Halloween Thriller Books
Halloween Thriller Books are different than regular thrillers. They are creepier, more realistic, and can haunt you well after you have finished the last page. Pun intended. I wanted to make a list of my favorite Halloween Thriller books to help you prepare for the creepiest season of reading yet.
Every year, at the end of September, I start stocking up on thrillers to prepare for Halloween. My TBR stack fills up with creepy thrillers as I put away my lighter, summer fare.
Below you will find my favorite thriller books for Halloween. We hope you find something to get you through this haunting season.
The Best Halloween Thriller Books
Each colorful block below represents the best book in a subgenre of Halloween thriller books. Click on the arrow to reveal my “best” pick in any category. You’ll also be able to use a page jump to see more books in that section.
Best Haunted House Book for Halloween
How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix- Jump to see review and more picks in this category
Best Serial Killer Thriller book for Halloween
The Angel Maker by Alex North – Jump to see review and more picks in this category
Best Survival Halloween Thriller book
The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearce- Jump to see review and more picks in this category
Best Stalker Halloween Thriller book
The New Couple in 5B by Lisa Unger – Jump to see review and more picks in this category
Best Urban Halloween Thriller book
When No One is Watching by Alyssa Cole – Jump to see review and more picks in this category
*The Halloween thriller books Post contains affiliate links. Purchases made through links result in a small commission to us at no cost to you. Some books have been gifted. All opinions are our own.
Haunted House Thriller Books for Halloween
How to Sell a Haunted House
Author: Grady Hendrix
Year: 2023
Genre: Horror Thriller
More info: Instant New York Times Bestseller
Age Range: 16+
Plot
When Louise finds out her parents have died, she does not want to pack up their house because of how painful it will be to say goodbye to the two people who loved her the most. She also does not want to ask her brother for help with the house because the two siblings never got along.
When the will is finally read, Louise is shocked but, even more shocking are the strange things that start happening in the house. This is by far the scariest book I have ever read and one of the best horror thriller books around.
Why Jackie loves it
I loved this haunted house book. It completely scared the pants off me. Grady Hendrix does not disappoint! Every one of his books is more terrifying than the last. This book was a pure adrenaline rush from the first page to the last.
Find this book in: Haunted House Book / Thriller Horror Books / Creepy Halloween Thriller
The Grownup
Author: Gillian Flynn
Year: 2015
Genre: Thriller
More info: New York Times Bestseller
Age Range: 16
Plot
When a woman pretending to be a psychic is hired to do an exorcism on a house, she learns that she just might believe in the supernatural after all.
It’s only 64 pages, but this Halloween thriller book will keep you up at night.
Why Kirsten loves it
A short and C-R-E-E-P-Y haunted house book, I wanted to put down and continue at the same time.
Find this book in: Best Short Stories / Books about Con Artists / Haunted House Books / Halloween Thriller /Best Short Stories and Collections
The Paris Apartment
Author: Lucy Foley
Year: 2022
Genre: Thriller
More info: #1 New York Times Bestseller
Spice Rating:đź’‹
Age Range: 18+
Plot
Jess has arrived in Paris to stay with her half-brother, Ben while she gets back on her feet. While he reluctantly agrees to help, he doesn’t answer the door when she shows up to move in.
Soon she gains entry into his apartment and begins the hunt to find out what happened to her brother. With secrets lurking around every corridor and the other residents being shady and elusive, Jess begins to think something sinister happened to Ben.
The first half of this story was a little slow while the character groundwork was laid out, but once the big reveal comes halfway through, I was reading the rest of the chapters at lightning speed. This is the only thriller on our list of books set in France and it’s a doozy! Lucy Foley is always a great pick if you are looking for slow-burn thrillers.
Why Kirsten loves it
The twists and turns in Lucy Foley’s books are always fantastic. I love the way she builds the story. It’s like the slow ride up a rollercoaster before the inevitable drop!
Why Jackie loves it
I was not expecting this book to take the turns it did. I am glad I kept reading- even if the beginning is a little slow. It was worth it in the end.
Find this book in: Haunted House Book / Books set in France / Halloween Thriller Books / The Best Audiobooks of 2022 /
Home Before Dark
Author: Riley Sager
Year: 2020
Genre: Thriller
More info: Instant New York Times Bestseller, USA Today Best Books of 2020
Age Range: 18+
Plot
It is so strange that I have read four paranormal fiction this month! Maggie Holt spent three weeks in a house that became the subject of a best-selling novel written by her father.
During the three weeks in the house, the family was haunted by ghosts before they were eventually forced to flee. Twenty-five years later, Maggie is shocked to learn that her father still owned the house when he died and the house is now hers.
As Maggie returns to the house to find out what really happened, she might be in for more than she bargained for. Even though this is last on our list of Riley Sager books, it was a fun read that I would highly recommend.
Why Jackie likes it
This is a fun book that is not only about books but also has a touch of paranormal as well. If ghosts are not your thing but you love thrillers, I would recommend this one as a perfect “in-between” book. Riely Sager is very readable and his books are never a disappointment.
Find this book in: The Best Riley Sager Books Ranked / Fall Books / Halloween Thriller Books / Books About Books
Creepy Books with Serial Killers
Plot
Katie Shaw had everything she wanted until a stranger changed the fate of the family forever. Now, with a child of her own, Katie is having a hard time differentiating between real vs imagined threats. Then, she gets a call that her estranged brother Chris, once the victim of violence has gone missing.
Why Jackie loves it
There are so many twists and turns in this serial killer thriller. It is one of the most disturbing psychological thriller books I have read and is completely terrifying and I have to say that I loved it. I did not know that I enjoyed scary books so much!
Find this book in: Halloween Thriller Books / Thriller Horror Books / Fiction Serial Killer Books
Plot
Mariana is a therapist who is still grieving the loss of her husband when she gets a call from her niece, Zoe. Zoe’s best friend Tara is missing and Zoe is afraid something has happened to her. When women start dying at Cambridge, Mariana gets deeply involved as she tries to solve the mystery.
Why Jackie loves it
What an amazing thriller. Alex Michaelides did it again! This secret society book was insane with twists and turns. It kept me on the edge of my seat and my heart beating a little faster!
Adaptation Information
A series adaptation is in the works for this best-seller with Miramax.
Find this book in: Dark Academia Books / Creepy Halloween Thrillers / Books Becoming TV Shows / Serial Killer Books / Books Set in College / Best Books of 2021Â
Plot
The Lighthouse children are named after famous murder victims. They live in a creepy house, known as murder mansion to locals, and live an isolated life.
After their father dies, Dahlia and her two siblings return home for the first time since her twin, Andy, disappeared 9 years earlier. When they bury their father, they find Andy’s body already in his family plot.
Dahlia vows that she won’t leave again until she uncovers Andy’s murderer, but the family secrets she unearths might turn her into the next victim.
Why Kirsten loves it
CREEPY THRILLER VIBES ALERT. The premise of this haunted house book is perfect for true-crime documentary fanatics.Â
Find this book in: Domestic Noir / Halloween Thrillers / Serial Killer Books / Best Books of 2023
Survival Thriller Books for Halloween
The Sanatorium
Author: Sarah Pearse
Year: 2021
Genre: Mystery
More info: Detective Elin Warner #1 , February 2021 Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick
Plot
Oh boy, was this a creepy haunted house book! I wish I had chosen to read it during the wintertime instead of the summer because seeing snow while reading it would have made it that much creepier.
With dead bodies piling up, and a blizzard keeping the guests of the fancy sanatorium-turned-hotel stuck inside, will Elin be able to solve the mystery before she becomes a victim herself?
Why Kirsten loves it
This is such a great blizzard book for mystery book lovers. It is creepy and everything else you want in a thriller and it’s an iconic book to read during a snowstorm!
Find this book in: Fiction Serial Killer Books / Locked Room Mystery / Isolation Book
One by One
Author: Ruth Ware
Year: 2020
Genre: Thriller
More info: #1 New York Times bestselling author
Age Range: 16+
Plot
You would not think getting snowed in at a ski chalet in the French Alps would be bad. After all, there is a beautiful view and full-service food and housekeeping. But when you are stranded with co-workers who each have a reason to want someone dead, the Hotel may no longer be a relaxing place to be stranded. As a creepy thriller, this book is fast-paced and heart-thumping as one person after another winds up dead.
