“It is a fact that cannot be denied: the wickedness of others becomes our own wickedness because it kindles something evil in our own hearts.”
If there’s one thing we humans love, it’s a good scare. For centuries now, authors have tapped into their environments to create tales that tap into our deepest darkest nightmares. From chilling atmospheric masterpieces to all-out gore fests, check out 8 of the most spine-tingling horror novels you HAVE to read for a good scare here at What We Reading.
The Troop – Nick Cutter
Nick Cutter, pen name for Canadian author Craig Davidson, combines It with The Thing in his 2014 horror novel The Troop.
The story is set on the remote Falstaff Island and follows a group of boy scouts and their scoutmaster on a weekend trip away. However, things begin to go array when an ill-looking man stumbles up to their lodge, begging them to feed him. Winning the James Herbert Award for Horror Writing, The Troop is a masterfully told tale of killer tapeworms and the terrible acts committed as the group is thrust into a deadly game for survival. Featuring gruesome body horror and fascinating psychological thrills, it really is an all-time classic.
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Pine – Francine Toon
Scottish author Francine Toon brings the eeriness of the Highlands to the world of horror with her 2020 novel, Pine. In a small village surrounded by a foreboding forest, the book follows Lauren and her father Niall. When a woman stumbles out of the road in front of their car, the pair take her home, only to find her disappeared the next day.
In a creepy town where strange goings-on are commonplace and neighbours always know more than they let on, Toon’s spine-tingling novel combines classic gothic horror with the pulsating suspense of a thriller for the ages.
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Thirteen – Tom Hoyle
The premise of thirteen boys being born, and twelve being found dead to only leave one survivor sets Tomy Hoyle’s Thirteen up as one of the most spine-tingling horror novels in the business.
Born on January 1st, 2020, Adam is the last-remaining boy targeted by a cult that believes all those entering the world at the stroke of a new millennium need to be killed. The cult’s leader, Coron, has a firework display for the ages designed to celebrate the elimination of his final target, with Adam being forced into a deadly race for survival in this thrilling first entry in Hoyle’s series.
Reprieve – James Han Mattson
John Quigley owns the most infamous escape in the world. Quigley House is a full-contact haunted escape room that gives teams of four the chance of winning $60,000 if they are able to make it to the end of the challenges without shouting the safe word: ‘Reprieve’. In 1997, a group of four make it further than anyone else has ever reached, only for tragedy to strike at the final hurdle.
James Han Mattson’s 2021 horror novel Reprieve is a spine-tingling look at complicity, identity, and social attitudes. His use of gruesome imagery with psychological tension creates one of the most memorable reads in the genre.
Check out our Reprieve book review!
Ten – Gretchen McNeil
Gretchen McNeil’s Ten follows best friends Meg and Minnie travelling to the remote Henry Island for a weekend of boys and booze. However, things turn sinister when they discover a DVD waiting for them with the phrase ‘Vengeance is Mine’.
With a storm threatening to ravage the island, this luxurious weekend away turns into a deadly game for survival as a mysterious stalker begins picking off the party. Meg has to uncover the truth behind this sinister message, while simultaneously grappling with the prospect of a killer being closer than she ever could have realised.
These Silent Woods – Kimi Cunningham Grant
For eight years, Cooper and his young daughter Finch have lived a completely isolated existence away from society. Cooper keeps the tragic factors that led to this way of living secret from his daughter, however, Finch begins to push at the boundaries keeping her sheltered.
Only a local hermit named Scotland and Cooper’s old friend Jake know of the pair’s existence but, after Jake fails to deliver their supplies one day, a series of events kick off to make Kimi Cunningham Grant’s These Silent Woods one of the most spine-tingling horror books ever. Tense and atmospheric, this 2021 horror book will put Cooper’s love for his daughter to the test in an epic story of survival and sacrifice.
The Shuddering – Ania Ahlbor
First published back in 2013, Ania Ahlbor’s The Shuddering remains one of the most spine-tingling horror novels from the past decade.
The book follows a group of friends who convene for a holiday in an isolated cabin in the Colorado mountains. A sudden storm leaves them all snowed in, but their problems only take a more sinister turn when they realise something is out in the wilderness skulking them. The monsters outside are bloodthirsty and will push these family and friends’ love for one another to terrifying extremes.
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The Night Will Find Us – Matthew Lyons
Matthew Lyons’ spine-tingling horror novel The Night Will Find Us follows six teenagers as they find themselves lost in a seemingly neverending forest, running from both physical and supernatural terrors.
Haunted by a tragedy at the end of an end-of-school-year camping trip, Parker, Chloe, Adam, Nicky, Josh, and Nate find themselves on the run across New Jersey Pine Barrens in the heart of the state. A thrilling paranormal thriller that deals with loss and acceptance, it is one of the most chilling reads in the horror world.
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).
