and smuggler, has her own way of securing the rewards of the city. But someone wants to take it all away, rob Cantor of everything: her success in the underworld, her freedom, her life.
“Hunting Gold…unwinds like the last number at a dim, jazz nightclub―sexy, melancholy and unforgettable.” Michael Nava, 7-time Lambda Literary Award Winner, called “one of our best” by the New York Times.
Sweat and Blood Between the Cracks by Joe Haward | connect with the writer
In this “pithy and poignant” collection, the prolific Joe Haward gives us a characteristically bold and nuanced collection of stories and poems which serve as a testament to a stunning career and to his place at the forefront of literary achievement in our time.
“Sweat and Blood Between the Cracks is a fucking bloodbath; raw, powerful and deeply, profoundly real. Joe picks at scabs and re-opens scars to lay bare his guts to us.” — Leia John, author of Song of the Sister
Scar Tissue by Jefferey Hess | connect with the writer
Scar Tissue is a psychological noir novel that stunningly brings to life a world others dare not dream of. A vivid and memorable portrayal of desire as seen through the eyes of two women with dark hearts and very different goals who cross paths at critical moments in their lives.
“Scar Tissue has all that we’ve come to expect from Jeff Hess’s crime fiction—sweat-soaked Florida settings, uncompromising authenticity, and wild plots with hairpin turns—but adds yet another layer of ground-in grit. Hess’s new protagonists, Dylan and Abby, are damaged goods—selfish, yet sympathetic, slick cons, but also lost souls—and, most importantly, complicated women who are written and treated by Hess as such. In his latest, Hess spills just as much blood as in his previous novels, but it’s in the scars still healing where the real story lies.” —Steph Post, author of Miraculum, Lightwood, Walk in the Fire, and Holding Smoke
Harry Kenmare, PI - At Your Service by A.B. Patterson | connect with the writer
"Dark, debauched, and disturbing, Harry Kenmare’s world is a high-octane thrill ride for hard-core crime fiction addicts. But you’ll need to buckle up and bite down. Only readers with cast-iron fortitude need apply!"
"If the Henry Miller who wrote Under the Roofs of Paris had been contracted to write a hardboiled PI book, this book would be the result. A.B. Patterson's Harry Kenmare stomps through a seedy underworld solving cases and bedding a lot of women. This book is the precise opposite of what the current, Puritanical mainstream would prefer you read. It breaks every modern taboo and creates the same sort of freewheeling atmosphere we might expect from a 1970s drive-in movie, the kind made far away from Hollywood. The writing is crisp and straightforward--the definition of hardboiled." - Alec Cizak, author of Breaking Glass and Cool it Down
Betray Me Not by Robert White | connect with the writer
Revenge. Everyone wants it. Few will attempt it. Even fewer on the scale of the women and girls in this collection of tales that run the gamut from grisly through calculated to justifiable—at least, in their minds. Their reasons are as varied as the perpetrators themselves. You’re bound to have met one or two like them.
“Once again, White has assembled a cast of characters who offer to plumb the depths of human degradation. Using a blunt and hard hitting style, White’s characters become those friends and neighbors we try to avoid but are still fascinated by what lives we imagine they lead. White’s stories and the characters in them are brutally open when expressing disdain for what the reader imagines as small town life.” - Amazon review
S-10 to Valhalla by Ken Teutsch | connect with the writer
It’s Saturday night, and Jake needs money for the Nashville beer joints. But his simple plan to steal some sends him crashing into kindly grandmothers, down-and-out typesetters and inadvertent Robert E. Lee impersonators on his way to a rendezvous with a counterfeit Valkyrie and a bona fide hail of bullets.
Snake Slayer by Rob Pierce | connect with the writer
Three criminals on the run, not just from the law but from other criminals. Two of them are lovers, the third her former lover. Where does love lie, except in the grave?
“Imagine if Raymond Carver’s slick poetic prose and unhappy alcoholics found themselves with a gun and a thirst for crime—you’d get Rob Pierce’s bleak but darkly funny Snake Slayer.” - Shawna Yang Ryan, Green Island
When You Leave Me by Susan Wingate | connect with the writer
Jamie Michael’s husband who has dementia, goes missing. Det. Rimmler deploys a team to scour the grounds but only find a deep gorge on Jamie’s property. Months later, Rimmler begins tracking Jamie and admits he suspects her. Now, Jamie must prove her innocence or get indicted for murder.
