CBTB's Frequently Recommended Supernatural-ish Mysteries & Chillers
If you had told me when I started this blog that I would someday be writing a blog post recommending a few of my personal favorite crime books with some supernatural elements to them, I would have never believed you. I used to be staunchly opposed to crime books with any supernatural touches, but as time has gone on, and thanks to the work of very talented authors including Yrsa Sigurdardottir, C.J. Tudor, and many more, I’ve not only become open to books in this category… I’ve actually begun actively seeking them out. While I think it will always be important to me as a reader that the crime novels I read, even the supernatural-ish ones, have an earthly, logical solution to the mysteries at their core, I’ve come to discover just how much fun a thriller with a dash of the supernatural can be. Today, I’m so excited to share a roundup of my frequently recommended supernatural-ish mysteries and “chillers”! Some of these books have true supernatural elements to them, while in others, the supernatural is more of a suggestion or a question to be answered over the course of the story. No matter what, all of these books have an extra-creepy edge to them that will have you reading with all the lights on. To help you guide you through this list and narrow down which books might be of interest to you, I’ve divvied this list up into three categories: Ghosts & Haunted Houses, Folklore & The Occult, and Possessions & Inexplicable Events. The books in this list exemplify that delicious blend of earthly mystery and supernatural touches that I’ve come to love so much, and I’m so excited to share this rundown of books in this category that I recommend most frequently with you today! Grab your coziest blanket, turn on all the lights, and dive in to my frequently-recommended supernatural-ish mysteries & thrillers.
Updated January 2022 to include recent releases!
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Ghost Stories & Haunted Houses
I REMEMBER YOU by Yrsa Sigurdardottir
Why I Loved It:
I REMEMBER YOU by Yrsa Sigurdardottir is probably my favorite mystery/ghost story crossover book that I’ve ever read. Iceland’s Queen of Crime puts her love of horror on full display in this slow-burning, dread-inducing tale. I REMEMBER YOU is part missing persons mystery, part ghost story, and totally gripping. In one timeline, readers follow the father of a young boy who discovers that his son has vanished seemingly without a trace. In another timeline, readers follow a group of friends who have just purchased an abandoned house in a small village in the fjords of Iceland. As these friends settle in and begin their work renovating the house, things take a dangerous turn, and quickly becomes clear to the group that something in the house wants them to leave. Yrsa Sigurdardottir expertly crafts this chilling novel, weaving together these two seemingly disparate stories into one terrifying, heartbreaking conclusion. I absolutely loved this book—it literally did keep me up all night reading. As an added bonus, there is an Icelandic film adaptation of this book that actually does the story justice. It’s well worth a watch after you’ve read the book!
About the Book:
In this terrifying tale, three friends set to work renovating a rundown house in a remote, totally isolated location. But they soon realize they are not as alone as they thought. Something wants them to leave. Meanwhile, in a nearby town, a young doctor investigating the suicide of an elderly woman discovers that she was obsessed with his vanished son. When the two stories collide, the shocking truth becomes horribly clear.
In the vein of Stephen King and John Ajvide Lindqvist partly based on a true story, is the scariest novel yet from Yrsa Sigurdardóttir, who has captivated the attention of readers around the world with her mystery series featuring attorney Thora Gudmundsdottir. Now, Yrsa will stun readers once again with this out-of-this-world ghost story that will leave you shivering.
THE SUN DOWN MOTEL by Simone St. James
Why I Loved It:
Simone St. James is one of the authors whose work first opened my eyes to just how awesome a suspense novel with elements of the supernatural could be. When I read her 2018 release The Broken Girls, I was still somewhat of a supernatural skeptic… but all of that had changed by the time I read her 2020 publication THE SUN DOWN MOTEL, and I fell head over heels for this story of a thoroughly haunted roadside motel in upstate New York. THE SUN DOWN MOTEL is a ghost story through and through: in this book, the ghosts aren’t just suggestions - they’re real, and they are everywhere. I was hooked on this page-turning, utterly chilling mystery-meets-ghost story.
