Whether you grew up watching iconic slasher movies of the 70s and 80s or spent nights reading Stephen King under your bedsheets, the horror genre is super popular in media and has shaped much of pop culture. Why else would we all know the Jaws theme by heart or fear the word, “redrum” and spooky twins? Hunting for the boogeyman gives readers a thrill like no other, which is why people have been drawn to this genre for decades. So if you prefer hair-raising and spine-tingling tales to warm and fuzzy reads, look no further for your next horror read, as we have gathered up the best of your worst nightmares.

Brother by Ania Ahlborn

When girls go missing in a small Appalachian town in West Virginia, the cops don’t bother asking the Morrows, a family who lives deep in the woods and keep to themselves because of a grave family secret. Michael Morrow knows this is wrong and wants to escape the life his family created for him. But when he falls for a girl at the local record shop, his older brother is all too ready to remind him of the importance of family traditions.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Check out more spooky books set in Appalachia >>

The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson

What could cause a new family to flee in terror from their brand new house in less than one month? And what does the former, murderous owner, have to do with it?

Buy the book now: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Penpal by Dathan Auerbach

In hopes of understanding his muddied past, a man reconnects with his childhood self by playing a series of games and solving puzzles. As he pieces his memory together, he discovers something from his life he wishes he had left buried in his subconscious.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

BunnyBunny by Mona Awad

Samantha is an outcast in her MFA program, preferring the company of her dark imagination to that of the Bunnies, a group of girls in her program. One day, she receives an invitation to join the Bunnies “Smut Salon” where she will discover some twisted secrets about these women, while risking her life and the life of her one friend, Ava.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

Alex Stern is one of the last people who should be getting a full-ride scholarship to Yale. After a lifetime of dead-end jobs and drug-addict boyfriends, she is ready for a change. But when her benefactor starts having her spy on the strange, occult-like, secret societies, it is not long before Alex discovers the eight windowless tombs full of horrors she cannot begin to imagine. It is up to her to protect other students, living and dead, from the deeds of these societies.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Damnation Game by Clive Barker

Trying to get his life back after his release from prison, Marty became a bodyguard for one of the richest men in Europe, Joseph Whitehead. His job is to protect Whitehead from danger, but what if that danger is from Hell itself? Whitehead exchanged his soul for more money and power than anyone in the world, and he can also raise the dead. Now Marty is trapped between literal Hell and Joseph’s will, and only one chance to survive.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica

A virus has infected all animals and the government has ruled all their meat poisonous. Now Marco is in the business of butchering and selling, “special meat,” a job where he must only focus on the facts and data to avoid the feelings it brings up. One day, he receives a live specimen, a woman he knows he cannot get attached to, but finds himself treating her more like a human than a specimen. He quickly realizes all he has lost, and what he will soon lose.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Jaws by Peter Benchley

One of the most well-known thrillers of all time, Jaws follows the story of a small town, Amity Island, New York, and its fight against a shark who has been terrorizing the waters.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes

Harper Curtis is an elusive murderer who finds himself called to an old house in Chicago. When he walks through the door, he is teleported through time, where he continues to kill and get away every time, never leaving a trace. His methods are nearly perfect, but when one of his victims, Kirby, survives, she works with the police to help them uncover the unimaginable truth about Harper.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty

Easily one of the most frightening stories of all time, The Exorcist is about a little girl and her strange and violent behaviors brought on by evil spirits and demonic possession. Her mother, a famous actress named Chris, calls two Catholic priests to save her daughter, and they must risk life and limb to retrieve the girl.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Psycho by Robert Bloch

Norman lives at the house atop a hill overlooking the Bates Motel with Mother, who people say has been dead for many years, but Norman knows the truth. Mother would never leave him, she loves him and wants to protect him. Then one night, a beautiful woman checks into the motel, and Norman can’t help but watch her every move, growing more and more obsessed. He knows what he is doing is wrong, but with Mother’s help, she can make the bad thoughts go away with her soothing voice and a sharp butcher’s knife.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon

FantasticLand by Mike Bockoven

FantasticLand amusement park promises fun for everyone! But when a hurricane strands employees, mostly teenagers, in the park for five weeks, it becomes a modern-day Lord of the Flies. The amusement park is divided into five groups of survivors, each fighting one another for food, resources, social hierarchy, and even human flesh.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury

A haunting calliope plays in the distance luring people to the Cooger & Dark’s Pandemonium Show. The arrival of the magic show ushers in Halloween a week sooner, and with it, the most horrifying spells a person could think of. Two boys figure out what actually happens behind the smoke, mirrors, and tricks of the magic show, learning all the dangerous magic and its very real costs.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Lost Souls by Poppy Z. Brite

Three vampires meet Ana, a girl desperate to be in love, and Jason, a boy who just discovered a dark secret about his father. The vampires invite them on a spontaneous road trip, and the pair agrees. But Ghost, another vampire, knows the danger of these three and must follow them to save Ana, who he is falling in love with, and Jason, who does not understand the danger he is in and how dangerous he is now that his secret is known.