“A twisty mystery about love, betrayal, and obsession. In a small town, everyone’s a murder suspect. The ending packs a punch and remains in the reader's mind long after turning the final page. Thriller aficionados will devour this story.” —Robert Dugoni, New York Times bestselling author of the Tracy Crosswhite series
Teaching Moments by Troy Lambert | connect with the writer
Max Boucher is hired to find a missing horse in a small town in Idaho, far from his Seattle home. He arrives in Cedar Peak to stumble on a murder scene, and an odd weapon sparks his interest. The murder must be related to his case, right? But there’s something off about the scene and the victim. A serial killer uses a crossbow and gets away with murder. Or does she? A mysterious confession underlines the story. But motives and hidden grudges abound in a small town, and everyone seems to know everyone else’s business. Someone wants Max off the case, and he has no idea why. There’s only one missing piece to the puzzle, and a twist you won’t see coming.
“Once again Troy Lambert nails it with Harvested. Lambert writes with the authority of a pro. Sharp, nail-biting prose that will keep you savoring each and every page.” - Vincent Zandri, New York Times Thriller Award-winning author of The Embalmer, The Remains, and The Caretaker's Wife.
The Damned Lovely by Adam Frost | connect with the writer
Located in the LA suburb of Glendale, The Damned Lovely dive bar is as scarred as its regulars: ex-cops, misfits and loners. For Sam Goss, it’s a refuge from the promising life he’s walked away from and a hole to hide in. But when a mysterious patron turns up murdered, Sam can’t stop himself from uncovering the truth behind her murder.
“Adam Frost is a crime writer with a sharp new voice, telling a tale about the one thing everyone in Los Angeles has: desire. Desire for truth, for justice, for love, or maybe just a place to call home. Highly recommended.” - Jordan Harper, Edgar Award-winning author of She Rides Shotgun and Everybody Knows
Range by Andrew Davie | connect with the writer
Herb Lawson has just finished a tour in Vietnam. Returning to Hell's Kitchen in New York City, he finds work as an apprentice jeweler and bets heavily with a feared loan shark. Soon after, Herb becomes a mercenary in Africa to protect ranchers during the Zimbabwe war of independence.
Forced Perspective by Colin Campbell | connect with the writer
Jim Grant enlists Vince McNulty’s help with a sting operation where wanted criminals are invited to audition as extras in a Titanic Productions movie. The plan is almost derailed when McNulty and Grant can’t resist protecting a hotel receptionist from an angry biker but the plan goes off without a hitch. Almost without a hitch. Mission successful. Except the Palm Springs sting is a dry run for the main person Grant wants to arrest; a crime lord movie buff in Loveland, Colorado. And the angry biker and the worst snow in decades mean that this time there will be blood and death and a very big hitch.
"Very real. And very good." - Lee Child
Tracking Shot by Colin Campbell | connect with the writer
Vince McNulty is still working as technical advisor for Titanic Productions in Boston but he is also struggling to reconnect with his estranged sister and her daughter. While filming on a courthouse set in Waltham, MA, a gunman forces his way in and opens fire, killing several of the cast and crew. Did the gunman mistake the set for the real courthouse down the road? Or was it just a message to the real judge?
White Out by Dana King | connect with the writer
A tough winter gets worse when a Black Penns River cop kills a white supremacist and the movement descends on the town to set an example. Meanwhile, a poker tournament’s million-dollar cash prize and a once in a decade snowstorm stretch the Penns River police to the breaking point.
“It’s been a long time since I read a book that pulled me along as urgently as Dana King’s latest Penns River novel White Out. King writes about his cops and their town with the kind of real affection that has you not just wanting, but needing, to know what happens to them next–and there’s plenty happening in this fast moving, deftly written thriller. Highly recommended.” - J.D. Rhoades, bestselling author of the Jack Keller series and the Cade and Clayborne historical thrillers.
