There is nothing I enjoy more than a creeptastic story this time of year. Today I am recommending some of my favorites. Whether you love ghosts, paranormal woo-woo or sheer terror, I hope you find something spooktacular. Grab a steaming cup of your favorite caffeinated brew and enjoy!
by Justin Cronin
Series: The Passage,
Genres: Horror, Post-Apocalyptic
Purchase*: Amazon *affiliate
“It happened fast. Thirty-two minutes for one world to die, another to be born.” First, the unthinkable: a security breach at a secret U.S. government facility unleashes the monstrous product of a chilling military experiment. Then, the unspeakable: a night of chaos and carnage gives way to sunrise on a nation, and ultimately a world, forever altered. All that remains for the stunned survivors is the long fight ahead and a future ruled by fear—of darkness, of death, of a fate far worse. As civilization swiftly crumbles into a primal landscape of predators and prey, two people flee in search of sanctuary. FBI agent Brad Wolgast is a good man haunted by what he’s done in the line of duty. Six-year-old orphan Amy Harper Bellafonte is a refugee from the doomed scientific project that has triggered apocalypse. He is determined to protect her from the horror set loose by her captors. But for Amy, escaping the bloody fallout is only the beginning of a much longer odyssey—spanning miles and decades—towards the time and place where she must finish what should never have begun. With The Passage, award-winning author Justin Cronin has written both a relentlessly suspenseful adventure and an epic chronicle of human endurance in the face of unprecedented catastrophe and unimaginable danger. Its inventive storytelling, masterful prose, and depth of human insight mark it as a crucial and transcendent work of modern fiction.
The Passage and the entire trilogy is simply brilliant. Cronin redefines vampires and delivers a brilliant, addictive world you cannot forget. Read my full review: THE PASSAGE | THE TWELVE | THE CITY OF MIRRORS
by Joe Hill
Narrator: Kate Mulgrew
Length: 19 hours and 41 minutes
Genres: Horror
Source: Purchase
Purchase*: Amazon | Audible *affiliate
Narration: 5 cups
NOS4A2 is a spine-tingling novel of supernatural suspense from master of horror Joe Hill, the New York Times bestselling author of Heart-Shaped Box and Horns.
Victoria McQueen has a secret gift for finding things: a misplaced bracelet, a missing photograph, answers to unanswerable questions. On her Raleigh Tuff Burner bike, she makes her way to a rickety covered bridge that, within moments, takes her wherever she needs to go, whether it’s across Massachusetts or across the country.
Charles Talent Manx has a way with children. He likes to take them for rides in his 1938 Rolls-Royce Wraith with the NOS4A2 vanity plate. With his old car, he can slip right out of the everyday world, and onto the hidden roads that transport them to an astonishing – and terrifying – playground of amusements he calls “Christmasland.”
Then, one day, Vic goes looking for trouble—and finds Manx. That was a lifetime ago. Now Vic, the only kid to ever escape Manx’s unmitigated evil, is all grown up and desperate to forget. But Charlie Manx never stopped thinking about Victoria McQueen. He’s on the road again and he’s picked up a new passenger: Vic’s own son.
I listened to NOS4A2 last year and Joe Hill is a clever, twisted writer. While I am sure this is equally brilliant to read, the story on audio is chilling and one I would recommend to everyone! Read my thoughts on the audio edition narrated by Kate Mulgrew: NOS4A2
by Laura Bickle
Series: Hallowed Ones #1
Genres: Paranormal
Source: Purchase
Purchase*: Amazon *affiliate
If your home was the last safe place on earth, would you let a stranger in?
In this captivating thriller, an Amish settlement is the last safe haven in a world plagued by an unspeakable horror… Katie is on the verge of her Rumspringa, the time in Amish life when teenagers are free to experience non-Amish culture before officially joining the church. But before Rumspringa arrives, Katie’s safe world starts to crumble. It begins with a fiery helicopter crash in the cornfields, followed by rumors of massive unrest and the disappearance of huge numbers of people all over the world.
Something is out there...and it is making a killing. Unsure why they haven’t yet been attacked, the Amish Elders make a decree: No one goes outside their community, and no one is allowed in. But when Katie finds a gravely injured young man lying just outside the boundary of their land, she can’t leave him to die. She refuses to submit to the Elder’s rule and secretly brings the stranger into her community—but what else is she bringing in with him?