About the Book:
Upstate New York, 1982. Viv Delaney wants to move to New York City, and to help pay for it she takes a job as the night clerk at the Sun Down Motel in Fell, New York. But something isnʼt right at the motel, something haunting and scary.
Upstate New York, 2017. Carly Kirk has never been able to let go of the story of her aunt Viv, who mysteriously disappeared from the Sun Down before she was born. She decides to move to Fell and visit the motel, where she quickly learns that nothing has changed since 1982. And she soon finds herself ensnared in the same mysteries that claimed her aunt.
HOME BEFORE DARK by Riley Sager
Why I Loved It:
This one is a no-brainer! Riley Sager is one of my all-time favorite authors, and his brilliant take on a haunted house story completely immersed me and chilled me to the bone. HOME BEFORE DARK is a story about a young woman grappling with whether or not the supernatural really exists. In this spine-tingling story, a woman returns to her childhood home—the very same home that her family fled in the middle of the night years prior, after being on the receiving end of a campaign of supernatural warfare by unseen forces within the house. Our protagonist is determined to prove once and for all that there’s no such thing as ghosts… but will she be proven right, or will the house have the last laugh? Sager expertly draws readers into a complex story of family secrets, and a young woman seeking to re-write her story. I loved this one for its intricate plotting, unforgettable setting, and snapshot moments of horror that were imprinted on my brain for weeks after finishing it. Bonus: this book will keep you, and its protagonist, guessing about whether or not ghosts might be real.
About the Book:
What was it like? Living in that house.
Maggie Holt is used to such questions. Twenty-five years ago, she and her parents, Ewan and Jess, moved into Baneberry Hall, a rambling Victorian estate in the Vermont woods. They spent three weeks there before fleeing in the dead of night, an ordeal Ewan later recounted in a nonfiction book called House of Horrors. His tale of ghostly happenings and encounters with malevolent spirits became a worldwide phenomenon, rivaling The Amityville Horror in popularity—and skepticism.
Today, Maggie is a restorer of old homes and too young to remember any of the events mentioned in her father's book. But she also doesn’t believe a word of it. Ghosts, after all, don’t exist. When Maggie inherits Baneberry Hall after her father's death, she returns to renovate the place to prepare it for sale. But her homecoming is anything but warm. People from the past, chronicled in House of Horrors, lurk in the shadows. And locals aren’t thrilled that their small town has been made infamous thanks to Maggie’s father. Even more unnerving is Baneberry Hall itself—a place filled with relics from another era that hint at a history of dark deeds. As Maggie experiences strange occurrences straight out of her father’s book, she starts to believe that what he wrote was more fact than fiction.
THE LINGERING by S.J.I. Holliday
Why I Loved It:
If you love Gothic suspense and ghost stories, THE LINGERING might just be the book for you. S.J.I. Holliday’s chilling, atmospheric suspense story takes place against the backdrop of Rosalind House, a former psychiatric home-turned-residence for a self-sufficient commune. Married couple Jack and Ali desperately need a break from the stressors of their everyday lives, and decide to pack up their belongings and move to this commune to start a new life together. But as they settle into their new lives at Rosalind House, they quickly begin to suspect that something is very, very wrong with their new home. And the deeper they dig into the history of Rosalind House, the more they realize just how right they were to be suspicious. THE LINGERING is a Gothic suspense story with touches of the possibly-supernatural and an immersive, sinister sense of place.
About the Book:
Married couple Jack and Ali Gardiner move to a self-sufficient commune in the English Fens, desperate for fresh start. The local village is known for the witches who once resided there and Rosalind House, where the commune has been established, is a former psychiatric home, with a disturbing history.
When Jack and Ali arrive, a chain of unexpected and unexplained events is set off, and it becomes clear that they are not all that they seem. As the residents become twitchy, and the villagers suspicious, events from the past come back to haunt them, and someone is seeking retribution.
