BookMatcherBest Horror Books
The best of

Best Horror Books

Terrifying tales that explore our deepest fears, from supernatural horror to psychological dread.

The top horror books

Ranked by editorial weight, reader signal, and what's worth your time right now.

  1. Terror Roman ; mit einem Anhang: Liste der Offiziere und Mannschaften nach den Musterungsrollen von 1845, Glossar, Eskimo-Begriffe by Dan Simmons
    1of the list

    Terror Roman ; mit einem Anhang: Liste der Offiziere und Mannschaften nach den Musterungsrollen von 1845, Glossar, Eskimo-Begriffe

    by Dan Simmons

    England im Jahr 1845: Unter dem Kommando von Sir John Franklin brechen die modernsten Schiffe ihrer Zeit die "Terror" und die "Erebus" auf, um die legendäre Nord-West-Passage zu finden: den Weg durch das ewige Eis der Arktis in den Pazifik. 130 Männer nehmen an der Expedition teil. Keiner von ihnen wird je zurückkehren. Dies ist ihre Geschichte. Das Opus magnum von Bestsellerautor Dan Simmons. / http://www.biblio.at.

    Literature & FictionGenre FictionHorror
    Buy on Amazon
  2. The Monster Show A Cultural History of Horror by David J. Skal
    2of the list

    The Monster Show A Cultural History of Horror

    by David J. Skal

    Illuminating the dark side of the American century, The Monster Show uncovers the surprising links between horror entertainment and the great social crises of our time, as well as horror's function as a pop analogue to surrealism and other artistic movements. With penetrating analyses and revealing anecdotes, David J. Skal chronicles one of our most popular and pervasive modes of cultural expression. He explores the disguised form in which Hollywood's classic horror movies played out the traumas of two world wars and the Depression; the nightmare visions of invasion and mind control catalyzed by the Cold War; the preoccupation with demon children that took hold as thalidomide, birth control, and abortion changed the reproductive landscape; the vogue in visceral, transformative special effects that paralleled the development of the plastic surgery industry; the link between the AIDS epidemic and the current fascination with vampires; and much more. Now with a new Afterword by the author that looks at horror's popular renaissance in the last decade, The Monster Show is a compulsively readable, thought-provoking inquiry into America's obsession with the macabre.

    Performing ArtsFilmHorror
    Buy on Amazon
  3. The Awakening by L.j. Smith
    3of the list

    The Awakening

    by L.j. Smith

    Dark, gripping and romantic - perfect for fans of vampire romances and romantasy books that are popular on Tiktok and Booktok! The Awakening is Book 1 in the smash hit Vampire Diaries series from bestselling author L. J. Smith. Elena is the school beauty, but she's bored. Until a new boy turns up in her class. Stefan is dark and mysterious - and she's determined to get to know him better. But Stefan is just as determined to resist her ... until a series of attacks in the area terrify the town and Stefan is held responsible. Elena is the only one who offers to help and, falling in love with her, Stefan tells her his terrible story. He is a vampire, on the run from his evil brother, Damon, who doesn't share Stefan's qualms about drinking human blood. And Damon is the one Stefan suspects of really being behind the recent attacks. Can Elena help prove his innocence - without revealing his secret? Enjoy this dark, dangerous romance you can sink your teeth into!

    FictionFantasyDark Fantasy
    Buy on Amazon
  4. The Last Werewolf by Glen Duncan
    4of the list

    The Last Werewolf

    by Glen Duncan

    Then she opened her mouth to scream—and recognised me. It was what I’d been waiting for. She froze. She looked into my eyes. She said, “It’s you.” Meet Jake. A bit on the elderly side (he turns 201 in March), but you’d never suspect it. Nonstop sex and exercise will do that for you—and a diet with lots of animal protein. Jake is a werewolf, and after the unfortunate and violent death of his one contemporary, he is now the last of his species. Although he is physically healthy, Jake is deeply distraught and lonely. Jake’s depression has carried him to the point where he is actually contemplating suicide—even if it means terminating a legend thousands of years old. It would seem to be easy enough for him to end everything. But for very different reasons there are two dangerous groups pursuing him who will stop at nothing to keep him alive. Here is a powerful, definitive new version of the werewolf legend—mesmerising and incredibly sexy. In Jake, Glen Duncan has given us a werewolf for the twenty-first century—a man whose deeds can only be described as monstrous but who is in some magical way deeply human. One of the most original, audacious, and terrifying novels in years.