Do you enjoy suspenseful tales with slow-building chills? Then you will want to grab THE HALLOWED ONES and THE OUTSIDE, the perfect duology for thrills and chills. Dark and twisted this young adult tale takes you to Amish country as something sinister lurks. Read my thoughts here: THE HALLOWED ONES | THE OUTSIDE
by Ezekiel Boone
Series: The Hatching,
Genres: Horror
Source: BEA, Publisher
Purchase*: Amazon *affiliate
An astonishingly inventive and terrifying debut horror novel about the emergence of an ancient race of carnivorous spiders, dormant for ten thousand years but now very much awake. There's a reason we're afraid of spiders...
A local guide is leading wealthy tourists through a forest in Peru when a strange, black, skittering mass engulfs him and most of the party. FBI Agent Mike Rich is on a routine stakeout in Minneapolis when he's suddenly called by the director himself to investigate a mysterious plane crash. A scientist studying earthquakes in India registers an unprecedented pattern in local seismic readings. The US president, her defence and national security advisers and her chief of staff are dumped into crisis mode when China "accidentally" drops a nuclear bomb on a desolate region of its own country. As such unsettling occurrences mount, the president's old friend (and her chief of staff's ex-wife), spider expert Melanie Guyer, receives a box at her lab at American University that contains an ancient egg unearthed at a South American dig.
So begins The Hatching, the hair-raising saga of a single week in which an ancient, frighteningly predatory species of spider re-emerges in force. When the unusual egg in Melanie Guyer's lab begins to vibrate and crack, she finds herself at the epicentre of this apocalyptic natural disaster. Working closely with her ex-husband and his very powerful boss, she has to find some way to stem the brutal tide of man-eating arachnids.
Spiders. They totally freak me out people! If you want an action-packed tale with creepy crawlies this series is for you. I love how it unfolds like a movie, showing us happens around the world. Check out my horror story and review of THE HATCHING | SKITTER
by Jaime Lee Moyer
Series: Delia Martin #1
Genres: Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Paranormal
Source: Publisher
Purchase*: Amazon *affiliate
A dark, romantic fantasy set against the backdrop of San Francisco devastated by the Great Quake... It is the dawn of a new century in San Francisco and Delia Martin is a wealthy young woman whose life appears ideal. But a dark secret colors her life, for Delia’s most loyal companions are ghosts, as she has been gifted (or some would say cursed) with an ability to peer across to the other side. Since the great quake rocked her city in 1906, Delia has been haunted by an avalanche of the dead clamoring for her help. Delia flees to the other side of the continent, hoping to gain some peace. After several years in New York, Delia believes she is free…until one determined specter appears and she realizes that she must return to the City by the Bay in order to put this tortured soul to rest. It will not be easy, as the ghost is only one of the many victims of a serial killer who was never caught. A killer who after thirty years is killing again. And who is now aware of Delia’s existence.
If historical and ghosts wrapped around a mystery and a touch of romance scream fall for you, then the Delia Shadow series is for you. Jamie Lee Moyer did an excellent job of conjuring up spirits in DELIA’S SHADOW. the first book in this trilogy. Check out my reviews of all three: DELIA’S SHADOW | A BARRICADE IN HELL | AGAINST A BRIGHTENING SKY
by Karen White
Narrator: Carolyn Cook, Susan Larkin, Tiffany Morgan
Length: 15 hours and 18 minutes
Genres: Women's Fiction, Suspense
Source: Publisher
Purchase*: Amazon | Audible *affiliate
Narration: 5 cups
From the New York Times bestselling author of the Tradd Street series comes a stunning new novel about a young single mother who discovers that the nature of friendship is never what it seems....
Recently divorced, Merilee Talbot Dunlap moves with her two children to the Atlanta suburb of Sweet Apple, Georgia. It's not her first time starting over, but her efforts at a new beginning aren't helped by an anonymous local blog that dishes about the scandalous events that caused her marriage to fail.
Merilee finds some measure of peace in the cottage she is renting from town matriarch Sugar Prescott. Though stubborn and irascible, Sugar sees something of herself in Merilee--something that allows her to open up about her own colorful past.
Sugar's stories give Merilee a different perspective on the town and its wealthy school moms in their tennis whites and shiny SUVs, and even on her new friendship with Heather Blackford. Merilee is charmed by the glamorous young mother's seemingly perfect life and finds herself drawn into Heather's world.
In a town like Sweet Apple, where sins and secrets are as likely to be found behind the walls of gated mansions as in the dark woods surrounding Merilee's house, appearance is everything. But just how dangerous that deception can be will shock all three women....
THE NIGHT THE LIGHTS WENT OUT offers a delightful suspense thriller that sort of sneaks up on you as you listen to this small-town southern tale. With elements of humor, friendship and a side dish of romance this the perfect fall listen for even the timidest. Read my review of The Nights the Lights Went Out.
by Clare Mackintosh
Genres: Suspense Thriller
Source: Publisher
Purchase*: Amazon *affiliate
Every morning and evening, Zoe Walker takes the same route to the train station, waits at a certain place on the platform, finds her favorite spot in the car, never suspecting that someone is watching her...