Buy the book now: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas

Years ago, a strange, blood-sucking creature attacked Nena on her ranch, leaving her childhood love, Néstor, to think she died. Years pass and he is unable to mend his sorrow, but one day finds his love alive while she is working as a healer in the war, but the war is not the only monster nearby. The two must work together to solve the mystery of who, or rather, what, has been draining men of their blood and leaving them for dead, or else they could be the monster’s next victims.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Mary by Nat Cassidy

Something inside Mary is changing. She keeps having hot flashes and body aches, there are voices in her head telling her to do awful things, and she cannot look in the mirror without passing out. She leaves her life in New York and moves back home to figure out what is going on. She soon discovers the voices belong to terrifying specters and begins compulsively writing words and passages similar to an infamous serial killer, one who seems to be killing again.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Chasing the Boogeyman by Richard Chizmar

Richard returns home from college to begin his writing career and plan his wedding, but he finds his once-quiet town in an uproar about several recent murders. Richard uses the events as inspiration for his writing, but as he writes and discovers everything he can about the killer, the truth will haunt him forever.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Gallows Hill by Darcy Coates

Margot was sent away from her family’s winery on Gallows Hill because of the danger that lurked there. She now returns, years later, to the dilapidated house to bury her parents and uncover the truth about the house. What she does not know is how the house claims its victims and that she may be next.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Troop by Nick Cutter

Scoutmaster Tim Riggs leads his scouts into the Canadian Wilderness for their annual campout, which should be simple since all the boys get along so well, so why can’t Tim shake the feeling something bad is waiting for them? His feeling is right when a strange man finds them at their campsite, spreading a bioengineered illness that is more dangerous and deadly than any of them are prepared for. It is up to the scouts to find a way to survive the elements and each other before they can return to civilization.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski

House of Leaves originally started as an online phenomenon that captured the attention of fans from all walks of life and brought new, eerily familiar settings to life, like the strange, “backrooms” that have inspired dozens of other stories and even video games. The novel follows a family who just moved into a new house, unaware of the dark creatures and rooms that exist just behind the closet door.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Devil House by John Darnielle

A successful writer is given the opportunity to move into a house in Milpitas, California, where his childhood best friend lives. The house was the location of two horrific murders by a group of teenagers during the 1980s Satanic Panic. He dives into researching the house and murders, using the events to inspire his next horror fiction novel, but soon the past closes in on him, leading him to solve a puzzle that threatens to tear apart the core of his work and who he is.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier

Phantoms plague a blushing bride in her new life. She can feel something waiting for her in the shadows of the isolated mansion she now calls home. She would find rooms immaculately kept by their menacing housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers, with clothes laid out for someone who does not live there, and beds made that no one sleeps in. As she spends more time there, she learns the terrifying truth about her husband and his first wife, Rebecca.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Reformatory by Tananarive Due

Robbie is a young boy who got in trouble after kicking another boy in the stomach in defense of his older sister Gloria. He was sent away to the Gracetown School for Boys, where he will spend the next six months living in complete fear of the brutalities of this place no one outside seems to know about. A historical fiction novel inspired by events of the Dozier School for Boys in Florida, this novel brings many of our worst fears to life.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Squatter by Jonathan Dunne

Broke after closing her restaurant, Molly moves her family to a farmhouse in Old Castel where she lives for free. The catch, someone else lives there too, and they like to come out only when the sun goes down. Molly wants to go public about the terrifying place to protect her family and maybe even earn some money, but soon finds out how big a mistake that was.

