Death, ghosts and serial killers: 10 books to curl up with for Halloween
Curl up with a creepy read this Halloween Picture: Pexels
From horrifying haunted houses to murder thrillers and a deep dive into death and dying, there’s plenty to choose from here for a chilling night in. Grab a hot chocolate, curl up under a cosy blanket and let these gripping reads keep you up all night.
The latest novel from Dublin author and bookseller Anne Griffin centres on 32-year-old Jeanie Masterson who has an unusual gift. She can hear the last words of the dead. Passed down from generation to generation, this gift means she is able to make wrongs right, to give voice to unspoken love and dying regrets. She and her father have worked happily alongside each other for years, but now he's unexpectedly announced that he wants to retire early and leave the business to her and her life is called into question. Tied to her home by this unusual talent, she begins to question: what if what she's always thought of as a gift is a curse?
Professor Sue Black confronts death every day. As an anatomist and a forensic anthropologist, she works with mortal remains in her lab, at burial sites, at scenes of violence, murder and criminal dismemberment, and when investigating mass fatalities due to war, accident or natural disaster. In All that Remains she reveals the many faces of death she has come to know, using key cases to explore how forensic science has developed, and what her work has taught her. A fascinating read that will change how you think about death.
A horror novel written by Canadian author Craig Davidson under the pen name Nick Cutter. Once a year, scoutmaster Tim Riggs leads a troop of boys into the Canadian wilderness for a three-day camping trip; a tradition as comforting and reliable as a good ghost story and a roaring bonfire. But when an unexpected intruder - shockingly thin, disturbingly pale, and voraciously hungry - stumbles upon their campsite, Tim and the boys are exposed to something far more frightening than any tale of terror. The human carrier of a bioengineered nightmare. An inexplicable horror that spreads faster than fear. A harrowing struggle for survival that will pit the troop against the elements, the infected ... and one another. Stephen King said The Troop “scared the hell” out of him. Yep, you might need to keep the lights on after this one.
A captivating new picture book from beloved childrens author Oliver Jeffers. A young girl lives in a haunted house, but has never seen a ghost. Are they white with holes for eyes? Are they hard to see? She'd love to know! Step inside and turn the transparent pages to help her on an entertaining ghost hunt, from behind the sofa, right up to the attic. With lots of friendly ghost surprises and incredible mixed media illustrations, this unique and funny book will entertain young readers under ten.
American Predator: The Hunt for the Most Meticulous Serial Killer of the 21st Century by Maureen Callahan
Israel Keyes is the terrifying serial killer you haven’t heard of. And when journalist Maureen Callahan first heard about him in 2012, she was captivated by how a killer of his magnitude could go undetected by law enforcement for more than a decade. And so began a project that consumed her for the next several years. American Predator uncovers the story behind how the FBI ultimately caught serial killer and rapist Israel Keyes, and endeavours to understand what it means for a killer like Keyes to exist.
A young girl is murdered on a remote island off the coast of West Cork. Her murderer has been protected by silence for ten years until two Australian film-makers come asking questions.. Inspired by true-crime podcast West Cork which delved into the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier, Clonakilty author Louise O'Neill’s first foray into the world of thriller and crime doesn’t disappoint.
Israel Keyes is the terrifying serial killer you've never heard of. When journalist Maureen Callahan first heard about Keyes in 2012, she was captivated by how a killer of his magnitude could go undetected by law enforcement for more than a decade. And so began a project that consumed her for the next several years. American Predator uncovers the story behind how the FBI ultimately caught serial killer and rapist Israel Keyes, and endeavours to understand what it means for a killer like Keyes to exist.
A monster shows up just after midnight. But this isn't the monster Conor's been expecting. He's been expecting the one from his nightmare, the one he's had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments, the one with the darkness and the wind and the screaming... but this monster is something different. Patrick Ness’ young adult novel borrows from an original idea by esteemed author Siobhan Dowd and deals with themes like love, grief and hope.
A Heian-era mansion stands abandoned, its foundations resting on the bones of a bride and its walls packed with the remains of the girls sacrificed to keep her company. It’s the perfect wedding venue for a group of thrill-seeking friends. But a night of food, drinks, and games quickly spirals into a nightmare. For lurking in the shadows is the ghost bride with a black smile and a hungry heart and she gets lonely down there in the dirt.. The book cover is enough to give us nightmares.
Over the course of the last 18 months, our usual grieving rituals have been taken away from us and it has really emphasised how ‘well’ the Irish do death. In Sorry for Your Trouble, writer and broadcaster Ann Marie Hourihane follows the last weeks of a woman's life in hospice; witnesses an embalming; attends inquests; talks to people working to prevent suicide; follows a team of specialists working to locate the remains of people 'disappeared' by the IRA; and visits some of Ireland's most contested graves. She explores the strange and sometimes surprising histories of Irish death practices, from the traditional wake and ritual lamentations to the busy commerce between anatomists and bodysnatchers and attends funerals, of ordinary and extraordinary people all over the country - including that of her own father.
A new thriller from the best-selling author of The Girl on the Train. When a young man is found gruesomely murdered in a London houseboat, it triggers questions about three women who knew him. Laura is the troubled one-night-stand last seen in the victim’s home. Carla is his grief-stricken aunt, already mourning the recent death of yet another family member. And Miriam is the nosy neighbor clearly keeping secrets from the police. Three women with separate connections to the victim. Three women who are – for different reasons – simmering with resentment. Who are, whether they know it or not, burning to right the wrongs done to them.
