IF/THEN Books
Every choice matters. Every ending is earned.
IF/THEN Books are interactive fiction. Stories where you make the decisions and live with the consequences. No screens required. Just a book, a choice, and a reader who's ready to think. Published by Crossroads Publishing Group.
Meet Iris Blackwood.
She's twelve years old, she's the sharpest detective on Saint Hyde Island, and what happens next is entirely up to you.
The Iris Blackwood Series
She's the detective. You make the calls.
Iris Blackwood is twelve years old, lives on Saint Hyde Island off the Georgia coast, and keeps a Detective Notepad with a numbered set of rules she has developed through hard experience. She is sharp, occasionally bossy, and almost always right. Her brother Theo is eight, surprisingly perceptive, and terrible at staying out of trouble. Their dog Dash knows more than he lets on.
Each book features multiple endings across five achievement levels — from Shut Out to The Keeper. Ages 10–13.
Book 1 · The Curse of Hemlock Island — May 8, 2026 Someone threw Iris into a wooden crate and dropped it in the river. 27 endings. The first case. The one that started everything. Learn more →
Book 2 · Mystery at the Mansion — June 2026 Iris's family has inherited Lemoney Mansion from an anonymous donor. A hurricane closes in — and so do a series of suspicious visitors. 14 endings. Learn more →
Book 3 · Cracking the Mayan UFO Code — July 2026 The case that takes Iris off the island — and into territory stranger than anything Saint Hyde has ever thrown at her. Ancient codes, modern conspiracies. 19 endings. Learn more →
Book 4 · The Dancing Lighthouse — Fall 2026 Details coming soon.
The UBU Adventure Series
Any genre. Deeper characters. Harder choices.
UBU books are interactive fiction for older readers — ages 14–17 and up. They cross genres freely: sci-fi, horror, western, literary fiction. The format is the same — you make the decisions — but the stakes are higher, the characters more complex, and the moral terrain less certain.
The Escape Artist — Summer 2026 30 endings. Learn more →
Point Zenith — Summer 2026 7 endings. Learn more →
Frankenstein: The Unchosen — Fall 2026 Learn more →
Classic Adventure Line
Great stories reimagined. Your choices added.
Public domain classics rebuilt as interactive fiction. The source material you know — the branching paths you don't. Ages 10–13.
Mowgli's Magic Carpet Ride — August 2026 Learn more →
The Crooked Magician's Recipe: An Ozland Adventure — September 2026 Learn more →
For Parents
If your child has burned through every Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew on the shelf and is ready for something that puts them in charge, IF/THEN Books is the series you've been looking for.
The books are written to be read independently by confident readers in the 10–13 range, or together as a read-aloud with younger readers who can handle the decisions. The mystery format keeps reluctant readers turning pages. The branching structure rewards curiosity and rereading.
No screens required. Just a book, a choice, and a kid who's ready to think.
For Librarians & Educators
The IF/THEN catalog is designed to meet readers where they are: decision-driven, mystery-hungry, and ready for a protagonist who models sharp thinking and confident action.
Each title works as a standalone read or as part of the series. The branching narrative format supports re-engagement with the same text — ideal for classroom book clubs, library programs, or independent reading challenges where multiple outcomes reward multiple reads.
Bulk pricing and author visits available. Visit the Teachers & Schools page →
Series Details
Reading level: Grades 4–7 (Iris & Classic) · Grades 8–11 (UBU) Format: Print (5×8 paperback, approx. 160 pages, 20–25 interior illustrations) Price: $12.99 per title (Iris & Classic) · $14.99 per title (UBU) Distribution: Available via Amazon, IngramSpark, Follett, and Mackin
Start the Mystery
Get Book 1 on Amazon → (link coming soon) Or buy direct here →
$12.99 paperback · Available wherever Ingram titles are carried