As the leaves begin to change and the air turns crisp, it’s time to dive into some spine-tingling reads that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Whether you’re a fan of ghosts, vampires, or twisted psychological thrillers, this list of six books has something for every reader looking to add some chill to their autumn reading list.
The Devil and the Dark Water
About the Book
The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton
Genre: Historical Thriller
Book Review
A compelling mystery featuring the passengers of a potentially doomed ship.
As boarding is taking place on the Saardam, a leper with no tongue prophesies the doom of the ship. From witchhunter Sander Kers to beautiful courtesan Creesjie Jens to the famed detective Samuel Pipps, many of the passengers have been lured or forced onto the ship. Years ago, many of them had a role to play in the wave of witchcraft and curses spread by the feared demon, Old Tom. Now Old Tom may be hidden among them, ready to take revenge for the events of all those years ago.
These characters were endearing. From fearless Sara, the governor general’s wife and highest ranking noble, who never hesitates to get her hands dirty either healing others or digging into the mystery, to Arent, the bodyguard who fails to see his worth beyond protecting his charge. Sara and Arent are naturally drawn to each other, providing some of my favorite scenes in the book.
This book dives deep into the superstitious world of the crew, a band of thieves and worse held loosely together through fear and respect for their captain. I like how the book didn’t shy away from how brutal the world of a sailing ship would have been.
In this complicated tale, everyone has a secret, and the heart of the mystery is hidden under many twists and turns.
Castle of the Cursed
About the Book
Castle of the Cursed by Romina Garber
Genre: YA Vampire Fiction
Book Review
A bloodthirsty family legacy calls a girl back to her ancestral castle after a tragedy. But this castle is more than haunted – it’s always hungry.
In this gothic supernatural romance, Estella is the sole survivor of an accident that killed her parents. She is institutionalized from the shock and struggles to find the will to live, when a mysterious letter arrives from her aunt, inviting her to the family castle in Spain that she can only barely remember. In true gothic fashion, her aunt forbids her from exploring the castle beyond the main rooms. Of course, that’s the first rule Estela breaks, finding hidden rooms and secrets all over.
But when the handsome shadow beast (vampire) that Estela has been dreaming of comes to life within the castle walls, she finds herself drug into a web woven by others. Sebastian’s convinced she is the bruja (witch) who has trapped him in her dimension and keeps threatening to kill her. But as Estela investigates to keep herself alive, both seem to feel complicated emotions towards each other.
This book was pretty well-paced, with just a few sections when we were in someone’s memories that seemed to drag a little. There were some good twists, as well as some great gothic elements. All in all, an enjoyable mash-up of dark fantasy and paranormal romance.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The Night of the Storm
About the Book
The Night of the Storm by Nishita Parekh
Genre: Locked Room Mystery, Thriller
Book Review
What a perfect thriller! A storm (ha ha!) of circumstances provide the right amount of pressure to keep these characters and the readers on edge.
Between her ex-husband threatening to sue for full custody and Hurricane Harvey, Jia’s on edge and wondering how every decision will sound to a custody judge. When she decides to shelter at her sister’s, she discovers it’s under an evacuation order as well, and only her brother-in-law’s insistence that the flood won’t make it up the hilly driveway and some slashed tires keep her in place. With eight extended family members ending up under one roof, tensions are already running high. When a neighbor whose story doesn’t quite add up joins the party and people begin to end up dead, Jia has to stay one step ahead of both the murderers and the advancing flood waters.
Jia was sympathetic as the divorced black sheep of the family who wants to keep her son safe from every threat, even those that come from within the family. Seema was perfect as the smug sister who seems to have her life perfectly together, while sister-in-law Lisa rounded out the dynamic with her desperation to be liked and to belong.
