4 Terrifying New Releases from Indie and Small Presses in August 2026

After separating from his wife, Trish, Victor is looking forward to his friends' annual trip to the California desert. Maybe a getway to the town of Superstition will not only help him relax, but recement the loosing bonds amongst his pals.

But beneath Superstition, something waits. And as it crawls into their group, it feeds into their desires.

Victor spent a long time trying to be the perfect partner, repressing his desires. But now that Trish has begged off teh trip, he tumbles into the wild dark corners of Superstition like never before.

When the head of the town's Welcoming Committee makes him an enticing and charged offer, Victor has to wonder if there's a catch. And of course there is.

The Welcoming Committee expects to be paid for its services. And the price goes far beyond willing bodies.

This book is now available for pre-order, and will be released on August 18th by Evil Twin!

Disabled horror fan Jenna is looking forward to her stay at the horror-themed rental cabin tucked away in rural Montana. For years she's struggled with debilitating anxiety, and after spending so long hardly ever leaving her house, this vacation could open her back up to the world.

But her dream getaway has a nightmarish history.

The Bitter Butcher slaughtered 11 people 25 years ago, ending his brutal spree on the very land Jenna is now vacationing on. And her arrival coincides with the discovery of a brand new body just outside of town.

This killing is no isolated incident, but rather the start to a whole new massacre as more and more bodies turn up. And each of them have a connection to the original case.

Jenna teams up with two locals, Erica and Jamie, to not only fight to survive the slashings, but to uncover the town's shameful history and bring the truth to light.

This book is available now from Death by TBR!

After her father dies, Ivy “Fern” Fernberg crosses paths with monstrous creatures and bizarre people. At first, she dismisses all of them as hallucinations stemming from her complicated grief.

But as she realizes she's not the only one experiencing these visions, she starts to wonder if her father could be involved somehow.

Come along for this wondrous and chilling journey of Appalachian horror.

This book is now available for pre-order, and will be released on August 11th by Sley House Publishing!

Her mom has left her behind and skipped town, and now all that 16-year-old Morgan wants is a fresh start. Instead, she's brought to a lonely town, a dilapidated house by the woods, and an odd blue door…

Her dad and sister seem to take easily to Wolf Creek, but Morgan's having a harder time. Besides getting bullied at school and grieving her broken family, Morgan finds herself obsessed with the blue door in the basement that seems to lead to absolutely nowhere.

Meanwhile, figures watch unseen from the trees of a forest that shouldn't exist. And the lines between reality and something old and impossible begin to dissolve.

Morgan has sworn to protect the door. Yet all around her are forced that feed on fear, grief, and isolation.

This book is now available for pre-order, and will be released on August 14th by Dead Fox Publishing!