IndieReader Discovery Awards 2025 Entrants
Added as our reviewers read them, find the latest verdicts for the 2025 IndieReader Discovery Award entrants, leading up to the big winner announcement in June!
Losing control of one’s own sense of self and identity can lead to a long and lonely road of recovery. BRINGING SUNSHINE BACK INTO MY MIND by Momoko Uno is a fictional “hit the nail on the head” piece about a middle-aged woman seeking to reclaim her own reality. With streams of humor, truth, and self-discovery, the story is a reader’s glimpse into life, with ways to recapture sunshine and blue skies of everyday living.
FINDING HOME by McKenna Lynn is a heartfelt exploration of rediscovering oneself after life’s unexpected turns. The book skillfully portrays the deep emotional journeys of its characters, particularly Jamie and Kennedy, as they navigate love, loss, and the idea of home. With vivid descriptions and relatable struggles, it offers readers a touching narrative of resilience and second chances.
Michael Pronko’s gripping thriller SHITAMACHI SCAM blends forensic accounting with fast-paced detective work to transport readers to Tokyo’s dirty underworld. Pronko’s realistic portrayal of the city’s distinct culture plus a clever narrative involving con games aimed at the elderly make this a novel worth reading. A crime story with an intriguing new dimension.
WITCHFINDER’S SACRIFICE by Rande Goodwin expertly blends historical and supernatural elements, offering readers a thrilling tale of witchcraft, betrayal, and the fight for justice. Goodwin’s ability to bring rich details of the past into a contemporary storyline creates an immersive experience. The tension builds as familiar characters navigate moral dilemmas and supernatural challenges, making this book a captivating read for fans of dark fantasy.
A dystopian novel with mysterious and mystical elements, Brian McInerney’s A STATE CALLED DISORDER gives a disturbing glimpse into a potential future regime when three members of a practically royal family suddenly flee the empire causing both children to question the reality of the world in which they’ve been raised.
Zac Cannon’s SLANTWISE starts slowly, zeroing in on Holt, a recovering alcoholic-hero living in a shed in Appalachia, working at Walmart, and pining for a change. That ends quickly when he goes searches for his missing son, Coy (and girlfriend Mei-Ling), tangles with the Molinas and, eventually, with the real villains – the police. This tale of lost-and-found relatives and reunions is action packed and well written, with smart dialogue and characters readers will care about.
Verlin Darrow’s third novel, THE NOT QUITE ENLIGHTENED SLEUTH, is a unique mystery, with an ex-Buddhist num as the protagonist. Ivy Lutz returns to California after ten years as a Buddhist nun, most recently in Sri Lanka, when her mother has a massive stroke and dies. Ivy’s bipolar sister Jan believes their mother was murdered, probably by her husband, Dennis. Ivy teams up with the detective in charge of the case to find out the truth, especially once Dennis is murdered. The book’s characters are relatable, complex, and interesting. The way Ivy learns to navigate cell phones, computers, and the noise of daily living that is so different from the temple noises is both poignant and funny. Ivy’s attraction to the detective, her determination to find the truth, and the tension caused between her chosen spiritual path and the realities of solving a murder are all handled with a mix of grace, compassion, and understanding, without sacrificing the necessary rising stakes as the body count goes up. THE NOT QUITE ENLIGHTENED SLEUTH is a unique mystery for all the right reasons, and will keep readers entertained.
MMMM by Heather Joy is a bold and deeply personal exploration of life’s most challenging topics, delivered with a sharp wit and unflinching honesty. Joy’s candid storytelling covers a wide range of experiences, from love and sex to trauma and healing, echoing the defiant spirit of her favorite artist, Fiona Apple. The book’s raw authenticity and Joy’s commitment to sharing her truth make it a compelling and unforgettable read.
Victoria Ann Granacki’s AN ARTIST GOES TO WAR is a daughter’s compelling tribute to her father via his World War II service, with well-pieced-together diaries, letters, and artwork. Except for the details of battles, every description is personal, from Leon’s draft by the US Army and his map-making job in the South Pacific to a brief history of his welcome home and beyond. Those in Chicago will recognize many long-gone landmarks (Polk’s) and the Washtenaw Polish neighborhood, now gentrified. Filled with his drawings and watercolors, this personal recollection makes war all too real – and human.
