Fans pick 93 books like Moonlight Awakens

By John Matthew Walker,

Here are 93 books that Moonlight Awakens fans have personally recommended if you like Moonlight Awakens. Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Book cover of The Water Keeper

B.D. Lawrence Author Of An Angel and a One-Armed Man

From my list on crime fiction books without profanity, on page sex, or gratuitous violence.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have always loved crime fiction, especially those where justice is served. I love crime stories where ordinary people doing their jobs triumph over evil. But so many crime stories are riddled with profanity, sex, and gratuitous violence. Over the last few years, I’ve searched for books that satisfy my need to read about justice but do it cleanly and in such a way that the story is not compromised. Oh, by the way, I’m also a writer of crime fiction and try to stay true to both justice over evil and telling stories in a clean but realistic way.

B.D.'s book list on crime fiction books without profanity, on page sex, or gratuitous violence

B.D. Lawrence Why did B.D. love this book?

I loved Martin’s style of slowly unfolding Murphy Shepherd. Up to the last page, I was learning something new about him. There were a couple of great twists I didn’t see immediately. I found his fight scenes fascinating. No detail at all. I also love the insights that Murphy has on the world. 

The most important thing for me is the subject matter–human trafficking. I believe it’s one of the most overlooked and gravest issues we have. I found the specific method of trafficking in a specific geographical area fascinating. This book dealt with a nasty subject in a tasteful way that impacted me enough that I read the other two books in the Murphy Shepherd series. 

By Charles Martin,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Water Keeper as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A riveting story of heroism, heartache, and the power of love to heal all wounds by New York Times bestselling author Charles Martin.

Murphy Shepherd is a man with many secrets. He lives alone on an island, tending the grounds of a church with no parishioners, and he's dedicated his life to rescuing those in peril. But as he mourns the loss of his mentor and friend, Murph himself may be more lost than he realizes.

When he pulls a beautiful woman named Summer out of Florida's Intracoastal Waterway, Murph's mission to lay his mentor to rest at the end…


Book cover of I'll Be Seeing You

B.D. Lawrence Author Of An Angel and a One-Armed Man

From my list on crime fiction books without profanity, on page sex, or gratuitous violence.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have always loved crime fiction, especially those where justice is served. I love crime stories where ordinary people doing their jobs triumph over evil. But so many crime stories are riddled with profanity, sex, and gratuitous violence. Over the last few years, I’ve searched for books that satisfy my need to read about justice but do it cleanly and in such a way that the story is not compromised. Oh, by the way, I’m also a writer of crime fiction and try to stay true to both justice over evil and telling stories in a clean but realistic way.

B.D.'s book list on crime fiction books without profanity, on page sex, or gratuitous violence

B.D. Lawrence Why did B.D. love this book?

I love complex, multi-threaded mysteries that keep me guessing, and this book is one of those that was hard to put down.

This mystery kept me enthralled from beginning to end. And I did not figure it out until Ms. Clark wanted me to. Ms. Clark paints fascinating characters caught up in difficult circumstances. There are several twists, the biggest being at the end, which I immensely appreciated.

I usually have things figured out halfway or three-quarters of the way through. Not this one. 

By Mary Higgins Clark,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked I'll Be Seeing You as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From the “Queen of Suspense” Mary Higgins Clark, a gripping and twisting mystery featuring a television news reporter who finds herself drawn into a terrifying web of treachery, where nothing is as it seems and the truth may be too devastating to pursue...

The murdered woman could have been her double. When reporter Meghan Collins sees the sheet-wrapped corpse in a New York City hospital, she feels as if she's staring into her own face. And Meghan has troubles enough already without this bizarre experience. Nine months ago, her much-loved father's car spun off a New York bridge. Now, investigators…


Book cover of Calculated Risk

B.D. Lawrence Author Of An Angel and a One-Armed Man

From my list on crime fiction books without profanity, on page sex, or gratuitous violence.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have always loved crime fiction, especially those where justice is served. I love crime stories where ordinary people doing their jobs triumph over evil. But so many crime stories are riddled with profanity, sex, and gratuitous violence. Over the last few years, I’ve searched for books that satisfy my need to read about justice but do it cleanly and in such a way that the story is not compromised. Oh, by the way, I’m also a writer of crime fiction and try to stay true to both justice over evil and telling stories in a clean but realistic way.