THEME MUSIC by T. Marie Vandelly
Why I Loved It:
THEME MUSIC by T. Marie Vandelly is a story of a woman haunted by the ghosts of her past. But are these ghosts real, or are they just in her mind? In THEME MUSIC, a woman returns to her childhood home—the very same home where, twenty five years prior, her father murdered her entire family, leaving her the only survivor. As our protagonist settles into the home, she can feel the ghosts of her family closing in on her. Is she losing her mind? Or is the house truly haunted by the loved ones she lost? THEME MUSIC is a spine-tingling story that leaves it up to readers to decide just how haunted its setting really is.
About the Book:
She didn't run from her dark past. She moved in.
For the lucky among us, life is what you make of it; but for Dixie Wheeler, the theme music for her story was chosen by another long ago, on the day her father butchered her mother and brothers and then slashed a knife across his own throat. Only one-year-old Dixie was spared, becoming infamously known as Baby Blue for the song left playing in the aftermath of the slaughter.
Twenty-five years later, Dixie is still desperate for a connection to the family she can’t remember. So when her childhood home goes up for sale, Dixie sets aside all reason and moves in. But as the ghosts of her family seemingly begin to take up residence in the house that was once theirs, Dixie starts to question her sanity and wonders if the evil force menacing her is that of her father or a demon of her own making.
In order to make sense of her present, Dixie becomes determined to unravel the truth of her past and seeks out the detective who originally investigated the murders. But the more she learns, the more she opens up the uncomfortable possibility that the sins of her father may belong to another. As bodies begin to pile up around her, Dixie must find a way to expose the lunacy behind her family’s massacre to save her few loved ones who are still alive—and whatever scrap of sanity she has left.
THE GIRL WHO DIED by Ragnar Jonasson
Why I Loved It:
Icelandic crime writer Ragnar Jonasson, best known for his atmospheric detective novels, delivers a spine-tingling story with possibly-supernatural atmosphere in his first standalone novel, THE GIRL WHO DIED. In THE GIRL WHO DIED, readers follow a young woman who accepts a teaching position in a very remote Icelandic village, only to discover that she has unwittingly moved into a community that is even more insular and sinister than she could ever have imagined. Fans of Ragnar’s previous releases will recognize in his newest novel his elegant and subtle writing, and his masterful ability to paint a vivid picture of Iceland’s landscape and atmosphere; readers of Ragnar’s work both new and old will fall under the hypnotic spell of his most chilling story yet in THE GIRL WHO DIED. Though not a traditional Nordic Noir novel, THE GIRL WHO DIED nevertheless holds significant appeal for fans of the Scandinavian crime tradition, and will also appeal to readers who love suspense tinged with the supernatural, and crime stories set in small towns.
About the Book:
Teacher Wanted At the Edge of the World
Una wants nothing more than to teach, but she has been unable to secure steady employment in Reykjavík. Her savings are depleted, her love life is nonexistent, and she cannot face another winter staring at the four walls of her shabby apartment. Celebrating Christmas and ringing in 1986 in the remote fishing hamlet of Skálar seems like a small price to pay for a chance to earn some teaching credentials and get her life back on track.
But Skálar isn’t just one of Iceland’s most isolated villages, it is home to just ten people. Una’s only students are two girls aged seven and nine. Teaching them only occupies so many hours in a day and the few adults she interacts with are civil but distant. She only seems to connect with Thór, a man she shares an attraction with but who is determined to keep her at arm’s length.
As darkness descends throughout the bleak winter, Una finds herself more often than not in her rented attic space—the site of a local legendary haunting—drinking her loneliness away. She is plagued by nightmares of a little girl in a white dress singing a lullaby. And when a sudden tragedy echoes an event long buried in Skálar’s past, the villagers become even more guarded, leaving a suspicious Una seeking to uncover a shocking truth that’s been kept secret for generations.
