Top new horror books in October 2025
Last updated:
October 31, 2025
October 2025 featuring new releases by Imogen Hermes Gowar, Natasha Pulley, Anna North, Chevy Stevens, Quan Barry, Laura Purcell, Akwaeke Emezi, Lorna Cook, Alyson Richman, Caitlin Starling, Ivy Pochoda and many more.
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The Witching Hour: From the creators of The Haunting Season and The Winter Spirits comes a spellbinding new collection of original haunted tales by Imogen Hermes Gowar, Natasha Pulley, Andrew Michael Hurley, Catriona Ward
From the creators of The Haunting Season and The Winter Spirits comes a brand new collection of ghostly talesThere is something peculiar about the hour after midnight.It is the time when darkness reigns.And strange things roam the earth.In this dazzling collection of new and original haunted tales, thirteen bestselling and much-loved authors bring this hour to vivid, spine-tingling life...horror · gothic · fiction · fantasy · anthologies · historical-fiction · ghosts · mystery · season-winter · historical -
![Bog Queen by Anna North]()
Bog Queen by Anna North
The story of an anthropologist's monumental discovery and the clash of civilizations it sets off over the fate of the land that holds usWhen a body is found in a bog in northwest England, Agnes, an American forensic anthropologist, is called to investigate...historical-fiction · fiction · mystery · horror · historical · audiobook · literary-fiction · outdoors · fantasy · realistic -
![The Hitchhikers by Chevy Stevens]()
The Hitchhikers by Chevy Stevens
The open road beckons.A chance for them to reconnect.Then they make a fatal mistake.It’s the summer of 1976 and Alice and Tom set out on the remote Canadian highways in their new RV, hoping to heal their broken hearts after a devastating tragedy.They’ve planned the trip perfectly, taken care of every detail. Then they meet two young hitchhikers down on their luck and offer them a ride...north-america · canada · mystery · audiobook · historical-fiction · suspense · fiction · horror · historical · thriller -
![The Unveiling by Quan Barry]()
The Unveiling by Quan Barry
From the award-winning author of We Ride Upon Sticks and When I’m Gone, Look for Me in the East, a genre-bending novel of literary horror set in Antarctica that explores abandonment, guilt, and survival in the shadow of America’s racial legacyStriker isn’t entirely sure she should be on this luxury Antarctic cruise...horror · fiction · mystery · audiobook · literary-fiction · contemporary · fantasy · supernatural · poc-author · season-winter -
![House of Splinters by Laura Purcell]()
House of Splinters by Laura Purcell
'Laura Purcell really is a master of the unsettling ghost story' Jen Williams Not every house is a home... Belinda Bainbridge has spent her life in the shadow of her anxious mother, so when her father-in-law dies at The Bridge, his remote ancestral seat, she is secretly thrilled...horror · gothic · historical-fiction · fiction · historical · spooky · haunted-places · ghosts · supernatural · book -
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![Son of the Morning by Akwaeke Emezi]()
Son of the Morning by Akwaeke Emezi
From New York Times bestselling author Akwaeke Emezi comes a steamy paranormal romance set in the Black South—a bold new foray that takes us on a journey of magic and fantasy, from the whispering creeks outside the city of Salvation to the very depths of Hell itself...romance · fantasy · fiction · lgbtq · paranormal · low-fantasy · poc-mc · historical-fiction · myths · horror -
![The Distant Daughter by Lorna Cook]()
The Distant Daughter by Lorna Cook
Singapore, 1941: Singapore City lights up with explosions as the first Japanese bombs rain down. Until now, the war has seemed a distant threat for Issey and her friends, drinking and dancing at Raffles. But with the Japanese invasion looming, Issey knows she must leave. Mysterious, handsome Alex Cartwright has sworn he will see her to safety...romance · historical-fiction · fiction · historical · family · war · ww2 · action-adventure · survival · death -