All the Pieces Fall by Frank Zafiro | connect with the writer
George “Mase” Masaryk knows about secrets. But nothing prepares him for the bizarre missing persons case that Faye McDonough brings to his door. Mase can't tell if her husband is missing, hiding, or dead. But he's about to find out.
"This may be a fictional novel but truer words were never written." - from a 5-star Amazon review
The Worst Kind of Truth by Frank Zafiro | connect with the writer
Detective Katie MacLeod investigates two very different rape cases. In one, a prostitute is assaulted by an unknown suspect. The other happens at a college party. As she strives to work both cases, she must face all of the present-day obstacles and the ghosts of her own past.
"Best police procedural I've read this year." - from a 5-star Amazon review
Live and Die this Way by Frank Zafiro | connect with the writer
Billie Jo Higgins is a small, skilled burglar, using her craft to keep her and Toby, her addict twin brother, afloat in a hard world. Then B.J. stumbles into the wrong house at the wrong time and sees something she shouldn't. The explosive secret threatens to destroy her life.
"Tough, tense, harrowing, scary, exciting and sad." - Colman Keane, Col's Criminal Library
Sugar Got Low by Frank Zafiro | connect with the writer
SUGAR GOT LOW is an eclectic collection of short stories set in the River City universe, including a tale of grifters, a prequel story to the well-regarded Ania series, several trips back to the early days of River City and one to La Sombra, Texas. Enjoy a Walter Mitty homage set in San Francisco, and a deadly day in Roman Britain, the heartbreaking story of a junkie, and the suspenseful one of a murderer in a black car. At the end of it all, you'll experience the dark but inspiring title story of perseverance that was only made possible because of a misunderstood lyric.
"A fantastic collection of short stories." - Colman Keane, Col's Criminal Library
Fortune’s Favor by Thomas Locke and Jyoti Guptara | connect with the writers
Imagine a world where privilege is stolen and handed down from generation to generation – supernaturally. When a disgraced accountant is hired to shadow a mysterious Indian couple, she partners with them to steal an ancient object that has kept Asia’s elites in power for generations - and threatens to do the same in the US.
“Guptara and Locke’s intricate, fast-paced international thriller, set in the rarified, dazzling circle of the super-rich, consistently delivers the thrills and chills inherent in the high stakes, cut-throat world of high-finance in which murder is simply another business option.” - Charles Salzberg, award-winning crime author
No Dibs on Murder by Lawrence Kelter and Frank Zafiro
Tanner Fritz has it all—he’s good-looking, well-liked, fabulously wealthy, and has a beautiful wife. He’s a veritable well of goodwill and happiness. So why do his four best friends want him dead?
“Friendship, drama, crime all rolled into a story that keeps building and moving through the lives of the characters. This is one of the most unexpected tales I have read - and the further along through the story I got, the harder I found it to put down.” -Judith H., from a 5-star Amazon review
Death at Dukes Halt by Derek Farrell | connect with the writer
It wouldn’t be an authentic country-house weekend without a murder or two. Soon, Danny is on the track of the killer in their midst. As the plot twists, he wrestles with another, sadder mystery hidden in the pages of a secret diary that may just hold the key to everything.
“Of all the books that I love, the Danny Bird Mysteries are the ones I go to when I need to feel hope. Flawed and a bit bonkers Danny and the gang renew my faith in humanity every time. The books are witty, clever and they have such great heart. Being part of Danny's family is a great privilege.”– Barbara Nadel, author of the Cetin Ikmen mysteries and the Hakim & Arnold mysteries
All that this Life Requires by Frank Zafiro | connect with the writer
Retired Detective Jack “Mac” McCrae has lost his hero. He takes his mentor's death hard. When a cryptic letter surfaces that alludes to some potential wrongdoing, Mac delves into the decades-old case. He discovers some answers can lead to harder question, and at times, this life requires even more.
"It's a really intriguing book with a moral dilemna at its heart. Can doing the wrong thing for the right reasons ever be justified? I liked this one a lot." - Colman Keane, Col's Criminal Library
The Tattered Blue Line: Short Stories of Contemporary Policing by Frank Zafiro
An anthology from a wide range of authors, all of whom have a law enforcement background, tackling an array of contemporary issues in policing. Using both drama and humor, this diverse group of authors illuminate the humanity of those who work in law enforcement, as well as those they encounter each day.