    FictionHorrorOccult & Supernatural
    Buy on Amazon
  5. Locke & Key, Vol. 1: Welcome to Lovecraft by Joe Hill
    5of the list

    Locke & Key, Vol. 1: Welcome to Lovecraft

    by Joe Hill

    Now a Netflix original series! The graphic novel The A.V. Club named a "modern masterpiece," Locke & Key tells a sprawling tale of magic and family, legacy and grief, good and evil. Acclaimed suspense novelist and New York Times-bestselling author Joe Hill (The Fireman, Heart-Shaped Box) has created a gripping story of dark fantasy and wonder—with astounding artwork from Gabriel Rodriguez—that, like the doors of Keyhouse, will transform all who open it. The epic begins here: Welcome to Lovecraft. Following their father's gruesome murder in a violent home invasion, the Locke children return to his childhood home of Keyhouse in secluded Lovecraft, Massachusetts. Their mother, Nina, is too trapped in her grief—and a wine bottle—to notice that all in Keyhouse is not what it seems: too many locked doors, too many unanswered questions. Older kids Tyler and Kinsey aren't much better. But not youngest son Bode, who quickly finds a new friend living in an empty well and a new toy, a key, that offers hours of spirited entertainment. But again, all at Keyhouse is not what it seems, and not all doors are meant to be opened. Soon, horrors old and new, real and imagined, will come ravening after the Lockes and the secrets their family holds. Locke & Key, Vol. 1 features an introduction by Robert Crais, author of the bestselling Elvis Cole series of crime novels.

    Comics & Graphic NovelsHorrorCrime & Mystery
    Buy on Amazon
  6. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (Movie Tie-In Edition) (Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children) by Ransom Riggs
    6of the list

    Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (Movie Tie-In Edition) (Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children)

    by Ransom Riggs

    The #1 New York Times Best Seller is now a major motion picture from visionary director Tim Burton, starring Eva Green, Asa Butterfield, Ella Purnell, Samuel L. Jackson, and Judi Dench. A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of very curious photographs. It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive. 

A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows. Includes a bonus PDF of photographs and letters from the book “A tense, moving, and wondrously strange first novel. The photographs and text work together brilliantly to create an unforgettable story.”—John Green, New York Times best-selling author of The Fault in Our Stars “With its X-Men: First Class-meets-time-travel story line, David Lynchian imagery, and rich, eerie detail, it’s no wonder Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children has been snapped up by Twentieth Century Fox. B+”—Entertainment Weekly “‘Peculiar’ doesn’t even begin to cover it. Riggs’ chilling, wondrous novel is already headed to the movies.”—People “You’ll love it if you want a good thriller for the summer. It’s a mystery, and you’ll race to solve it before Jacob figures it out for himself.”—Seventeen

    Children's BooksTeen & Young AdultLiterature & Fiction
    Buy on Amazon
  7. The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Kiersten White
    7of the list

    The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein

    by Kiersten White

    Don't miss this monster of a New York Times bestseller, a stunning and dark reimagining of Frankenstein that internationally bestselling author Stephanie Garber raves is "exquisitely disturbing." Elizabeth Lavenza hasn't had a proper meal in weeks. Her thin arms are covered with bruises from her "caregiver," and she is on the verge of being thrown into the streets . . . until she is brought to the home of Victor Frankenstein, an unsmiling, solitary boy who has everything--except a friend. Victor is her escape from misery. Elizabeth does everything she can to make herself indispensable--and it works. She is taken in by the Frankenstein family and rewarded with a warm bed, delicious food, and dresses of the finest silk. Soon she and Victor are inseparable. But her new life comes at a price. As the years pass, Elizabeth's survival depends on managing Victor's dangerous temper and entertaining his every whim, no matter how depraved. Behind her blue eyes and sweet smile lies the calculating heart of a girl determined to stay alive no matter the cost . . . as the world she knows is consumed by darkness. **Ebook exclusive: the full text of Mary Shelley's FRANKENSTEIN** AN NPR BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR A CHICAGO PUBLIC LIBRARY BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR "A masterful and monstrous retelling."--STEPHANIE GARBER, #1 New York Times and internationally bestselling author of Caraval and Legendary "Inescapably compelling." --VICTORIA SCHWAB, #1 New York Times bestselling author of This Savage Song "An inventive, grotesque, and completely unexpected reimagining of Frankenstein. Mary Shelley would be proud."--MACKENZI LEE, New York Times bestselling author of The Gentlemen's Guide to Vice and Virtue