It all starts with a classified ad. During her commute home one night, while glancing through her local paper, Zoe sees her own face staring back at her; a grainy photo along with a phone number and a listing for a website called FindTheOne.com.
Other women begin appearing in the same ad, a different one every day, and Zoe realizes they’ve become the victims of increasingly violent crimes—including murder. With the help of a determined cop, she uncovers the ad’s twisted purpose...A discovery that turns her paranoia into full-blown panic. Zoe is sure that someone close to her has set her up as the next target.
And now that man on the train—the one smiling at Zoe from across the car—could be more than just a friendly stranger. He could be someone who has deliberately chosen her and is ready to make his next move…
A realistic thriller that will give you chills! You won’t be able to set this one down or stop thinking about it. See my thoughts on I SEE YOU
by Aleatha Romig
Series: The Light #1
Narrator: Kevin T. Collins, Erin deWard, Noah Michael Levine
Length: 13 hours and 17 minutes
Genres: Suspense Thriller
Source: Publisher
Purchase*: Amazon | Audible *affiliate
Heat Level:
Narration: 4 cups
Sara Adams awakes blind, unable to remember the most basic details of her life, but her darkness seems a blessing when she discovers the terrors of The Light.
Stella Montgomery investigates the news from the mean streets of Detroit, where she's noticed a disturbing trend: Young women are vanishing. When her best friend disappears, Stella digs for answers - despite warnings from her police detective boyfriend - following a twisted trail that leads her through the city's most dangerous and forsaken precincts. There she uncovers something more sinister than she could have imagined: a shadowy organization known as The Light, led by the enigmatic Father Gabriel.
As Sara struggles to understand her place in the strange world she's awakened to - an oppressive cult demanding unquestioning obedience - and her feelings for Jacob, the husband she can't recall and whose harsh and tender attentions confuse and beguile her, Stella risks all to discover the truth. But enlightenment always comes with a price....
Do cults make you curious and uneasy? You’ll want to grab INTO THE LIGHT the first in a duology. Investigative report Stella Montgomery begins a case investigating unsolved cases of missing young woman and stumbles upon a group known as The Light. Chilling and fast-paced you’ll quickly be reaching for the second novel. My review of INTO THE LIGHT
by Ruth Ware
Genres: Mystery, Thriller
Source: BEA
Purchase*: Amazon *affiliate
In this tightly wound, enthralling story reminiscent of Agatha Christie’s works, Lo Blacklock, a journalist who writes for a travel magazine, has just been given the assignment of a lifetime: a week on a luxury cruise with only a handful of cabins. The sky is clear, the waters calm, and the veneered, select guests jovial as the exclusive cruise ship, the Aurora, begins her voyage in the picturesque North Sea. At first, Lo’s stay is nothing but pleasant: the cabins are plush, the dinner parties are sparkling, and the guests are elegant. But as the week wears on, frigid winds whip the deck, gray skies fall, and Lo witnesses what she can only describe as a dark and terrifying nightmare: a woman being thrown overboard. The problem? All passengers remain accounted for—and so, the ship sails on as if nothing has happened, despite Lo’s desperate attempts to convey that something (or someone) has gone terribly, terribly wrong…
With surprising twists, spine-tingling turns, and a setting that proves as uncomfortably claustrophobic as it is eerily beautiful, Ruth Ware offers up another taut and intense read in The Woman in Cabin 10—one that will leave even the most sure-footed reader restlessly uneasy long after the last page is turned.
Ware has become a go-to author for suspenseful tales and The Woman in Cabin 10 will have you questioning everything. Read my thoughts here: THE WOMAN IN CABIN 10
~*~*~*~*~*~
You will notice Stephen King is absent from this list, and that is because I would have had to list all of his titles. Trust me you can not go wrong with any of his books and they’re downright chilling on audio. I tried to select different types of books from the freaky to the suspenseful to share today. It is my hope you find your next fall read.
Now recommend a creeptastic read….
Caffeinated Halloween Reads & Listens Recommendations Share on XFYI * I am having some issues with comments due to upgrade to https. I am working on it. Please stick with me.
About Kimberly
Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat. BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram
MaryGrace Howard
NOS4A2 is excellent! I also recommend Hill’s The Fireman.
kimbacaffeinate
I’ve got that one on audio and hope to listen soon 🙂
Darlene
I loved The Hatching and Skitter! I can’t wait for Zero Day, which is the finale. I haven’t read any of the others, but I think they’re all on my TBR mountain.
