| Whisper Down the Lane by Clay McLeod Chapman1983: Five-year-old Sean tells a small lie that leads to six teachers at his school being accused of ritualistic sexual abuse.
2013: After art teacher Richard finds a mutilated rabbit on school grounds, his students begin complaining that a boy named Sean is hurting them. But there's no one named Sean in his class...
Why you might like it: Inspired by the real-life Satanic Panic of the 1980s, this twisty dual narrative is both creepy and suspenseful. |
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| Goblin: A Novel in Six Novellas by Josh MalermanWelcome to... Goblin, Michigan, a seemingly ordinary small town that's hiding plenty of secrets -- and brings out the worst in its residents.
What's inside: a collection of six menacing, interconnected stories exploring Goblin's past and present horrors.
For fans of: Ray Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes and atmospheric stories that take place in a shared universe, like Stephen King's books set in the fictional Derry, Maine. |
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| The Drowning Kind by Jennifer McMahonHow it begins: After her estranged sister, Lexie, drowns in the pool at their family estate, social worker Jax discovers that Lexie was investigating mysterious happenings at the site.
What happens next: Picking up where Lexie left off, Jax uncovers the dark history of her family home, which sits on the ruins of a Jazz Age hotel known for its wish-granting natural spring.
Be careful what you wish for: This latest supernatural thriller from Jennifer McMahon offers a sinister reminder that the past can never truly be forgotten, and some wishes take more than they give... |
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| Sorrowland by Rivers SolomonStarring: cult escapee and teen mom Vern, who's raising her twins in the woods while trying to stay one step ahead of the menacing entity that's tracking her.
But then... Haunted and hunted, Vern suspects she's been the unwitting subject of an experiment as her body begins transforming in strange ways. Will confronting the trauma of her past help her find a new future?
Try this next: For another compelling novel about a Black woman fighting to reclaim her autonomy after a dehumanizing experience, check out Megan Giddings' Lakewood. |
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| Clown in a Cornfield by Adam CesareWhat it's about: High school senior Quinn's fresh start in tiny Kettle Springs, MO takes a bizarre turn when someone dressed as town mascot Frendo the Clown begins butchering the area's teens.
Is it for you? Though Clown in a Cornfield is a YA novel, adult readers with a fondness for classic slasher films and biting social commentary will enjoy the throwback feel of this twisty, action-packed ride.
Reviewers say: "a thoughtful, campy, just-plain-fun read for horror fans" (Library Journal). |
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| The Return by Rachel HarrisonTwo years ago: Elise's best friend, Julie, disappeared without a trace.
Now: An emaciated Julie returns with no memory of where she's been. Eager for a reunion, Elise and her two other best friends plan a girls' weekend at a remote Catskills hotel.
What could possibly go wrong? Julie's amnesia is the least of the group's problems, as they soon discover their kitschy hideaway is harboring malevolent forces that seem connected to Julie's horrifying (and rapidly deteriorating) physical state. |
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| The Deep by Alma KatsuAll aboard! Four years after surviving the sinking of the Titanic, Irish nurse Annie books passage on its sister ship, the Britannic, where she encounters the same eerie phenomena that plagued the fateful voyage.
Want a taste? "Some days, she wakes from nightmares of black water rushing into her open mouth, freezing her lungs to stone."
Why you might like it: Though both voyages' outcomes will already be well known to readers, Alma Katsu imbues her well-researched novel's evocative dual timeline with nail-biting suspense. |
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| Ghost Wood Song by Erica WatersStarring: bisexual 16-year-old Shady Grove, who's inherited her late father's musical gifts -- and his ability to summon ghosts with a fiddle.
What happens: When her brother is arrested for murder, Shady reluctantly prepares to summon witnesses from beyond the grave to help clear his name.
Read it for: lyrical writing, haunting family secrets, and a lush Southern Gothic atmosphere. |
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