9 Dark Books Full of Horror and Mystery

Horrific Thrillers: Our 9 Picks

Fun Activities for Horror Fans

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:

• Read horror books and Creepypastas
• Get a fog machine and make your own haunted house
• Bake spooky desserts, like zombie gingerbread men
• Decorate with cauldrons and skeletons
• Use a Ouija board to hold a seance
• Make a spooky playlist on your favorite music app

8 Great Thriller & Horror Movies

1. Get Out (2017)
2. The Departed (2006)
3. A Quiet Place (2018)
4. Heat (1995)
5. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
6. Spy Game (2001)
7. Se7en (1995)
8. The Shining (1980)

The History of the Thriller Genre

In Depth

There's nothing like a good scare, especially when you're digging into a new book. Whether you love classic detective stories or crave tales of bloody vengeance, getting into a truly unsettling read can keep you thrilled and entertained for hours. If you enjoy a surprise at every turn, here, in no particular order, are some delightfully mysterious books to keep you company on a dark winter's night.

Coming in at #1 is "A Slow Burn" by Shah Wharton. When Bernie wakes up with a throbbing head and no memory of the night before, she assumes it's the result of too much partying. Stepping outside, however, she realizes that she's dealing with more than just a hangover.

Dead bodies line the streets, and an apocalyptic event seems to have wiped out most human life in her area. As she finds other refugees, Bernie starts to piece together the events leading up to now. Is Bernie somehow behind the chaos, and can she use her patchy memory to save the survivors from an even greater danger?

Is Bernie somehow behind the chaos, and can she use her patchy memory to save the survivors from an even greater danger?

At #2 is Mari Biella's "Dark Moon Fell." To Angela, the spacious, empty manor of Fell House seems like the perfect place to unwind. But while trying to dodge the attention of a persistent stalker, Angela may have unwittingly walked into an even greater danger.

There's something going on in this mansion, something connected to the former owner's tragic past. Angela's not a big believer in the supernatural, but if she can commune with the spirits and protect herself from evil, maybe she'll be able to start over again. That is, unless Fell House itself has other plans for her.

For #3, we find Colin Winnette's "The Job of the Wasp." At a boy's school for the troubled and disturbed, a series of strange occurrences start to unsettle the institution's newest member. Between the ominous laughter of the students, the Headmaster's strange, inappropriate behavior, and whispers pervading the night air, the school isn't making a great first impression on its newest recruit, a shy young man trying to make sense of it all.

Between the ominous laughter of the students, the Headmaster's strange, inappropriate behavior, and whispers pervading the night air, the school isn't making a great first impression on its newest recruit, a shy young man trying to make sense of it all.

But he can explain all of it away easily enough. Except, of course, for the dead bodies that keep showing up in the most unexpected places.

At #4 is "Bad Man" by Dathan Auerbach. Ever since his little brother Eric was kidnapped from right under his nose years ago, Ben has had to shoulder the guilt of his actions. Even five years on, Ben can't let it go. He still searches for his brother, hoping against hope that he'll turn up.

When Ben decides to go to the source for answers, he ends up taking a job at the same supermarket where he last saw Eric. But not all is what it seems at the grocery store. The place appears to have a power all its own, and Ben thinks his fellow workers know more than they're letting on. If his brother is here, he'll do whatever he can to find him, even if it leads him down the path of no return.

When Ben decides to go to the source for answers, he ends up taking a job at the same supermarket where he last saw Eric.

Coming in at #5 is Dean Koontz's "77 Shadow Street." The Pendleton, an old 1800s Gothic palace that's gone from being the private home of a tycoon to a building of luxury apartments in the past hundred years, is about to get an influx of fresh blood. When a political family flees the spotlight to hole up in the Pendleton for a while, no one thinks that the old manse will be anything more than a drafty place to wait out the storm.

But the house has other plans. Voices start chattering at night while sinister shadows climb the walls. If the previous inhabitants of Shadow Street could talk, they'd have a lot to say about their old home. As it is, the new family will just have to learn about it the hard way.

For #6 we get "The Crypt of Dracula" by Kane Gilmour. After the tragic death of his child, stone mason Wagner takes to the mountains with his wife to restore an ancient estate kept by a mysterious Count. But it doesn't take long for Wagner to smell a rat. The Count's manservant is strangely hostile, and the townspeople themselves seem to know something he doesn't.

The Count's manservant is strangely hostile, and the townspeople themselves seem to know something he doesn't.

As the Count's strange behavior starts to spark questions in Wagner, he realizes that his presence here isn't strictly professional. He's being hunted, and it's up to him to stop the evil race of bloodsuckers from descending on him before the entire town falls prey to their sick desires.

At #7 is John Saul's "Faces of Fear." At fifteen, Allison isn't too concerned with how she looks. That is, until her mother's marriage to a successful cosmetic surgeon brings her to the plastic world of Beverly Hills. In her new home, everyone seems to have sampled Dr. Conrad's wares. Allison herself is about to: as a sweet sixteen gift, she's been promised breast augmentation. But there's something else going on with Dr. Conrad. Something having to do with his late wife, and a dark secret that's desperate to come to light. Perhaps Allison will be able to learn the truth about what happens to Conrad's clients before it's too late.

At #8 is "The House By the Cemetery" by John Everson. Mike is a realist. As a carpenter, he's eager to flip homes and turn an easy profit, no matter what their history. He knows that ghosts aren't real, and he's ready to prove it by taking on the old house by the cemetery and turning it into an artificial scare show to entice tourists from all around.

Mike is a realist.

But there's something else going on inside that house, and it can't be easily explained away. A spirit hungry for human souls is preparing for the influx of new bodies on Halloween, and she's about to get her bloody fix.

Finally, at #9, is Joe R. Lansdale's "Jackrabbit Smile." Best friends Hap and Leonard are celebrating Hap's marriage when their party gets crashed by unlikely guests. When some white supremacists call on the pair to help them find a missing girl, they aren't too keen on taking the case. That is, until they learn all the details. Suddenly, the friends are thrust into a world of wild conspiracy theories, Jesus freaks, and a chilling murder that may be the key to the whole thing.