I’m currently listening to It. While I do enjoy King, my favourite go-to author for a creepy read is Dean Koontz…primarily his older stuff. I find his books so chilling because they are usually psychological and could actually happen!
Darlene
Oh, and I also absolutely loved The Woman in Cabin 10. I want to read more from Ware.
kimbacaffeinate
I am looking forward to Zero Day to Darlene. I have read and enjoyed Koontz.
Lily
Oh I love these. I forgot about The Passage! I really wanted to read it, not sure all I wanted to read will fit into this one month. I did pick up a bunch of YA spooky books because they are quick reads
kimbacaffeinate
My expectations of what I will read is always higher.
Cyn
I’m not much of a scary books kinda reader but my sister is always looking for some! I’m intrigued by the Hallow Ones! Thanks for sharing!
kimbacaffeinate
That was a good one. 🙂
Kristin
I don’t even know where to start! So many great scary recommendations. I’ve just realized that I avoid scary books. I’ve never read one!!!! I honestly can’t think of one I’ve read!!! ZERO!! I’m thinking I may try one this month to shake things up. You KNOW me.. what do you recommend: The Woman in Cabin or The Passage? Mystery or Vampires? And no Stephen King – not a fan (I tried him forever ago and living 2 hours from him in Maine, so over him, so over him – sorry!)
Awesome, AWESOME post!!
kimbacaffeinate
You should try Into the Light. It’s mystery, suspense, a little bit thriller and perfect. The others are massive books, The Woman in Cabin 10 is more mystery. The Passage is an awesome trilogy but think- high fantasy horror.
Christy LoveOfBooks
Nice picks! A lot I havn’t read, but totally agree with the ones I have. I’d add Brother by Ania Ahlborn.
kimbacaffeinate
I just checked and of course Brothers is on my wishlist 🙂
Greg
I liked The Woman in Cabin 10 a lot. I See You is on my list to read, and I may have to get The Passage.
You had to do the spider didn’t you?? 🙂
kimbacaffeinate
The Passage trilogy is massive and one of my favorites. I See You is a quick read that pulls you in. I loved how relevant and realistic the thrill factor was Greg.
A Belle's Tales
Yes, YES, YESSS! Love this! You have so many of my favorites up there. I need to re-listen / re-read those and then get to the new ones you’ve added to my list! 🙂
kimbacaffeinate
Enjoy Michele. I am planning to listen to Fireman soon by Joe Hill. Right now Sleeping Beauties is in my ear.
Carole @ Carole's Random Life in Books
I have so many of these on my tbr list. I really do want to get to The Passage, The Woman in Cabin 10, and The Hatchling soon.
kimbacaffeinate
The Passage trilogy is one of my favorite post-apocalyptic series. It is brilliant.
Evie
Wow! These sure are spooky. I love the spider thing you got going on too!
kimbacaffeinate
That’s Melvin. He regularly appears here to scare the heck out of us.
Melanie Simmons
I love NOS4A2 and Into the Light. I have The Passage. It was recommended by my boss, but I wasn’t sure I would like what she requests. With your recommendation, I will move it up my list. The Woman in Cabin 10 has been on my TBR for a while. I need to move it up too. Great recommendations.
kimbacaffeinate
Wasn’t NOS4A2 incredible on audio. Yes, the Passage trilogy is one of my all-time favorites.
Nadene
I must confess I have not read any of these. I just went and got Into the Light. Thanks for the recs.
kimbacaffeinate
Oh, that is so good Nadene!
Jenea's Book Obsession
These are really great recommendations! I loved The Hallowed Ones. I am off to check out a couple them now.
kimbacaffeinate
Happy reading Jenea. Thanks for helping me out yesterday 🙂
Stormi Johnson
There are a few on here I haven’t read. 🙂 I love spooky recommandations. 🙂
kimbacaffeinate
Yay..hopefully, you will add those as well.
Melissa (Books and Things)
You are EVIL!! That spider gif really creeped me out! *runs screaming from the room*
I loved Delia’s Shadow. I may have to do a reread. I may have to read the Hallowed Ones. I have that one. Oh and maybe a Joe Hill book. Now to resume my screaming and running from the spider…
kimbacaffeinate
That is Melvin. I am terrified of them too, and like rollercoasters, I embrace my fear and read about them…lol
Ethan
These are some great seasonal reads! Thanks for sharing!
kimbacaffeinate
Indeed. Right now I am listening to Sleeping Beauties by SK. So good Ethan
ShootingStarsMag
Noooo why did you put a spider on here? Even fake ones freak me out! LOL
I really loved The Woman in Cabin 10 and I need to read her other two! I also want to read NOS4A2 by Joe Hill. I’ve read and LOVED Horns and the Locke and Key graphic novel series by him, so I need to check out all his stuff.
