Read time: 7 minutes
I went digging through my last year of reading for this one, and honestly, it took longer than I expected. Self-published books don’t always announce themselves. Sometimes it’s a small imprint name I don’t recognize, sometimes there’s no publisher listed at all, and sometimes I only find out months later that the authors I’ve been raving about has been doing every bit of the marketing themselves, alongside writing the actual book. That last part is the whole reason for this post.
Every author on this list is doing double duty. They’re writing the story, and then they’re also the one running the newsletter, designing the cover, hunting down ARC readers, and hoping the algorithm is kind that week. No marketing team, no publicity budget, just the work and the hustle. So this one’s for them. Six books, six authors, all of them self-published, all of them genuinely worth your TBR.
Fright on Stage Right — G.B. Ralph
🎧 Listened in audio 📢 Narrated by Philip Battley ⏱ Duration: 8 hours 🏷️ Publisher: Tantor Media (audio edition) | Self-published print edition: September 23, 2025 Genre: Cozy Mystery
Where has G.B. Ralph been all my life? Reading an introvert written BY an introvert is a spiritual experience, and Addison Harper spiraling over audience participation on a date is the most relatable thing I’ve encountered in fiction this year. The mystery itself is genuinely fun, a Halloween variety show gone horrifyingly wrong, a drag queen at the centre of the chaos, and a cast of Milverton locals who are as nosy and lovable as ever. And then there’s Jake. Yes, the romance moves fast in this one. I clocked it, and then I completely surrendered to it because they are SO good together. Philip Battley’s narration is the perfect vessel for all of it, warm, witty, and completely in sync with the tone of the series.
Read this if you’ve been sleeping on the Milverton Mysteries. This is your sign to fix that immediately.
Book Links: My Review | Indiebookstores.ca | Bookshop.org | Goodreads | StoryGraph | Pagebound | Fable | Hardcover | Booktrovert | OpenLibrary
Follow G.B. Ralph for latest on Milverton Mysteries and other books
Death of a Billionaire — Tucker May
📱📖 Read on Kindle 📃 268 pages ⏱ Approx. 4-hour read 🏷️ Publisher: BooksGoSocial | Published: November 14, 2025 🎟️ ARC provided by NetGalley Genre: Thriller (satire)
This book ambushed my Sunday in the best possible way. I opened it planning to skim a few pages, and the next time I checked the clock I was sitting upright in bed, deeply invested. Tucker May builds a billionaire ecosystem that feels disturbingly real, and the true scene-stealer here is the narrator: snarky, judgmental, and a masterclass in dry humor. I had a hunch about their identity around the 20% mark. The final reveal? Didn’t see that one coming. For a debut, this is outrageously assured storytelling.
Read this if you want a mystery that’s smart, twisty, and sharp enough to leave a mark.
Book Links: My Review | Goodreads | StoryGraph | Hardcover
Go find Tucker May on the author page for more of his works
Banshees in the Basement — Danielle Garrett
🎧 Listened in audio 📢 Narrated by Amanda Ranconi ⏱ Duration: Approx. 6 hours 🏷️ Publisher: Roots & Wings Press | Published: June 18, 2025 Genre: Paranormal Cozy Mystery (Magic Inn Paranormal Mysteries #4)
Blair just wants clean laundry. That’s it. Instead she finds a banshee squatting in the basement, which honestly sums up life at the Magic Inn perfectly. Danielle Garrett has an endless well of creativity, and this book raises the paranormal bar while still feeling warm and deeply comforting. What really keeps me hooked is the emotional core: love, found family, and a sense of belonging that makes Beechwood Harbour feel like a place you want to live. And Amanda Ranconi’s narration is the reason I fell hard for audiobooks in the first place. When it ended I genuinely looked around my house like, why am I not in Beechwood Harbour right now.
Read this if you want cozy perfection with equal parts mystery, laughter, and heart.
Book Links: My Review | Bookshop.org | Goodreads | StoryGraph | Pagebound | Fable | Hardcover | Booktrovert
Follow Danielle Garrett for the latest news and new releases
The Mudpuddle Manual of Natural Magic — Ciara Blume
📱📖 Read on Kindle 📃 484 pages ⏱ Duration: 4 hours 🎟️ ARC via NetGalley 🏷️ Publisher: Dolce Villa Press | Published: September 26, 2024 Genre: Fantasy
The hook that pulled me in delivered fully: an ordinary woman, a sentient bookshop, and a mystery that refused to stay buried. Primrose Court is the real star of this book, stuffed with faeries, dragons, and shape-shifters that made me not want to leave the world. Multiple POVs retelling the same storyline made it feel padding heavy rather than deep. Still, Primrose Court has a hold on me, and book two is already calling.
Read this if you love immersive, character-stuffed fantasy worlds and don’t mind a slow burn. Just prepare for a marathon, not a sprint.
Book Links: My Review | Indiebookstores.ca | Bookshop.org | Goodreads | StoryGraph | Pagebound | Fable | Hardcover | Booktrovert | OpenLibrary | Litsy
Follow Ciara Blume for the latest news on Natural Magic series
Tides, Lies, and Alibis — Taffy Beach
📱📖 Read on Kindle 📃 248 pages ⏱ Duration: 3 hours 🎟️ ARC provided by the author 🏷️ Publisher: Twitching Whisker Press | Published: May 4, 2026 Genre: Cozy Mystery
This is a true blue cozy mystery, ticking every box that cozy readers love: small town, a wealthy but introverted heroine, and a best friend framed for murder. Kate MacGregor is the kind of cozy protagonist a lot of readers quietly aspire to be, and her relationship with best friend Cindy is the emotional backbone of the whole story. Taffy Beach paints Manatee Bay with a warm, shimmering brush, complete with gossip networks disguised as book clubs and neighbors who simultaneously annoy and protect each other. The mystery wraps up cleanly, and the final chapter hints at deeper family secrets to come, so I’m already watching the calendar for book two.
Read this if you want a warm, animal-filled, bakery-adjacent cozy with an introverted sleuth at its heart.
Book Links: My Review | Goodreads | StoryGraph | Pagebound | Hardcover | OpenLibrary | Litsy
Follow Taffy Beach for latest on Manatee Bay mysteries
Shadow of the Queen — Scott Finley
📚 Read as a book 📃 378 pages ⏱ Duration: 5 hours 🏷️ Publisher: Independently published Genre: Historical Cozy Mystery
Shadow of the Queen feels like being handed a first-class ticket to a 1929 floating city where everyone has secrets and Agatha Christie is casually strolling the decks. Finley’s attention to historical detail is stellar, from the hints of looming financial disaster to the lavishness of first-class dining. Maeve Chandler is an engaging lead, curious and not afraid to bend the rules of propriety in pursuit of answers, and her apprenticeship under the real Agatha Christie adds a delightful meta twist that fans of classic mysteries will adore. The plot occasionally juggles so many passengers and suspects that I had to double-check the lexicon Finley thoughtfully provided, but that was my only real gripe.
Read this if you’ve ever dreamed of sailing with Agatha Christie. Clear shelf space now.
Book Links: My Review | Bookshop.org link | Goodreads
What do you say? do you seek out self-published authors, or does it happen by accident?
I’d love to know if you’ve got favorites of your own hiding under a small imprint name. Drop them in the comments, I’m always looking for the next one.
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HI Devi – I posted the link to your review on both my personal and author FB pages and on Threads. Thanks again for including me! Taffy
Taffy Beach, author of the Manatee Bay Cozy Mystery series My author website https://taffybeach.com/ My Amazon Series Page https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GT555GFD
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I am so happy you enjoyed the review