    Juvenile FictionHorrorMysteries & Detective Stories
    Buy on Amazon
  8. The Only Good Indians A Novel by Stephen Graham Jones
    8of the list

    The Only Good Indians A Novel

    by Stephen Graham Jones

    A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER From bestselling author Stephen Graham Jones comes a “masterpiece” (Locus Magazine) of a novel about revenge, cultural identity, and the cost of breaking from tradition. This is a remarkable horror story that “will give you nightmares—the good kind of course” (BuzzFeed). From New York Times bestselling author Stephen Graham Jones comes a novel that is equal parts psychological horror and cutting social commentary on identity politics and the American Indian experience. Fans of Sylvia Moreno Garcia and Tommy Orange will love this story as it follows the lives of four American Indian men and their families, all haunted by a disturbing, deadly event that took place in their youth. Years later, they find themselves tracked by an entity bent on revenge, totally helpless as the culture and traditions they left behind catch up to them in a violent, vengeful way. In this “thrilling, literate, scary, [and] immersive” (Stephen King) tale, Jones blends his signature storytelling style with a haunting narrative that masterfully intertwines revenge, cultural identity, and tradition.

    FictionHorrorIndigenous
    Buy on Amazon
  9. L'ultimo cavaliere by Stephen King
    9of the list

    L'ultimo cavaliere

    by Stephen King

    [The Dark Tower][1] I The Gunslinger is a dark-fantasy by American author Stephen King. It is the first volume in the Dark Tower series. The Gunslinger was first published in 1982 as a fix-up novel, joining five short stories that had been published between 1978 and 1981. King substantially revised the novel in 2003; this version has remained in print ever since, with the subtitle RESUMPTION. The story centers upon Roland Deschain, the last gunslinger, who has been chasing his adversary, "the man in black," for many years. The novel fuses Western fiction with fantasy, science fiction, and horror, following Roland's trek through a vast desert and beyond in search of the man in black. Roland meets several people along his journey, including a boy named Jake Chambers, who travels with him part of the way. "The Gunslinger" (October 1978) "The Way Station" (April 1980) "The Oracle and the Mountains" (February 1981) "The Slow Mutants" (July 1981) "The Gunslinger and the Dark Man" (November 1981) [1]: https://openlibrary.org/works/OL81600W/The_Dark_Tower_1-7

    FictionHorrorsuccubus
    Buy on Amazon
  10. World War Z An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks
    10of the list