FOLKLORE & THE OCCULT
THE BURNING GIRLS by C.J. Tudor
Why I Loved It:
C.J. Tudor is one of the authors I absolutely credit with opening my eyes to the thrills and joys of suspense novels with touches of the supernatural to them. In her latest release, THE BURNING GIRLS, Tudor sets her sights on a folk horror story about a town where the past isn’t really ever gone. I absolutely loved the chilling world that Tudor crafts in this engaging suspense novel. THE BURNING GIRLS is set in a small town in England, where residents commemorate the town’s violent history with an annual ceremony in which little twig dolls—”burning girls”—are burned in honor of Protestant martyrs burned at the stake in the town centuries ago. THE BURNING GIRLS has an element of The Wicker Man folk horror to it, and I absolutely loved it. This book has unconventional, engaging characters, and a highly sinister small-town setting—a perfect combination.
About the Book:
A dark history lingers in Chapel Croft. Five hundred years ago, Protestant martyrs were betrayed—then burned. Thirty years ago, two teenage girls disappeared without a trace. And a few weeks ago, the vicar of the local parish hanged himself in the nave of the church.
Reverend Jack Brooks, a single parent with a fourteen-year-old daughter and a heavy conscience, arrives in the village hoping for a fresh start. Instead, Jack finds a town rife with conspiracies and secrets, and is greeted with a strange welcome package: an exorcism kit and a note that warns, “But there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed and hidden that will not be known.”
The more Jack and daughter, Flo, explore the town and get to know its strange denizens, the deeper they are drawn into the age-old rifts, mysteries, and suspicions. And when Flo begins to see specters of girls ablaze, it becomes apparent there are ghosts here that refuse to be laid to rest.
Uncovering the truth can be deadly in a village with a bloody past, where everyone has something to hide and no one trusts an outsider.
THE NESTING by C.J. Cooke
Why I Loved It:
THE NESTING is an unexpected-yet-perfect blend of so many things I love in a suspense novel. Set against the backdrop of a Norwegian fjord, this atmospheric and chilling story incorporates elements of Gothic suspense and an exploration of local folklore. In THE NESTING, a young woman accepts a job working as the live-in nanny for the two young daughters of a famous architect. But as she settles into her new life in the wilds of Norway, she begins to uncover dark secrets about the family—and about the piece of land on which she is now living. Author C.J. Cooke weaves elements of folklore and the supernatural into this fresh spin on a classic Gothic suspense plot.
About the Book:
Architect Tom Faraday is determined to finish the high-concept, environmentally friendly home he’s building in Norway—in the same place where he lost his wife, Aurelia, to suicide. It was their dream house, and he wants to honor her with it.
Lexi Ellis takes a job as his nanny and immediately falls in love with his two young daughters, especially Gaia. But something feels off in the isolated house nestled in the forest along the fjord. Lexi sees mysterious muddy footprints inside the home. Aurelia’s diary appears in Lexi’s room one day. And Gaia keeps telling her about seeing the terrifying Sad Lady. . . .
Soon Lexi suspects that Aurelia didn’t kill herself and that they are all in danger from something far more sinister lurking around them.
THE LIGHTHOUSE WITCHES by C.J. Cooke
Why I Loved It:
C.J. Cooke has quickly become a trusted author for me when I’m in the market for something a little bit spooky and laced with local lore (can you tell?!), and that’s exactly what she delivers in her latest release, THE LIGHTHOUSE WITCHES. Much like Cooke’s previous release THE NESTING, THE LIGHTHOUSE WITCHES blends a compelling mystery with elements of local folklore to spine-tingling effect. Cooke’s newest novel centers around (you guessed it!) a lighthouse on a remote Scottish island. It follows a single mother and her daughters who move to the island, and soon find themselves in the center of an inexplicable and sinister series of events. I loved the way Cooke develops the folklore central to this story; readers will begin to suspect it might really be true. Pick this one up if you love stories centered around compelling women, and mysteries that weave between the world we know and otherworldly secrets.
About the Book:
When single mother Liv is commissioned to paint a mural in a 100-year-old lighthouse on a remote Scottish island, it's an opportunity to start over with her three daughters--Luna, Sapphire, and Clover. When two of her daughters go missing, she's frantic. She learns that the cave beneath the lighthouse was once a prison for women accused of witchcraft. The locals warn her about wildlings, supernatural beings who mimic human children, created by witches for revenge. Liv is told wildlings are dangerous and must be killed.