“...they convey what I believe is an accurate, surprisingly objective perspective. Recommended.” - from a 5-star Amazon review
Pulp/Grindhouse/Horror
L.A. Stories: Three Grindhouse Novellas
From the deviant minds of Alec Cizak, Scotch Rutherford, and Andrew Miller comes three novellas that will take you on a sordid and twisted journey stretching across the interconnected cities of the Los Angeles underground between 1979 & 1980. Three interrelated tales from the urban center of Hollywood to the outskirts of downtown, all the way to the Westside.
The authors accurately captured the geography, local knowledge and slang (e.g., June Gloom, “University of Spoiled Children”), time (e.g., Betamax, Tab soda, rise of Reagan, & “that whacko from Indiana who’d killed his followers with Kool-Aid”), and level of crime and debauchery that the SoCal area is known for, especially during the era depicted.
Slower Bear by Anthony Neil Smith | connect with the writer
Micah “Slow Bear” Cross returns in another breathless slice of pitch-perfect pulp from noir legend Anthony Neil Smith. After successfully faking his own death, we catch up with Micah “Slow Bear” Cross standing in a field in Nebraska with his boot on the neck of a Ukranian human trafficker. So far, so Slow Bear. After handing out some of his trademark summary justice, Micah finds himself the temporary custodian of two very young, and very scared victims of trafficking...
"Fantastic. Like what would happen if Jack Reacher hit absolute rock bottom, lost an arm, woke up in a dumpster, and just decided, fuck it, I'm going to keep killing bad guys." – James Kestral, author of Five Decembers (winner of 2022 Edgar Award for Best Novel)
Sharp Knives & Loud Guns by Tom Leins | connect with the writer
Traumatised and brutalised after a grisly encounter with a warped sex killer, Slug Bait finds cut-price private investigator Joe Rey licking his wounds at a decrepit caravan park on the cliff path high above Paignton. Violence has a way of finding Rey, however, and an altercation involving local amusement arcade tycoon Raymond Coody sees him dragged back into town—where his name is now on all of the wrong people’s lips. Rey’s reckless disregard for his own safety quickly wins Coody’s trust, but his new associate harbours some dark secrets, and things are about to get very bloody, very quickly.
“Imagine Jim Thompson and Edward Lee had a baby and that baby did a bunch of steroids and meth. That’s what Tom Leins’ powerful pulp is like. Nobody, and I mean nobody, writes like Leins. He is the master of his own genre.” - Andy Rausch, author of American Trash and Bloody Sheets
Ghosts on the Block Never Sleep by Tia Ja’nae
*This book is no longer available commercially. If you have a copy, consider yourself blessed.
She's always been used to dirty work. A short run career as an industry butcher helped with that. But those times are long in her past. In the present, she still lives with Grams and makes ends meet as a freelance car parts thief for The Arab, the biggest fence on the east side of Chicago. Most times it's just a score that never pays enough to help Grams out with the rent. But it's steady work she's good at that keeps their heads above water. When The Arab gets in a bind and asks her to do a heist that he's willing to pay for, she seizes the opportunity to get her paper straight once and for all. When the score goes tits up and she has to pull off a miracle to save her payday, she finds herself with a promotion she didn't ask for working for Alderwoman Monica "Hambone" Davis, who refuses to let her or her butcher block skills walk away and never takes no for an answer.
“Raw, visceral, and cerebral while sober is what Chicago native Tia Ja’nae has cooked up in this book. It’s the perfect rhyme to a broken beat looking for sync.” - 24Hip-Hop
A Therapeutic Death: Violent Short Stories by J.B. Stevens | connect with the writer
Crammed with twisted thrills, dark secrets, and elusive grasps at redemption, this collection of short crime stories will have you turning pages deep into the night.
