“There is something at work in my soul, which I do not understand.”
As the days grow dark and chills fill the air, it’s the perfect time to indulge the eerie and macabre with a bone-chilling horror book. So if you’re looking for a story that promises to keep you up at night, you’re in luck – this fall season is packed with some of the best new horror novels. Whether you’re a fan of supernatural scares or crave the tantalising terror that comes from a sense of creeping dread, these combinations of atmospheric settings, creepy characters and twists are sure to satisfy your craving for all things spooky. Join us today at What We Reading as we present our favourite new horror novels and prepare yourself for the unnerving, the unexpected and the downright terrifying stories that are perfect for making this fall season as thrilling as it is cosy.
Feast While You Can – Mikaella Clements And Onjuli Datta
Kicking off our list of the most chilling new horror novels is Mikaella Clements and Onjuli Datta’s Feast While You Can. In the valley at the intersection of three towering mountains lies Cadenze, a small town full of tourists during the summer and the dead for the remainder of the year. Like generations of her family before her, Angelina Sicco was born and raised in the town. She is determined to be content with her sleepy mundane life until she runs into the handsome Jagvi at a family party one evening.
Perhaps fuelled by Jagvi’s arrival, an ancient evil lying dormant in Cadenze’s caves begins to waken. As this monstrous force grows bolder, it begins to infiltrate Angelina’s life. It starts to talk through her dog, feasts on her memories and controls her from the inside. The only thing that may be able to stop it is the touch of Jagvi. But, with this entity devouring any hint of passion and heartbreak, what will Angelina be willing to spend to protect her future?
Devils Kill Devils – Johnny Compton
Sarita has been watched over by a guardian angel all of her life. She calls this protector Angelo and does all she can to keep him a secret. But, not all secrets can be hidden forever. When Angelo kills someone she loves, Sarita begins to see what’s really been present in the shadows all this time. Soon, she will be forced to embrace the evil within her if she wants to have any hope of making out of things alive.
Perfect for fans of Silvia Moreno-Garcia and other Southern gothic horror tales, Johnny Compton’s new horror novel, Devils Kill Devils, is a heart-pounding race of one woman against all the hordes hell are able to summon, with the entire fate of the world at stake.
The Madness – Dawn Kurtagich
Mina Murray’s entire life is upended by just a single email from her estranged best friend, Lucy. Leaving behind her psychiatric practice and the steady routine it brings with it, she returns to the rugged shores of her native Wales. Confronted with everything she had thought she had left behind, she discovers that the symptoms Lucy is experiencing mirror those shared by another one of the mysterious clients with amnesia.
With the fate of these two seemingly unconnected women driving her forward, Mina is soon drawn into a deep web of secrets, missing girls and the dark powerful force at the centre of it all in Dawn Kurtagich’s The Madness. As terrible, ancient truths begin to make themselves known, Mina and a group of savvy women set out on one final quest to stop the cycle that has been haunting her for years.
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Tiny Threads – Lilliam Rivera
Fashion-obsessed Samara has finally realised her dream of working for legendary designer Antonio Mota. However, it isn’t long before this seemingly idyllic lifestyle begins to morph into a hellish nightmare. As the pressures of Antonio’s upcoming fashion show turn crushing, Samara begins to hear voices in the dark of her room at night and see things that cannot be explained by stress or anxiety.
And it may not be just Samara’s unravelling psyche. She soon discovers that her new city – and the house of Mota – may have been built of a groundwork of secrets and lies. In Lilliam Rivera’s Tiny Threads readers are treated to one of the most gripping new horror novels as Samara is forced to uncover what hideous truths lurk in the shadows of this illusory world of glamour and beauty before she is consumed forever.
The Hitchcock Hotel – Stephanie Wrobel
Alfred Smettle is not your everyday Hitchcock fanatic. He is the proud founder, owner and manager of The Hitchcock Hotel, a sprawling Victorian estate in the White Mountains dedicated to all things about the Master of Suspense. Inside this grand old house, Alfred treats his guests to round-the-clock film screenings, props and memorabilia from the movies and an aviary housing fifty crows.
To celebrate the hotel’s first anniversary, he invites his former best friends from his college film club for a reunion. He hasn’t spoken to any of them in over sixteen years, not since what happened between them. Still, who could be better to appreciate Alfred’s creation? And to help him finish it. After all, no Hitchcock masterpiece is fully complete without a body or two.
The Haunting Of Moscow House – Olesya Salnikova Gilmore
It is the summer of 1921 and the Bolsheviks in Russia have taken over Irinia and Lili Goliteva’s family home in Moscow, a stately mansion falling into disrepair and decay. The family members that remain are ordered to move into the cramped attic whilst the officials occupy an entire wing downstairs. Eager to escape the house and their new landlords, the pair join up with the American Relief Administration and immediately feel a sense of freedom, purpose and even the potential of love.
Yet, back at home, the spirits of the girls’ dead ancestors awaken, desperate to reveal what really happened during the recent Revolution. When one of the guards stationed inside the building is found dead, Irinia and Lili must reckon with whether the killing was from a supernatural being, or someone all too human. In one of the best haunted house new horror novels, Olesya Salnikova Gilmore delivers a bone-chilling tale against a backdrop of post-imperial Russia in The Haunting of Moscow House.
This Girl’s A Killer – Emma C. Wells
Cordelia Black loves exactly three things: her chosen family consisting of her best friend, Diane, and her goddaughter, her hairdresser, and killing bad men. By day, she’s a successful pharmaticual rep with a glowing reputation and a designer wardrobe to boot. By night, she’s stalking South Louisana dishing out the justice the worst dregs of society always seem to evade. Until they meet her.
But when the news reports begin tossing around the words ‘serial killer’ the pressure around Cordelia begins to mount. Things are only heightened when Diane begins dating a man Cordelia is convinced isn’t good. A man who could unravel everything she has worked so hard for. As her world spirals, she soon begins to lose a grip on the tightly-help threads that keep her safe in Emma C. Wells’ new 2024 horror book, This Girl’s a Killer.
So Thirsty – Rachel Harrison
Sloane Parker is dreading her birthday. Her husband surprises her with a weekend getaway – though not with him, but rather with her best friend, troublemaking extraordinaire, Naomi. Sloane is expecting a couple of days of cosy robes, wine tastings and avoiding sensitive conversations, namely around her husband’s constant cheating.
However, upon their arrival, it becomes clear that Naomi has something very different in mind. She wants Sloane to stop letting things happen to her, and for her friend to truly begin living. What follows is a wild night out with a group of strangers, one that ends with a horrifying turn of events that changes the pair’s lives forever. One of the most tantalising new horror novels, Rachel Harrison’s So Thirsty is a bloody and seductive look at how it is never too late to find satisfaction.
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Let’s Split Up – Bill Wood
Sanera is a small community in California where gossip spreads like wildfire. This is never more true than when Brad and Shelley, the hot ‘it-couple’ of the town, are found brutally murdered in a manor on the edge of town. The theory bounded about is that the old ghoul who haunts the house has exacted cruel revenge on the couple. But, for Cam, Jonesy, Amber and new girl Buffy, the killings require a thorough investigation to get to real truth.
As they investigate, this rumour feels closer to reality than they ever dared to think possible. As they dive deeper into the mysteries of the mansion, the idea of splitting up and looking for clues will prove to either be their best, or most fatal, decision yet. One of the best new horror novels for the YA BookTok space, Bill Wood’s Let’s Split Up is a nail-biting page-turner brimming with twists and turns.
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