Why Kirsten loves it
As a mystery, I had a problem with the fact that I knew who the killer was from the very beginning. Although there were no surprises for me, this survival thriller had me cringing throughout. If you love novels about blizzards, check this isolation novel out!
Find this book in: Novels about Weather, Hurricanes, and Blizzards / Isolation Books and Thrillers/ Halloween Thriller Books / The Best Winter Books
Rock Paper Scissors
Author: Alice Feeney
Year: 2022
Genre: thriller
More info: Instant New York Times Bestseller
Age Range: 18+
Plot
This book by Alice Feeney is another great read. Her books always have me turning the pages. This novel starts with Adam and Amelia Wright headed to a weekend away in a remote Scottish getaway to save their marriage. It turns into a locked-room thriller that you will not be able to put down.
Told from the point of view of both Adam and Amelia, it is clear that one weekend away may not be enough to save what is left of their failing relationship. Each year of their marriage, Adam and his wife exchange traditional wedding gifts and she writes him a letter that she will not let him read.
When reading a thriller, you expect twists and turns because that is part of the fun and while I expected a few, some of the ones in this book were completely unexpected!
Why Jackie loves it
I love Alice Feeney as a writer. She never fails to surprise me with her books which is something I love. The twists never feel like they are too much, rather, I feel like I should have known all along!
Find this book in: Locked Room Mysteries / Domestic Thriller Books / Halloween Thriller Books / Hotel Novels
Stalker Halloween Thriller Books
The Woman in the Window: A Novel
Author: A.J. Finn
Year: 2018
Genre: Thriller
More info: New York Time Bestseller
Age Range:16+
Plot
If you love old movies, you will adore this book. It is a spin on Hitchcock’s Rear Window and features an agoraphobic narrator who is often unreliable.
Anna Fox lives alone in her house. She is agoraphobic and cannot leave, so she sits at her window and watches everyone in the neighborhood.
When she sees something across the street, she is sure there has been a crime but, what is real and what is imagined? Amy Adams stars in the Netflix adaptation of this book.
Why Kirsten loves it
I love the nod to Hitchcock. It puts a new spin on a classic!
Why Jackie loves it
I love the fact that I was never sure what was real and what was made up. This is a book with an unreliable narrator that I really liked/
Find this book in: Unreliable Narrator Books / Psychological Thriller Books / Books About Mental Illness / Popular Thriller Books / Amnesia Books
The Doll Factory
Author: Elizabeth Macneal
Year: 2019
Genre: Thriller
More info: #1 International bestseller and The New York Times Editor’s Choice
Spice Rating:đź’‹
Age Range: 18+
Plot
This historical fiction novel about art is part mystery, part love story, and part thriller. MacNeal’s debut takes place in Victorian England during the time of The Great Exhibition.
Iris dreams of learning to paint like a true artist, while she tolls away with her twin sister in a doll shop. Silas is a curiosity collector who can’t seem to get Iris out of his head after their chance meeting, and Albie is the rag-a-muffin street urchin I wanted to take home.
Why Kirsten loves it
Their stories weave together in a slow burn until the blood-pumping, heart-racing conclusion.
Find this book in: Best Books of 2019 / Best Books with Stalkers / Books Becoming Movies or TV Series in 2024 / Intriguing Novels About Art and Artists
Goodnight Beautiful
Author: Aimee Molloy
Year: 2021
Genre: Thriller
More info: Most Anticipated Book by Buzz Feed, Popsugar, New York Post
Spice Rating:đź’‹
Age Range: 18+
Plot
I was in the mood for a good thriller for Halloween when I stumbled across this story about a therapist and someone who is obsessed with him. When Sam and his new wife, Annie move back to Sam’s hometown they are excited to start their new life. Until Sam spends most of his time treating patients in his downstairs office and Annie is left alone. Then one day, Sam doesn’t return home at all.
Why Kirsten loves it
I absolutely loved this one. There were many twists and turns that I just did not see coming! I gasped out loud on more than one occasion as I watched this creepy book unfold. It’s easily one of my favorite thriller books of the year. I did not see the ending coming at all!!! #gifted
Find this book in: Best Books with Stalkers / Halloween Thriller Books
Urban Halloween Thriller Books
When No One is Watching
Author: Alyssa Cole
Year: 2020
Genre: Thriller
More info: New York Times Bestseller and USA Today Bestseller
Age Range: 16+
Plot
Sydney Green lives in Brooklyn where she has lived for almost her whole life. Her neighborhood is quickly changing as old neighbors move away. What starts off as fiction about gentrification and neighborhood dynamics quickly becomes a fast-moving thriller.
Is Sydney being paranoid or are people out to get her? To make matters worse, Sydney’s mother is sick and she does not want to put all her burdens on her best friend. The only person Sydney can turn to is Theo but can she trust him? How far will people go to get what they want?
Why Jackie loves it
I loved this book. This situation is totally plausible which makes this one of the more disturbing psychological thriller books I have ever read. I never knew who to trust and which direction the book was going.
Find this book in: Thriller-Horror Books/ Halloween Thriller Books / Psychological Thriller Books
The Family Upstairs
Author: Lisa Jewell
Year: 2019
Genre: Thriller
More info: November 2019 GMA Book Club Pick
New York Times Bestselling Author
Age Range: 18+
Plot
This book starts with Libby’s 25th birthday when she inherits a multi-million dollar home. She knows that she was adopted at 10 months old but, she doesn’t know the truth about what happened to her family. She is shocked to find that the story that she was told is not what happened to her family.
25+ years ago Henry, his sister, and his parents are living a very privileged life. When he is 12 years old, things change when David moves into the house with his wife and kids with no plans to leave. He is charismatic and alluring to everyone except Henry. The story moves between past and present until the two stories come together and you finally understand what happened in the house all those years ago. I love listening to full cast audiobooks and this popular thriller book was no exception.
Trigger Warnings
Child Abuse, Confinement
Why Jackie loves it
I love Lisa Jewell. As I read her books I find each one creepier than the last. I listened to this one and loved that it was a full cast audiobook. It brought the story to life.
Find this book in: The Best Lisa Jewell Books / Books About Cults / The Best Domestic Thriller Books / Good Morning America Book Club List / Popular Thriller Books
The Therapist
Author: B. A. Paris
Year: 2021
Genre: Thriller
More info: New York Times Bestselling author
Age Range: 16+
Plot
Alice and Leo move into a house on “The Circle”, an exclusive gated community. When Alice discovers a hidden drawer containing letters from a woman named Nina, who was a patient of the previous owner—a therapist, she decides to find out more about the therapist who lived there before.
As Alice becomes obsessed with the past, she is met with lies and confusion until she is unsure what is true. It’s the perfect Halloween thriller book!
Why Jackie loves it
I listened to this book and I have to say that I think it added so much to the suspense! I love the way the narrators added to the story.
Find this book in: Halloween Thriller Books / Psychological Thriller Books
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Expert Tip
If you are wondering about the differences between thriller books and Halloween thriller books, these are the criteria I used to differentiate the two
- Any book with a paranormal component is automatically a Halloween thriller book
- Haunted House Thrillers are automatically Halloween Thrillers as well.
- Any thriller that has an unexplained component that may be paranormal is a Halloween thriller
- When it comes to serial killer thrillers, survival thrillers, and stalker thrillers, many of these books can be both it depends on the vibe of the book
- There is no hard line between a thriller and a Halloween thriller but I think any thriller book that has a creepy or spooky vibe belongs on my list.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Halloween Thriller Book?
A Halloween thriller book is a creepy thriller that gives off spooky vibes. Any thriller with a paranormal component (haunted house, ghosts, etc) is automatically a Halloween thriller for me. But, thrillers with a creepy vibe throughout are also considered a Halloween thrillers in my book! And yes, the pu was intentional.
What scary books should I read to get in the mood for Halloween?
Any of the books we have on this list will give you the creepy Halloween vibe you are looking for. The serial killer books and haunted house books I included are some of the scariest books I have read.
What are the best horror Halloween thriller books?
the Angel Maker by and How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix are some of the creepiest Horror Halloween books around.
Related Content
Epilogue
What are your favorite Halloween Thriller books? Did I include your must-reads on this list?
Ultimate List of Thrillers
Love Halloween thriller books? We created this list of thrillers and carefully divided it by sub-genre. Each of these will definitely keep you on your toes.
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