Matheson’s quick pace and twisting plot will keep you riveted as her detective, Anjelica Henley, races to try to solve a number of brutal killings in London while also holding on to her family and sanity. The book moves fast and you will feel tied to Henley and hopeful for her even though things are falling apart. This is a gripping mystery with a thrilling ending that will leave you feeling like you do not want to turn the lights off.
-Reviewed by Acy
A dark, poetic story about Will, a young boy who investigates a haunted circus that has arrived in his town, with the help of his friend and his father. Bradbury touches on themes of masculinity, father-son relationships, and the horror of growing up, all while fully delivering on the promises of creeps and scares inherent in the "haunted circus" premise. A perfect autumn read!
-Reviewed by Jason
You will have to set aside a full afternoon of reading time for this one. It is the very definition of a "page-turner.” “Unputdownable" also works. Set in Cornwall on a tidal island with one house on it, you can feel the atmosphere and tension from page one. The family is gathering for a reunion, naturally they don't like one another and there will be murders. If I say more, it will spoil the fun for you.
-Reviewed by Liesl
With a Crucible-style premise, Slewfoot tells a similar story we have heard before. But instead of Satan being a figment of mass hysteria, he is flesh and blood and much more complex than expected. Abitha is an outcast in a puritanical community who must fight for her ranch, her independence, and her survival. Her story will have you rooting for the power of nature and the endurance of those who refuse to surrender quietly.
-Reviewed by Lisa
If you are looking for a thriller that well keep you guessing and hanging on the edge of you seat look no further. When Alicia Berenson is accused of murdering her husband, she falls completely silent without a word in her own defense. Written from the perspective of her psychotherapist Theo Faber, this novel uncovers much more than just the reason behind Alicia’s silence.
-Reviewed by Kendra
Tursten is a seriously good mystery writer, and here she delights us with the seemingly innocent Maud, an 88 year old retired teacher who loves to travel. It’s a shame that so many people find their end when she is around — but they always deserve it. Really, she is just solving problems. In the end, Maud does the right thing and most people live happily ever after. This would make a fantastic stocking stuffer!
-Reviewed by Cynthia
Cooper and Grace are hiding out in the deep woods. Cooper knows that his daughter Finch will grow up and need more than what he can give her but for now they are safe. When you are trying to stay ahead of your past it is hard to know who is on your side and who is a danger. A tender depiction of a father/daughter relationship with the tension of a thriller.
-Reviewed by Cynthia
The Ritual is a very effective tale of horror that takes some really fun and unexpected twists. Without giving too much away, four friends go trekking through the Scandinavian wilderness and get lost. As you might expect strife, isolation, and horror follow. This is a great read for fans of the film based on this book, The Blair Witch Project, Deliverance, or Lords of Chaos.
-Reviewed by Zack
For fans of horror and mystery. A voice speaks from the dark offering passengers on a long boat ride their hearts' desires in return for a single heinous deed. The 'Sherlock Holmes' of the era is locked in a cell and can't help, so his bodyguard and another passenger must follow the clues. The story builds slowly which adds to the suspense.
-Reviewed by Brad
This is the closest to a classic, scare-you-silly horror movie a book has ever gotten for me. The Ruins follows a group of young people on vacation in Mexico who explore a ruin out in the jungle where something truly sinister waits. The Ruins is a violent, visceral, and downright terrifying read that isn’t for the faint of heart.
-Reviewed by Zack
Part Agatha Christie, part Groundhogs Day, we witness the same murder from eight different pairs of eyes and try to figure out who pulls the trigger before it actually happens. There were a few twists and turns in here that kept me reading through the night, trying to figure out the clues for myself.
-Reviewed by Brad
This is one of the few books that truly SCARED me while reading. The descriptions of fleeing a something that you can’t look at without madness are harrowing to say the least, but the fact that you don’t know if what’s out there is the something or just a deer…. so effective. Malorie’s responses to this trauma might be questionable, but Bird Box is undeniably a great zombie-free apocalypse novel.
-Reviewed by Julia
