Come October, when you feel a chill in the air, those tank tops and beach reads aren’t as appealing as they were a few short weeks ago. It’s “spooky season,” which means pumpkin spice and ghost stories!
But while it’s easy to recommend one of the many, many titles in Stephen King’s backlist, horror with a capital H is not for everyone. At least old slasher movies have corny special effects—when a book depicts violent situations, your imagination can sometimes make the horror all too real.
Luckily, there are lots of horror and fantasy titles that lean more toward the spooky rather than the outright scary.
Cozy Mysteries
Cozy mysteries are an entire genre devoted to balancing the excitement of catching a killer with more calming themes of community and, well, coziness. Cozies are, by definition, light on violence. Most cozy mystery authors are big fans of Halloween, and the genre provides endless opportunities for all kinds of spooky fun.
Caught Dead Handed by Carol J. Perry
This mystery is the series opener for an entire witch-themed series of books, Perry’s Witch City Mysteries. When Lee Barrett takes a job as a TV psychic in Salem, Massachusetts, she learns that she doesn’t need to fake anything for the cameras. And the woman who previously held her TV job might need her help from beyond the grave.
Death by Pumpkin Spice by Alex Erickson
When bookstore café owner Krissy Hancock reluctantly attends a Halloween party at the wealthiest house in town, she is unexpectedly trapped there when a woman is found dead, and the police put the party on lockdown. The body was found in a room full of jack-o’-lanterns, and soon the hostess discovers that her jewelry has also been stolen. Are the crimes connected? Krissy assists the police in investigating her fellow partygoers, but can they catch the killer before it’s too late?
Fudge Cupcake Murder by Joanne Fluke
Fluke is one of the most beloved cozy mystery authors with her famous amateur sleuth, baker Hannah Swensen. Swensen’s fifth book is set during the lead-up to Halloween, amid a contentious election for town sheriff. When Swensen finds the murdered Sheriff Grant in a dumpster, smeared in frosting from one of her cupcakes, she knows that the main suspect will likely be her brother-in-law, Bill. Bill was running against Grant, so his potential motive is clear, but is he the only one who had it out for the unpopular sheriff?
A Bit Beyond Cozy
If you’re feeling brave and looking for something a bit beyond the cozy mystery genre, try the below options, which explore everyday themes in horror-related circumstances. They’re still accessible options for those exploring the genre, but they definitely up the spook ante!
The Upstairs House by Julia Fine
Fine’s second novel explores one mother’s descent into postpartum psychosis. Or does it?
Megan Weiler is a PhD candidate who just had a baby and is struggling to continue work on her dissertation on children’s literature. One day she climbs the stairs of her house to find a mysterious turquoise door. On the other side is none other than Margaret Wise Brown, author of the beloved children’s book Goodnight Moon. Brown, who died in 1952, tells Weiler that she’s building a house for her lover, the poet Michael Strange. Weiler continues to see the door and to spend time with Brown, who Weiler decides must be a ghost. As their relationship builds, the paranormal activity extends beyond the turquoise door. Strange especially is a dangerous entity that appears, and soon Weiler is terrified that her infant daughter might be in danger.
The horror Fine writes about is rooted not in the otherworldly but in the all too common experience of postpartum mental health struggles. The haunting Fine’s heroine experiences might be ghosts or it might be in her head, but does it matter? Either way, Fine shows how new mothers are often dismissed and patronized by male partners, family members, and doctors. All while they feel disconnected from their own bodies and in a constant state of anxiety over their new babies. No ghost could ever be scarier than motherhood.
Anya’s Ghost by Vera Brosgol
YA is the perfect place to find smart, fun, and spooky stories that are intense enough to appeal to older audiences but aren’t quite as bloody as their adult counterparts.
Brosgol’s graphic novel tells the story of Anya, a Russian girl who is struggling to fit in at a fancy private school. When she accidentally falls down a well, Anya meets a ghost named Emily, who tells Anya that she was murdered almost a hundred years ago and has been trapped in the well ever since. Anya is able to escape the well, but Emily continues to appear. Eventually, Anya has to decide whether or not Emily really is the friendly ghost she seems, or if she’s something more dangerous.
Is there any scary story that could ever compare to adolescence? Brosgol’s heroine navigates all the usual trials of being a teenager, along with enormous social pressure to hide her Russian heritage and accent. It’s only appropriate that she becomes literally haunted by a character from the past. The supernatural elements blend with the mundane ones, and Anya must confront the past and decide for herself who—and what—deserves her trust.
Treats, Not Tricks
Scary stories are about what really scares us: things like big life milestones, social acceptance, and the well-being of our families and communities. And, of course, they’re also about having fun around October when the weather starts to turn.
Truly harrowing horror isn’t for every reader, but the genre is diverse. There are so many horror stories, ones that are more on the eerie side or just plain fun, and you might find yourself continuing to read them long after the trick-or-treaters have emptied your candy bowl.
Chelsea Ennen is a writer living in Brooklyn with her husband and her dog. When not writing or reading, she is a fiber and textile artist who sews, knits, crochets, weaves, and spins.
