Summer slashers, gothic horror, and crazy plot twists. Yes, please! These reads are perfect for curating your ultimate Summerween reading line-up. Take it from a die-hard fall enthusiast, getting a jumpstart on spooky season is the best way to ride out the dog days of summer and get revved up for Halloween festivities in a few short months. So, without further ado, here are five immersive reads sure to satiate your Halloween hunger.
Maeve Fly by CJ Leede
By day, Maeve Fly is a theme park ice princess, delighting children with her enchanting character performance. By night, she immerses herself in a darker world of dive bars, emulating her misanthropic literary idols. When her best friend’s brother, Gideon, arrives in town, he awakens something dangerous in her. Embracing a new persona befitting the pages of American Psycho, Maeve heads down a bolder, bloodier, knife-wielding path. If extreme horror meets female rage sounds like your jam, check out this fierce new release.
The Hollow Kind by Andy Davidson
From Bram Stoker Award-nominated author Andy Davidson, The Hollow Kind is a multi-layered, atmospheric story about family legacy and secrets. Hoping for a fresh start, Nellie Gardner flees an abusive marriage and retreats to her grandfather’s Georgia estate with her son. However, as the two settle into the dilapidated farmhouse surrounded by dense pine forest, they realize that something sinister lurks beneath the surface. In all, this haunting multi-generational Gothic fable is a perfect late-summer read told in truly exquisite prose.
Looking Glass Sound by Catriona Ward
In a cottage on the Maine coast, Wilder Harlow begins his final book. Nearing the end of his life, the writer is ready to recount the haunting events of his youth. Though, the boundaries between reality and fiction, past and present, start to blur as he discovers odd notes in the cottage. Even stranger, they’re written in the signature green ink of his former best friend, Sky, who stole his unfinished memoir and made a pretty penny. For fans of psychological horror, this chilling tale of self-discovery, memory, murder, and betrayal is a summer must-read.
Summer’s Edge by Dana Mele
Summer’s Edge follows a group of estranged friends haunted by the loss of one of their own. Emily Joiner was once an integral part of their inseparable group. Now, only her memory lingers. A year after her fiery death, the group returns to the now-rebuilt lakehouse, where tragedy struck. However, tensions run high and ghostly visions plague them. With each group member beginning to unravel, devastating accusation bubbles to the surface. After which, a race against time begins to uncover a broader mystery before a vengeful killer seeks retribution.
The Only One Left by Riley Sager
It’s 1983, and Kit McDeere, a home health aide, is taking care of Lenora Hope, the lone survivor of the Hope family murders that shook the community in 1929. Today, Lenora is rendered mute by a series of strokes. However, she begins to communicate with Kit through an old typewriter—including one shocking proposal: I want to tell you everything. With mounting suspicions surrounding Lenora’s innocence, Kit must navigate a treacherous web of secrets about the massacre to uncover the hidden truth within the Hope’s End mansion.
For more spooky book recommendations, click here.