I enjoyed reading about an Indian family, as that’s not a culture I’ve seen represented a lot, especially in thrillers. This kept me on the edge of the seat as disaster came from every direction.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
We Were Restless Things
About the Book
We Were Restless Things by Cole Nagamatsu
Genre: YA Magical Realism, Thriller, Horror
Book Review
A chilling page turner where a girl is getting texts from her dead friend.
After getting expelled from his school, Jonas is being sent to live with his dad, his dad’s younger girlfriend Cesca, her daughter Noemi, and a few boarders at a rural inn turned into a private residence. On his first night, he’s told the story of Link, a local boy who drowned in the woods behind their house, despite the police finding no water. The mystery of what happened to Link dominates these characters’ lives,
Perched on the edge of some eerie woods, the former Lamplight inn provides an interesting setting. Deep in the woods, there’s a lake that’s only there sometimes, mostly when Noemi is along. It’s never there when someone brings a camera. Link must have drowned in that lake, and the friends start digging deeper, trying to understand why.
I adored these characters. Noemi marches to the beat of her own drum, a Goth girl trying to figure out her feelings towards boys. She’s also an artist who photographs her dreams. Gaetan’s unexpectedly sympathetic as the homeless high school bully who bounces from place to place after the death of his best friend. Jonas is sweet and sympathetic as the fish out of water among friends who have known each other for a lifetime.
Riveting, spooky and absolutely enthralling, this is a great addition to any YA horror lover’s library.
The Edge of Sleep
About the Book
The Edge of Sleep by Jake Emanuel, Willie Block and Jason Gurley
Genre: Suspense Thriller, Horror
Book Review
The terror builds fast in this novel with a unique, spellbinding premise – what if everyone who went to sleep never woke up? In this post-apocalyptic thriller, the survivors are the night shift workers, the hard partiers, and those with sleep disorders who have always struggled to let go.
In this gritty urban horror novel, Dave and Matteo are leaving a disappointing party when they discover a dead body on the couch. After they head upstairs to find the homeowner, they discover more bodies. Their working theories are bad drugs or a carbon monoxide leak, until they arrive at the hospital to find that nearly everyone in the entire place is also dead. Dave’s frantic calls keep his ex-girlfriend, Katie, from going to sleep, while at the hospital, the staff abandon in the face of a mass casualty event, with one exception. Nurse Linda Russo refuses to abandon her post, until she teams up with Dave, Matteo and Katie to find a way to survive. Both the group and the readers wonder: how long can they stay awake?
This is part horror novel, part paranormal allegory involving a mystical conflict where truth appears in dreams. One dreamer in particular may be the only chance the characters have left to survive.
I liked this novel best when it stayed rooted in the real world, as the characters shine as four unlikely heroes banding together to survive. The parts where the author veers away from the personal stories of the main four characters to show what’s happening to the world at large add to the ominous sense of utter disaster.
Thank you to the publisher for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The Lamplighter
About the Book
The Lamplighter by Crystal J. Bell
Genre: Young Adult Historical Fiction and Horror
Book Review
Eerie and atmospheric, this book gave me a deep appreciation for a new genre mash-up: historical horror.
In a New England whaling town, something lurks in the nightly fog. Temperance, the town lamplighter, is haunted by the light post where her dad hung himself, but soon she begins to suspect that something worse than her memories is creeping around. It’s her job to keep the villagers and visiting whalers safe from disappearing forever into the fog. But when two of her lamps go out the same day a girl goes missing, she finds herself under fire in a town that resents her for being female.
After her father’s death, Temperance was allowed to take over his job to provide for her family, but the town still feels unease about the role being filled by a woman. Temperance is constantly butting up against society’s expectations with her need to be able to take care of herself. But standing out can attract the wrong kind of attention, in more ways than one.
I loved the relationship between Temperance and her younger sister, Prudence. Though they fought and disapproved of each other’s choices – especially Prudence’s courtship with the much older Gideon – they had each other’s backs in the end.
The ending was both unexpected and absolute perfection.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Need more to read? Find all my horror recommendations here.
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