Twenty-two years later, Luna has been searching for her missing sisters and mother. When she receives a call about her youngest sister, Clover, she's initially ecstatic. Clover is the sister she remembers--except she's still seven years old, the age she was when she vanished. Luna is worried Clover is a wildling. Luna has few memories of her time on the island, but she'll have to return to find the truth of what happened to her family. But she doesn't realize just how much the truth will change her.
THE WHISPER MAN by Alex North
Why I Loved It:
Fans of police procedurals looking for an extra-chilling twist on the genre, this one’s for you! THE WHISPER MAN delivers a surprising new twist on a police procedural plot, weaving a piece of local lore into an otherwise quite traditional mystery plot. This chilling detective novel involves a shadowy killer known as “The Whisper Man,” whose legacy and existence is shrouded in local lore. Residents of the quiet town of Featherbank believed that the culprit behind the Whisper Man crimes was caught years ago… but when a new victim vanishes, rumors surrounding the Whisper Man resurface. This is a seriously spine-tingling crime novel, and I loved the way author Alex North blends a traditional crime fiction plot with local lore to sinister effect.
About the Book:
After the sudden death of his wife, Tom Kennedy believes a fresh start will help him and his young son Jake heal. A new beginning, a new house, a new town. Featherbank.
But the town has a dark past. Twenty years ago, a serial killer abducted and murdered five residents. Until Frank Carter was finally caught, he was nicknamed "The Whisper Man," for he would lure his victims out by whispering at their windows at night.
Just as Tom and Jake settle into their new home, a young boy vanishes. His disappearance bears an unnerving resemblance to Frank Carter's crimes, reigniting old rumors that he preyed with an accomplice. Now, detectives Amanda Beck and Pete Willis must find the boy before it is too late, even if that means Pete has to revisit his great foe in prison: The Whisper Man.
And then Jake begins acting strangely. He hears a whispering at his window...
THE WITCH HUNTER by Max Seeck
Why I Loved It:
A Nordic thriller with elements of the occult? Sign me up. I devoured Finnish author Max Seeck’s debut thriller THE WITCH HUNTER last fall, and highly recommend it for any Scandinavian crime fiction fans looking for a book that bridges the gap between a Nordic crime novel and occult suspense. In THE WITCH HUNTER, the wife of a bestselling author whose books focus on witch hunts is found brutally murdered, her body staged in a way that resembles a crime in her husband’s first novel. Investigators quickly realize that this can’t be a coincidence, and the deeper they delve into the case, the stranger—and more dangerous—things get. This book blends a serial killer thriller-style plot with an occult element that kept me totally hooked, and totally creeped out.
About the Book:
A bestselling author’s wife has been found dead in a gorgeous black evening gown, sitting at the head of an empty dining table. Her most chilling feature—her face is frozen in a ghastly smile.
At first it seems as though a deranged psychopath is reenacting the gruesome murders from the Witch Hunt trilogy, bestsellers written by the victim’s husband. But investigator Jessica Niemi soon realizes she’s not looking for a single killer but rather for dozens of believers in a sinister form of witchcraft who know her every move and are always one step ahead.
As the bodies start piling up, Jessica knows they won’t stop until they get what they want. And when her dark past comes to light, Jessica finds herself battling her own demons while desperately trying to catch a coven of killers before they claim their next victim.
POSSESSIONS & INEXPLICABLE EVENTS
THE HIDING PLACE by C.J. Tudor
Why I Loved It:
In her sophomore novel THE HIDING PLACE, queen of creepy suspense C.J. Tudor delivers a sinister small-town story that explores the dark secrets lurking within a quiet town—specifically, within the town’s abandoned mine. Years ago, protagonist Joe’s sister went missing. But that wasn’t the worst of it. The worst was when she returned… changed. Now, Joe is determined to return to the town he fled so many years ago to uncover the horrific truth behind what really happened to his sister, and prevent anyone else from being harmed. This book is dark, gritty, and dripping with sinister atmosphere. Set against the backdrop of a once-thriving mining town that has now fallen into disrepair after the closure of the mine its economy relied on, THE HIDING PLACE draws readers into a grim, gritty world with more than a few secrets lurking beneath the surface.