    World War Z An Oral History of the Zombie War

    by Max Brooks

    Now a major motion picture The Zombie War came unthinkably close to eradicating humanity. Max Brooks, driven by the urgency of preserving the acid-etched first-hand experiences of the survivors from those apocalyptic years, traveled across the United States of America and throughout the world, from decimated cities that once teemed with upwards of thirty million souls to the most remote and inhospitable areas of the planet. He recorded the testimony of men, women, and sometimes children who came face-to-face with the living, or at least the undead, hell of that dreadful time. World War Z is the result. Never before have we had access to a document that so powerfully conveys the depth of fear and horror, and also the ineradicable spirit of resistance, that gripped human society through the plague years. Ranging from the now infamous village of New Dachang in the United Federation of China, where the epidemiological trail began with the twelve-year-old Patient Zero, to the unnamed northern forests where untold numbers sought a terrible and temporary refuge in the cold, to the United States of Southern Africa, where the Redeker Plan provided hope for humanity at an unspeakable price, to the west-of-the-Rockies redoubt where the North American tide finally started to turn, this invaluable chronicle reflects the full scope and duration of the Zombie War. Most of all, the book captures with haunting immediacy the human dimension of this epochal event. Facing the often raw and vivid nature of these personal accounts requires a degree of courage on the part of the reader, but the effort is invaluable because, as Mr. Brooks says in his introduction, “By excluding the human factor, aren't we risking the kind of personal detachment from history that may, heaven forbid, lead us one day to repeat it? And in the end, isn't the human factor the only true difference between us and the enemy we now refer to as 'the living dead'?” Note: Some of the numerical and factual material contained in this edition was previously published under the auspices of the United Nations Postwar Commission. Eyewitness reports from the first truly global war “I found 'Patient Zero' behind the locked door of an abandoned apartment across town. . . . His wrists and feet were bound with plastic packing twine. Although he'd rubbed off the skin around his bonds, there was no blood. There was also no blood on his other wounds. . . . He was writhing like an animal; a gag muffled his growls. At first the villagers tried to hold me back. They warned me not to touch him, that he was 'cursed.' I shrugged them off and reached for my mask and gloves. The boy's skin was . . . cold and gray . . . I could find neither his heartbeat nor his pulse.” —Dr. Kwang Jingshu, Greater Chongqing, United Federation of China “'Shock and Awe'? Perfect name. . . . But what if the enemy can't be shocked and awed? Not just won't, but biologically can't! That's what happened that day outside New York City, that's the failure that almost lost us the whole damn war. The fact that we couldn't shock and awe Zack boomeranged right back in our faces and actually allowed Zack to shock and awe us! They're not afraid! No matter what we do, no matter how many we kill, they will never, ever be afraid!” —Todd Wainio, former U.S. Army infantryman and veteran of the Battle of Yonkers “Two hundred million zombies. Who can even visualize that type of number, let alone combat it? . . . For the first time in history, we faced an enemy that was actively waging total war. They had no limits of endurance. They would never negotiate, never surrender. They would fight until the very end because, unlike us, every single one of them, every second of every day, was devoted to consuming all life on Earth.” —General Travis D'Ambrosia, Supreme Allied Commander, Europe

    FictionHorrorScience Fiction
    Buy on Amazon
  11. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
    11of the list

    Daughter of Smoke and Bone

    by Laini Taylor

    Errand requiring immediate attention. Come. The note was on vellum, pierced by the talons of the almost-crow that delivered it. Karou read the message. 'He never says please', she sighed, but she gathered up her things. When Brimstone called, she always came. In general, Karou has managed to keep her two lives in balance. On the one hand, she's a seventeen-year-old art student in Prague; on the other, errand-girl to a monstrous creature who is the closest thing she has to family. Raised half in our world, half in 'Elsewhere', she has never understood Brimstone's dark work - buying teeth from hunters and murderers - nor how she came into his keeping. She is a secret even to herself, plagued by the sensation that she isn't whole. Now the doors to Elsewhere are closing, and Karou must choose between the safety of her human life and the dangers of a war-ravaged world that may hold the answers she has always sought.

    FictionFantasyJuvenile Fiction
    Buy on Amazon
  12. I Am Not A Serial Killer by Dan Wells
    12of the list

    I Am Not A Serial Killer

    by Dan Wells

    John Wayne Cleaver is dangerous, and he knows it. He's spent his life doing his best not to live up to his potential. He's obsessed with serial killers, but really doesn't want to become one. So for his own sake, and the safety of those around him, he lives by rigid rules he's written for himself, practicing normal life as if it were a private religion that could save him from damnation. Dead bodies are normal to John. He likes them, actually. They don't demand or expect the empathy he's unable to offer. Perhaps that's what gives him the objectivity to recognize that there's something different about the body the police have just found behind the Wash-n-Dry Laundromat---and to appreciate what that difference means. Now, for the first time, John has to confront a danger outside himself, a threat he can't control, a menace to everything and everyone he would love, if only he could. Dan Wells's debut novel, I Am Not a Serial Killer, is the first volume of a trilogy that will keep you awake and then haunt your dreams.

    FictionHorrorThrillers
    Buy on Amazon
  13. Misery by Stephen King
    13of the list

    Misery

    by Stephen King

    Paul Sheldon is a bestselling novelist who has finally met his number one fan. Her name is Annie Wilkes, and she is more than a rabid reader¿she is Paul¿s nurse, tending his shattered body after an automobile accident. But she is also furious that the author has killed off her favorite character in his latest book. Annie becomes his captor, keeping him prisoner in her isolated house. Annie wants Paul to write a book that brings Misery back to life¿just for her. She has a lot of ways to spur him on. One is a needle. Another is an axe. And if they don¿t work, she can get really nasty.