Buy the book now: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis

By day, Patrick Bateman is a young, successful businessman working on Wall Street, but at night, his true self comes out, his murderous, horrifying self. This iconic and twisted novel shows the frightening depth of a psychotic mind.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Manhunt by Gretchen Felker-Martin

In this post-apocalyptic world, it is kill or be killed, which is why Beth and Fran sweep the streets of New England killing any feral men they find. Until one day, they meet Robbie, and a brutal accident forever entwines the trio’s fate. Soon, they are running from other murderous men, a billionaire with sociopathic ideas, and their own past lives.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

No Road Home by John Fram

All Toby ever wants to do is protect his son, Luca. But when Toby marries Alyssa White, the wealthy granddaughter of a famous televangelist, he walks his family into a danger he never could have predicted. When the grandfather is found dead at a family dinner, all suspicion is thrown toward Toby. Then Luca tells him of a strange, dark figure he sees around the White’s house, and Toby soon learns murder is not the only thing the Whites are hiding.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris

Nella is exhausted from being the only Black girl working at Wanger Books, where she is met with constant microaggressions and uncomfortable comments daily. So when Hazel is hired, Nella is thrilled to have someone who can relate to her on the team. Soon Hazel becomes the office darling, but at the same time, Nella gets a threatening note on her desk. She hopes it’s not from Hazel, but she soon learns the dark truth about who is sending her letters and why they want her gone.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Return by Rachel Harrison

Julie went missing two years ago. Now, she is back with no memory of what happened. Her best friends Elise, Molly, and Mae, all come together and meet her at a quiet motel, where they see Julie’s gaunt skin and odd appetites. The women are determined to find out what happened to Julie that made her turn into a hollow shell of their beloved friend.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix

Patricia is feeling bogged down by her daily life. Her husband no longer offers her simple acts of affection like a kiss goodbye in the morning, her kids have grown up and moved on, and now she takes care of her senile mother-in-law while keeping up with her own never-ending to-do list. But she always looks forward to her book club, which has a new member, James, who is more than he appears. When kids start to go missing, the book club suspects him, but no one else seems to believe them, except her mother-in-law, who swears she knew him from when they were young, but that is impossible, right?

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

N0S4A2 by Joe Hill

Victoria McQueen was the sole survivor of Charles Talent Manx warped world, Christmasland. Now, grown up with a son of her own, she would do anything to forget Christmasland ever existed. But Manx is back, and Victoria must return to Christmasland to save her boy before it is too late.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Motherthing by Ainslie Hogarth

Abby is always looking for ways to connect with her new mother-in-law, but all Laura wants to do is make her daughter-in-law’s life a living Hell. When Laura takes her own life, she haunts Abby and her husband, plaguing him with depression and terrorizing Abby, who is already at her breaking point over possibly losing her favorite resident at the retirement home she works at. But Abby has come up with a plan to free her and her husband from the wrath of Laura.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Thicket by Noelle W. Ihli

Norah should never have left her brother alone at the carnival. Lurking in the nearby woods was a deranged serial killer, who took Norah’s brother from her. In her grief, she retraces her steps that night to try and find out who the killer is and soon learns that their hunting ground, the Halloween carnival, is no coincidence.

Buy the book now: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

Dr. Montague is a paranormal investigator looking into the strange Hill House. The heir to the house, Luke, and two girls, Theo and Elenore, agree to help him with his investigation. They are unsure if the ghosts have been brought to the house out of fear, or if they were already there, waiting for them, but what they do know is none of them will make it out of this experiment unscathed.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones

Told from four different men’s perspectives, they each must come face to face with the Native American tales they were told growing up and learn that the thing that brought them back together could be the same danger that tears them apart. Perfect for fans of Jordan Peele, this psychological horror brings to life the nightmares of these men’s youth.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Hunger by Alma Katsu

This is a supernatural twist on a disastrous event in American History, the Donner Party. Some believe they were cursed by Tamsen Donner, some think the disaster started when they went into uncharted territory, and others believe they have bad luck. As more and more people from the party begin disappearing in their journey across America, they wonder if something has been following them and waiting for them in the cover of the night.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble 

Stalker by Lars Kepler

After the police find the mutilated body of a woman they saw on a suspicious tape only days before, they launch an investigation to find her killer. Detective Margot Silverman and Detective Joona Linna take up the case with a trauma expert and hypnotist, Erik Bark, who is worried he may have put away the wrong person, leaving a serial killer to walk the streets and an innocent man behind bars.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Girl Next Door by Jack Ketchum

A girl, who once thought she lived in a lovely, safe neighborhood, is taken hostage by the neighbors’ children who brutally torture her. This novel explores the explosive danger all people hold inside of them and what happens when we allow that to control us.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

