Spooky Reads!
Whether you like something ghostly and atmospheric to get the heart racing or prefer a creepy domestic thriller, we’ve got something suitably scary to add to your reading list for Halloween and beyond!
The Ghost Woods by C.J. Cooke, HarperCollins (HB, £14.99)
Pearl Gorham arrives at Lichen Hall in 1965, one of many young women sent to the mother and baby home to give birth.
The hall itself and the woods that surround it are shrouded in folklore and menace and it’s not long before Pearl begin to suspect that the proprietors of Lichen Hall are hiding something…
This eerie and haunting gothic thriller is an enthralling read.
All You Ever Wanted by Susan Elliot Wright, Simon & Schuster (PBO, £8.99)
Emily has it all – a gorgeous husband and baby, a good job and a great house. When a stranger, Kate, brings their missing cat home, it seems like it’s the beginning of a cherished new friendship for Emily.
However, no matter how good things seem on the surface, Emily can’t quite shake the feeling that something isn’t right…
Dark and sinister, this creepy psychological thriller has it all. Gripping throughout, it has a satisfying and jaw-dropping ending.
The Winter Guest by W.C. Ryan, Zaffre (HB, £16.99)
This historical murder mystery, is set in 1921 against the backdrop of Ireland’s civil war and centres around a murder at the crumbling Kilcolgan House, home to the Prendevilles.
When the family’s eldest daughter, Maud, is murdered, and the IRA insist they weren’t responsible, it’s down to Captain Tom Harkin, an IRA intelligence officer and Maud’s former finance, to investigate…
The sea-mist shrouded mansion house is like a character in its own right and works to great effect in this taut and atmospheric crime novel.
The People Before by Charlotte Northedge, HarperCollins (HB, £14.99. Out November 10)
Ever had the hairs on the back of your neck rise because you feel someone is watching you? That’s exactly the feeling Jess has whenever she walks into her new house. Maple House is definitely a fixer-upper and Jess isn’t sure she can face the challenge, especially with the weird feelings she gets within the house, which are only exacerbated when she learns more of the house’s history.
Things seem to take a turn for the better when she makes a new friend, Eve. However, it’s not long before things start to go wrong again… can she escape the clutches of Maple House with her family intact?
This tense psychological thriller will keep you up at night as you unpeel the sinister history of Maple House!
The Skeleton Key by Erin Kelly, Hodder & Stoughton (HB, £16.99)
Nell has come home to mark the 50th anniversary of the release of her father’s book, The Golden Bones. Part picture book, part treasure hunt, the book was a literary sensation and saw many obsessive fans travel far and wide to seek the golden bones that had been buried across the UK as part of the treasure hunt.
Now 50 years on, all hell breaks loose when author, Frank, reveals the whereabouts of the missing golden bone…
This imaginative novel is a gripping read, full of gothic suspense.
The Very Secret Society Of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna, Hodder & Stoughton (HB, £16.99)
Mika Moon is one of the few witches residing in the UK and has mostly led quite a solitary life, apart from the occasional meet-up with her fellow witches.
It’s with great surprise that she receives an offer one day – to travel to Nowhere House to take on the role of tutor to three young witches.
As if that isn’t troublesome enough, there’s the handsome but somewhat tetchy librarian, Jamie, to deal with… can she ever find a way to truly trust anyone apart from herself?
With wonderful characters and a spellbinding story, this magical book was a real joy to read.
Gentle Spells and Kind Magic by Sam McKechnie, Pavilion (HB, £16.99)
Packed full of gorgeous recipes, nature crafts and other seasonal delights, this is a lovely book to flick through as the nights draw in.
From forest bathing and salt rituals to flower meanings and sleep spells, this is a quirky and inspirational delight!
