Lucy Turns Pages: Indie Mystery Thriller Book Recommendations!

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Do you like mystery and or thriller books? Here are some mystery thriller books by indie authors that you should check out! For more books, see my indie books page!

The Only Way Out Is Death

From author Varun Gwalani comes a new escape room murder mystery perfect for fans of Korean survival drama Squid Game and Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None. The Only Way Out Is Death is a fast-paced suspense novel set in an empty hotel, where twelve people have to kill to survive.

Twelve powerful people are kidnapped and imprisoned in an empty hotel.

Each of them have three choices:

Live out the rest of their days peacefully in the hotel,

Die by suicide so the rest of their companions can go free,

Or murder one of their companions so they alone can go free.

The Only Way Out is Death follows the story of these twelve people from the perspective of a young lawyer, Kiriaki, told as the events unfold. She has to forge uneasy alliances, navigate complex relationships and feuds, and, above all, try to stay alive. Meanwhile, the mastermind of this death game is lurking just out of view, watching them closely, making sure they are primed for murder.

Room 119 – The Whitby Trader

High-flying trader Dean Harrison has it all – the London penthouse apartment; the fast car; the beautiful wife. But when the threads of Dean’s life start to unravel, they do so with alarming speed. Following the advice of a frail stranger,

Dean sets off for Welnetham Hall Hotel and is plunged into the mysterious world of Room 119 – a world where nothing makes sense. How does everyone in the hotel know his name? Why does he travel there on a train line that shut down over fifty years ago? And who is the sinister man in black who pursues him wherever he goes?

As he gradually pieces together the puzzle of Welnetham Hall, Dean is forced to re-evaluate his life and realises that nothing is more important to him than his wife and daughter. Desperate to get back to them, he vows he would lay down his life for the people he loves.

It’s a promise he may have to keep.

Free on Kindle Unlimited

Funicular – What is truth when the past is a lie

After his life is threatened, DI Bob Dixon leaves London hoping for the quiet life in the northern village of Saltburn-by-the-Sea. But when he takes on the case of young Lizzy Scraggs, missing since a huge tide hit Saltburn six years earlier, he embarks on an investigation that will push him to the very edge of reason.

Out on the beat, Bob learns the legend of the funicular car that left the top of Saltburn’s famous cliff lift many years ago carrying two passengers, and arrived at the bottom empty save for an abandoned ticket. And every big tide since has seen another local child disappear.

Feeling increasingly manipulated by a shadowy nemesis, Bob struggles to make sense of the seemingly impossible clues before him. How can the dead live again? Who is the tortured man haunting the churchyard in nearby Marske? And with the next massive tide just hours away, can Bob solve the puzzle and bring an end to the tragedy of Saltburn’s missing children?

Free on Kindle Unlimited

The Gouge

"I haven't forgotten what you did!"

Carson Bates ran away from Cypress Creek to hide from his dark and troubled past—his father was the serial killer known as “The Man in the Woods”. Twenty-two years later, a simple text message reveals that his secrets have caught up with him.

The freshly slain bodies of two teenage girls have been discovered in the woods of Cypress Creek, and the methods in which the girls were killed are identical to the those that were found nearly twenty-two years earlier. The now retired detective who worked the first case has long suspected that Carson Bates knew more than what he revealed during interrogations; Now is his chance to prove it.

Carson returns to Cypress Creek to finally face his past, but it is soon clear that Carson isn’t the only person in that small-town that is harboring dark secrets about that night in the woods.

Free on Kindle Unlimited

The Grimy & the Greedy

The odious Jeanette Sobriquet is dead and her granddaughter, Fizzy, is too relieved to grieve. Unfortunately for her, when Fizzy announces her refusal to attend the abusive woman's funeral, her life becomes a living nightmare. Now, she has demons, ghosts, and the threat of homelessness hunting her down, all demanding she caves into the dead woman's iron will.

Bar owner, Affidious Dixon, is forced to carry out Fizzy's dead grandmother's last requests; otherwise, the ghost of the Bosnian war criminal that is following him around will murder his mother.

The Grimy & the Greedy is a comedic paranormal thriller about one woman's fight to save herself from tyrannical death customs and one man's journey to save his mother from pure evil.