WHEN SPITE STRIKES, REVENGE RUMBLES is a sparky and uncompromising memoir in which Bartoe shares the challenges she has overcome in the academic, social, and workplace environments. Bullying, vindictive behavior, and duplicity could have easily derailed her, but instead, she retaliated with a single-minded determination to work hard and succeed. Author Tabitha Bartoe impresses with tenacity and intelligence which filters clearly through her writing making WHEN SPITE STRIKES, REVENGE RUMBLES a forthright, pacey read and her willingness to discuss her experiences and reactions to adversity which offer much to interest, inspire, and encourage those readers navigating similar obstacles.
In CARAVAN OF SPECTERS, Carlos García Saúl transports readers to 1898 Puerto Rico, where Lieutenant Bailey Ashford faces a devastating medical crisis amid the chaos of the Spanish-American War. As he grapples with a mysterious illness ravaging the native Jíbaro population, Ashford’s depth of character shines through in his resourcefulness and determination to uncover the truth behind the pandemic. This compelling narrative, rooted in true events, combines an enticing storyline with rich historical detail, making it a gripping read from start to finish.
DEVOTION is the third book in M.C. Hunton’s urban fantasy Martyrs series. The Seven Deadly Sins are real, but there’s a group called Martyrs fighting back. Darius Jones, a Virtue, is one of them. Desperate to get into the field, and even more desperate to be of real use in taking down Gluttony, who controls the NYPD, he has to do more than simply heal the wounded. The book has a complex, twisty plot with detailed, credible world building. The action sequences are well constructed, balancing action without sacrificing character development. There is a large, well-developed and memorable, ensemble of characters, committed to a cause, but differing in the ways they believe they can achieve it. The magical/fantastical elements are strong and work well within the created world. Hunton also explores themes of destiny, belief, and personal choice/responsibility. DEVOTION is a pulse-pounding page-turner of an urban fantasy that’s satisfying within itself, but also makes the reader eager to read the rest of the series.
When an old gold coin is discovered in the pocket of a drowned woman, Police Chief William Templeton is shocked to be told that an identical coin was found on his estranged wife’s body, whose death a year previously was ruled accidental. When two more coins appear, William turns to friend and historian, Eva Knightly, to help him unravel their secret and find out the truth about the women’s deaths. Author Carol Ann Collins capably weaves the legend of Blackbeard through her enjoyable present-day mystery, set against the wild beauty of the North Carolina coastline. Lightly sprinkled with romance and rich in pirate history as well as intrigue, THE SEAFARER’S SECRET impresses with its nicely twisty and rewarding tale.
When two people come together, it could be magic or it could be mayhem. In KENT AND KATCHA (Espionage, Spycraft, Romance) by Larry and Rosemary Mild, American spy is captured, escapes, meets Russian girl, falls in love … and then the drama intensifies. The story has moments of intrigue, danger, tenderness, and suspense that are bound to lead readers of this genre to enjoy a satisfying conclusion.
Patrick Finnegan’s second novel TOYS IN BABYLON is both satire and mystery and a sendup of AI. Coki, the mascot of a popular language app, is missing, and feared murdered. The app’s AI, who has evolved lives and ideas of their own, plans to take over the way language is taught, making human teachers irrelevant. Further plot dissection would reveal spoilers, and there’s too much fun to be had in discovering the twists and turns as they unfurl. Love, language, friendship, deception, and AI are all entwined for a roller coaster of a ride. The author has a sharp eye for the absurd and ironic, and weaves all the elements together in ways that are delightful surprises. TOYS IN BABYLON is a fast, funny page turner.
Bruce Berls’s near-future techo-capitalism satire VEILPIERCER explores what happens when money can literally buy a better reality. Teeming with comical quips, dad-joke wordplay, and occasionally trenchant remarks, its cleverly absurd premise and band-of-misfits cast will surely entertain readers.
Martina Gruppo’s incredibly intimate and poignant memoir HELLO FLOWER leads readers on a life-changing journey of love, grief, and self-discovery. Readers interested in human resilience and the pursuit of inner peace will find the book engrossing as it combines emotional introspection with detailed depictions of significant life situations. Gruppo’s narrative skillfully conveys the intricacies of interpersonal connections and individual development.