B.D.'s book list on crime fiction books without profanity, on page sex, or gratuitous violence

B.D. Lawrence Why did B.D. love this book?

This is an intense story and kept me on edge while reading, wondering what would happen next. Shannon upped the thrills as the book went on.

I really appreciated the two main characters, Jason and Addison, who are Christians. Unlike many Christian novels, not everyone around them was also a Christian. This book was a realistic example of people who try to live a Christ-like life, but can get caught up in things out of their control.

The romance between Jason and Addison is fascinating as both come into it with so much baggage. I found myself rooting for them and Shannon does a great job building that suspense as well.

By Lynn Shannon,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Calculated Risk as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

He carries the burden of his mistakes.

The wounds on Jason Gonzalez’s body are nothing compared to the ones on his heart. The former Marine avoids getting close to anyone new, especially his gorgeous next-door neighbor. Until he hears a scream coming from her house in the middle of the night.

Her enemies are too numerous to count.

Addison Foster escaped an abusive marriage and has become an advocate for others. When an intruder breaks into her home and nearly kills her, Addison is rescued by an unlikely protector. But the threats against her aren’t over and she needs help.…


Book cover of Save The Girls

B.D. Lawrence Author Of An Angel and a One-Armed Man

From my list on crime fiction books without profanity, on page sex, or gratuitous violence.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have always loved crime fiction, especially those where justice is served. I love crime stories where ordinary people doing their jobs triumph over evil. But so many crime stories are riddled with profanity, sex, and gratuitous violence. Over the last few years, I’ve searched for books that satisfy my need to read about justice but do it cleanly and in such a way that the story is not compromised. Oh, by the way, I’m also a writer of crime fiction and try to stay true to both justice over evil and telling stories in a clean but realistic way.

B.D.'s book list on crime fiction books without profanity, on page sex, or gratuitous violence

B.D. Lawrence Why did B.D. love this book?

This is another book that deals with the subject of sex trafficking, which is why I was drawn to it.

From the first scene, I was immediately pulled in, fascinated that the protagonist, Jamie Austen, is a lone woman in a foreign land, rescuing helpless victims of this awful scourge. Her courageous and spunky character grew on me. Toler throws in a wonderful twist with a romantic element that Jamie Austen does not want or need but falls for anyway.

This is another example of how an author can deal with difficult subjects yet keep the book clean.

By Terry Toler,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Save The Girls as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Why are all the best CIA spies always men? They aren't.

Combine the spycraft of Bourne, the toughness of Reacher, and the beauty of a Charlie's Angel and you have Jamie Austen. America's beloved heroine.

The Jamie Austen Spy Thrillers must be good. They've been number one on Amazon in ten different countries.

Jamie's latest adventure takes her to Belarus. Three hundred girls are missing. She is the only one who can save them.
Award winning author, Terry Toler, tells this gripping story that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Save The Girls is the first book…


Book cover of The Girl on the Red Pillow

Adam Oster Author Of The Agora Files - Part 1

From my list on independent books you’ve never heard of.

Why am I passionate about this?

As an independent author, I’ve been lucky enough to find a wealth of other independent authors out there. People who are doing things that aren’t quite mainstream. Artists who are experimenting with the written word and doing truly unique things. Where the world is filled with books made for the sole purpose of being turned into movies, these authors are creating works of fiction that are suited for the written word. Masterpieces that will make you think and want to find even more new forms of fiction. Simply put, independent authors are pushing books into new realms that you simply can’t find in the mainstream market.

Adam's book list on independent books you’ve never heard of

Adam Oster Why did Adam love this book?

A thinly veiled discussion about depression, The Girl on the Red Pillow does something I never thought possible: make depression humorous and interesting. Well...it doesn't actually make depression humorous but allows for humor to exist in a story about the topic.

From the first moment you get to meet the wall building dwarf, to the final moment when Annalee finally comes to terms with her depression and looks toward the future, you will be urged forward as you hope Annalee finds the answer to her troubles, especially if you're someone who has dealt with their own wall-building dwarf.