Wolf Hunter Inquisition: The Freeing of Chiropteran

As a serial killer terrorizes the city, Detective Danny Roberts finds himself facing a nightmare of his own when he is thrown into a secret, macabre world of vampires and dark forces.

Awakening with an unquenchable thirst, Detective Roberts turns to the bottle, but discovers that now only blood will satisfy him. When a mysterious text message arrives, Danny finds himself face-to-face with Mistress, a vampire investigator known as a Wolf Hunter.

As her thrall, Danny is bound by blood to serve this enigmatic protector of humanity. Singular in his ability to maintain freewill despite the vampire's hold over him, Danny is offered a unique proposition— join Mistress in hunting down the serial killers of the world and keep humanity safe from these wolves that prey upon the vampire's flock.

But there are even darker forces at work who would threaten the ancient peace between humans and vampires. With time growing short, can these unlikely partners uncover the threat lurking in the shadows, or will the truce between humans and vampires be broken, leading to the extinction of them all?

Free on Kindle Unlimited

The Letters Of A Stranger

If you like twists, turns, of a mystery/thriller this is the book for you.

Rebecca was only a little girl when her parents died in a tragic car accident. Leaving Rebecca and her two siblings to live with extended family. Despite the tragedy in her younger life, adversity continued to follow.

As Rebecca’s life unfolds, she begins to receive threatening letters from a stranger who wants to control her actions. Rebecca realizes the only solution for the safety of her family is to run away. She finds herself homeless, jobless, and alone.

Who is the stranger? What does the stranger want with Rebecca? Will she figure it out before it is too late?

Free on Kindle Unlimited

Vanished

FBI Agent Faith Black was damn good at her job.

But considering the events of her last case, she is lucky to still have her badge.

Her latest assignment lands her in a sleepy backwoods town where people are disappearing.

She’s less than enthused.

She partners with the local sheriff who's desperate for answers. They agree that their only option is to retrace the footsteps of a college grad who recently vanished while hiking.

Together they scour the hiking trail over 87 miles through the thick mountain forest. They can't shake the eerie feeling they are not alone.

Whatever was lurking in the shadows wants them gone.

And nothing could have prepared them for what they find.

It was a secret that the ominous forest has been hiding.

A secret only the dead knew...

Vanished is the prequel to the Faith Black FBI Crime Files series; it can be read as a standalone.

FREE

The Magic Circle

Forty years ago, nuclear war devastated vast swathes of the world. Since then, the remaining countries strived to rebuild and grow stronger. Continents formed The Peace Accords, an agreement that cut all contact with each other to prevent such a war from ever happening again.

Three strangers—an art student in Paris, a Russian spy, and a South African programmer—find their lives intertwine as magic returns to Earth. Guided by the mysterious Celestials, they must choose how they use this force in a fight that will determine the fate of every single living thing on the planet.

The Vatican Cameos: A Sherlock Holmes Adventure

"An extravagantly imagined and beautifully written Holmes story” Lee Child

When the papal apartments are burgled in 1901, Sherlock Holmes is summoned to Rome by Pope Leo XII. After learning from the pontiff that several priceless cameos that could prove compromising to the church, and perhaps determine the future of the newly unified Italy, have been stolen, Holmes is asked to recover them. In a parallel story, Michelangelo, the toast of Rome in 1501 after the unveiling of his Pieta, is commissioned by Pope Alexander VI, the last of the Borgia pontiffs, with creating the cameos that will bedevil Holmes and the papacy four centuries later. For fans of Conan Doyle's immortal detective, the game is always afoot. However, the great detective has never encountered an adversary quite like the one with whom he crosses swords in "The Vatican Cameos.."

Sherlock Holmes and The Eye of Heka

January 1888: Dr. John H. Watson has returned to 221b Baker Street, just weeks after a personal tragedy has left him bereaved and bereft. Feeling like a broken man, his plans and dreams lying in ruin, he slowly tries to make his way forward, with the help of Sherlock Holmes and Mrs. Hudson. Unexpectedly, he finds himself standing in the path of a madman - who suddenly and irrationally blames Watson for his apparent defeat.

