10 Unsettling Mysteries With A Touch Of The Supernatural

The genre of mystery, by its very nature, always deals with the unknown. But some authors go a step further and delve into the unknowable. The ten works listed here feature not only murder and intrigue, but supernatural beings, prophetic visions, and powerful demons. This video was made with Ezvid Wikimaker.

Paranormal Mysteries: Our 10 Picks

Title Author
1. The Sleepwalkers J. Gabriel Gates
2. Finding Poe Leigh M. Lane
3. Diavolino Steve Emmett
4. Cursed City William Massa
5. The Coming of Dark Gary M. Martin
6. The Green-Eyed Monster Mike Robinson
7. Shifters Jaime Johnesee
8. Power Lauren Algeo
9. The Diabolist Layton Green
10. Outview Brandt Legg

Fun Activities for Fans of the Supernatural

For some of us, Halloween is a year-round event. Whether you want to prepare for next October, or always enjoy bringing a little spookiness into your life, here are some fun ideas you could try:

8 Great Paranormal Mystery Films

  1. The Ninth Gate (1999)
  2. Orphan (2009)
  3. Lady in the Water (2006)
  4. Topper Returns (1941)
  5. Lady in White (1988)
  6. The Sixth Sense (1999)
  7. The Uninvited (1944)
  8. The Lake House (2006)

The History of the Mystery Genre

Some of the world's oldest known stories used the same elements that make modern mysteries so enticing. Homer's famous epic poem The Odyssey is something of a prototype of the genre. The hero's life is in constant danger as he uses his cunning to solve problems and overcome his enemies. But the genre isn't exclusive to Western culture. One of the stories in One Thousand and One Nights (commonly known as Arabian Nights) is considered to be the oldest known murder mystery. This tale, The Three Apples, is full of plot twists and revolves around a mysterious death. Centuries later, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle popularized the genre with his stories about the now-famous Sherlock Holmes. Eventually, of course, mystery made its way from the pages of books to the big screen. Some of the most well-known of these movies were directed by Alfred Hitchcock, who worked on several classics throughout his career, including Psycho, Vertigo, and Rear Window.

A Scientific Approach to the Paranormal

In Depth

A good mystery is compelling enough when set in reality, but a bit of the fantastical can take any plot from interesting to riveting. Featuring crime-solving shape-shifters, mysterious cults, and more, the works listed here delve into dark places and are sure to keep any reader on the edge of their seat. In no particular order, here are ten suspenseful books about investigating the unknown.

First up, at #1, we have "The Sleepwalkers" by J. Gabriel Gates. When high-schooler Caleb Mason receives an enigmatic letter from his childhood friend Christine, he returns to their Florida hometown to find her. He discovers that the town has changed bizarrely: his father has vanished, children are disappearing, and Christine has been locked in an insane asylum. Things go from bad to terrifying when Caleb starts hearing the voice of Christine's long-dead sister on the radio, and begins to suspect that whatever is wrong with the town may not be confined to the world of the living.

In the #2 spot is Leigh M. Lane's "Finding Poe." After Lady Karina's husband Brantley relocates them to a supposedly haunted New England lighthouse, she starts to experience terrifying hallucinations. Brantley soon commits suicide under mysterious circumstances. Among his possessions, Karina discovers a letter addressed to author Edgar Allan Poe, a man she has never met. Determined to fulfill her husband's last wishes, Karina embarks on a journey to find the elusive writer and deliver the letter to him, even as madness and a paranormal menace threaten her ability to finish her mission.

Determined to fulfill her husband's last wishes, Karina embarks on a journey to find the elusive writer and deliver the letter to him, even as madness and a paranormal menace threaten her ability to finish her mission.

At #3 is "Diavolino" by Steve Emmett. Architect Tom Lupton is hired by an old friend to build a mansion on an island in Italy, and decides to bring his wife and young daughter along. The land has been isolated from civilization for centuries because of an atrocity that took place there. This seemingly ideal opportunity grows frightening when Tom's assistant disappears, and his daughter reports seeing a pig-faced creature watching her. Tom discovers that the island is the seat of an ancient evil, and that he has unwittingly become involved in a plot to return it to the world.

Taking the #4 spot is "Cursed City" by William Massa, the first entry in his "Shadow Detective" series. After Mike Raven's paranormal investigator parents were murdered by monsters, he decided to take up the family business. His latest case involves a beautiful woman named Celeste, whose father promised her soul to a powerful demon when she was born. Celeste needs Mike's help to get out of the deal, and he agrees to take the job, despite the enormous odds stacked against him.

At #5 is "The Coming of Dark" by Gary M. Martin. Police detective Troy Dance gets caught filming a murder. A firefight ensues, and Troy takes a bullet to the spine, rendering him paraplegic. But the disability isn't the only new development; Troy has also gained the power to move things with his mind. As he grows more and more angry and unpredictable, his wife Trina seeks the help of his friend and old partner Tommy Waters, who thinks that the secret to Troy's behavior may be connected to the suicide of a childhood friend.

But the disability isn't the only new development; Troy has also gained the power to move things with his mind.

At #6 is Mike Robinson's "The Green-Eyed Monster," first book in the "Enigma of Twilight Falls" series. Martin Smith and John Becker are remarkably alike. Both are bestselling writers, with extremely similar authorial voices, who were born in the town of Twilight Falls. They even look like each other. When one is found dead in the other's home, an investigation reveals the influence of a mysterious extra-dimensional entity which has been affecting both men since they were born.

In the #7 slot is "Shifters" by Jaime Johnesee. FBI Agent Samantha Reece is a shapeshifter who has the ability to turn into a black panther. When a killer starts murdering shifter prostitutes and leaving parts of their bodies in bathtubs, Samantha uses both her professional training and her supernatural gifts to track him down. At the same time, she must deal with the were-jaguar who turned her into a shifter, who is trying to come back into her life.

At #8 is "Power" by Lauren Algeo, part one of the "Hikers" trilogy. Scott Brewer, a former Detective Inspector, returns to London to investigate an inexplicable massacre at Waterloo Station. He discovers that the responsible party is a group of hikers, terrifying hired assassins who can control minds. Brewer must track down and kill the hikers, with only the help of a temperamental teenager named Georgie Duncan. But taking down someone who can manipulate the human brain is no easy task.

Scott Brewer, a former Detective Inspector, returns to London to investigate an inexplicable massacre at Waterloo Station.

At #9 is "The Diabolist" by Layton Green. When a Satanic priest is killed by a mysterious figure, cult investigators Dominic Grey and Viktor Radek are called in to get to the bottom of the situation. Another murder follows, taking the life of a Parisian Satanist. Grey and Radek come to believe that Simon Azar, the head of the Order of New Enlightenment Cult, is behind the deaths. As the partners try to prove Azar's guilt, however, the case begins to put their own lives in danger.

And lastly, at #10 is Brandt Legg's "Outview." Teenager Nathan Ryder lost his father at a young age, and his brother, who suffers from hallucinations, has just been sent to a mental institution. When Nate begins to experience visions himself, he discovers that his symptoms are not evidence of mental illness, but rather of a strange new power to perceive his own past lives. Now Nate must try to free his brother and evade a covert conspiracy that's trying to control people with abilities like his.