About the Book:
Joe never wanted to come back to Arnhill. After the way things ended with his old gang—the betrayal, the suicide—and what happened when his sister went missing, the last thing he wanted to do was return to his hometown. But Joe doesn’t have a choice, not after a chilling email surfaces in his inbox: I know what happened to your sister. It’s happening again . . .
Lying his way into a teaching job at his former high school is the easy part. Facing off with onetime friends who aren’t too happy to have him back in town—while avoiding the enemies he’s made in the years since—is tougher. But the hardest part of all will be returning to the abandoned mine where his life changed forever, and finally confronting the horrifying truth about Arnhill, his sister, and himself. Because for Joe, the worst moment of his life wasn’t the day his sister went missing.
It was the day she came back.
THE RETURN by Rachel Harrison
Why I Loved It:
This book has proven to be a very polarizing one, but I absolutely loved Rachel Harrison’s razor-sharp and seriously entertaining debut THE RETURN. In this cinematic and horrifying story, a group of friends gather for a girl’s weekend. The cause for this celebratory trip? One of their own, Julie, was missing for two years, and she has just returned. Determined to reconnect with their friend, and more than a little curious about what happened to Julie during this lost time, our central friend group arrange for a festive getaway to a remote inn. But as they settle in for a weekend of celebration, they begin to notice that Julie seems just a bit different. This tense, seriously entertaining story primarily takes place in the inn over the course of the weekend, as our protagonists discover the horrifying truth behind what really happened to Julie. This book is totally cinematic, and its blood-soaked finale had me furiously turning pages, desperate to see how the story would end. If you’re okay with some gore and prominent supernatural/horror elements in your thrillers, check this one out.
About the Book:
Julie is missing, and no one believes she will ever return—except Elise. Elise knows Julie better than anyone, and feels it in her bones that her best friend is out there and that one day Julie will come back. She’s right. Two years to the day that Julie went missing, she reappears with no memory of where she’s been or what happened to her.
Along with Molly and Mae, their two close friends from college, the women decide to reunite at a remote inn. But the second Elise sees Julie, she knows something is wrong—she’s emaciated, with sallow skin and odd appetites. And as the weekend unfurls, it becomes impossible to deny that the Julie who vanished two years ago is not the same Julie who came back. But then who—or what—is she?
THE SHADOWS by Alex North
Why I Loved It:
After reading and loving Alex North’s first novel The Whisper Man, I had a strong feeling I would similarly enjoy his sophomore novel, THE SHADOWS… but even with my high expectations, this book managed to blow me away. THE SHADOWS is a story of small-town suspense, following a man who returns to his childhood hometown to care for his ailing mother, and ends up having to confront horrific events that marked his childhood, when one of his friends murdered another member of their friend group. THE SHADOWS is part coming-of-age story, part supernatural-ish suspense novel that delves into the mind-bending subject of lucid dreaming. If you’re looking for a psychological thriller that blends earthly horrors with touches of otherworldly phenomena that defy all logical explanation, check out North’s gripping, hypnotic suspense novel THE SHADOWS.
About the Book:
You knew a teenager like Charlie Crabtree. A dark imagination, a sinister smile--always on the outside of the group. Some part of you suspected he might be capable of doing something awful. Twenty-five years ago, Crabtree did just that, committing a murder so shocking that it’s attracted that strange kind of infamy that only exists on the darkest corners of the internet--and inspired more than one copycat.
Paul Adams remembers the case all too well: Crabtree--and his victim--were Paul’s friends. Paul has slowly put his life back together. But now his mother, old and suffering from dementia, has taken a turn for the worse. Though every inch of him resists, it is time to come home.
It's not long before things start to go wrong. Paul learns that Detective Amanda Beck is investigating another copycat that has struck in the nearby town of Featherbank. His mother is distressed, insistent that there's something in the house. And someone is following him. Which reminds him of the most unsettling thing about that awful day twenty-five years ago.