By Angelika Rust,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Girl on the Red Pillow as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

An average abusive childhood, a tendency towards depression. Annalee's life could be normal. If only she could get rid of the dwarf. Annalee doesn't mind what people call her. After all, a name's just a name. What she does mind, though, is the dwarf trying to wall her in. Struggling between reality and hallucination, a black cat and a talking skeleton her only companions along the way, Annalee fights for her sanity, and a way out.


Book cover of Switch Bitch

Jackson Ford Author Of The Girl Who Could Move Sh*t with Her Mind

From my list on swear words in the title.

Why am I passionate about this?

Jackson Ford is the author of The Frost Files series, including The Girl Who Could Move Sh*t with Her Mind and Random Sh*t Flying Through the Air. He may or may not be the alter ego of author Rob Boffard, a South African author based in Vancouver, but he is definitely 100% a jackass.

Jackson's book list on swear words in the title

Jackson Ford Why did Jackson love this book?

The book may not have much swearing in it, but it has one of the best titles ever. It sounds like an insult drawn from an obscure meme. Dahl is a master of the short story, and here you get four of them, including his fabulous character Oswald Hendryks Cornelius.

By Roald Dahl,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Switch Bitch as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In Switch Bitch four tales of seduction and suspense are told by the grand master of the short story, Roald Dahl.

Topping and tailing this collection are The Visitor and Bitch, stories featuring Dahl's notorious hedonist Oswald Hendryks Cornelius (or plain old Uncle Oswald) whose exploits are frequently as extraordinary as they are scandalous. In the middle, meanwhile, are The Great Switcheroo and The Last Act, two stories exploring a darker side of desire and pleasure.

In the black comedies of Switch Bitch Roald Dahl brilliantly captures the ins and outs, highs and lows of sex.

'Dahl is too good…


Book cover of I, Zombie

T.L. Bodine Author Of River of Souls

From my list on with zombie main characters.

Why am I passionate about this?

I'm a life-long horror lover and author of dark fiction. I've been reviewing films and video games for Ravenous Monster ezine for nearly a decade, and my Wattpad horror novel The Hound is currently being adapted for film. My favorite thing is the intersection of the horrifying and fantastic with the mundane, and that's what appeals to me so much about zombies: in all of their multitudinous representations, they've always held up a mirror to humanity. No monster can so easily reflect the many facets of humanity as a zombie. Because, after all, the dead were once just like us – and if we're not careful, we might end up just like them in the end.

T.L.'s book list on with zombie main characters

T.L. Bodine Why did T.L. love this book?

If you're familiar with Hugh Howey's work, it's probably thanks to his Wool series of post-apocalyptic sci-fi. I, Zombie is a very different sort of book. It's still post-apocalyptic in subject, but the tone is even darker and filled with both horror and melancholy for the dying world. The zombies here are prisoners of their own bodies, forced to drift and commit horrific violence that they can feel but cannot prevent. You'll get to meet several such zombies in this book and really feel for them as you see each one's backstory and how they came to be part of the horde – and it's that pathos that makes this book something special.

By Hugh Howey,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked I, Zombie as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

***WARNING: NOT FIT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION***

This book contains foul language and fouler descriptions of life as a zombie. It will offend most anyone, so proceed with caution or not at all.

And be forewarned: This is not a zombie book. This is a different sort of tale. It is a story about the unfortunate, about those who did not get away. It is a human story at its rotten heart. It is the reason we can't stop obsessing about these creatures, in whom we see all too much of ourselves.


Book cover of Filthy English: The How, Why, When And What of Everyday Swearing

Philip Gooden Author Of Bad Words: And What They Say about Us

From my list on swear words.

Why am I passionate about this?

I write fiction, mostly historical mysteries, and non-fiction, generally about the English language. Both aspects of my writing reflect an interest in the past and how it continually shapes the present. The roots of English go back thousands of years to Latin, Anglo-Saxon, French, and many other sources. Yet the newest term to the vast storehouse of language may have been added only last week. Recently I’ve been writing about oaths, swear words, and bad language.

Philip's book list on swear words

Philip Gooden Why did Philip love this book?

Silverton starts with the moment when one of the Sex Pistols used a four-letter word live on afternoon TV in 1976. It’s an appropriate beginning for a highly entertaining ramble through the dirtier byways of the English language, encompassing historical research, pop culture , and personal anecdotes, and showing just how ingrained bad language is in everyday life. His enjoyment and approval spring from every page.

