-
-
About
UnderratedReads is devoted to discovering underrated books and under-represented authors. We highlight hidden gems from around the world–honest reviews only, never pay-to-play.
Category Archives: Fiction
The Other Auntie (The Auntie Diaries) – Valencia G Wallace
(Reviewed by JD Jung) If you’re searching for a fast-paced psychological thriller about addiction, manipulation, family secrets, and trauma, this short but powerful novel completely delivers. Initially I didn’t know what to expect with The Other Auntie but ended up finishing … Continue reading
Posted in Crime, Mystery and Thrillers
Tagged dark fiction, family dysfunction, short books
Comments Off on The Other Auntie (The Auntie Diaries) – Valencia G Wallace
Cleaner – Jess Shannon
(Reviewed by JD Jung) If you enjoy dark humor and offbeat protagonists, Cleaner delivers a bizarre ride. The unnamed narrator—a master’s in fine arts graduate who drops out of her PhD program due to financial strain—returns home unable to find … Continue reading
Sign of the Cross: A Religious Conspiracy Thriller – Glenn Cooper
(Reviewed by JD Jung) Sign of the Cross is a gripping religious thriller that blends suspense, historical conspiracy, and theological intrigue. (more…)Read More →
Posted in Crime, Mystery and Thrillers
Tagged book reviews, Nazism, religious thriller, Vatican
Comments Off on Sign of the Cross: A Religious Conspiracy Thriller – Glenn Cooper
Dollartorium – Ron Pullins
(Reviewed by JD Jung) What begins as a humble, self-sufficient life running a Kansas corn dog stand turns into a sharp, darkly comic satire of greed, hustle culture, and America’s obsession with easy wealth. (more…)Read More →
Posted in More fiction
Tagged greed, philosophy, satire, wealth
Comments Off on Dollartorium – Ron Pullins
The Copywriter – Daniel Poppick
(Reviewed by JD Jung) A witty, morally bracing portrait of an artist adrift in Trump-era America, where poetry, precarity, and conscience collide. (more…)Read More →
Posted in Modern Literary Fiction, Poetry
Tagged poetry, political fiction, Social satire
Comments Off on The Copywriter – Daniel Poppick
Room 23: A Secret Service Agent’s Story of Espionage and Intrigue -Sean Quarmby
(Reviewed by Christopher J. Lynch) If you like thrillers written by those who have ‘walked the talk,’ then ROOM 23 by ex-Secret Service Agent, Sean Quarmby, may be for you. (more…)Read More →
Posted in Crime, Mystery and Thrillers
Tagged Action thriller
Comments Off on Room 23: A Secret Service Agent’s Story of Espionage and Intrigue -Sean Quarmby
The Silver Book – Olivia Laing
(Reviewed by JD Jung) It’s September 17, 1974, and twenty-two-year-old art student Nicolas flees London after the death of his older lover, Alan, sensing that staying would invite suspicion he cannot afford. Venice seems like the perfect place to begin … Continue reading
Posted in Historical Fiction
Tagged Italian cinema, Italy, LGBTQ
Comments Off on The Silver Book – Olivia Laing
The Quiet War: Canadian Front – Michael J. Lalonde
(Reviewed by JD Jung) This debut espionage thriller introduces readers to an often-overlooked corner of military fiction: Canadian special operations. In The Quiet War, the immediate threat is Al-Najm al-Saghir, who isn’t just a terrorist; his long-term plan is to … Continue reading
Posted in Crime, Mystery and Thrillers
Tagged Canada, espionage, military fiction, thriller
Comments Off on The Quiet War: Canadian Front – Michael J. Lalonde
Rat Town Blues: Slag Ferguson, Book One – Brian Kaufman
(Reviewed by JD Jung) Mark “Slag” Ferguson, an unlicensed private investigator and part-time bartender is always trying to make ends meet. However now in his mid-thirties, he finds himself thrust into a pair of cases that quickly spin beyond his … Continue reading
Posted in Crime, Mystery and Thrillers
Tagged detective fiction, infidelity, noir, self-destruction
Comments Off on Rat Town Blues: Slag Ferguson, Book One – Brian Kaufman