It by Stephen King

As children, they were tormented by the creature in the sewers. Now they have grown up, left the haunted small town, and are finding new lives and success. But they all promised to come back one day. It has been 28 years, and the killings are happening again, so they head home, prepared to end the creature’s evil for good.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer

Charlie and Eve are just getting settled into their new house when an old man comes by saying he used to live there and wants to show his family around. The couple agrees but starts to regret their decision when the youngest child of the visitors goes missing and the family refuses to leave. Meanwhile, a dark presence lurks in the basement and Charlie goes missing too, leaving Eve to question her sanity and wonder if she will survive this bizarre family.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Phantoms by Dean Koontz

An entire town in California seems abandoned, until a doctor and sheriff begin to search it, finding 150 residents have died and 350 went missing. What could have caused such a massive loss, and where did the missing residents go?

Buy the book now: Amazon

The Fishermen by John Langan

There have been rumors of Dutchman’s Creek and its magical properties. But Dan and Abe, two widowed fishermen think that is all they are, rumors. So why are they drawn closer and closer to the tales of the creek? Lost in the hope that the creek could bring back what they care about most, they discover the rumors are true but come with a terrible price and a dangerous secret about Der Fisher.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke and Other Misfortunes by Eric LaRocca

In this compilation of horror stories, the author explores the fear that can be found in everyday life. Loneliness, secrets, obsession, and heartache can be just as terrifying as any ghost or ghoul.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist

Terror takes over a quiet town in Sweden when a teenage boy is found dead and drained of blood in what is ruled as a ritualistic killing. But twelve-year-old Oskar is not afraid. In fact, he hopes this situation will bring an end to the bullying at school, either in distraction or something much worse. There is also a strange new girl in town who perplexes Oskar with her immediate ability to solve a Rubik’s cube after claiming to never see one, and her odd schedule, only coming out at night.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin

Rosemary and Guy are finally seeing their luck turn around when they move into the Bramford apartments in New York. Known for its Victorian history, Rosemary and Guy cannot wait to start their life here, even if the neighbors seem a bit… eccentric. Then, Guy lands a role on Broadway, and Rosemary finds out she is pregnant, their lives will be very busy soon, but they are excited about their future. But then Rosemary gets sick, and she wonders if those strange noises she hears in the night are their neighbors or just her imagination. The neighbors take a strange, almost possessive, interest in her and her unborn baby, and she worries that their motive to help her is something more than neighborly concern.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Bird Box by Josh Malerman

Five years ago, a monster began to terrorize people. Just one look at it and people are sent into madness. Today, Malorie and her children live in an abandoned house along a river, secluded from people and the monster. After years of hiding, Malorie decides it’s time for her family to make the dangerous move down the river, where she is certain someone, or something, is following them. On their journey, she is forced to confront the terrors of the past five years and questions, in a world of madmen, can anyone be trusted?

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Sleep Tight by J.H. Markert

Detective Claibourne put away Father Silence twenty years ago after his House of Horrors was discovered with nineteen bodies and one survivor. Now, Detective Claibourne has been murdered by a new serial killer calling themself the Outcast. It is up to Claire Claibourne, the detective’s daughter, to find out who did this. The stakes have never been higher, and now that her daughter has been kidnapped, Claire will do anything to find out who is doing this, even go back to the broken-minded survivor of Father Silence for answers.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Hell House by Richard Matheson

People have tried to investigate the strangeness of the Belasco House that has stood uninhabited for twenty years, but everyone searching for answers has come out mad or murdered. Four strangers meet, each with their own research and motives to figure out the horrors of the most haunted house in the world.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Reprieve by James Han Mattson

To win an enormous cash prize, four strangers must team up to overcome the horrors of the Quigley House, a full-contact escape room in Nebraska. While they face scare after scare with incredible actors and tricks of the eye, they soon realize what seems like a game has become all too real when one of the group members is murdered. Each of the contents provides a look into the night, what brought them there, and the monstrosities they could never have prepared for.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Curse of The Reaper by Brian McAuley

Howard, a once-known Hollywood actor in the eighties, is now reduced to signing headshots at horror conventions for his shrinking fanbase. But when he hears news that the slasher movies he starred in are being remade, he is thrilled at the chance to return to his character, the Reaper. That is until a new hotshot actor is given the role instead. He refuses to let go of the Reaper character and he soon finds himself back in the mind of that deranged role, pushing him towards violence.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The The Road by Cormac McCarthy