Meanwhile, Holmes has tried to distract his grief-stricken friend by telling stories of his past cases, including how, a decade before, he recovered a mysterious relic - The Eye of Heka - stolen from the British Museum. But Holmes's plan to show Watson this unique and ancient idol goes suddenly and terribly wrong as both are swept into a series of events, one tumbling rapidly upon another, that lead to thefts, murders, and possibly a war that might quickly escalate to draw in nations from most of the world. And always there is the madman in the shadows - waiting for his next chance to attack . . . .

From The Notebooks of Dr. John H. Watson comes another story by Sherlockian David Marcum, author of over eighty traditional Holmes pastiches, including those collected in The Papers of Sherlock Holmes, Sherlock Holmes and A Quantity of Debt, and Sherlock Holmes - Tangled Skeins.

Join us as we return to Baker Street and discover more authentic adventures of Sherlock Holmes, the man described by the estimable Dr. Watson as "the best and wisest . . . whom I have ever known."

The game is afoot!

Bounty (Jill Andersen Series Book 1)

Jill Andersen is one of Baltimore's best and brightest detectives, but she harbors a dark secret -- a secret that threatens to come out when the body of Dr. Trent Roberts is pulled out of the Chesapeake Bay. Dr. Roberts' connection to Jill reveals a past that involves a tour in Iraq, a secretive cybernetic experiment, and a conspiracy that involves a native son.

Can Jill solve the case while still keeping her secret? Will her partners at the Seventh Precinct find out what she's so desperate to hide? What was Dr. Roberts looking into that led to his murder? And perhaps the biggest question of all...

Who is Bounty?

0.99 on Kindle!

Child of the Moon

GOLD MEDAL winner in the HORROR category of the New York City Book Awards.

"conflicted characters and shocking twists [...] leave the reader guessing until the intensity filled ending."

"The horrors promised in the book’s description had no way of preparing me for what I was about to read."

Scotland, 1924 - After a man gets arrested with an unconscious boy in his car, detectives Gow and McKenzie unexpectedly find themselves at odds with each other. McKenzie makes a leap and wants to investigate the link with a nearby abandoned village, while Gow tries to cut off the investigation. But things turn ugly quickly when they discover the involvement of a child that doesn’t appear to be entirely natural.

Child of the Moon is a gripping mystery, hiding an unspeakable horror that will alter the lives of everyone involved.

Volta

WINNER OF THE VIRGINIA PRIZE FOR FICTION

When Briony Campbell confesses to killing her boyfriend, an apparently straightforward crime soon turns into a baffling mystery.

Haunted by demons from his past, lawyer S.J. Robin is assigned to the case. But as confusion – and the body count – rises, he’s forced to question who is guilty and who is innocent. Can he see justice served and hold on to the woman he loves?

“Nikki Dudley’s latest novel shows that things are not always as they seem... The twist in the narrative is skilfully done and will keep the reader guessing until the very end.” – Ruth Dugdall, author of Nowhere Girl

Base Means: The Story of Jack and Ada

A boy trained to be a spy and a thief
A crippled girl who is a stranger to mercy
A former bodyguard in search of purpose

When Logan Svenson joins the mysterious TABLE as newest recruit, he has a hard time shaking his suspicions. A secret organization working for the greater good, employing sustainable means? Ending slave trafficking, returning stolen goods to the owner without being known? It sounds too good to be true. His wariness increases when he meets Jack and Ada, the prodigies who grew up inside the organization – even though they are both rolling their eyes at his questions.
But then the TABLE is attacked, and suddenly, all bets are off.
Who is gunning for them – and why?
And what game are the people at the TABLE truly playing?

Base means is the first part of a complete duology about the story of Jack and Ada, part spy novel, part psychological/medical mystery, part New Adult with a dash of M/F, M/M romance.

Free on Kindle Unlimited

Clarity Through Chaos

This all-American family is about to go up in flames. In Stella’s life, everything is going along pretty well. She has a great new house, a good-looking husband, and a baseball-loving teenage son. Life is busy, but whose isn’t? She is thinking maybe her marriage is feeling a bit stale. Stella’s life is about to get exciting and not in the way she had hoped for.

One Clear Shot: Claire’s Story

Claire's world is everything, but normal.
In Will she finds the part she is missing.
Can Claire bring their two worlds together…
Without getting everyone killed?

