Little Red Flags: Stories of Cults, Cons, and Control

by Noelle W. Ihli (Editor), Steph Nelson (Editor)

The warning signs were there, those little red flags. In the beginning, it all looked rose-colored. You thought you were getting community, belonging, and purpose. Maybe a lucrative new career. Maybe even salvation. Instead, you got control, fanaticism, greed, manipulation, and terror.

Stories
Sam Brackett, Mia Dalia, Cat Delani, Alex Hoeft, Frances Hope, Jade Jiao, Nick Kolakowski, Andrew Kozma, Catlyn Ladd, Amanda Cecelia Lang, Jessica Levai, Chris McGrane, J. B. McLaurin, Christopher O'Halloran, Marisca Pichette, Michael A. Reed, L. P. Ring, Kaleigh Rodgerson, J. E. Rowney, Caleb Stephens, and Cory Swanson

Genres: Horror, Thriller

222 pages, Paperback

First published February 17, 2026

About the author

Noelle’s two great passions are murder and horses (separately, never together).

She lives in Idaho with her husband, two sons, and two cats. When she's not plotting her next thriller, she's scaring herself with true-crime documentaries or going for a trail ride in the foothills (with her trusty pepper spray).

Reviews

[Kayla]

This was such a good book...all of the stories were relevant, thought-provoking, and so well written (without being gross or too nightmarish). It even inspired me to write my own thriller short story.

[Kendra Jones]

Such a cool collection

This was such a cool collection of short stories. I enjoyed all of them! I havent read an anthology since I was much younger.

[Angie Lincoln]

I regret this purchase.

Not at all what I thought it would be. Little far fetched weird stories.
I did not like this at all.

[Mousie]

Wild!
Some of these short stories were truly twisted and I loved every single one.