A father and son walk alone in a desolate world with nothing but each other and some supplies as they head towards the coast, hoping to find some shred of civilization. But with murderous bands of outlaws that stalk the roads and only a pistol to protect them, the two will have to survive horrors before they make it to safety, if that even exists anymore.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon

In 1908, a woman was found dead in a field behind her secluded farmhouse only a few months after her daughter tragically died. Now, another family lives in the house, but history looks like it may repeat itself when nineteen-year-old Ruthie has to search for her missing mother Alice. She finds some help in an old diary left behind by the former owners, but will it be enough to find her mother, protect her younger sister, and stop these happenings for good?

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

They Drown Our Daughters by Katrina Monroe

Pulled back to her supposedly haunted hometown, Meredith returns to Cape Disappointment with her young daughter after her and her wife’s nasty divorce. Heartbroken and downtrodden, she goes to live with her mother who is suffering from the early stages of Alzheimer’s. Her mother is convinced all the ghost stories they tell tourists are true and that something is watching them, calling them to the darkness of the sea, and reaching out to Meredith’s daughter in the same way. Meredith must be vigilant and work hard to protect her family that has been claimed by these secrets before.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Beloved by Toni Morrison

Sethe escaped the brutality of slavery when she ran away to Ohio at eighteen, but she will never be truly free for the horrors she endured. Now, she is haunted by her memories and the ghost of her unnamed baby, who is only known to others by her lone headstone marked Beloved.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Mexican Gothic by Silva Moreno-Garcia

Called on by her cousin to help save her from a mysterious danger, Noemí heads to High Place, her cousin’s home since marrying an Englishman and moving into his family estate. Noemí soon finds herself intrigued by the menacing but alluringly handsome husband, his father who has taken a special interest in Noemí, and even the house seems to be invading her mind, showing her horrific scenes of bloodshed. With only one other person to turn to for help, will she uncover the secrets of the house and family to save her cousin?

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Whisper Man by Alex North

All Tom wants to do is have a nice, quiet life with his son Jake in their new home, Featherbank. Unknown to them, this town is home to a former serial killer, the Whisper Man, who murdered five residents of the town and lured them from their homes by whispering outside their windows in the middle of the night. But that was twenty years ago, so there is no way this new missing child has anything to do with that, until Jake starts to hear whispers too.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Thing Between Us by Gus Moreno

When Vera buys a new smart speaker for their apartment, Thiago does not bat an eye. That is until the strange things about their home—the odd scratching coming from inside the walls and cold spots in the living room—get even weirder, with buckets of industrial lye showing up at their front door and Vera waking up in the middle of the night to light shows in an empty room. Their world comes crashing down when Vera suddenly dies, and Thiago learns he cannot run or hide from his grief or the terrible anger building inside him.

Buy the book now: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The September House by Carissa Orlando

Hal and Margaret are thrilled when they manage to buy their dream home at a low price, but they soon learn why. The house is haunted and every September, the walls ooze blood, and spirits lurk, afraid of a secret hidden in the basement. Hal was ready to pack his bags and move after the first haunting, but Margaret refused to leave. Hal leaves without warning and soon goes missing, so their daughter comes to try to find him, completely unaware of the hauntings or the secrets that lay waiting for the family.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Night Film by Marisha Pessel

After the daughter of a famous and reclusive horror movie director is found dead, investigative journalist Scott McGrath is determined to find the killer. This is the second time this family succumbed to a strange and suspicious demise, his first suspicion is towards her twisted father, looking for inspiration for his next movie. McGrath failed to find answers the last time something like this happened, and he refused to make the same mistakes again.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Kill For LoveKill For Love by Laura Picklesimer

Tiffany is a sorority sister who is having trouble keeping her dark and sadistic tendencies in control. When a frat party hook-up turns deadly, she realizes a deep desire to kill young and attractive men. Her bloodlust is insatiable, and the killings begin to increase, bringing about mounting legal judgement, competing murderers for social media likes, and a man named Weston who will be her perfect match.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Relic by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child

Only days before a new exhibit in the New York Natural History Museum opens, there is a string of gruesome murders with no apparent culprit. The museum director decides to continue with the plan to unveil the exhibit, but Margo Green is not satisfied, so she decides to solve the mystery of who, or what, has done this.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak

Mallory is ready to start her new life as a babysitter for a sweet couple and their son Teddy. After her visit to rehab, the stability of the new job is exactly what she needs, and her bond with Teddy grows true and genuine. One day, she notices Teddy drawing a picture of a man dragging a woman’s body into the woods. This was the first of many disturbing pictures Teddy drew, all of which were done at a level far past that of a five-year-old. Mallory begins to wonder what is causing this change in her once sweet boy, and she will do anything to get him back to the way he was, so she sets out to decipher the images and the horrific story they tell.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice

Louis was the heir to a Southern plantation with all the opportunity in the world to be a success. That is until he was doomed to an immortal life as a vampire by Lestat, who is desperate to find out where he belongs. Louis takes readers on a journey through his life and one of the most difficult and dangerous decisions he has ever made, turning another person into a vampire, a little girl named Claudia.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff

Atticus Turner is on a road trip with his Uncle George and childhood friend Letitia, all on a mission to find Atticus’s missing dad. Their journey leads them to Braithwhite Manor, where Atticus finds his father chained up in a hidden room. The group soon discovers the owner’s plan for Atticus and his father but they must let them go through with their insane plan to save Atticus and his friends.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Victor Frankenstein is a scientist who, after the loss of his mother, becomes obsessed with reanimation. He decides to create life on his own using the flesh of the dead and electricity. When he realizes what he’s done, he abandons his experiment, leaving it to grow on its own and develop a hatred for the creator who left him. A hatred so strong it follows Victor for years, never truly ending until he meets his end.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James

In 1982, a woman working at the Sun Down Motel mysteriously disappeared. Then, in 2017, her niece visits the motel to try and solve the disappearance, but soon finds herself slowly pulled into the same world that took her aunt years before.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Dracula by Bram Stoker

This novel gave us what is now the modern stapple of a vampire. An iconic story of a girl slowly dying from a life-draining illness, a vampire hunter, a terrified mob, and a vampire’s insatiable thirst for blood.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Ghost Story by Peter Straub

Four old friends gather to entertain each other with scary stories of ghosts and ghouls. But one of these stories is all too real. It is a story about their past mistakes, and it will haunt them for the rest of their lives.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Ring by Koji Suzuki

An odd videotape has been circulating among a few teens, each dead within seven days of having watched it. Reporter Asakawa talks to people all over Japan in hopes of finding out what is really going on with this tape before time runs out.

Buy the book now: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Diavola by Jennifer Thorne

This family vacation to a remote island takes a dark turn when the Pace family starts to hear strange noises at night and warnings from locals about the house they are staying in. But how scary or dangerous could a cozy villa be, even with the dark secrets of the house looming just out of reach.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle

Camp Damascus is quietly nestled in the Montana countryside. It is known for being the “most effective” gay conversion camp in the U.S., but something even more sinister is really going on to scare these children.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay

The Barrett’s are at a loss when their daughter Marjorie begins to show signs of schizophrenia. When she starts to slip further and further away from reality, they call a priest who suggests they should do an exorcist, who then contacts a local tv show crew to record and televise the exorcism as part of a new show. Now, fifteen years later, her younger sister, Merry, is being interviewed about that horrific day that ended in a family tragedy.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Harvest Home by Thomas Tryon

To help protect their daughter from smoggy city air that gives her asthma attacks, the Constantine family moves to a small farm town in New England called Cornwall Coombe. Once there, they realize the residents all seem to know one another like family, but not in a way that feels at all comforting to these outsiders. They manage to catch the eye of the town matriarch Widow Fortune, who invites them to join a harvest celebration that turns out to be much darker and deadly than a true harvest.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Gathering by CJ Tudor

Years ago, Detective Jensen Tucker almost lost his life investigating a string of murders associated with a group of vampyrs. Now, another similar murder has happened, and Detective Barabara Atkins is the one who must solve this crime. She knows the rest of her small Alaskan town thinks the vampyrs did it, but she is not sure, so she goes to the reclusive former detective for help. Together they must find out who committed these crimes, the vampyrs or an unknown psychopath.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Mister Magic by Kiersten White

A group of former castmates is brought back together on a deserted film set, knowing exactly what brought them all here, Mister Magic. A man in a dark cloak, he used to have his own television show that these actors were on as children, but the show ended in tragedy and any tapes of it were destroyed, so they only have their memories to hold on to Mister Magic. Together again, it is time they found out the truth of the deadly last day on set.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble