The best books for Halloween, you say? It’s October 1st, and you know what that means! Sing it with me, “it’s the most wonderful time of the year”. That’s right, it’s SPOOKY SEASON! Hooray! In what appears to be unintentional preparation I have been drawn to many mystery/horror/thriller novels lately. Some great, some not so much. To be fair I tend to read this genre a lot, so I suppose it’s not really unintentional preparation and just who I am… Anyway, if you’re looking for some Halloween-ie themed books to read as we approach the greatest event on the calendar, then prepare yourself for my unsolicited opinions on some random books I have read. Get excited! Here’s a combination of some of my favourite September reads and what you should read instead for the ones that didn’t quite hit the mark for me.
Two Sides to Every Murder
by Danielle Valentine
I read “How to Survive Your Murder” last year and I LOVED it. So, colour me tickled pink when I found Valentine’s newest release in the bookstore recently. Both books read like action packed teen slasher movies. They’re easy to read with short chapters and exciting plots. Valentine weaves events and plot lines in an interesting way and definitely surprises with her endings. “Two Sides to Every Murder” in my opinion is the slightly weaker of the two and I don’t know if I just didn’t connect as well to this one, or I had such high expectations from her previous novel.
The plot Friday the 13th meets The Parent Trap (yes, you read that correctly). Twins who don’t know they’re twins at a summer camp that’s notorious for its 2008 murders. The thing I enjoyed about both of these books is there is no lull in the story. It keeps moving and Valentine drops little hints in a balanced way throughout the book alternating between that, touches of romancey stuff and then some good ol’ fashioned violence. What a hoot! If you love a slasher and want an easy exciting read, I highly recommend both these books.
The Dead List
by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Ella is mysteriously attacked on her way home from a party at the start of the book which places her at the centre of an attempted murder investigation. This causes a reunion with a previous best friend and as their romance blossoms, we learn some things about their past that still haunt Ella.
I think that this could’ve been really great, and it had its moments but, I don’t know, something about it just fell a bit short for me. I think it was just too heavily focussed on the romance and that annoyed me. It threw the balance off unlike the previous book. Also, I couldn’t understand why was the main character, Ella, the ONLY person finding all the clues and bodies? So much potential with this one, it just didn’t quite get there for me.
If you’re after some YA crime/mystery, here’s what I recommend instead:
- “That Weekend” by Kara Thomas
- “The Ivies” by Alexa Donne
- “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” by Holly Jackson
OR…
Death at Mourning House
by Maureen Johnson
This was such a fun holiday read. The main character is hilarious and there was plenty of mystery and clues to keep me engaged throughout.
Marlowe accidentally sets fire to a house whilst on a first date. Not the smoothest of moves when you’re trying to impress the girl you like, so when an opportunity comes up to work as a tour guide at Morning House, a mansion on an island, she takes it. The mansion was built as a summer house for a rich doctor and his children in the 1920’s and was abandoned in 1932 after two of the children die. The mystery of the Morning House deaths intrigues Marlowe and she works with her new friends to uncover the truth of what happened. However, this isn’t the only mystery to be solved. There are more deaths to come. Jumping between the past and present at Morning House the story is entertaining, fast-paced and smartly executed with a great protagonist. Do recommend.
Witch
by Finbar Hawkins
Set in the 17th century, Witch is a story about women, witchcraft and revenge. To be honest, for a book called “Witch” I felt it lacked some “witchiness”. It got there towards the end of the novel, but the majority of the novel is kinda underwhelming.
If you’re after a witchy read, here’s I recommend instead:
- “The Once and Future Witches” by Alis E. Harrow
- “Weyward” by Emilia Hart
- “House of Hollow” by Krystal Sutherland
OR
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches
by Sangu Mandanna
This was super cute and cozy. If you’re looking for a cozy Halloween read then this is the one you want. It tells the story of an isolated witch who is present with an opportunity to work for and live with a quirky new family looking after some young witches needing guidance.
Mika Moon hides her magic in plain sight, as a witchy-core influencer on Instagram. She thinks no one will suspect she is a REAL witch, until she is contacted by the residents of Nowhere House. This book has funny moments, witch themes and spells, some romance and a mystery along with some very likeable characters. Good fun and an enjoyable read.
I Know My Name & The Nesting
by C.J Cooke
Neither of these were my favourite of Cooke’s. I absolutely LOVED “The Lighthouse Witches” and highly recommend that if you’re going to delve into a C.J. Cooke novel.
Her books always have a female protagonist that is dealing with some sort of trauma or mental health issue (or both), and she often explores the themes of motherhood and female relationships within the mystery genre. “I Know My Name” is the only novel of hers I have read that does not have a supernatural element which is a shame as I think that is one of the things that draws me in with her work.
I am looking forward to “The Book of Witching” which is due for release this month so we’ll keep an eye out for that one!
It
by Stephen King
Yep, I know. *She cowers as she prepares for the onslaught of hate* Don’t get me wrong, King is one HELL of a storyteller and the actual plot of the main narrative in this novel and the writing? Chef’s kiss. It’s the constant bloody side quests and irrelevant little mini stories that divert from the actual telling of the main story. Oh, my goodness, GET. TO. THE. POINT! I couldn’t actually finish it. Like, I read about 75% and just couldn’t keep going. It’s too freakin’ long and I was done. So, so done. I feel some of the mini stories are there to add some horror elements and shock value but they’re just annoying. Anyway, wouldn’t recommend.
If you’re after a good horror read, I would recommend:
- “How to Sell a Haunted House” by Grady Hendrix
- “The Final Girl Support Group” by Grady Hendrix
- “My Heart is a Chainsaw” by Stephen Graham Jones
Some other books I read this month:
“Some Shall Break (None Shall Sleep #2)” by Ellie Marney ★ ★★ ★
An excellent sequel to the first novel. Thoroughly enjoyed
“The Wayward Girls” by Amanda Mason ★ ★★
I enjoyed it while I was reading it but nothing that really wowed me. Sort of Conjuring 2 vibes with similar events to the Enfield poltergeist.
“The Summer She Went Missing” by Chelsea Ichaso ★ ★★ ½
A good YA mystery that kept me engaged. I enjoyed following along felt it got a little misdirected at times and didn’t necessarily keep me guessing.
“Influencer” by Adam Cesare ★ ★★
I was really enjoying this at the start with a great opening chapter and a bit of a American Psycho vibe, it didn’t quite live up to it’s potential for me in the end.
“Pretty Dead Girls” by Monica Murphy ★ ★ ½
All the characters are petty and annoying and the killer is obvious.
“She’s Gone” by David Bell almost ★ ★★
“The Couple a No.9” by Claire Douglas ★ ★★ ★
This was the first book in a while that I didn’t really want to finish. Well developed characters and woven plot.
What are you reading for spooky season? Tell us your favourite horror, thriller or mystery novels.
Books For Sale
We have a growing number of 2nd hand books instore and a few online too.
Sign up for more
Did you like our look at the best books for Halloween? Want to see more?
Sign up to our newsletter and stay up to date!