    FictionHorrorHorror fiction
    Buy on Amazon
  14. There's Someone Inside Your House A Novel by Stephanie Perkins
    14of the list

    There's Someone Inside Your House A Novel

    by Stephanie Perkins

    There's Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins will have you swooning with fear and romance. The perfect page-turner for fans of Scream Queens, Fear Street and I Know What You Did Last Summer. Now a major Netflix film, from the producers of Stranger Things. After a mysterious move from Hawaii to a new school in small town Nebraska, Makani Young and the rest of her class are being targeted by a masked killer intent on exposing their darkest secrets. As one by one the students of her new high school begin to die in a series of gruesome murders, Makani doesn't know who's next on the list . . . and has her own secrets from the past to keep. Between this and her scorching relationship with the school misfit, this school year may turn out to be one to die for . . . literally.

    Juvenile FictionHorrorMysteries & Detective Stories
    Buy on Amazon
  15. The Last Kids on Earth by Max Brallier
    15of the list

    The Last Kids on Earth

    by Max Brallier

    A Netflix Original series! The first book in the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling series, with over 7 million copies in print! "Terrifyingly fun! Delivers big thrills and even bigger laughs."--Jeff Kinney, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Diary of a Wimpy Kid Ever since the monster apocalypse hit town, average thirteen year old Jack Sullivan has been living in his tree house, which he's armed to the teeth with catapults and a moat, not to mention video games and an endless supply of Oreos and Mountain Dew scavenged from abandoned stores. But Jack alone is no match for the hordes of Zombies and Winged Wretches and Vine Thingies, and especially not for the eerily intelligent monster known only as Blarg. So Jack builds a team: his dorky best friend, Quint; the reformed middle school bully, Dirk; Jack's loyal pet monster, Rover; and the fiercest girl Jack knows, June. With their help, Jack is going to slay Blarg, achieve the ultimate Feat of Apocalyptic Success, and be average no longer! Can he do it? Told in a mixture of text and black-and-white illustration, this is the perfect series for any kid who's ever dreamed of starring in their own comic book or video game. Covers may vary.

    Juvenile FictionAction & AdventureSurvival Stories
    Buy on Amazon
  16. Lock Every Door A Novel by Riley Sager
    16of the list

    Lock Every Door A Novel

    by Riley Sager

    INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “Looking for a suspense novel that will keep you up until way past midnight? Look no further than Lock Every Door, by Riley Sager.”—Stephen King No visitors. No nights spent away from the apartment. No disturbing the other residents, all of whom are rich or famous or both. These are the only rules for Jules Larsen’s new job as an apartment sitter at the Bartholomew, one of Manhattan's most high-profile and mysterious buildings. Recently heartbroken and just plain broke, Jules is taken in by the splendor of her surroundings and accepts the terms, ready to leave her past life behind. As she gets to know the residents and staff of the Bartholomew, Jules finds herself drawn to fellow apartment sitter Ingrid, who comfortingly reminds her of the sister she lost eight years ago. When Ingrid confides that the Bartholomew is not what it seems and the dark history hidden beneath its gleaming facade is starting to frighten her, Jules brushes it off as a harmless ghost story...until the next day, when Ingrid disappears. Searching for the truth about Ingrid’s disappearance, Jules digs deeper into the Bartholomew's sordid past and into the secrets kept within its walls. What she discovers pits Jules against the clock as she races to unmask a killer, expose the building’s hidden past, and escape the Bartholomew before her temporary status becomes permanent.

    FictionThrillersSuspense
    Buy on Amazon
  17. The Changeling A Novel by Victor LaValle
    17of the list