![The Missing Pages by Alyson Richman]()
The Missing Pages by Alyson Richman
From international bestselling author Alyson Richman comes a love story, a ghost story, and an elegy to the healing power of books. Harry Widener boards the Titanic holding tight to a priceless book he just purchased in London. After mayhem strikes the ship, Harry’s last known words are that he must return to his cabin for his treasure. Neither the young man nor the book are seen again...historical-fiction · historical · paranormal · fiction · mystery · ghosts · romantic-love · cozy · season-autumn · female-mc -
![The Graceview Patient by Caitlin Starling]()
The Graceview Patient by Caitlin Starling
Misery meets Invasion of the Body Snatchers in this genre-bending, claustrophobic hospital gothic from the bestselling author of The Death of Jane Lawrence. Margaret lives with a rare autoimmune condition that has destroyed her life, leaving her isolated...horror · gothic · fiction · mystery · dark · ghosts · psychological · thriller · supernatural · book -
![Eerie Basin by Ivy Pochoda]()
Eerie Basin by Ivy Pochoda
An old haunt in a once-derelict Brooklyn neighborhood harbors terrifying secrets in a wickedly chilling short story by Ivy Pochoda, the award-winning author of Ecstasy.Erin tends bar at the last dive left in gentrified Red Hook, Brooklyn, where old-timers spin tales of the bar’s legacy and the waterfront’s crime-ridden past...urban · new-york-state · horror · fiction · mystery · fantasy · paranormal · supernatural · crime · audiobook -
![Academy of Outcasts by Larry Correia]()
Academy of Outcasts by Larry Correia
A brand new fantasy world from Larry Correia, bestselling author of Monster Hunter International! All Oz Carnavon ever wanted was to become a master mage. Except, to do so requires the natural gifts or wealth necessary to secure an appointment to one of the prestigious magical academies in the Core City at the center of the seven realms. Oz had neither...fantasy · fiction · high-fantasy · magic · epic · action-adventure · progression-fantasy · litrpg · aliens · dark -
![The Haunting of Paynes Hollow by Kelley Armstrong]()
The Haunting of Paynes Hollow by Kelley Armstrong
From New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong comes a nail-biting supernatural horror about a haunted lakeside property and twisted family secrets.When Samantha Payne’s grandfather dies, she figures she won’t even get a mention in the will...horror · mystery · paranormal · fiction · audiobook · supernatural · suspense · fantasy · contemporary · spooky -
![Nowhere Burning by Catriona Ward]()
Nowhere Burning by Catriona Ward
Set in the unforgiving maw of the Rocky Mountains, Nowhere Burning is the latest harrowing novel from bestselling author Catriona Ward, perfect for fans of Riley Sager and the hit series Yellowjackets.A refuge for lost children may also be their prison.In the middle of the night, Riley pulls her younger brother Oliver out of bed, and the two run away from home...horror · fiction · mystery · season-summer · rural · crime · suspense · psychological · thriller · supernatural -
![Holly by Adalyn Grace]()
Holly by Adalyn Grace
A mysterious and magical holiday novella set in the romantic, Gothic-infused world of Belladonna, from #1 New York Times bestselling author Adalyn Grace...romance · fantasy · young-adult · gothic · paranormal · historical-fiction · mystery · fiction · audiobook · historical -
![The Bone Thief by Vanessa Lillie]()
The Bone Thief by Vanessa Lillie
When a Native teenager vanishes from her small town—a place with dark ties to an elite historical society—archaeologist Syd Walker is called to investigate...from bestselling author Vanessa Lillie.In the hours before dawn at a local summer camp, Bureau of Indian Affairs archaeologist Syd Walker receives an alarming call: newly discovered skeletal remains have been stolen...north-america · usa · rhode-island · mystery · fiction · suspense · indigenous-mc · contemporary · horror · thriller -
