6 Spooky Reads for Halloween

 

Photo courtesty Nomadic Lass on Flickr under CC License.
Photo courtesty Nomadic Lass on Flickr under CC License.

Halloween is almost here and that means the time for spooky stories is upon us. To help you get in the Halloween spirit, we’ve compiled a list of some scary stories. There are gothic tales, horror stories, and a Halloween themed mystery as a bonus. Grab a warm beverage and lock your doors before you start one of these terrifying tales and be on the lookout for things that go bump in the night!

Broken Monsters by Lauren Beukes

From the moment Detroit Detective Gabriella Versado sees the body of the victim she knows that this murder is something new. The body consists of the top half of a boy fused together with the haunches of a deer. As more half-human, half-animal bodies begin to appear around the city, Gabriella hunts tirelessly for the killer, unaware that as she does so, her teenage daughter is pursuing her own investigation into online pedophiles. Their stories become intertwined with that of Jonno, a reporter who will do anything to catch the next big story, and a group of artists trying to revitalize the broken city, with all of them searching for truth in a reality slowly ripping at the seams.

Hallowe’en Party by Agatha Christie

While not especially spooky, Hallowe’en Party, one of Christie’s last Hercule Poirot mysteries, is the only book on this list specifically with a Halloween theme. Poirot is called in to investigate the murder of a thirteen-year-0ld girl by his friend Ariadne Oliver, a well-known mystery author. Mrs. Oliver was at the Halloween party where the girl was drowned in a bucket full of bobbing apples shortly after she pronounced that a long time ago she had witnessed what she recently realized was a murder. While it initially appeared as though everyone laughed off her claims as those of a boasting young girl, it now seems as though someone may have taken those claims deadly seriously.

The Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill

Aging death-metal rock star Judas Coyne is an infamous collector of all things macabre, including a used hangman’s noose and a snuff film, so when his assistant tells him about a ghost for sale on the internet, Judas can’t help but purchase it. Soon an old suit is delivered to his door in a black, heart-shaped box, said to be haunted by the ghost of its previous owner. This vengeful spirit is no hoax and soon everywhere Judas goes he sees a man with a razor blade on the end of a chain dangling from his hand. It turns out that the man who owned this suit is also the stepfather of a groupie that committed suicide after Judas tossed her aside and now he is determined to take his revenge.

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

The Haunting of Hill House is the story of a sensitive young woman who is part of a team investigating the mysterious happenings at Hill House. Worn down from years of caring for her sick mother and armed with her own previous knowledge of poltergeists, Eleanor Vance jumps at the chance to join Dr. Montague, an occult scholar, his assistant Theodora, and Luke, the owner of Hill House in their quest to uncover the house’s secrets. This house is no place for a person with sensitive tendencies however and the mysteries of the house both perplex and terrify Eleanor. As they investigate, it becomes clear that the house has plans for claiming one of their party as its own.

Let Me in (Let the Right One in) by John Ajvide Lindqvist

When the body of a teenage boy is found murdered and drained of blood in a Stockholm suburb, twelve-year-old Oskar is less frightened and more glad that the bully who tormented him is gone. However, the murder is not the only new thing in Oskar’s world as a strange new girl has moved in next door. As the girl and Oskar become friends, the mystery surrounding her only deepens and more bodies appear in the town. This is a strange and twisted tale of friendship, love, and bloody horror.

 

The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters

Dr. Faraday is the son of a maid who has made a name for himself as a respectable country doctor. When he is called to treat a patient at Hundreds Hall one hot postwar summer, he is soon drawn to the mystery of the house and the family who live there. Home to the Ayres family for generations, the once grand Hundreds Hall is now clearly falling apart; the gardens are overgrown and the stonework is crumbling.  As Dr. Faraday continues to treat his patient, he finds himself captivated by the desire to unlock the mystery of the decline of the Ayres family and discover the things that haunt them.