Dead Cars, Forty-Foot Predators, and a Bargain You Can't Undo

by Charles Welch

Event is a stripped-down creature survival story. A Colorado cabin weekend goes sideways after a blinding flash kills the power and every vehicle, and Mike and Hattie have to cross the wilderness to find their missing daughter. One reviewer called it bleak but nice, and I like that the leads are a long-married couple in their 50s who are still in love. At 3.87 from over 300 readers, it's a solid pick for fans of Hunter Shea's Creature.

“I’ve been reading so many new authors lately and having a blast. This made me reminiscent of Hunter Shea’s Creature (Another great book!), but there was no sasquatch here. No, we got something much, much worse. And on a bigger scale. Oh yeah, you’re curious now. But I ain’t spoiling a thing. Almost...”

by Nora Penn

Last Dispatch surprised me, and the numbers back that up: 4.43 across 93 ratings is the highest score on this list. A war correspondent, a young soldier and a barefoot tracker have one night to reach an evacuation point while predators built from ancient DNA hunt anything that makes noise. The "don't run, they can feel you running" rule makes the whole thing tense. Readers keep praising the character work, which is not what you'd expect from a dinosaur thriller.

“Really, Surprisingly Good! Last Dispatch is a highly enjoyable dinosaur/creature survival thriller about a classified military operation that went horribly awry. The writing is excellent, especially for the genre. The characters are complicated, dynamic and self sacrificing. The plot is well...”

by Victoria Dougherty

Night of the Moon Witch is more dark fantasy than straight horror, so go in knowing that. Twila moves to Sibyl Springs, the town her mother fled, and learns the moon has chosen her, which also means something with vulture wings is after her soul. Reviewers mention witches, werewolves and a family mystery, and it sits at 4.06 from 49 readers. If you like T. Kingfisher's folksy creepiness, this is your pick.

“A young poet discovers a world full of secrets, witches and werwolves. I did like the mystery around the main character family and she learning to master her moon witch powers. I just did not fully belive in the love story, we know so little about their past history and we should convice that they...”

by James Yates

The Consequence of Your Decision is the divisive one. It's a Faustian bargain story pitched as Stepford Wives meets Pet Sematary, and it's sitting at 3.6 with 36 written reviews out of 48 ratings, which tells you people have opinions. One reader gave it 4.5 stars as a gripping psychological drama, while another liked the quick read but hoped for better delivery. It's not for everyone, but it costs nothing and you'll finish it fast.

“4.5⭐️ I really enjoyed The Consequences of your decision by James Yates. This is a gripping psychological drama centred on a couple whose lives begin to unravel after one life-altering decision changes everything between them. At its core, the story follows a couple in what initially appears to be...”