It wasn't just the murder.
It was the fact that afterward, Charlie Crabtree was never seen again...
A HEAD FULL OF GHOSTS by Paul Tremblay
Why I Loved It:
Paul Tremblay is a celebrated horror writer, and his sinister psychological thriller A HEAD FULL OF GHOSTS was the first book I ever read of his—and it’s a book I’ve continued to recommend ever since. A HEAD FULL OF GHOSTS tells a story of a possible possession, and asks readers to consider just how much of the horrors presented within its pages are earthly, and how many might have an otherworldly explanation. In this clever and inventive suspense novel, a young woman begins to display signs of schizophrenia. Doctors are unable to help her, and our protagonist’s parents begin to wonder: could their beloved daughter be possessed? A HEAD FULL OF GHOSTS follows what happens when a production company arrives to document the family’s horrors. This book is dark, sinister, and thought-provoking—I was kept guessing by this story until its final pages.
About the Book:
The lives of the Barretts, a normal suburban New England family, are torn apart when 14-year-old Marjorie begins to display signs of acute schizophrenia.
To her parents' despair, the doctors are unable to stop Marjorie's descent into madness. As their stable home devolves into a house of horrors, they reluctantly turn to a local Catholic priest for help. Father Wanderly suggests an exorcism; he believes the vulnerable teenager is the victim of demonic possession. He also contacts a production company that is eager to document the Barretts' plight. With John, Marjorie's father, out of work for more than a year and the medical bills looming, the family agrees to be filmed and soon find themselves the unwitting stars of The Possession, a hit reality television show. When events in the Barrett household explode in tragedy, the show and the shocking incidents it captures become the stuff of urban legend.
Fifteen years later a best-selling writer interviews Marjorie's younger sister, Merry. As she recalls those long-ago events that took place when she was just eight years old, long-buried secrets and painful memories that clash with what was broadcast on television begin to surface - and a mind-bending tale of psychological horror is unleashed, raising vexing questions about memory and reality, science and religion, and the very nature of evil.
THE LOST VILLAGE by Camilla Sten
Why I Loved It:
I am absolutely fascinated by abandoned places, and Camilla Sten’s US debut THE LOST VILLAGE was therefore right up my alley. This spine-tingling chiller has been compared to The Blair Witch Project and Midsommar—and it completely deserves that very high praise. THE LOST VILLAGE follows a documentary film crew who sets out to investigate the mystery surrounding the vanishing residents of a mining village in Sweden. They arrive at the abandoned town and begin exploring…and quickly discover the village might not be quite as empty as they believed. Anyone who loves unsolved mysteries, abandoned locations, and spine-tingling, dread-inducing tension will devour THE LOST VILLAGE.
About the Book:
Documentary filmmaker Alice Lindstedt has been obsessed with the vanishing residents of the old mining town, dubbed “The Lost Village,” since she was a little girl. In 1959, her grandmother’s entire family disappeared in this mysterious tragedy, and ever since, the unanswered questions surrounding the only two people who were left—a woman stoned to death in the town center and an abandoned newborn—have plagued her. She’s gathered a small crew of friends in the remote village to make a film about what really happened.
But there will be no turning back.
Not long after they’ve set up camp, mysterious things begin to happen. Equipment is destroyed. People go missing. As doubt breeds fear and their very minds begin to crack, one thing becomes startlingly clear to Alice:
They are not alone.
They’re looking for the truth…
But what if it finds them first?
Come find out.
Home ownership feel like a distant dream? Zillow listings have you convinced you’ll be renting for the rest of your life? The woman at the heart of Carissa Orlando’s debut The September House feels your pain—and she’s prepared to put up with a lot if it means she and her husband can finally have a place to call their own. In this case, that might just mean living in a house that’s haunted. Playful and irreverent, spine-tingling and spooky, The September House puts a fresh spin on the classic haunted house story, delivering an immersive tale about the secrets lurking within one building’s walls, and within the lives of its inhabitants.