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Indie book reviews

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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.

May 12, 2025

LUCKY NUMBER 6

By Julia Shraybman
Rating:
3.0 / 5.0

Awkward plotting and some rushed character work prevent Julia Shraybman’s LUCKY NUMBER 6 from thrilling or chilling as it needs to, but it may scratch...

IR Approved
April 28, 2025

FLEET LANDING

By Wendy Gee
Rating:
4.0 / 5.0

Wendy Gee’s FLEET LANDING is a gripping, percussive procedural framed by the structural violence of capitalism and racism in modern America.

IR Approved
April 25, 2025

THE TANGLED MANE

By Charlie Tyler
Rating:
4.5 / 5.0

Set among the quaint charm of the Welland Valley, Charlie Tyler's THE TANGLED MANE is an engrossing, fast-paced mystery with a cast of colorful characters...

April 23, 2025

FAIRY SNOW: A NOVEL

By Cornelius Walters
Rating:
3.7 / 5.0

Cornelius Walters’s FAIRY SNOW: A NOVEL is a compelling mixture of coming-of-age story and murder investigation with a dark secret at its heart.

April 21, 2025

THE FIXER

By Gary R Hamilton
Rating:
3.0 / 5.0

Gary R. Hamilton's THE FIXER is a mainstream genre thriller targeted at fans of the likes of James Patterson. Though it sometimes struggles to really...

IR Approved
April 16, 2025

‘TILL BETH DO US PART

By Rochelle Ransom
Rating:
4.7 / 5.0

Rochelle Ransom's 'TILL BETH DO US PART skillfully balances drama, intrigue, and the struggles of grief across multiple interconnected storylines. However, this intricate web never...

IR Approved
April 9, 2025

CHILL OF TRUTH

By Tess Raynes
Rating:
4.5 / 5.0

Though offering no new takes on the murder-mystery genre, Tess Raynes's CHILL OF TRUTH is a splendidly entertaining whodunit set in Canada's polar north.

April 7, 2025

KENTUCKY BLOOD

By Ashley Thomas Sheikh
Rating:
3.5 / 5.0

Ashley Thomas Sheikh's KENTUCKY BLOOD has a deep, compelling cast of characters and a horrifically effective skill at building tension.

IR Approved
Rating:
4.0 / 5.0

With darker and more complex themes than its predecessor, S.A. Reeves’s THE BOOKSHOP MYSTERIES, BOOK TWO: A MURDER AT THE CHURCH still rides high on...

IR Approved
March 3, 2025

EXTREME MALICE

By J.T. Tierney
Rating:
4.0 / 5.0

J.T. Tierney’s EXTREME MALICE paints a chilling, ripped-from-the-headlines portrait of political violence in small-town America.

February 26, 2025

JUSTICE RENDERED

By Kit Karson
Rating:
3.5 / 5.0

Kit Karson’s JUSTICE RENDERED is brisk and fun, with just enough twists to stay fresh to the end.

Rating:
3.7 / 5.0

A riveting tale of adventure and espionage, D.R. Berlin's THE THIRD ESTATE SECRETS OF THE MANOR makes up for its slightly labored dialogue with a...

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