If you love the thrill of iconic slasher films (ex. “Scream”), or even the suspense of a psychological thriller, you might want to pick up one of these. 

“The House Across the Lake” by Riley Sager

Genre: thriller, suspense

A newly widowed woman befriends her model neighbor, only to later suspect she has gone missing… or been murdered. 

“Gone to See the River Man” by Kristopher Triana 

Genre: horror, thriller

Marketed as “extreme horror,” this one follows a woman in a “situationship” with a serial killer. But how far will she go to prove her love?

“Chasing the Boogeyman” by Richard Chizmar

Genre: horror, crime fiction

This book may have more in common with true crime documentaries or found-footage horror flicks, rather than the classic horror genre, but it’s still worth a look. “Chasing the Boogeyman” shows the toll a seemingly uncatchable serial killer (nicknamed “the Boogeyman”) takes on a small town. 

Get the same experience of a high-grade haunted house, complete with jump-scares and that anxiety-inducing atmosphere, without leaving your house. 

“Home Before Dark” by Riley Sager

Genre: horror, psychological

Her father’s book on the house made it famous, but Maggie questions whether or not everything he wrote is true. She finally returns to the house to attempt to fix it up, and, in the process, realizes that her father might not have been as crazy as she’d thought.  

“How to Sell a Haunted House” by Grady Hendrix

Genre: horror, supernatural

This one even has “haunted house” in the title, how could it not be perfect? Join estranged siblings Louise and Mark as they try to sell their parents’ house after their untimely (and strange) deaths. The selling process may or may not involve puppets. 

“Nothing But Blacked Teeth” by Cassandra Khaw

Genre: horror, novella

A group of friends reunite to celebrate a marriage, but things don’t go as planned. Their misfortune might have something to do with the reunion spot, an abandoned mansion haunted by Japanese folklore. 

Something that gives just a hint of mystery, but most importantly: that classic, cozy fall feeling. 

“Hallowe’en Party” by Agatha Christie

Genre: classic mystery, crime fiction

Now being published as “A Haunting in Venice,” Christie’s famous detective, Hercule Poirot, is back in this halloween-themed mystery. A little girl has been killed in a small European town, and it’s up to Poirot to figure out what she knew… and how that may have led to her death. 

“Truly Devious” by Maureen Johnson

Genre: young adult, mystery

While this one is technically the first book of a trilogy, it’s still worth a look. Meet Stevie Bell, the newest addition to an elite boarding school in Vermont, and true-crime aficionado. Stevie has a knack for solving cases, but can she solve the decades old one that the school was built on?

“The Dead Poets Society” by Nancy H. Kleinbaum

Genre: contemporary, coming-of-age

Also set in Vermont, this one tells the story of a group of friends at their boarding school, Welton Academy, as they restart “The Dead Poets” club with the help of their professor. 

Sure, it’s now “spooky season”, but what is October without a little bit of that southern charm?

“1922” by Stephen King 

Genre: horror, psychological

A novella from the proclaimed “King of Horror,” “1922” follows a farmer by the name of Wilfred James who’s confronted by a problem: his wife. Wilfreds soon finds out that two wrongs don’t make a right; they make everything a lot worse. 

“The Spite House” by Johnny Compton 

Genre: horror, gothic

Meet Eric Ross, the unlucky man chosen to be the new caretaker of the infamous Masson house, aka the most haunted place in Texas. All he has to do is find proof that the house really is haunted, and make sure it doesn’t destroy his family in the process. 

“A House with Good Bones” by T. Kingfisher

Genre: horror, southern gothic

A woman returns to her childhood home in North Carolina to aid her ailing mother. To make matters worse, strange things are happening in the house and vultures are watching her every move.