![All of Us Murderers by K.J. Charles]()
All of Us Murderers by K.J. Charles
A genre-bending Gothic mystery with a strong LGBTQIA+ romance from beloved, award-winning author KJ Charles. As the mists descend, the gaslight flickers, and terror takes its hold, two warring lovers must reconcile in time to uncover the murderous mysteries of Lackaday House—and live to tell the tale...romance · mystery · historical · lgbtq · historical-fiction · gothic · fiction · mlm · paranormal · horror -
![If the Dead Belong Here by Carson Faust]()
If the Dead Belong Here by Carson Faust
When a young girl goes missing, the ghosts of the past collide with her family’s secrets in a mesmerizing Native American Southern GothicWhen six-year-old Laurel Taylor vanishes without a trace, her family is left shattered, struggling to navigate the darkness of grief and unanswered questions...horror · fiction · indigenous-mc · literary-fiction · poc-mc · poc-author · mystery · unreliable-narrator · ghosts · supernatural -
![Girl Dinner by Olivie Blake]()
Girl Dinner by Olivie Blake
A deliciously satirical standalone from the New York Times bestselling author of The Atlas Six. Girl Dinner by Olivie Blake is a contemporary, darkly-fun novel about violence, lust and eating your fill, as wealthy moms and sorority girls practicing a sinister new wellness trend . . .Good girls deserve a treat... -
![Mayhem and the Mortal by Shanora Williams]()
Mayhem and the Mortal by Shanora Williams
Dungeons & Dragons meets The Wizard of Oz in this darkly hilarious romantasy adventure in which a young woman who will do anything to rescue her sister from an evil sorcerer's curse hires a ruthless assassin. They embark on a quest with a band of misfits, one of whom harbors a devastating secret that could ruin her fairy-tale ending...romance · fantasy · young-adult · sci-fi · epic · dark · grumpy-sunshine · cheerful-mc · grumpy-mc · paranormal -
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![The Women of Wild Hill by Kirsten Miller]()
The Women of Wild Hill by Kirsten Miller
A witty, spectacular, and timely tale of modern-day witches waging war on the patriarchy, from fan favorite Kirsten Miller, the author of The Change and Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books.There are places on earth where nature’s powers gather. Girls raised there are bequeathed strange gifts. A few have powers so dark that they fear to use them...fantasy · horror · fiction · magical-realism · witches-wizards · paranormal · magic · supernatural · literary-fiction · gothic -
![Happy People Don't Live Here by Amber Sparks]()
Happy People Don't Live Here by Amber Sparks
In Amber Sparks’ highly anticipated debut novel, a reclusive mother and her saturnine daughter move into a haunted building brimming with eccentrics—and secrets.Just past the edge of summer, Alice and Fern arrive at the Pine Lake Apartments—a former sanitorium occupied by an ensemble of peculiar neighbors and a smattering of ghosts...horror · mystery · fantasy · fiction · audiobook · magical-realism · supernatural · hauntings · literary-fiction · ghosts -
![One Bad Night & Other Stories by Stephen Graham Jones, Rachel Harrison, S.A. Barnes, Kylie Lee Baker]()
One Bad Night & Other Stories by Stephen Graham Jones, Rachel Harrison, S.A. Barnes, Kylie Lee Baker
Horror lovers everywhere, get ready for... ONE BAD NIGHT.In “Two Observers of the Slaughter Rites on Gannet Island," an anthropologist and his wife travel to the remote Gannet Island to observe a mysterious yearly ritual.In “My Lithopedia," a woman learns that she had an unborn twin sister, extracted as a stone baby during her late mother’s autopsy and decides to keep it... -
![King Sorrow by Joe Hill]()
King Sorrow by Joe Hill
Arthur Oakes is a reader, a dreamer, and a student at Rackham College, Maine, renowned for its frosty winters, exceptional library, and beautiful buildings. But his idyll—and burgeoning romance with Gwen Underfoot—is shattered when a local drug dealer and her partner corner him into one of the worst crimes he can imagine: stealing rare books from the college library...horror · fantasy · fiction · dragons · dark · dark-fantasy · spooky · ghosts · suspense · supernatural -
