Indie book reviews

IndieReader’s reviewers are tough, but fair

Our Reviewers won’t judge your book as compared to other self-published titles, but against other books, period. Our ratings are based on the following criteria, although reviewers are able to award partial stars (i.e. a 1.3 or a 4.7), rather than rounding up or down to a whole or half number.

1/5

Really bad 
Work on it.

2/5

Mediocre
1-2 bright spots.

3/5

Good
Worth reading.

4/5

Very Good
1-2 spots that need work

5/5

Excellent!
Must-read.

* IndieReader receives compensation for most of the books it reviews, along with copies of those books.

IR Approved
Rating:
4.0 / 5.0

Briskly plotted and charming, S.A. Reeves’s THE BOOKSHOP MYSTERIES: A BITTER PILL is a delight by and for murder mystery aficionados.

September 30, 2024

THE ETERNAL SECRET

By Mary Romasanta
Rating:
3.3 / 5.0

Mary Romasanta's THE ETERNAL SECRET is a fast-paced, compelling story involving a scientific study of near-death experiences.

IR Approved
September 18, 2024

THE ORBRIALLIS INSTITUTE: Lost Grove (Part Two)

By Alex J. Knudsen, Charlotte Zang
Rating:
4.7 / 5.0

THE ORBRIALLIS INSTITUTE: Lost Grove (Part Two) by Alex J. Knudsen and Charlotte Zang offers up a compelling story, engaging and complex characters, and a...

September 2, 2024

CHOICE OR CHANCE

By Abby Reilly
Rating:
3.0 / 5.0

Though the prose style is uneven and the perspectives are tough to stomach, Abby Reilly’s CHOICE OR CHANCE still has enough to offer a dedicated...

IR Approved
August 28, 2024

DEADLY RIVALRIES

By Ken Tentarelli
Rating:
4.0 / 5.0

Florence during the Italian Renaissance is at the heart of Ken Tentarelli's engaging murder mystery, DEADLY RIVALRIES. Well-sketched depictions of the behaviors, objects, and people...

IR Approved
August 26, 2024

THE EINSTEIN EDICT: A Dr. Sean Nolan Mystery

By E.W. Johnson M.D.
Rating:
4.0 / 5.0

Affecting and compelling, E.W. Johnson’s THE EINSTEIN EDICT: A Dr. Sean Nolan Mystery is both a tight small-town thriller and a spotlight on some of...

IR Approved
August 23, 2024

ADDITIONAL ATTENDEE

By Josh Harper
Rating:
4.9 / 5.0

Farce and introspection combine seamlessly in Josh Harper's fanciful send-up of the classic detective murder-mystery, ADDITIONAL ATTENDEE. More than a comic caper, it is also...

IR Approved
August 2, 2024

THE WAR MACHINE

By Barry W. Levy
Rating:
4.2 / 5.0

Barry W. Levy's THE WAR MACHINE comprises a mixture of Vietnam War story and Jack Reacher-esque prose in pursuit of the little-known story of Canada's...

IR Approved
Rating:
4.0 / 5.0

CAUGHT IN THE SNARE, a cozy mystery featuring the sleuth at the center of Deb Pines’s Chautauqua mystery series, entertains with new and familiar characters,...

IR Approved
July 26, 2024

MYSTERIES OF THE SOUTHERN GOTHIC

By Jessica Carrasquillo
Rating:
4.2 / 5.0

Simmering with slow-boil suspense and dark secrets, Jessica Carrasquillo’s MYSTERIES OF THE SOUTHERN GOTHIC proves a twisty, steamy thriller that impresses and beguiles. The author...

July 24, 2024

BROKEN

By Jeff Shaw
Rating:
3.0 / 5.0

Readers chiefly interested in heroic action, complex developments, and dramatic confrontations will enjoy Jeff Shaw's BROKEN.

IR Approved
July 22, 2024

DIRT ROAD RECKONING

By R. J. Shaw
Rating:
4.8 / 5.0

R.J. Shaw's DIRT ROAD RECKONING promises a fast and compelling read with a twisty, textured plot, smoothly built developments, complex characters, and a heavy dose...

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