    The Changeling A Novel

    by Victor LaValle

    “Mesmerizing . . . a dark fairy tale of New York, full of magic and loss, myth and mystery, love and madness.”—Marlon James, author of the Dark Star trilogy NOW AN APPLE TV+ SERIES STARRING LAKEITH STANFIELD • ONE OF TIME’S 100 BEST FANTASY BOOKS OF ALL TIME Winner of an American Book Award, a Locus Award for Best Horror Novel, a British Fantasy Award for Best Horror Novel, a World Fantasy Award for Best Novel • Nominated for a Shirley Jackson Award, an International Dublin Literary Award, a Mythopoeic Award for Literature When Apollo Kagwa’s father disappeared, he left his son a box of books and strange recurring dreams. Now Apollo is a father himself—and as he and his wife, Emma, settle into their new lives as parents, exhaustion and anxiety start to take their toll. Apollo’s old dreams return and Emma begins acting odd. At first Emma seems to be exhibiting signs of postpartum depression. But before Apollo can do anything to help, Emma commits a horrific act and vanishes. Thus begins Apollo’s quest to find a wife and child who are nothing like he’d imagined. His odyssey takes him to a forgotten island, a graveyard full of secrets, a forest where immigrant legends still live, and finally back to a place he thought he had lost forever. NAMED ONE OF PASTE’S BEST HORROR BOOKS OF THE DECADE • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The New York Times • USA Today • The New York Public Library • NPR • BuzzFeed • Kirkus Reviews • Book Riot “The thriller you won’t be able to put down.”—O: The Oprah Magazine “Intense, riveting . . . The story is a long, slow burn with a lingering sizzle.”—Los Angeles Review of Books “A modern-day tale of terror rooted in ancient myth and folklore, brimming with magical revelation and emotional truth.”—San Francisco Chronicle

    FictionHorrorFantasy
    Buy on Amazon
  18. Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
    18of the list

    Mexican Gothic

    by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

    NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “It’s Lovecraft meets the Brontës in Latin America, and after a slow-burn start Mexican Gothic gets seriously weird.”—The Guardian   IN DEVELOPMENT AS A HULU ORIGINAL LIMITED SERIES PRODUCED BY KELLY RIPA AND MARK CONSUELOS • WINNER OF THE LOCUS AWARD • NOMINATED FOR THE BRAM STOKER AWARD ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, NPR, The Washington Post, Tordotcom, Marie Claire, Vox, Mashable, Men’s Health, Library Journal, Book Riot, LibraryReads   An isolated mansion. A chillingly charismatic aristocrat. And a brave socialite drawn to expose their treacherous secrets. . . . From the author of Gods of Jade and Shadow comes “a terrifying twist on classic gothic horror” (Kirkus Reviews) set in glamorous 1950s Mexico. After receiving a frantic letter from her newly-wed cousin begging for someone to save her from a mysterious doom, Noemí Taboada heads to High Place, a distant house in the Mexican countryside. She’s not sure what she will find—her cousin’s husband, a handsome Englishman, is a stranger, and Noemí knows little about the region.      Noemí is also an unlikely rescuer: She’s a glamorous debutante, and her chic gowns and perfect red lipstick are more suited for cocktail parties than amateur sleuthing. But she’s also tough and smart, with an indomitable will, and she is not afraid: Not of her cousin’s new husband, who is both menacing and alluring; not of his father, the ancient patriarch who seems to be fascinated by Noemí; and not even of the house itself, which begins to invade Noemi’s dreams with visions of blood and doom.   Her only ally in this inhospitable abode is the family’s youngest son. Shy and gentle, he seems to want to help Noemí, but might also be hiding dark knowledge of his family’s past. For there are many secrets behind the walls of High Place. The family’s once colossal wealth and faded mining empire kept them from prying eyes, but as Noemí digs deeper she unearths stories of violence and madness.    And Noemí, mesmerized by the terrifying yet seductive world of High Place, may soon find it impossible to ever leave this enigmatic house behind. “It’s as if a supernatural power compels us to turn the pages of the gripping Mexican Gothic.”—The Washington Post “Mexican Gothic is the perfect summer horror read, and marks Moreno-Garcia with her hypnotic and engaging prose as one of the genre’s most exciting talents.”—Nerdist “A period thriller as rich in suspense as it is in lush ’50s atmosphere.”—Entertainment Weekly

    FictionFantasyHistorical
    Buy on Amazon
  19. The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle
    19of the list

