20 Scary Books to Read This Halloween — Just Don't Turn Off the Lights!

'Murder Road' and 'The Sun Down Motel' by Simone St. James

Simone St. James is one of my favorite modern-day writers of haunted tales.  I first encountered her books when my husband and I were traveling across the country, and I stumbled across The Sun Down Motel. Its cover reminded me of a 1960s rendition of Alfred Hitchcock’s Bates Motel. After a few chapters, I was thinking twice about where we overnighted for the rest of the trip! 

St. James’ Murder Road is no different. When a young couple takes a wrong turn on a deserted road, there is no going back, and no escape from the dark history of the nearby town and that horrible stretch of road. My #ReadWithSharon book club will be reading this one in October.

'Mexican Gothic' by Sylvia Moreno-Garcia

Who doesn’t love a haunted house on Halloween? Sylvia Moreno-Garcia doesn’t disappoint in her gothic tale about a young woman sent to High Place, her cousin’s distant house in the Mexican countryside. But the inhospitable house is not the only thing she has to fear. There are many secrets behind the walls of High Place, and as visions of blood and doom invade her dreams, she is mesmerized by this seductive and terrifying world. The question quickly becomes whether she can survive it. 

'The Guest List' by Lucy Foley

Speaking of haunted houses, The Guest List is like a scene from the Eagles’ song Hotel California … you can check out, but you can never leave. This was another of my book club picks. Seven guests arrive for a wedding at the Folley, an ancient castle on Inis an Amplóra, a remote island off the coast of Ireland. All seems well until the lights go out, and one by one, people keep turning up dead. A creepy whodunnit that will chill you to the bone.

'The House of Last Resort' by Christopher Golden

Did I mention I love spooky old houses? (Actually, I live in one!) In The House of Last Resort, a young couple looking for a new start move to Becchina, a tiny village in Italy. But from the moment they arrive, something just isn’t right.  What started as the house of their dreams suddenly becomes their worst nightmare.

'The September House' by Carrisa Orlando

The cover of The September House says it all. A hauntingly beautiful Victorian that is well … haunted.  Margaret is perfectly happy with the ghosts that live within the walls of her home — until her husband Hal mysteriously disappears. Complex and darkly funny, this creepy tale had me laughing out loud one minute and holding my breath the next.

'Small Town Horror' by Ronald Malfi

It’s not just haunted houses that I find thrilling. In the horrifyingly dark Small Town Horror, five friends reunite in their hometown and are forced to face their past. What starts off as a slow burn suddenly twists and turns as secrets are revealed. Or are they? Suddenly you have no idea where the story is going. And that ending — I was blown away.

'King Nyx' by Kirsten Bakis

If you think it was hard to escape a town’s secret past, imagine being surrounded by water as well as ghosts. But are these illusions only in your mind, or is something more sinister at play? King Nyx is a dark, dreamlike tale that will have you not only questioning the heroine’s sanity as she searches for three lost girls on Prosper Island, but also your own.

'The Only One Left' by Riley Sager

What could be more intriguing than an old, haunted mansion and the murder mystery behind a children’s playground chant: "At 17 Lenora Hope, hung her sister with a rope. Stabbed her father with a knife. Took her mother’s happy life…”  Decades later, when a home health aide takes a position caring for the now infirm Lenora Hope at the family’s decrepit estate, the secret behind the 1929 Hope murders will leave you feeling as if you are hanging from the edge of a cliff — literally.

'The Devil and Mrs. Davenport' by Paulette Kennedy

Strange voices, eerie premonitions and a killer on the loose — what more do you need? It’s 1955 and Loretta Davenport has lived a sheltered life, that is until a local girl is found dead and strange visions of the girl’s murder fill Loretta’s head. Her husband thinks she’s possessed by the devil. But is she? This is a gothic, atmospheric read for sure.

'The Grays of Truth' by Sharon Virts

And if you are intrigued by voices of the dead, I’d be remiss not to include my newest release, The Grays of Truth, on my haunted Halloween lineup. Jane Gray Wharton thinks someone is poisoning members of her family, but no one believes her. And how can she blame them? Jane has a hard time believing her own mind. Set in Baltimore during the reconstruction, the story’s dark vibes and unreliable narrator will keep you reading all night until you, too, learn the macabre truth.

'You Like it Darker' by Stephen King

I love anything by Stephen King. I was in ninth grade, babysitting for a neighbor when I found Carrie on the family’s bookshelf and became hooked. My favorite Stephen King novel (and the one that scared me the most) is Pet Sematary. Perhaps that’s the reason I am so enthralled by “The Dreamers,” one of 12 short stories included in King’s newest release, You Like It Darker. Like Pet Sematary where the protagonist is pushed beyond the point of no return, this one left me with nightmares!

'The Omen' by David Seltzer and 'The Other' by Tom Tryon

No scary story list would overlook the OGs of horror: The Omen and The Other. I read both when I was in high school, and they still haunt me. The characters Damien in The Omen and Holland in The Other still send shivers up my spine. For a little retro scare, you must read these two again.

'The Amityville Horror' by Jay Anson

If you love classic cult horror, look no further than The Amityville Horror. Yes, we’ve all seen the movie, but have you read the book? In 1974, Ronald DeFeo brutally murdered his parents, brothers and sisters in their home. But what happens a year later when the Lutz family moves into the Long Island house will scare the hell out of you. And what’s most disturbing is that this horrifying classic is based on real events. 

'The Hunger' by Alma Katsu

Stephen King called it “deeply disturbing.”  I call it horrifically delicious (no pun intended). Based on the true story of the Donner Party, a group of pioneers crossing the Nevada Sierras in the winter of 1847, The Hunger explores the gruesome depths of evil. Warning: Do not read this one after dark!

'Heart Shaped Box' by Joe Hill

No, it’s not the song by Nirvana, although it is about an aging rockstar. Jude Coyne has a penchant for macabre artifacts. When he finds a dead man’s suit for sale online that is purported to include the dead man’s ghost, he cannot resist purchasing it. Jude assumes the seller is a stranger and thinks the story about the ghost is a gas. He soon finds out that he’s wrong on both accords. A terrifying cinematic read.

'The Ruins' by Scott Smith

What starts as a relaxing Mexican vacation slowly spirals into a nightmare beyond anything you could imagine. What makes The Ruins so terrifying is that as the story develops, you find yourself truly invested and caring about the characters. It’s a horrifying tale that you will be unable to put down (and one that might cause you to reconsider any future Mexican vacation plans).

'A Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires' by Grady Hendrix

Every Halloween reading list must include a good vampire story. While you could always read Dracula or Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire for your blood-thirsty fix, A Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires is a great modern alternative.

When the women of a southern book club find out that a vampire has moved into their neighborhood, they have no choice than to take him out. What starts off as satirical comedy quickly becomes a seriously frightening story. A perfect read for All Hallow’s Eve!

'The Exorcist' by William Peter Blatty

No scary book list would be complete without the most frightening story of all time—The Exorcist. I first read this book while I was in middle school (my mother thought I would be scarred for life when she realized what I had read). If reading this book inspired by a true story of a child possessed by demons doesn’t scare the bejesus out of you, nothing will. And trust me, the movie's got nothing on the terror of the written word.