Welcome to our appeal series where we’re highlighting a variety of books to help our readers find that next great read. In each post you’ll find books that share similar appeal or elements like genre, pacing, tone, storyline, writing style, characters, etc.

Haunting, creepy, suspenseful and surprising. The novels in this blog post are perfect for fans of gothic fiction, ghost stories, paranormal, horror, mysteries and thrillers.

Enjoy!

Supernatural-Themed Reads

1. Ashley Bell by Dean Koontz

Appeal: Fast-Paced, Suspenseful, Intricately Plotted, Compelling and Creepy

Who is Ashley Bell? A must-read thriller from bestselling author Dean Koontz. Perfect for readers of dark psychological suspense and modern classics of mystery and adventure. Brilliantly paced, with an exhilarating heroine and a twisting, ingenious storyline.

2. Fellside by M.R. Carey

Appeal: Compelling, Creepy and Suspenseful

Confronting the possibility that she might be forced to spend the rest of her life in a maximum security prison on the edge of the Yorkshire Moors, Jess Moulson discovers that the prison is haunted by the ghost of a little boy who imparts a chilling message.

3. Grief Cottage by Gail Godwin

Appeal: Southern Gothic, Coming-of-Age Stories, Atmospheric and Character-Driven

Living with his reclusive aunt after his mother’s death, young Marcus befriends the ghost of a boy who was thought to have died with his parents during a hurricane fifty years earlier, but the boy seems to have a mysterious agenda.

4. Mind Game by Iris Johansen

Appeal: Fast-Paced, Intricately Plotted, Menacing and Suspenseful

Searching for a long-missing treasure in Scotland, Jane MacGuire experiences vivid dreams of a girl in danger at the same time she reconnects with a volatile ex and is confronted by stunning changes in the lives of those closest to her.

5. The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

Appeal: Action-Packed, Compelling, Creepy, Intricately Plotted and Stylistically Complex

Doomed to repeat the same day over and over, Aiden Bishop must solve the murder of Evelyn Hardcastle in order to escape the curse, in a world filled with enemies where nothing and no one are quite what they seem.

6. The Broken Girls by Simone St. James

Appeal: Ghost Stories, Compelling, Creepy, Intensifying, Intricately Plotted and Well-Crafted Dialogue

More than sixty years after one of four friends in a reputedly haunted boarding school goes missing, journalist Fiona Sheridan resolves to learn her sister’s fate before a harrowing discovery is made.

7. Providence by Caroline Kepnes

Appeal: Compelling, Creepy, Haunting, Intricately Plotted, Horror

A tale of two childhood best friends follows Jon, a boy with a strange power that can harm those he most loves, as he aims to protect his friend, Chloe, while he searches for answers.

8. The Dead House by Billy O’Callaghan

Appeal: Ghost Stories, Compelling, Haunting and Menacing

Escaping to the rugged west coast of Ireland where she restores an old cottage, Maggie, a successful young artist recovering from an abusive relationship, invites her friends up for a weekend during which an old Ouija board summons something sinister that becomes a force of inescapable horror.

9. The Grip Of It by Jac Jemc

Appeal: Horror, Compelling, Creepy and Intricately Plotted

After a young couple moves into a house, they are taunted by strange changes that keep occurring in the house and, in their search for answers, find disturbing facts about their neighbors and the couple who lived in the house before.

10. Glass Town by Steven Savile

Appeal: Fast-Paced, Plot-Driven and Suspenseful

Series: Joshua Raines novels, book 1

Seventy years after a rising London actress disappeared with one of two rival brothers, a descendant investigating the mystery explores a magical cityscape to understand the factors that destroyed his grandfather’s life.

11. The Grownup by Gillian Flynn

Appeal: Ghost Stories, Gothic Fiction, Creepy and Compelling

The Edgar Award-winning, creepy short story about a soft-core sex worker-turned-grifting psychic is now published for the first time as a standalone book.

12. The Hush by John Hart

Appeal: Gothic Fiction, Atmospheric, Compelling and Menacing

Ten years after the disappearance of his twin sister, an event that transformed his life and hometown, Johnny Merrimon struggles to avoid notoriety by moving into the wilderness, a decision that his longtime friend, Jack, fears is subjecting Johnny to malevolent forces.

13. The Woman in the Woods by John Connolly

Appeal: Haunting, Disturbing, Moody, Intricately Plotted and Richly Detailed

When the body of a woman who apparently died in childbirth is discovered in the Maine woods, private investigator Charlie Parker shadows the police investigation in order to discover the woman’s identity and the fate of her baby.

14. Watch Me Disappear by Janelle Brown

Appeal: Compelling, Moody and Intricately Plotted

When a woman goes missing during a hike in California’s Desolation Wilderness, her devastated family is forced to come to terms with her secretive nature.

15. The Secret Life of Souls by Jack Ketchum and Lucky McKee

Appeal: Psychological Fiction, Fast-Paced and Complex Characters

A gripping family drama that brilliantly explores the relationship between a young girl and her dog—and the mysteries that lie within.

Looking for More Recommendations?

• Explore our finding a good book blog series
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Happy reading!