![The Night Is Not for You by Eman Quotah]()
The Night Is Not for You by Eman Quotah
From the award-winning author of The Bride at Sea comes this visceral tale of feminine rage and magical realism as Layla learns the very human pains of growing up and realizing the world isn't as safe a place as it should be. A man's body is found viciously murdered behind a neighborhood's corner store, sending shockwaves through the tight-knit community in this small-town neighborhood...horror · audiobook · magical-realism · fiction · paranormal · mystery · feminism · magic · suspense · dark -
![Good Spirits by B.K. Borison]()
Good Spirits by B.K. Borison
“Good Spirits is an absolute knockout. A new Borison book feels like coming home in the best way. She's truly in a league of her own.” — Hannah Grace, New York Times bestselling author of IcebreakerThe USA Today bestselling author of Business Casual, B.K...romance · fiction · contemporary · paranormal · fantasy · season-winter · female-mc · holidays · ghosts · horror -
![I'll Quit When I'm Dead by Luke Smitherd]()
I'll Quit When I'm Dead by Luke Smitherd
In this page-turning, provocative horror novel, two desperate souls attempt to turn their lives around, with nightmarish consequences if they fail. Madison has seen better days. Reeling from a bad breakup, self-soothing with junk food, and totally consumed by her lack of direction, she’s in need of a big reset... -
![Herculine by Grace Byron]()
Herculine by Grace Byron
Manhunt meets Lord of the Flies in this blistering horror debut following a young trans woman after she arrives at the all-trans girl commune founded by her toxic ex-girlfriend, only to discover that demons, both literal and figurative, haunt her fellow comrades—and she's their next prey!Herculine’s narrator has demons...horror · lgbtq · fiction · wlw · trans-mc · contemporary · audiobook · cults · fundamentalism · 21st-century -
![The Scour by Richard Swan]()
The Scour by Richard Swan
Fifteen years before the events of The Justice of Kings, Vonvalt and Bressinger investigate the imprisonment of a fellow justice for murder...fantasy · fiction · horror · mystery · grim-dark · historical-fiction · crime · male-author · dark · dark-fantasy -
![Undead and Unwed by Sam Tschida]()
Undead and Unwed by Sam Tschida
Bridget Jones’s Diary meets What We Do in the Shadows in this hilarious contemporary rom-com about a 300-year-old single vampire who inherits a fixer-upper in a quaint town in VermontNothing sucks more than dating–especially when you've been bad at it for three centuries.Tiffenie Ruba is 300 years old and still doesn’t have her life together... -
![One Killer Night by Trilina Pucci]()
One Killer Night by Trilina Pucci
USA Today bestselling author Trilina Pucci cranks up the heat in this sexy slasher filled with dark family secrets, classic horror tropes, and banter as sharp as a deranged killer’s knife.Love is patient.Love is kind.Love will stab you from behind.It’s Halloween night, and out-of-work writer Goldie Monroe’s trip to the drugstore scares up more than the fake blood she’s looking for...romance · contemporary · dark · mystery · audiobook · suspense · spooky · slasher · serial-killers · new-adult -
![Pounded in the Patch by Dana LeeAnn]()
Pounded in the Patch by Dana LeeAnn
* RANKED TOP 100 IN THE ENTIRE KINDLE STORE *I whispered my darkest fantasy. He made it my reality. A moonlit pumpkin patch deep in the forest, where jack-o'-lanterns glow and fog clouds my vision. It's exactly the kind of place I’ve always dreamed of being hunted, chased by a masked man until I have nothing left to give.Tonight, my fantasy is my reality...romance · steamy · dark · billionaire · stalking · spooky · fiction · horror · contemporary · kidnapping -
![Hazelthorn by C.G. Drews]()
Hazelthorn by C.G. Drews