The Quantum Contingent

The future… is here. Gregory Simpson brings you "The Quantum Contingent", a globe-trotting, techno-spy thriller with pop-culture references and even its own Spotify playlist! This novel is set in richly detailed locations around the globe and features today's technologies extrapolated for tomorrow, including cryptocurrency, drones, and SpaceX rocket ships.

In 2028, a mysterious group known as The Quantum Contingent has achieved true quantum computing capabilities. The Quantum Contingent have their sights set on achieving immortality for a select few who will chart humanity's destiny. They are willing to hold the world's governments hostage to achieve their goals.

Jack and Sarah are sibling spies who work with Quotient, a mysterious, independent spy agency whose secret advantage is also quantum based. They find themselves taking on a desperate mission to race across the globe at a frenetic pace to stop this nefarious group and their anonymous founder!

Arcam: 1 (DCI Robson)

DCI Jack Robson believes he is hunting a kidnapper… Away from his posting in London, Robson is asked to lead an investigation in the south west of England. But what begins as a baffling local kidnapping mystery, quickly escalates into something far more sinister. In pursuit of the perpetrators, DCI Robson joins forces with Inspector Emma Wilson and the rest of the regional CID team. Together, they attempt to make sense of the lack of evidence or motive, eventually getting drawn to the tiny island of Steep Holm, in the Bristol Channel. As the investigation progresses, Robson, Wilson and their colleagues find themselves facing something far beyond normal detective work. Unthinkable connections lead them to a conspiracy, so great it could change the course of humanity. The question is, can they intervene before it’s too late to prevent the appalling future that potentially lies ahead…

Free on Kindle Unlimited

Diluvian (DCI Robson)

DCI Jack Robson has finally achieved some sort of normality in his life. At least, normal by his standards…
But the escape of a high-profile prisoner turns up surprising links to Robson and his family, placing them in the crosshairs of corruption.
Suddenly, Robson no longer knows who to trust.
His pursuit of the escapee becomes enmeshed with a separate, highly secret investigation; one which propels Robson into a world of global conspiracies and unexpected reunions.
Quickly, the enquiry becomes a mission: a test of Robson’s resolve, both emotionally and professionally.
As the boundaries between work and personal life become increasingly blurred, he finds himself forced into choices and actions that are complex, terrifying, and–ultimately–deadly …

Free on Kindle Unlimited

Altar From Space

Talisha Martinson and her crew respond to the distress signal of the SS Revelation, only to discover that nobody is there. It quickly becomes apparent that something monstrous is lurking aboard the SS Revelation, and it's not going to let anyone leave with their life.

As The Artifacts Stir

After escaping the nightmare aboard the SS Revelation, Talisha awakes on an unfamiliar medical station. She quickly realizes that something truly awful is happening based on the blood splattered walls and piles of viscera. It seems that Talisha escaped from one hell, only to be plunged into another.

Chrysalis: A novel

An implant with the potential to save humanity, but only if in the right hands.

The UK’s blood reserves vanish overnight.

The government’s response – make blood currency.

The stolen blood is sold by dealers seemingly controlled by a mysterious implant.

Ginley & Sara, two rival political journalists with opposing agendas cover the government’s handling of a country thrust into crisis.

As they find out more about the blood heist and the implant, the more they have to put their differences aside and work together to unravel a colossal conspiracy, risking their loved ones’ lives, and all that they’ve ever known, in the process.

Deceit

Downtown is a desolate place.

When Arty Donovan, a serial killer with an insatiable appetite, continually ends up in Downtown on a quest to murder a man in a cornfield, he becomes puzzled in his perpetual deja vu.
Following a fugue state in which Graf Donovan , a doctor who lives a life of extravagance, murders a young woman, his world is sent spiraling into a bloody frenzy beyond his wildest imagination. The key to his bloodlust compels him to search for his brother and a psychiatrist he seems to be drawn to.

Their lives become entangled as his estranged brother becomes more prominent in his life and the bodies begin to pile up. Graf soon realizes that his life hangs in the balance and he has to unravel his own mind before time runs out. It’s survival of the fittest, and only one brother can come out on top.

Free on Kindle Unlimited

Which books would you like to read?

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Jack of Thorns - Knight of Flames - Lord of Ravens - Reeve of Veils - Page of Tricks - Rites of Winter - Sigils of Spring - Spells of Summer