Bookseller Jules and the Case of Spine-Tingling Reads

It is no exaggeration to say I found The Butcher and The Wren to be the most intense cat-and-mouse thriller you’ll read this fall. The turn of the first page will send you to the next page.

These Silent Woods will stop you in your tracks. You’ll walk into the very woods that the main characters, Cooper, and Finch, hide out in. You’ll tread cautiously knowing that a wrong move will bring on dire consequences. Grant writes with a magic hand. Nothing is overbearing and all feels like it’s going to fly away. Without any spoilers, here the last pages will be as taut as the bow Cooper uses to hunt for food.

Short, sharp, and scary! Do you have a manga fan in your life that’s looking for the perfect spooky narrative or ghost story? THIS is the book. It is full of vivid images that will sit with you long after the last page. And, with the references to Japanese folklore, it’s a cool retelling of some classic myths. 

I can’t stop thinking about Shutter, a most perfect blend of supernatural and mystery. A debut novel that takes us to the limits of imagination and cuts through to the heart of the human condition. Ramona Emerson writes about dedication to family, tradition and the past that always haunts us with such ease and grace I look forward to her next novel.

If you’re scared of a haunted house, be very afraid because this book documents a haunted estate. Andy Davidson’s imagination is deep, dark, and visceral. A brave reader such as yourself will be immersed in this horror novel on page one, and I guarantee the last chapter to be an explosion of visuals.

Finishing the third title in Marcie Rendon’s Cash Blackbear Mystery series had me quickly scrambling to binge-read books one and two. I fell fast and hard for Rendon’s Renee “Cash” Blackbear. The pool playing, beer drinking, hard-nosed 19-year-old Cash is the perfect anti-hero as she juggles a tough exterior that’s protecting someone whose been through a lot. Cash drives this story, and you will follow her down any trail to solve the crime.

I was knocked over by Erika T. Wurth’s White Horse. Protagonist Kari James’s world is rocked and shook to its core and instead of running from the trouble (and ghosts!), she dives in headfirst. The same will be said of your leap into this formidable novel and its blend of horror and mystery.

Knock, Knock, don’t be afraid to open the door for this haunted house horror. A spooky season read with horror books at its core, paired with an artist daughter cleaning out her author father’s home, a cast of characters out to get her, and monsters hiding in the woods — yes, you read that right, monsters. So, when you’re looking to add a fast-paced, gripping horror to your TBR, look no further.

An open letter to Denmark: Why have you been keeping Anne Mette Hancock all to yourselves? Hancock’s debut, The Corpse Flower, puts a journalist in a cat-and-mouse race against a killer who has it in for her. I found myself reading the last five chapters with hands covering eyes.

What do you do when your job really is Hell? Claudia Lux’s novel takes readers into the afterlife where Hell is a corporation, and its inhabitants are the employees. This book has wickedly funny characters and an imaginative plot that is perfect for a year-round spooky season. Part thriller, part horror, part comedic romp through the underworld. One needs a little comic relief, sometimes. Even when your spine is tingling!