-Lauren
kimbacaffeinate
Bwahaha. I fear them too Lauren.
Leona
This is an amazing list! I’m getting ready to start my first Joe Hill story soon, Fireman, as well as Kelley Armstrong’s Omen
kimbacaffeinate
Wahoo. I have that on audio and will listen after Sleeping Beauties.
Heidi
The last two I have not read, but the rest I have. I still need to go back and finish Joe Hill. I started listening to the audiobook in the winter a couple of years ago and it was just too dark at the time so I set it aside. I have been wanting to check out the Woman in Cabin 10.
kimbacaffeinate
That was so awesome on audio. Kudos to the narrator, but yes if you are not in a good place, dark isn’t good.
Melissa
Great recs!! I can’t believe that I bought the Laura Bickle eBooks last Fall and haven’t read them yet! Maybe this month!
kimbacaffeinate
True book addict confession right there Melissa. We are all guilty of this, and still, we buy more!!
kindlemom1
I’ve enjoyed and loved many of these myself Kim and recently read the Hill book because of you too. 😉 I think a couple of these others I will have to see if I can get a hold of because they look really good too. I do love creepy stories this time of year.
kimbacaffeinate
Yes. I loved the Joe Hill on audio, the narration was superb.
Mary
I haven’t read any of those so that’s something for me to look into.
kimbacaffeinate
All excellent Mary 🙂
Casey @ She's All Booked
I just did a similar post on my blog, and I had The Passage on there too. Great minds! I read The Woman in Cabin 10 earlier this year and really enjoyed it. I’ll recommend Shirley Jackson’s We Have Always Lived in the Castle if you haven’t read it – seriously creepy, but not scary.
kimbacaffeinate
Cool. Yes, I love these type of reads in the Fall.
Anna
I don’t know where to begin. I’m in heaven. 🙂
Anna from elements of emaginette
kimbacaffeinate
Bwahaha. I am the same
Debbie Haupt
Some great choices and some I’m going to order right now!
kimbacaffeinate
Happy reading Debbie.
Vanessa
Haven’t tried any of these yet but I have the hatching in my TBR. Awesome suggestions Kim 🙂
kimbacaffeinate
That is a fast-paced read. Enjoy!
Angela @ Simply Angela
These look fantastically spooky–I’ve added some to my buy list!
kimbacaffeinate
Enjoy Angela. There is a little something for everyone.
Nick
I have only read The Hallowed Ones and I See You from your list and I loved those books! I need to check out some of these other books! Not the spider ones though. I have enough spiders in my life in the form of Christy’s monster on Facebook …
kimbacaffeinate
Yay. Glad you loved them and I hope you try the rest, Nick.
Geybie's Book Blog
Yay, thank you, Kim! I’m in the mood for something scary… Awesome recs, my friend. 🙂
kimbacaffeinate
Perfect time for a spooky read 😉
Christine @Buckling Bookshelves
I’m trying to read done creepy/spooky/gothic type stories in October too! I seem to have pulled out more titles than I possibly could get to though :/
kimbacaffeinate
LOL. I do the same thing!
Lorna
I came in to say you’re welcome and your reply to me is not there. Probably when I post this, yours will come thru again. Think it’s just lagging.
Lorna
I actually have at least two of these in my listen tbr pile, and I loved The Hallowed Ones and Outside. Thanks for the recommendations!
kimbacaffeinate
Ha, that is awesome. Can you let me know if you get this reply? (bloggy issues)
Lorna
I got it in my email, but not on your page?
Lorna
And as soon as I posted that yours came through on your page as well!
kimbacaffeinate
LOL. Thank you so much for confirming it worked. I have had quite the time of it, converting to https. Thank you, Lorna!
Melliane
I did read 2 in your list! the others are new to me.
kimbacaffeinate
Glad to share some new ones. Would you do me a solid and let me know if you get this response.
Melliane
yes I had the email
Kristen @ Metaphors and Moonlight
Ooh some of these do sound creeptastic! But gah why the spider gif??! Lol I have no desire to read The Hatching. None whatsoever. Apparently I’ve never actually read the blurb for that Joe Hill book though, that sounds super freaky!
kimbacaffeinate
Spiders and bugs freak me out too Kristen! Joe Hill on audio is fantastic 🙂
KGC
I have read a few of these. Love Joe Hill. The little skull dividers are cute!
kimbacaffeinate
Hill is very good. Thank you.