By Peter Silverton,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Filthy English as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

When the Sex Pistols swore live on tea-time telly in 1976, there was outrage across Britain. Headlines screamed. Christians marched. TVs were kicked in. Thirty years on, all those words are media-mainstream - bandied about with impunity on TV and in the papers. This is the story of our bad language and its three-decade journey from the fringes of decency to the working centre of a more linguistically liberal nation. Silverton takes a clear, comprehensive and witty look at swearing and the impact of its new acceptability on our language, our manners and our society. He considers how we have…


Book cover of Holy Sh*t: A Brief History of Swearing

Philip Gooden Author Of Bad Words: And What They Say about Us

From my list on swear words.

Why am I passionate about this?

I write fiction, mostly historical mysteries, and non-fiction, generally about the English language. Both aspects of my writing reflect an interest in the past and how it continually shapes the present. The roots of English go back thousands of years to Latin, Anglo-Saxon, French, and many other sources. Yet the newest term to the vast storehouse of language may have been added only last week. Recently I’ve been writing about oaths, swear words, and bad language.

Philip's book list on swear words

Philip Gooden Why did Philip love this book?

This American title is at the more academic end of books on swearing and oaths. Mohr shows how obscenity evolves over time. Words now considered indecent were acceptable in the Middle Ages while careless invocations of God and Jesus were taboo (that’s not to say they weren’t used). The very title of the book neatly illustrates a difference between US and British culture, with the asterisk being used to soften potential offence in the States. By contrast in the UK, the word usually appears naked and unashamed on the cover (as in Frankie Boyle’s My Shit Life So Far).

By Melissa Mohr,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Holy Sh*t as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Almost everyone swears, or worries about not swearing, from the two year-old who has just discovered the power of potty mouth to the grandma who wonders why every other word she hears is obscene. Whether they express anger or exhilaration, are meant to insult or to commend, swear words perform a crucial role in language. But swearing is also a uniquely well-suited lens through which to look at history, offering a fascinating record of what people care about on the
deepest levels of a culture-what's divine, what's terrifying, and what's taboo.

Holy Sh*t tells the story of two kinds of…


Book cover of Evil Eye

Luke Jerod Kummer Author Of Takers Mad

From my list on crime stories you can only listen to as audiobooks.

Why am I passionate about this?

Crime is intrinsically interesting. From an early age, we’re taught behavioral norms. Hearing of transgressions, we ask, “How’d this happen?... Is it true?... What’s the deeper meaning?” Audiobooks also have a unique ability to engage us. With my reporting background plus a historical novel under my belt, I began researching the real-life case behind Takers Mad, aiming to bring it to life with the intimacy, suspense, and power of an audio drama. Then I was gobsmacked to find fresh evidence in this Gilded Age murder. Now, with Khristine Hvam’s ultra-talented narration, I hope our work entertains and also leads listeners to ponder vital questions—just like the best crime audiobooks.

Luke's book list on crime stories you can only listen to as audiobooks

Luke Jerod Kummer Why did Luke love this book?

Madhuri Shekar’s groundbreaking psychological thriller helped show new ways that audiobooks could plunge listeners into a story. I’m sure I wasn’t the only author who took note. Evil Eye follows a mother who immigrated to the U.S. from India as she prepares to accept her daughter’s partner into the family. But she is troubled by an old crime. The tale is told almost entirely through phone calls and voice messages. That meticulously constructed delivery heightens the suspense as we discover how trauma can span oceans and overlap generations.

By Madhuri Shekar,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Evil Eye as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Evil Eye garnered an Audie Award for Original Work in 2020.

Usha is convinced that the Evil Eye, a curse that brings continuous misfortune, was cast upon her daughter, Pallavi, in the womb. What else could have possibly left her driven, career-oriented daughter edging closer and closer to 30 without a prospective husband? Determined to set Pallavi on the right path, Usha arranges date after date with potential suitors - but after yet another setup fails, it seems her efforts are proving fruitless. But in an unexpected turn of events, Pallavi becomes her own matchmaker when she meets - and…


Book cover of The Water Keeper
Book cover of I'll Be Seeing You
Book cover of Calculated Risk

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Interested in swearing, depression, and murder?

Swearing 27 books
Depression 92 books
Murder 1,079 books