“The walls of the house were bleeding again.
This sort of thing could be expected; it was, after all, September.”
If you loved The September House by Carissa Orlando and are on the hunt for more eerie, atmospheric reads that explore creepy houses, dark mysteries and psychological suspense, you’re in the right place here at What We Reading. The September House hooked readers with its chilling setting, blending elements of gothic horror and supernatural intrigue into a gripping tale of a house with secrets to hide. In this list, we’ve curated books that offer the same spine-tingling atmosphere, supernatural twists and unsettling vibes that made The September House so unforgettable. From haunted houses to psychological thrillers with eerie, mysterious settings, these books are the ultimate reads for fans of dark, atmospheric fiction. Whether it’s suspenseful novels with a touch of the supernatural or gothic reads filled with creepy moments, these picks guarantee to keep you hooked and make you question what lurks behind closed doors.
The House Next Door – Anne Rivers Siddons
First up on our list of books like The September House is The House Next Door by Anne Rivers Siddons, a chilling psychological thriller that explores the eerie events surrounding a seemingly ordinary house in a suburban neighbourhood. When a new couple moves into the house next to the MC, an unnamed narrator who is a writer, strange occurrences begin to unsettle the quiet community. The house, which has a sinister, oppressive presence, appears to exert an influence over its occupants, bringing, misfortune, violence and tragedy.
As our narrator charts the unfolding events from a distance, she becomes increasingly obsessed with the house and its impact on those who live there. The house itself appears to have a life of its own, with an almost supernatural ability to destroy anyone who comes near it. Tensions build as the narrator attempts to uncover the mystery; yet, the more she learns, the more she becomes ensnared in its dark power.
The Bone Clocks – David Mitchell
The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell is a genre-defying novel that blurs elements of literary fiction, fantasy and science fiction, creating a sprawling narrative that spans several decades and interconnects multiple storylines. At the centre of the story is Holly Sykes, a young woman who experiences a series of bizarre, otherworldly events throughout her life. Beginning in the 1980s, Holly’s story is told through a series of perspectives and timelines, each revealing a hidden supernatural battle between two factions of immortals.
Mitchell takes readers on a tour through time and space, exploring themes of life, death and the concept of time itself in a similar manner to The September House. Each section of the novel is narrated by a different character, whose story interlocks with Holly’s in profound and often unexpected ways. Blending rich prose with intricate world-building and philosophical musings, The Bone Clocks is a complex tale that explores the nature of reality, the cycle of life and the eternal battle between good and evil.
The Whispering House – Elizabeth Brooks
Elizbeth Brooks’ The Whispering House is a gothic psychological thriller that immerses readers in a chilling and atmospheric tale set within an isolated, decaying mansion. The story follows the protagonist, Clara, who, after the death of her mother, is lured to a mysterious estate that holds deep connections to her family’s past. Like The September House, when she moves into the house, she begins to unravel dark secrets that have long been buried within its walls.
As Clara delves deeper into the house’s history, she discovers unsettling whispers and strange occurrences that seem to hint at a supernatural presence. The house appears to have a conscience of its own, its walls echoing the voices of those who lived in it before. Clara’s journey becomes one of self-discovery, as she grapples with her own past, family secrets and the house’s haunting influence. Blending gothic horror with psychological suspense, The Whispering House is an exploration of grief, memory and the lingering effects of long-buried secrets.
We Have Always Lived In The Castle – Shirley Jackson
One of the famously unsettling gothic books perfect for fans of The September House, Shirley Jackson’s We Have Always Live in the Castle is narrated by Merricat Blackwood, a young woman who lives with her older sister Constance and their ailing Uncle Julian in a decrepit mansion on the outskirts of a small town. The Blackwoods are shunned by the local community after a tragic poisoning incident years earlier that left most of their relatives dead.
Merricat and Constance lead a quiet, insular life, their routines marred by a myriad of suspicion and eccentricity, as well as an intense bond between the two sisters. However, when a cousin named Charles arrives at the house, the delicate balance between their isolation is upended, and long-hidden tensions and dark family secrets start to surface. Jackson deftly builds a sense of unease throughout the story, creating an unsettling atmosphere where the boundaries between reality and madness blur.
The Twisted Ones – T. Kingfisher
The Twisted Ones offers a gripping blend of horror, dark humour and folklore that orbits around Mouse, a woman who begrudgingly travels to her grandmother’s rural home in North Carolina to clean up after her death. What begins as a mundane task soon descends into a hellish ordeal as Mouse discovers her grandmother’s house is filled with strange and unsettling relics, including an old journal that points to a much darker, supernatural world.