CG Drews, acclaimed author of Don't Let the Forest In, returns with another deeply unsettling and yet hauntingly beautiful tale of murder and botanical body horror, perfect for fans of Andrew Joseph White and We Have Always Lived in the Castle...horror · gothic · young-adult · lgbtq · fiction · splatterpunk · graphic-violence · dark · dark-fantasy · spooky -
![Witches of Dubious Origin by Jenn McKinlay]()
Witches of Dubious Origin by Jenn McKinlay
When a librarian discovers she’s descended from a long line of powerful witches, she’ll need all of her bookish knowledge to harness her family’s magic, in this enchanting cozy fantasy from New York Times bestselling author Jenn McKinlay.Zoe Ziakas enjoys a quiet life, working as a librarian in her quaint New England town...romance · fantasy · witches-wizards · cozy · magic · paranormal · mystery · fiction · female-author · grief -
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![Unwell by Effie Campbell]()
Unwell by Effie Campbell
Two women. One asylum. Deadly secrets.When nineteen-year-old Ginny’s mother abandons her at Wellard Asylum, she isn’t sick. She’s pregnant. Behind the iron gates patients cower, the rules are broken, and the basement hides evils that would make monsters squirm. Ginny only has one keep her baby safe, no matter what.Nurse Nancy once believed hospitals were for healing the vulnerable...horror · steamy · sexual-assault · mental-illness · dystopia · dark · cheating · domestic-drama · psychological · thriller -
![Slayers of Old by Jim C. Hines]()
Slayers of Old by Jim C. Hines
Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Golden Girls in this humorous contemporary standalone fantasy about a group of former Chosen Ones coming out of retirement to save the world one last timeThree former Chosen Ones have joined together to spend their retirement in peace and quiet, running Second Life Books and Gifts in Salem, MA...fantasy · urban-fantasy · mystery · fiction · horror · paranormal · cozy · low-fantasy · contemporary · law-enforcement -
![Wiz Duos - Book 3 by Ruthanna Emrys, Andrew Knighton]()
Wiz Duos - Book 3 by Ruthanna Emrys, Andrew Knighton
Two novellas in one bookThe Sheltering Flame by Ruthanna EmrysThree old friends fleeing from their lives in academia take on a unique restoration project in the hills of New England, only to find that the stewardship of their crumbling new property comes with a magical obligation... -
![Saving the Angel of Death by Sky Blu]()
Saving the Angel of Death by Sky Blu
KILLIANI was a little kid when I found the only creature in this world who could silence the darkness inside me. She was my angel. But once the devil saw how pure and special our love was, he and his demons destroyed me.I’ll never be worthy of her after what they did to me.To ease the torment, the hollowness, and quiet the darkness, I joined the priesthood... -
![Bonepetal by Nova Kane]()
Bonepetal by Nova Kane
When Salem broke her vow, she broke the veil.One year after losing Finn to fire, cult, and sacrifice, she swore she’d never love again. She lied. Now Finn is back—feral, obsessive, wearing death like a crown, and he’s come to claim what was always his.A Halloween novella of possession, blood, and bone-deep love... -
![A Taste of Silver by Helen Scott]()
A Taste of Silver by Helen Scott
He's been watching me through every mirror for centuries.In the kingdom of Virelda, reflections are forbidden and it's said that a phantom prince lives behind the glass, with a voice so beautiful it drives people mad. When I'm hired to silence him, I discover why he's really Me.He says that we were lovers before I sacrificed my memories to save him... -
![ITCH! by Gemma Amor]()
ITCH! by Gemma Amor
*** THE FOLK HORROR NOVEL CRAWLING UNDER YOUR SKIN FOR HALLOWEEN 2025 ***Something moves on the forest floor . . .Josie is at rock bottom. Burned out, heartbroken and recovering from an abusive relationship, she lives a haunted existence after returning to her isolated hometown on the edge of the Forest of Dean...horror · fiction · mystery · audiobook · lgbtq · folk-horror · rural · contemporary · spooky · supernatural