"A Therapeutic Death is a gathering of hard-hitting, fast-paced stories, littered with hardworn souls grasping for grace in deep and grim places. In other words, exactly what you want to see in a collection of stories unafraid of the dark." - Michael Farris Smith, author of Nick and The Fighter
Cool it Down by Alec Cizak
After fleeing a deadly romance, Blake Ness finds himself on an obscure island off the Gulf Coast. He befriends the island’s owner and mayor, a Cuban counter-revolutionary, and takes a job as a bouncer at a local massage parlor. Just when he thinks he’s found a home in paradise, he meets a Sarasota land baron who knows his real identity. Blake must choose between paying for his crimes of the past, or committing a new crime he may never escape from…
"Just when Florida couldn't get any weirder, Alec Cizak pulls you into Raro Key, a fictional coastal town rife with alligator worship, coffee-sipping spiders, pedophilic preachers, ghosts, and sins from the past, characters whose allegiances shift like shadows on cracked pavement. David Lynch meets Carl Hiassen in this sun-soaked revenge yarn." - Hector Duarte Jr., author of Desperate Times Call
Perras Malas by Manny Torres
Kika was a map of bruises. She was a cicatrix of vengeance, the scar of a wounded mind, the fetid and gangrenous lesion of a town's malevolent psyche. And she's come back to Carbon, Georgia, to find her missing sister. Fighting tooth and nail, wielding her trusty crowbar, Hell hath no fury like the violent storm Kika brings to Carbon. She'll tear through the town and its criminal underworld until she finds her sister.
Perras Malas is Dead Dogs on steroids with machetes.
A Hot Dose of Hell by Steve Stark | connect with the writer
When a deadly new drug is turning the homeless of Scarmouth into bloodthirsty maniacs, a privileged group of self-serving woke activists head there to promote a new charity grift. All the virtue-signalling in the world won’t save them from the bloodbath to come.
Father was a Rat King by Manny Torres
Soledad was 16 and preparing for college when her mother left her to care for her drug-addicted father. Having to live in the violent and gritty streets of pre-gentrification New York, she learns to survive by any means necessary, working off a family debt to some unsavory and corrupt men. Will the streets consume her with violence and vice, or will she triumph and escape to a normal life?
The Other Side by Thomas Stewart | connect with the writer
“For ages, man has looked in awe and terror to the beyond, to that which he cannot see or hear. The question has always remained the same, but none know it's answer. Within this tome, however; whether it's the unseen boundaries of the veil, the boundaries of a mirror, or even simply the noises from under your floor, behind a freezer door, or the other end of a phone call, are 19 gospels that answer the age-old question; what lies on the other side?”
Death and the Conjuror by Tom Mead | connect with the writer
In 1930s London, celebrity psychiatrist Anselm Rees is discovered dead in his locked study, and there seems to be no way that a killer could have escaped unseen. There are no clues, no witnesses, and no evidence of the murder weapon. Stumped by the confounding scene, the Scotland Yard detective on the case calls on retired stage magician-turned-part-time sleuth Joseph Spector. For who better to make sense of the impossible than one who traffics in illusions?
“Set in London, Mead’s stellar debut and series launch, an homage to golden age crime fiction, in particular the works of John Dickson Carr, introduces magician Joseph Spector. […] Mead maintains suspense throughout, creating a creepy atmosphere en route to satisfying reveals. Puzzle mystery fans will eagerly await the sequel.” - Publishers Weekly, April 2022 (**STARRED REVIEW**)
Edgar and Shamus Go Golden by Andrew McAleer | connect with the writer
Edgar & Shamus Go Golden: Twelve Tales of Murder, Mystery, and Master Detection features 12 original Golden Age of Mystery stories from Edgar and Shamus award-winning authors.
“Edgar & Shamus Go Golden is a 24-carat collection of stories by the best in the business.” -Edgar winner, SJ Rozan
Swing Gang by Colin Campbell | connect with the writer
When McNulty finds a runaway girl hiding at the Hollywood location during a night shoot it brings back memories of his life in the Orphanage. He takes her under his wing but after somebody is looking for her she runs away again. Between the drug cartel that wants her back and a hitman who wants her dead, McNulty must try and find her again before California wildfires race towards her hiding place.
An Atlas of Bad Roads by Misha Burnett | connect with the writer
This all new collection from Misha Burnett includes 16 strange tales of the macabre as well as 16 original poems, exploring the mysterious nature of the seemingly mundane world, where the run-down warehouses, shady night clubs, and even 24-hour gas stations may be home to magical creatures or skulking maniacs.