As Mouse unravels the contents of the journal, she finds herself caught in a terrifying encounter with ancient, malevolent forces rooted in the local land. Alongside her loyal dog, Bongo, and a local man named Thomas, Mouse is hauled deeper into a terrifying battle with horrifying creatures and twisted secrets of the past that continue to haunt the woods surrounding the house.
The Silent Companions – Laura Purcell
Laura Purcell’s The Silent Companions is a haunting gothic thriller set within a decaying English manor. The story centres around Elsie Bainbridge, a young widow who is sent to the remote estate of her late husband after his unexpected death. Isolated and grieving, Elsie soon begins to uncover bizarre occurrences within the house, especially around a mysterious wooden figure – an eerie, lifelike ‘silent companion’ – that resembles a woman from the past.
As Elsie immerses herself in the mansion’s history, she discovers unsettling secrets about her husband’s family, the house, and the unsettling connection between the silent companion and a dark tragedy that once occurred there. The novel pivots between Elsie’s present-day experiences and flashbacks to the house’s past, gradually unveiling the malevolent forces at play. With its atmosphere thick with dread and its chilling exploration of obsession, madness and the supernatural, The Silent Companions is a spine-tingling gothic tale similar to The September House that keeps readers on edge until the very last page.
Lock Every Door – Riley Sager
Lock Every Door by Riley Sager is a fast-paced psychological thriller that follows Jules Larsen, a young woman who, after losing her job and struggling to make ends meet, accepts a seemingly perfect job as an apartment sitter in a luxurious Manhattan apartment building known as the Bartholomew. The building, with its affluent surroundings and mysterious residents, appears to be a dream come true for Jules – until she starts uncovering its hidden secrets.
As she settles into her new role, Jules learns about the building’s sinister past, including its connection to a series of disappearances. She is warned by the building staff to ‘lock every door’ and follow strict rules. But her curiosity leads her to dig deeper into the mystery. Soon, Jules finds herself ensnared in a web of danger, unable to distinguish friend from foe, as the truth about the Bartholomew begins to unravel in terrifying ways.
Check Out The Best Books Like Lock Every Door
The Family Plot – Cherie Priest
Cherie Priest’s The Family Plot is the story of Dahlia, a young private investigator, and her investigation into the peculiar disappearance of a wealthy family. Dahlia is hired by the family’s surviving members to find out what happened to their missing relative, leading her to a secluded, crumbling mansion known as the Mulrooney estate.
As Dahlia digs deeper into the estate’s dark history, she begins to uncover disturbing secrets about the Mulrooney family, including long-buried truths about their connections to the supernatural. Like The September House, the mansion, with its eerie atmosphere and cryptic clues, becomes a central character in itself, holding long-forgotten secrets that refuse to remain hidden. With chilling encounters and unsettling tone, The Family Plot is a haunted house tale that blends gothic elements and suspenseful mysteries in its exploration of inheritance, obsession and the unsettling legacy of the past.
The Girl Next Door – Jack Ketchum
Another one of the most famous horror books like The September House, The Girl Next Door by Jack Ketchum follows a group of neighbourhood children who become unwittingly complicit in the horrifying abuse and torment of two sisters, Meg and Susan, after their parents die in a car accident. The girls are sent to live with their aunt Ruth, who is cruel and sadistic, and her house soon becomes a place of unspeakable horror.
As Ruth’s cruelty escalates, the children in the neighbourhood, including our narrator, become involved in the rising violence, either through direct participation or passive observation. Ketchum pulls no punches in The Girl Next Door, examining the terrifying power of conformity, the darkness lurking in the human soul and the effects of a community’s silence in the face of brutality. If you’re looking for another thought-provoking read that forces you to grapple with the depths of human cruelty, The Girl Next Door needs to be on your TBR list.
The Cabin At The End Of The World – Paul Tremblay
Eric and Andrew are a couple holidaying with their adopted daughter, Wen, at a remote cabin in New England. Their peaceful retreat is violently interrupted when four strangers – led by the unsettling Leonard – arrive, claiming that the world is on the brink of the apocalypse. The strangers insist that the family must make a heart-wrenching sacrifice in order to prevent the end of the world.
As the strangers hold the family captive, Eric, Andrew and Wen are forced to wrestle with terrifying decisions, all while trying to discern whether the threat is real or all a part of a delusion. The tension escalates as each moment draws the family closer to a life-or-death choice. Tremblay skillfully explores themes of love, sacrifice and trust, keeping readers on the edge as they question the nature of the horror unfolding. If you loved the blend of psychological terror and high-stakes suspense in The September House, The Cabin at the End of the World is the natural follow-up for you.
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).
