This season’s publishing slate brings four titles that, while wildly different in genre, share a common thread: each asks readers to consider how individuals respond to crisis—whether supernatural, political, personal, or criminal. From a middle-grade parable adventure to a dystopian tech nightmare, a peace-building guide, and a serial-killer thriller, these books offer both escape and introspection.
In The Captain’s Clue, authors Brock Eastman and Shaun Stevenson deliver a fast-paced, faith-based adventure for middle-grade readers. The story picks up as Anthony and his friends face a supernatural storm that brings the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Builders to life. With flooded streets, electric eels, and crumbling homes, the kids must find the mysterious lighthouse keeper, Captain David, to save their town. Meanwhile, aspiring podcaster J.R. grapples with the temptation of popularity over friendship. The book, illustrated and humorous, aims to help young readers understand what it means to build life on a solid foundation. Available at tinyurl.com/the-captains-clue.
For older readers, James Chesterton’s speculative thriller Ashes of the Republic paints a chilling picture of America in 2046, where surveillance, AI, and authoritarian rule have reshaped society. Former engineer Lily Osbourne helped create the very technology now used to monitor and suppress dissent. After falling out of favor with the ruling Dennison family, she witnesses her inventions weaponized against ordinary people and must confront her complicity. The novel blends high-stakes suspense with questions about power, responsibility, and freedom, feeling less like distant sci-fi than a warning about current trends. Available at tinyurl.com/ashes-of-the-republic.
Elizabeth Hamilton-Guarino and Dr. Katie Eastman take a different approach in The Peace Guidebook: How to Cultivate Hope, Healing, and Harmony for the Good of Humankind. Inspired by the Percolate Peace Project, the book presents Ten Principles of Peace through reflection, storytelling, and daily practices. It guides readers to quiet inner turmoil, navigate conflict with courage, lead with love, and build relationships based on shared values. Interactive prompts make it a practical tool for homes, workplaces, and communities. Available at tinyurl.com/the-peace-guidebook.
Finally, J. Mayberry’s The Alpha Trace plunges into a dark serial-killer investigation. True-crime podcaster Elena Coleman has been probing a decades-old killer known as the Alpha in the small town of Millbrook Falls. When she is found dead with the Alpha’s mark, Detective James Rios is drawn into a case that soon yields more bodies, each bearing the same signature. As Rios untangles police corruption, family secrets, and conflicting evidence, the psychological thriller keeps readers guessing. Available at tinyurl.com/the-alpha-trace.
These four releases, spanning genres from children’s fiction to adult thrillers and self-help, reflect a publishing moment focused on resilience and moral reckoning. Whether through parable, dystopia, peace principles, or crime fiction, each book invites readers to examine foundations—of faith, society, inner peace, or justice—in an age of uncertainty.