“…what really moved me were the stories that were clearly more personal to Burnett, like “Black Dog.” There’s a lot of heart being poured out onto these pages. I got a solid laugh from reading his envisioning of Innsmouth from the other side in “The Old Covenant”, and I liked the spooky movie that’s too horrible to be seen in “We Pass from View”. It’s hard to pick only a few stories to recommend, I really couldn’t put this down.” -Amazon review
Hoosier Misfits and Perverts by Alec Cizak
HOOSIER MISFITS AND PERVERTS is a collection of nineteen short stories connected by a cast of characters comprised of immigrants and other outsiders reaching for the American Dream in America's Heartland, Indiana, during the last half of the 20th Century.
"Alec Cizak goes for the jugular when crafting characters and situations that are credibly tense with dialogue that feels natural though bleak when dealing at times with racist, antisemitic, and homophobic situations" - David Cranmer, Beat to a Pulp
Autumn Gothic by Brian Bowyer | connect with the writer
In San Francisco, Sierra falls in love with her favorite author. After learning that Vivian Kane grew up in a haunted house, she persuades Vivian to take her to the mansion in West Virginia, where they encounter a savage entity known as the Sorceress of Night. In Los Angeles, Delilah—a celebrated musician—kills humans as sacrifices to the ancient gods of death. When Mark—her guitar player—discovers her evil ways, she gives him two choices: leave California, or become her next victim. He flees, and then Delilah changes her mind, killing people across America while pursuing him as he travels east. After she tracks him to a mansion in the mountains of West Virginia, monsters both human and inhuman collide on Halloween night.
“Jarred in the best way by this mad descent. Bowyer's style is immensely readable, and he draws you into the sordid world of Autumn Gothic with a breathless pull. On page one, you're in the train car with Vivian and Sierra, and you know you're in for a ride. The characters are vivid, the relationships addictive, the dialogue natural, the plot flowing, transitions between characters seamless, the violence explosive, and the horrors unexpected and satisfying. This novel crept through me and wrapped me on the inside. Best enjoyed with a hard drink.” - Coy Hall, author of GRIMOIRE OF THE FOUR IMPOSTORS
Pure by Jo Perry | connect with the writer
When Ascher Lieb, a volunteer in a Jewish burial society, encounters the body of a woman she thinks may have been murdered, her search for the dead woman's truth leads her to her own truth and to a man who may be a friend or a killer.
“A murder mystery and so much more...[Pure] is a great novel, an immersive read... a mystery novel about something—it’s more than a whodunit... It, like pretty much everything Perry writes, is about death and how we deal with it as humans (and one neurotic Mini-Pinscher)... Pure is the best thing I’ve read by Perry...” - The Irresponsible Reader
There and Back by Eric Beetner | connect with the writer
When a wilderness retreat at a tech company ends in horror, only five of the eight who went out come back. As the survivors try to adjust to life back home, they also grapple with a powerful secret. What really happened out there can never see the light of day.
A new “heart of darkness” beats at the core of Eric Beetner’s wilderness-noir thriller, There and Back, pumping the blood of tainted legacy through the twisted branches of greed, aggrandizement, and survival. For those who survive until the last page of Eric Beetner’s There and Back—both the characters and the readers—the experience will most certainly be an unforgettable one. - BOLO books
A Word Before Dying by TG Wolff | connect with the writer
In the last moments of life, a single word can be the difference between justice and obscurity. It can also set the stage for an amazing story. Nine enigmatic phrases. Nine stories arranged for you to deduce the truth before the detective takes center stage.
"What a fun collection of mysteries, each unique and with its own "whodunit" from all makes and models of mystery writers." Goodreads
Cutler’s Return by Colin Campbell
How far would you go for the person who broke your heart? John Cutler is about to find out. When a past love calls for help, Cutler returns to Seattle. He didn’t want to go, but she offered the one thing he needed more than distance from her—money.
“John Cutler is a very flawed individual. No matter how hard he tries, he can’t seem to get out of his own way. Conway does a good job of guiding the reader through the mess Cutler has made of his life while spinning an interesting story that will have you rooting hard for Cutler to not only survive, but thrive.” – Amazon reviewer
The Only Death that Matters by Colin Campbell
The police say Margaret Kelly drowned, but Ray Christy refuses to believe it. So, he’s going to prove it was murder. An amateur sleuth inserts himself into a police investigation with tragic consequences.
