Darkness encroaches! This year’s horror novels bring us several takes on possession, some very creepy homes, vampires, and even a vengeful elk spirit. So make a hot beverage, grab a blanket, and settle in on the couch as you prepare to feel a frisson of fear from an outstanding recent horror novel.
The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones
Ten years ago, four young Native American men took an elk hunting trip that strayed into the area of their Blackfoot Reservation reserved for elders. The memory of that day haunts them all to different degrees, but now the spirit of the elk they wronged is out for revenge, in this slow-burn horror novel.
The Return by Rachel Harrison
Two years after she disappeared on a hiking trip, Julie has returned with no memory of what happened. Her three closest friends plan a girl’s weekend at a remote cabin. But Julie seems … off; the weather has them trapped inside, and then strange things start to happen at the hotel. What actually happened to Julie while she was gone, and what did she bring back?
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
In 1950s Mexico, socialite Noemi travels from Mexico City to a remote manor house in the countryside to check on a recently married cousin who has been sending disturbing letters. Made unwelcome by the family and by the very house itself, which invades her dreams with visions of blood and doom, Noemi races to save herself and her cousin. Moreno-Garcia refreshes the classic gothic haunted mansion story.
The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix
In 1990s Charleston, South Carolina, Patricia is a housewife who finds camaraderie in a true crime bookclub. When a handsome new neighbor moves in down the street, Patricia begins to notice odd, sometimes horrific happenings. Can she convince her book group of a danger in their town that is not-quite-human, before it’s too late?
Empire of Wild by Cherie Dimaline
Joan has been looking for her missing husband, Victor, for nearly a year when she sees someone who looks and sounds just like him – but who doesn’t recognize her. Joan, drawing on her Métis heritage, believes he is possessed by a Rogarou, a mythical half-man, half-wolf creature, and teams up with her young cousin and a community elder to rescue Victor.
The Twisted Ones by T. Kingfisher
In rural North Carolina, Mouse finds her grandfather’s journal while cleaning out her recently deceased grandmother’s house. With the woods pressing in, she reads about strange, creepy happenings that are swiftly mirrored by her own experiences. Mouse’s quick wit keeps this light, even as scary things come tapping at the windowpane.
~ posted by Andrea G.
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