    The Ballad of Black Tom

    by Victor LaValle

    One of NPR's Best Books of 2016, winner of the Shirley Jackson Award, the British Fantasy Award, the This is Horror Award for Novella of the Year, and a finalist for the Hugo, Nebula, Locus, World Fantasy, and Bram Stoker Awards People move to New York looking for magic and nothing will convince them it isn't there. Charles Thomas Tester hustles to put food on the table, keep the roof over his father's head, from Harlem to Flushing Meadows to Red Hook. He knows what magic a suit can cast, the invisibility a guitar case can provide, and the curse written on his skin that attracts the eye of wealthy white folks and their cops. But when he delivers an occult tome to a reclusive sorceress in the heart of Queens, Tom opens a door to a deeper realm of magic, and earns the attention of things best left sleeping. A storm that might swallow the world is building in Brooklyn. Will Black Tom live to see it break? "LaValle's novella of sorcery and skullduggery in Jazz Age New York is a magnificent example of what weird fiction can and should do." — Laird Barron, author of The Beautiful Thing That Awaits Us All "[LaValle] reinvents outmoded literary conventions, particularly the ghettos of genre and ethnicity that long divided serious literature from popular fiction." — Praise for The Devil in Silver from Elizabeth Hand, author of Radiant Days “LaValle cleverly subverts Lovecraft’s Cthulhu mythos by imbuing a black man with the power to summon the Old Ones, and creates genuine chills with his evocation of the monstrous Sleeping King, an echo of Lovecraft’s Dagon... [The Ballad of Black Tom] has a satisfying slingshot ending.” – Elizabeth Hand for Fantasy & ScienceFiction

    FictionFantasyHistorical
    Buy on Amazon
  20. Slaying the Vampire Conqueror A Crowns of Nyaxia Novel by Carissa Broadbent
    20of the list

    Slaying the Vampire Conqueror A Crowns of Nyaxia Novel

    by Carissa Broadbent

    ALL-NEW HARDCOVER EDITION--This new hardcover edition of the bestselling Slaying the Vampire Conqueror features new case art, a detailed map, and a never-before-seen bonus chapter! From #1 New York Times bestselling author Carissa Broadbent comes a standalone novel set in the world of the TikTok mega-hit, the Crowns of Nyaxia series. She was commanded to kill him with a single strike to the heart. She didn't expect her own to betray her. Sylina has sacrificed everything for her goddess--her soul, her freedom, her eyes. Life in service to the Arachessen, a cult of the Goddess of Fate, has turned Sylina from orphaned street rat to disciplined killer, determined to overthrow Glaea's tyrannical king. But when a brutal vampire conqueror arrives on their shores, Sylina faces an even deadlier adversary. She's tasked with a crucial mission: infiltrate his army, earn his trust...and kill him. Atrius is a terrifying warrior carving an unstoppable path through Glaea. Yet when Sylina becomes his seer, she glimpses a dark and shocking past--and a side of him that reminds her far too much of parts of herself she'd rather forget. Sylina's orders are clear. The conqueror cannot live. But as the blood spilled by Glaea's tyrant king runs thicker, her connection with Atrius only grows stronger. A connection forbidden by her vows. A connection that could cost her everything. Crowns of Nyaxia Reading Order: The Serpent & the Wings of Night The Ashes & the Star-Cursed King The Songbird & the Heart of Stone Crowns of Nyaxia Standalones Six Scorched Roses (short novel) Slaying the Vampire Conqueror

    Literature & FictionGenre FictionHorror
    Buy on Amazon

Adjacent reading

Nearby genres and sub-genres our readers also love.

Love horror books?

Get curated horror picks delivered to your inbox each week.

No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

iOS · Free download

Find your next horror read

Personalized horror recommendations, reading stats, and your full reading library — in the BookMatcher iOS app.

Download on iOS

Frequently asked questions

What are the best horror books to read?

Our curated list features the top horror books based on reader reviews, critical acclaim, and editorial picks. Top recommendations include "Terror Roman ; mit einem Anhang: Liste der Offiziere und Mannschaften nach den Musterungsrollen von 1845, Glossar, Eskimo-Begriffe" by Dan Simmons.

How do I find horror books similar to ones I've enjoyed?

Enter any horror book you love into BookMatcher's Books Like search. We curate similar reads based on themes, writing style, and atmosphere.

What's the best way to discover new horror books?

Browse our editorial lists, or download the BookMatcher iOS app for personalized recommendations tailored to your taste.

Explore more

As an Amazon Associate, BookMatcher earns from qualifying purchases. Book recommendations are independently curated by our editors and AI.