“Thought THE ONLY DEATH THAT MATTERS was a good read, as the other 509 books, until Mr. Conway threw a totally unexpected and surprising twist in the middle of the story. This is the best of an excellent series.” – Amazon reviewer
Deep Purple Cover by Joel W. Barrows | connect with the writer
Things in Napa Valley are not as they seem. Everyone wants to get into the wine business, but at what cost? When the co-owner of Pavesi Vineyards goes missing there are few clues to his disappearance. When his remains unexpectedly turn up, dark forces loom large. FBI Special Agent Rowan Parks is assigned to the case and quickly realizes that the Bureau needs someone on the inside. There is only one person to call, her former lover, and ATF’s greatest undercover operative, David Ward.
“Joel W. Barrows’ Deep Purple Cover has flavors of mystery and dark motives with fragrant twists. Medium-bodied and knowledgeable of the subject matter, the aroma of the novel is robust in its procedural qualities with just a hint of thriller. Interesting characters also make it perfect for the bookshelf where it will pair nicely with a Baldacci, a Sanford or a Coban. Deep Purple Cover is a truly notable vintage.” - Craig Johnson, author of the Walt Longmire Series
Dog’s Honest Truth by Neil S. Plakcy | connect with the writer
Will semi-reformed hacker Steve Levitan and his golden retriever Rochester be able to dig up the clues to two crimes? Or will a deadly killer go unpunished?
I absolutely loved this book! If you enjoy cozies with pets this series should be on your must-read list. The characters are likeable and relatable, the mystery was interesting and filled with twists and turns and a few edge-of-your-seat moments, and who doesn't love a crime-solving dog? - King's River Life
Razing Stakes by TG Wolff | connect with the writer
The first day of summer, a hit-skip ends a young accountant’s life. Within hours, Cleveland Homicide Detective Jesus De La Cruz finds the vehicle. The setup is obvious. The suspects read like a list out of a textbook: the jilted fiancée, the jealous coworker, the overlooked subordinate, the dirty client.
If you enjoy police procedurals, I am quite certain you will enjoy Ms. Wolff’s writing style. It is easy to follow and, in this particular book, I found it interesting the way in which she tied all of the stories together. I also enjoyed her portrayal of De La Cruz’s family relationships, as well as the Williams’ family relationships. Oh, and who can resist a book with a line like this: “Monday morning decided to come early again.” Another favorite line: “There is never enough cheesecake.” I think some of us can relate to these sentiments. The theme throughout: “Happy hunting, Detective.” (Goodreads)
Curse of the Jesuit by Nicholas Wagner | connect with the writer
In 1920s Egypt, a Jesuit priest receives an ominous letter from an archaeologist colleague and travels to a haunted tomb in order to unravel a series of sinister mysteries.
Science Fiction
Wild Stars V. The Artomique Paradigm by Michael Tierney
The first pan-galactic summit aims to build trust throughout the stars. However, Earth's Artomique Corporation has become a dominant player in interstellar politics using stolen Wild Star technology. A secret alliance between the Artomiques and the notorious Red Queen’s space pirates threatens to turn the balance of power in the galaxy upside down!
"If you can picture one of the best Marvel time travel stories mixed with Doctor Who, Star Wars, Dune, and Flash Gordon, then you would have an accurate image of this latest installment in the Wild Stars universe. The worlds explored by the story are rich, varied, and feel very lived-in. If Star Wars is a space opera appetizer while Flash Gordon and Dune are main courses, then Wild Stars is a very sweet dessert." - Caroline Furlong, A Song of Joy
Same Song, Different Beat by Ronin Heck | connect with the writer
Somewhere after the 2036 elections, civil war broke out in the United States. In the region now known as South California, the Mutual Organization dictates every aspect of citizens' lives. One family entertains the masses, each member of the family being played by different actors as time goes on.
