Dan Wells

The John Cleaver Series

Genre: Horror, Thriller

Audience: Adult

The John Cleaver series follows John Wayne Cleaver, a teenager with sociopathic tendencies who lives by rigid self-imposed rules to keep his dark impulses in check. Fascinated by serial killers but determined not to become one, John’s carefully controlled life shatters when he uncovers a string of murders in his small town—and realizes the killer isn’t human. What begins as a chilling psychological portrait of a boy afraid of becoming a monster evolves into a gripping saga of supernatural horror, government conspiracies, and the battle between inner darkness and true evil. Across six books, John transforms from a small-town misfit into a monster-hunter who walks the razor’s edge between hero and killer.

The Zero Chronicles

Genre: Science Fiction

Audience: Middle Grade

The Zero Chronicles is a thrilling middle grade science fiction adventure series that follows twelve-year-old Zero as he navigates space pirates, alien worlds, and wild discoveries while humanity journeys to colonize a new planet. Packed with humor, clever problem-solving, and nonstop excitement, The Zero Chronicles blends classic space opera with the curiosity and resilience of kids determined to save the day.

Dark One: Forgotten

Genre: Thriller

Audience: Adult

Tags: Supernatural Thriller

A chilling blend of true crime and fantasy, Dark One: Forgotten follows Christina Walsh, a young woman determined to solve the unsolvable. When world-famous violinist Leona McPherson vanishes after a Hollywood Bowl performance, the mystery deepens—not only was she murdered, but she’s been erased from memory itself. As Christina digs deeper, she uncovers a trail of other forgotten victims and a conspiracy that defies logic. With only fragmented clues—a glass eye, a rambling vagrant, and a supernatural totem—Christina and her roommate Sophie set off on a cross-country search for answers. But how do you catch a killer when no one remembers the crimes?

The Mirador Series

Genre: Science Fiction

Audience: Young Adult

Tags: Dystopian Sci-Fi

Set in a gritty, high-tech Los Angeles of 2050, the Mirador Series follows teen hacker Marisa Carneseca as she navigates a world where neural implants keep everyone online 24/7, virtual reality competitions make or break lives, and gang rivalries clash with corporate conspiracies. From uncovering the dark secrets behind a dangerous digital drug (Bluescreen), to surviving a deadly e-sports tournament (Ones and Zeroes), to unraveling the mysteries of her own past (Active Memory), Marisa faces escalating threats that blur the lines between the digital and physical worlds. A sharp, pulse-pounding mix of sci-fi noir, hacking intrigue, and cyberpunk thrills, the series combines action, suspense, and a cast of unforgettable characters.

The Partials Sequence

Genre: Science Fiction

Audience: Young Adult

Tags: Dystopian Sci-Fi

The Partials Sequence is a gripping post-apocalyptic YA sci-fi trilogy set in a world devastated by war between humans and genetically engineered soldiers known as Partials. Humanity teeters on the brink of extinction, plagued by a virus that only the Partials are immune to. Sixteen-year-old medic Kira Walker is determined to find a cure, but her search uncovers secrets about the Partials, the virus, and humanity’s survival that challenge everything she thought she knew. Spanning Partials, Fragments, and Ruins, this high-stakes trilogy blends action, science, and moral dilemmas in a fast-paced story of survival, identity, and the fragile line between human and machine.

Extreme Makeover

Genre: Science Fiction

Audience: Adult

Tags: Sci-Fi Thriller

Extreme Makeover is a darkly satirical science fiction thriller about vanity, corporate greed, and the terrifying consequences of unchecked innovation. When NewYew scientist Lyle Fontanelle discovers that his company’s new anti-aging lotion can rewrite DNA—transforming users into clones of someone else—he wants to destroy it. But to NewYew it’s a miracle product, and to governments it’s the ultimate weapon. As the formula spreads beyond control, Lyle finds himself caught between saving his conscience and stopping a beauty fad that could unravel humanity itself. Equal parts suspense and satire, Dan Wells delivers a sharp, unsettling cautionary tale.

The Hollow City

Genre: Thriller

Audience: Adult

In The Hollow City, Dan Wells delivers a chilling psychological thriller that blurs the line between madness and reality. Michael Shipman, a paranoid schizophrenic plagued by hallucinations and delusions, struggles daily with a mind he cannot trust. But when some of the monsters he sees turn out to be real, Michael is thrust into a terrifying conspiracy where the danger may come from both within and without. Gripping, unsettling, and deeply human, this novel is a haunting exploration of paranoia, identity, and survival when your own mind is the battlefield.

Ghost Station

Genre: Thriller

Audience: Adult

Set in Berlin in 1961, just months after the Berlin Wall’s construction, Ghost Station is a taut Cold War espionage thriller steeped in paranoia and mistrust. CIA cryptographer Wallace Reed works at a joint U.S.–West German listening post already reeling from failing to predict the Wall. When a coded message from their double agent, Longshore, raises more questions than answers, Reed must navigate shifting loyalties, potential betrayal, and deadly secrets within his own team. As tensions with the Soviets escalate, every cipher could be a trap—and every ally a mole. Suspenseful and atmospheric, Ghost Station captures the razor’s edge of espionage at the dawn of the Cold War.

A Night of Blacker Darkness

Genre: Horror

Audience: Adult

Tags: Dark Comedy

A Night of Blacker Darkness is a darkly comic romp through Victorian England, where mistaken identity and supernatural farce collide. Wrongly imprisoned and desperate to reclaim a stolen inheritance, Frederick Whithers fakes his death—only to be mistaken for a vampire when he crawls out of his coffin. Soon he’s pursued by bankers, graverobbers, vampire hunters, and ghouls, while unwittingly amassing allies as bizarre as his enemies. Half horror, half satire, this fast-paced gothic farce is a twisted tale of greed, survival, and hilariously bad luck.

A Pear-Shaped Funeral

Genre: Humor

Audience: Adult

Tags: Dark Comedy

In this darkly comic companion to A Night of Blacker Darkness, Frederick Whithers finds himself running a funeral home—and tasked with arranging a funeral for a man who inconveniently refuses to stay dead. Between juggling necromancy, magic, and the absurdities of the living and the undead alike, Frederick stumbles into yet another macabre adventure where chaos, comedy, and catastrophe are never far behind. Equal parts gothic farce and supernatural satire, A Pear-Shaped Funeral delivers a witty, irreverent romp through death, magic, and very poor luck.