21 Spooky Books You Must Read This Fall Season!
September is here…so there’s no better time to dive into some spooky books!
Whether you’re a horror fan or just in the mood for a thrilling read, this list of 21 spooky books is sure to satisfy your (and your child’s!) craving for chills and thrills. From haunted houses to psychological suspense, you won’t be able to put these books down. So, grab your coziest blanket, curl up in your cozy mom reading nook, and get ready to be spooked this fall season!
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Spooky Books for Adults
Below are some of my favorite spooky books. I’ve read them all, and have rated them 4 stars or higher in Goodreads. They’re all books that I didn’t want to put down. I’m sure you need an escape from researching Mommy and Me Halloween costumes, so add a few of these books to your to-read list!
What Have You Done? by Shari Lapena
What Have You Done? is Shari Lapena’s latest suspense novel and the book I most recently finished. Diana Brewer is found in the middle of a hayfield with vultures circling and feasting on her body. Nothing like this ever happens in Fairhill, Vermont. Who did this? This book is extra creepy because one of the narrators is a…ghost!
Middle of the Night by Riley Sager
Middle of the Night is Riley Sager’s latest thriller. I can always count on him for great spooky books. Back when he was 10, Ethan Marsh and his best friend Billy camped out in a tent in Ethan’s backyard, but the next morning Ethan woke up alone. During the night, someone sliced the tent open and took Billy. Thirty years later Ethan returns to his childhood home and in the middle of the night, strange occurrences signaling Billy’s appearance start happening. Ethan starts to investigate what really happened to Billy, learning about ghosts and a nearby institute that did secretive research. This was a haunting novel for sure and perfect to read as Halloween gets closer!
The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley
Lucy Foley’s newest novel is The Midnight Feast. The Manor is the newest luxury resort and on opening night, there’s a big fire and a body is found. Someone from the past crashed the opening night party, resulting in a deadly outcome. This book definitely held my interest with a lot of suspense, and even had some humor with satire about The Manor’s social customs.
Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth
Sally Hepworth’s latest thriller is Darling Girls. Jessica, Norah, and Alicia were rescued from family tragedies and raised by their foster mother, Miss Fairchild. But their childhood wasn’t so darling. Miss Fairchild had rules and was never to be crossed. The three sisters did escape but then years later, a body is discovered under the house they grew up in and they are key witnesses. I really enjoy Sally Hepworth’s books, and Darling Girls was no different. It ended with a twist that I didn’t see coming.
Murder Road by Simone St. James
Murder Road is Simone St. James’ latest suspense novel and definitely did not disappoint! April and Eddie are traveling to a small resort town for their honeymoon and make a wrong turn. They pick up a hitchhiker with significant bleeding and take her to a hospital where she dies. Unexplained murders have been happening on that street for years, and April and Eddie become the cops’ witnesses as well as prime suspects. The supernatural characters definitely make this novel extra spooky. Murder Road is both a ghost story and a thriller.
None of This is True by Lisa Jewell
Lisa Jewell is a must-read author for me! In None of This is True, Alix meets Josie at a local pub and then again at her children’s school. Josie listen’s to Alix’s true crime podcasts and wants to be Alix’s newest subject. Alix agrees but then learns that Josie has been hiding some dark secrets. Josie inserts herself into Alix’s life and then disappears, and Alix becomes the subject of her own podcast! This book kept me guessing and had so much suspense. Check out Lisa Jewell’s other spooky books too!
Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak
Hidden Pictures is one of the most spooky books I have ever read! Mallory becomes a babysitter for a five year old boy named Teddy. It’s a great job…at first. Teddy likes to draw, but after a while his drawings become pretty creepy, such as a man dragging a woman’s dead body. Mallory starts to think that Teddy is drawing images of an unsolved murder, but how is that possible? Jason Rekulak makes this book extra spooky, because all of Teddy’s drawings are included in the book!
Stay Awake by Megan Goldin
Stay Awake is a riveting novel by Megan Goldin. Liv wakes up in the back of a taxi but doesn’t know where she is or how she got there. She goes to her apartment, but now a stranger lives there. She reaches into her purse for her phone but instead pulls out a bloodstained knife and sees that her hands say STAY AWAKE. Liv has no memory of the last two years and every time she falls asleep the same thing happens. She wakes up and doesn’t know where she is. This is a book that I didn’t want to put down!
Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney
Alice Feeney includes lots of twists and turns in Daisy Darker. Daisy’s dysfunctional family is gathering together to celebrate her Nana’s 80th birthday party on a tiny island. When the tide comes in they are cut off from the rest of the world until morning. At midnight, Nana is found dead. Every hour after that another family member dies. This book definitely kept me on my toes!
A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham
A Flicker in the Dark was the first novel I read by Stacy Willingham. When Chloe was twelve, six girls went missing. Her father confessed to the crimes and was put away for life. Now Chloe is a psychologist getting ready for her wedding. A teenage girl goes missing, and then another, reminding Chloe of that summer when she was 12. Is she paranoid or is she about to discover a killer? This book grabbed me right away and kept me guessing until the very end!
The Maidens by Alex Michaelides
Edward Fosca is adored by staff and students, especially a secret society of female students called The Maidens, in Alex Michaelides’ novel The Maidens. When one member of The Maidens is murdered, Mariana is convinced that the murderer is Edward. Another girl is found murdered and Mariana starts to spiral. This is a dark novel, perfect for the Halloween season. It was another spooky book that kept me guessing until the very end.
Spooky Books for Kids
Below are some of my daughters’ favorite spooky books to read. I enjoy reading all of them too!
The Berenstain Bears and the Spooky Old Tree by Stan & Jan Berenstain
The Berenstain Bears and the Spooky Old Tree is a fun book for little ones! Three little bears go inside an old tree and get spooked! When I asked my girls what spooky books they liked, this is the first one that they mentioned! You can’t go wrong with The Berenstain Bears. Those books were a favorite of mine when I was a kid and I love reading them with my daughters.
The Berenstain Bears Trick or Treat by Stan & Jan Berenstain
We also love The Berenstain Bears Trick or Treat. Brother & Sister Bear go trick-or-treating with friends and someone encourages the group to play a trick on the spookiest tree house in the neighborhood. Brother & Sister end up learning a valuable lesson. The book comes with lots of fun stickers too!
Pete the Cat: Trick or Pete by James Dean
In Pete the Cat: Trick or Pete, Pete goes trick-or-treating with friends and finds some spooky surprises behind each door. Kids will enjoy lifting the flaps in this book too!
The Halloween Tree by Susan Montanari
Meet the Halloween tree, a grump, old tree who doesn’t like lights and decorations and just wants to be different. The Halloween Tree is a funny and spooky book, perfect for young kids. I really enjoy reading this book with my girls.
The Good, the Bad, and the Spooky by Jory John and Pete Oswald
My older daughter loves The Bad Seed books so when I saw that there was a Halloween one I knew I had to get it. The Good, the Bad, and the Spooky is funny and sweet, as well as a little spooky. Jory John also teaches a great lesson on how to turn a bad mood around.
Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson
Room on the Broom is another great funny and a little spooky Halloween book. The witch keeps taking more friends on her broom, but will those friends be able to save her from a hungry dragon?
It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown by Charles M. Schulz
It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown is one of my favorite spooky books for kids! My daughters and I read this book together multiple times each Halloween season. I’m sure you already know the story, but Linus is sure that the Great Pumpkin will rise out of the pumpkin patch to bring toys to children. He skips all of the other Halloween festivities to wait in the pumpkin patch. Halloween is definitely a fun time with the Peanuts friends.
Creepy Carrots by Aaron Reynolds
My older daughter brought Creepy Carrots home from her school library last year. It was the first time we read it and we loved it! Jasper Rabbit loves to eat the carrots from Crackenhopper Field. However, one day Jasper thinks that those creepy carrots are following him! The book ends with a nice lesson about not being greedy.
One, Two…Boo! by Kristen L. Depken
One, Two…Boo! is the perfect spooky book for toddlers. They will have fun lifting the flaps and learn some counting along the way too.
Monster Tales: Pumpkin Patch Party by Stephanie St. Pierre
Pumpkin Patch Party is one of my younger daughter’s favorite books. She wants to read it year-round, not just Halloween time! If your toddler is a fan of the Sesame Street characters, I’m sure they will love this book. It’s a great theme for family Halloween costume ideas too!
These spooky books are perfect for adding a little fright to your fall reading list!
Whether you’re into ghost stories, creepy thrillers, or dark mysteries, these books are sure to keep you on the edge of your seat. So as the nights get longer and the air gets cooler, why not light a candle, cozy up under a blanket, and lose yourself in one of these eerie tales?