"Grinding and hitching through the trash heaps of a near-future America, Heck summons a putrid-scented world of misguided desire, confusion, and societal brain rot. Same Song, Different Beat exists in that same special category of creative work that includes Dan Erickson's Severance, David Lynch's Lost Highway, and Charlie Kaufman's Antkind." - Colin Jones, author of Project: Sleepless Dream
Humor
A Baker’s Divorce by Frank Scalise
Aging rocker Cal Baker has been divorced twelve times. On the eve of his new record's release, wife #13 tells him that she wants a divorce. Cal, who has hung onto his career by chasing every musical trend since the 1970s, sets out on a journey to discover "why this keeps happening to me."
"...an emotional rollercoaster ride of self-discovery." - J. Walch, from a 5-star Amazon review
Wildlife on the Serengeti by Michael Bruce Blackwell
If you can dream it, you can kill it. Enter Mac Sexton: a rich, good-looking go-getter of a teenager from the Northeast with a preference for gender-flattening (It/It/Its) pronouns and blessed with a violent streak as wide as the Mississippi and Styx combined. Its primary goal in life? To become the Number One Serial Killer in America with a body count unsurpassed even by Ted Bundy and "Killer Clown" John Wayne Gacy. Telling its Disney-esque life story with humor darker than a lump of anthracite and so grisly that Bret Easton Ellis' AMERICAN PSYCHO (Mac's favorite book) reads as children's literature, Mac takes the reader on a triumphant odyssey that proves that nothing--not even a robustly dysfunctional family, creepy prep school teachers, a faux-Green Beret, a cult group of renegade Mormons in the deserts of Utah, a treacherous Tennessee farm couple with a galoot of a son in a rubber pig mask, or even admission in Vassar and Amherst--can get in the way of a teenage killers and its dreams. As Zig Ziglar once said, "If you can dream it, you can achieve it." And Mac proves it, adding "slaughter it" as well.
Hallmarks of the Job by Frank Zafiro | connect with the writer
Meticulous PI Stanley Melvin likes to keep his work grounded in reality, not at all like the classic detective novels he has read incessantly since childhood. But his best friend and annoying neighbor Rudy quickly points out that his routine "cheater" case is rapidly taking on all the features that Stanley steadfastly insists are mere fictional tropes of the genre.
"Enjoyable, entertaining, humorous, satisfying - yes." - Colman Keane, Col's Criminal Library
Strait over Tackle by Colin Conway | connect with the writer
How is a guy supposed to enjoy his lake cabin when he finds a dead woman on his boat? Perpetual sun chaser Sam Strait returns home from a winter in Hawaii and is quickly embroiled in a murder investigation.
“Sam Strait’s adventures are anything but strait-forward. Convoluted, funny, and intense are some of the words I would use to describe his adventures. Living a life most of us would kill to have, he still seems to stumble from situation to situation. A most amusing murder mystery.” – Amazon reviewer
Cozy up to Danger by Colin Conway | connect with the writer
A former biker gang enforcer hides in Wyoming courtesy of the Witness Protection Program. When a heist crew inadvertently blows his cover, things go hilariously bad. The sixth book in the Cozy Up series.
“I’ve read the first five books in the series, and I have to say this one is even better than those. Colin Conway has become one of my favorite authors.” – Amazon reviewer
Cozy up to Christmas by Colin Conway | connect with the writer
A former enforcer for an outlaw biker gang hides out as mall Santa. What could go wrong? Action, suspense, and holiday laughs ensue in the fifth book of the Cozy Up series.
“Another great story of how “Beau” is dealing with his newest surroundings. Once again, this series has dominated my day in such a fun way. I can’t wait for more. Grab this series; it is such a fun read, for sure.” – Amazon reviewer
Poetry
Heresy by Joe Haward | connect with the writer
Heresy is a brutal and unflinching collection of poetry by Rev Joe Haward, exposing the hypocrisy and abuse of institutional Christianity from an insider's perspective. Each poem is a story in itself, ferocious in its truth, devastating in its conclusions. Not only using personal experience, but also drawing from the stories of others, Haward pulls the reader into a work of passionate fire and fury. Heresy will burn its mark upon you, and leave you wanting more.
“Like a hymn in pace and form, the book sweeps us up like an emotive liturgical summoning, drawing you to open your eyes with such emotive passion, you feel the pain of your own crucifixion.” - Amy-Jean Muller, Author of Baptism by Fire
