It’s not quite the end of Summer of Horror, but I couldn’t wait to share this list. Many of these books will end up on my Best of 2026 list at the end of the year, and some may even make my Top Five. All of these earned five or four-and-a-half stars, and I highly recommend all of them! I’m listing them in alphabetical order by title, and I’m linking my reviews if you’d like to read them. Note: this list is taken from books I’ve read this year, and obviously I have not read all the books (in case you don’t see your favorites here!).
I’m also linking up with Top Ten Tuesday, which was created by The Broke and the Bookish and is now hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl. Check out upcoming Top Ten themes on Jana’s blog.
A Box Full of Darkness by Simone St. James. “The nitty-gritty: A multilayered horror story set in a dangerous town, A Box Full of Darkness expertly mixes carefully drawn characters, emotional relationships and ghostly terrors.”
The Caretaker by Marcus Kliewer. “The nitty-gritty: Mind-bending and menacing, The Caretaker is weird psychological horror at its best.”
Carry Me To Me Grave by Christopher Golden. “The nitty-gritty: Relentless pacing, thrilling action and heartbreak combine in Christopher Golden’s latest, a violent but satisfying horror tale.”
Dead First by Johnny Compton. “The nitty-gritty: Mystery meets mind-bending supernatural terror in Dead First, a unique tale of revenge, redemption and murder.”
House of Splinters by Laura Purcell. “The nitty-gritty: Laura Purcell delivers another chilling haunted house tale in this atmospheric and terrifying ghost story.”
Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Baker. “The nitty-gritty: A mind-bending, bloody mystery, Japanese Gothic blends time travel and folklore into an emotional and heartbreaking story.”
Nothing Tastes As Good by Luke Dumas. “The nitty-gritty: Shocking, gross and eye-opening, Nothing Tastes As Good is both hard-hitting and wildly entertaining.”
On Sundays She Picked Flowers by Yah Yah Scholfield. “The nitty-gritty: A beautifully written story of survival and redemption, Yah Yah Scholfield’s weird, devastating and brutal Southern Gothic debut is a rollercoaster of emotions, both monstrous and beautiful.”
The Rise (Tales From the Gulp #3) by Alan Baxter. “The nitty-gritty: Creeping horror and sinister townsfolk await in Alan Baxter’s latest Tales From the Gulp, a wildly entertaining and delightfully gruesome series.”
The Sixth Nik by Daniel Kraus. “The nitty-gritty: A masterfully written and plotted sci-fi horror story, The Sixth Nik combines grotesque imagery and body horror with unexpected depth and emotion.”
Wolf Worm by T. Kingfisher. “The nitty-gritty: Insect horror and Gothic mystery combine in T. Kingfisher’s latest, a tense and disturbing horror story with the author’s trademark humor and quirky characters.”
Worry Box by Chris Panatier. “The nitty-gritty: Chris Panatier captures the slow collapse of a close-knit family in Worry Box, a tense, terrifying horror story steeped in emotional heartbreak.”
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