5 Recent and Forthcoming Horror Novels that Will Make You Sleep with the Lights On

If you’re looking for a haunting and unsettling story of ghosts and grief, look no further than These Things Linger.

In mourning over the uncle who raised him, our protagonist Alex decides to dabble with some forces beyond his control and raise his uncle from the dead, desperate to reconcile with him.

But as these things goes, Alex soon finds himself in over his head, to disastrous supernatural results. With razor-sharp prose and some truly frightening sequences, These Things Linger is a perfect read for ghost story fans as well as those of us who are terrified of being trapped by the pasts that haunt us.

Dan Franklin truly hit it out of the park with this one, so put this on your TBR pile ASAP. 

Camilla Bruce is without a doubt one of the best modern fairy tale writers out there, and with At the Bottom of the Garden, she’s crafted a truly unforgettable gothic tale.

Clara is an unrepentant murderess who unwittingly becomes the guardian of her two orphaned nieces. While she plots how to get the young girls’ fortune, she soon realizes that there’s more to her nieces than meets the eyes.

A unique take on the evil stepmother trope, this one is ideal for readers seeking out a darkly fantastic story that’s at once an homage to creepy fairy tales while being wholly original.

A fantastic read all the way around. 

This book is currently at the top of my TBR pile. Night’s Edge was one of my favorite books from last year, and First Light promises to be among the most compelling sequels in the horror genre for 2024.

After all, the only thing better than one great vampire book is two in the same series. First Light follows Mia after the tragic disaster that ends Night’s Edge, which completely upends her life forever.

But now instead of waiting for the sinister figures from her past to come after her, she’s pursuing them. But all is not what it seems, and Mia finds herself reckoning with her mother’s legacy as well as figuring out how she’s going to define her own future.

There aren’t enough duologies in modern horror, so I’m beyond excited to conclude Mia’s story.

If you haven’t read Night’s Edge, I would most definitely recommend starting there, and then checking out this one as soon as you can.  

Sofia Ajram is a fast-rising star in the horror genre, and there’s good reason for that.

In this strange and surreal novella, the reader meets Vicken, who plans to end his life by drowning in a Montreal river. The only catch?

He finds himself trapped in a looping subway station before he has a chance to carry out his suicidal plan. The unique structure of this book, which includes a kind of macabre choose-your-adventure, is wildly unique and inventive, and the brutal and beautiful meditation on depression is painfully relatable and effective.

There’s no doubt in my mind that this one is going to end up on many years’ best lists, so get ahead of the curve now, and pick up a copy of this book immediately. It’s mostly definitely worth your time. 

For years now, Rachel Harrison has been consistently producing some of the fiercest feminist horror novels. From her stunning debut, The Return, to last year’s Black Sheep, she’s taken on witches, werewolves, terrifying cults, and general horror weirdness, writing all of it with style.

Now with her vampire tale, So Thirsty, she’s dissecting one of my very favorite tropes, and she’s undoubtedly doing it with aplomb. It starts out simply enough for Sloane and Naomi, as they’re just looking for a fun girls’ weekend out.

But the friends get more than they bargained for—an eternal life more.

Clever, cool, and cutting edge, So Thirsty is sure to be not only one of the best vampire novels of the year, but simply one of the very best books of 2024, so be sure to put this one at the top of your reading pile.