Pick Your Poison: Halloween Reads

Check out some of the best reads for spooky season—from terrifying horror and chilling thrillers to paranormal romance and cozy mysteries. This Halloween, you decide the vibe!

Horror:

Crafting for Sinners

Jenny Kiefer

*A LibraryReads Pick*

A queer woman must fight her way out of a craft store run by a megachurch in this gripping survival horror novel by Jenny Kiefer, author of This Wretched Valley.

“You will compulsively turn these pages well into the dead of night.”—Paul Tremblay, New York Times bestselling author of Horror Movie and The Cabin at the End of the World

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The Whistler

Nick Medina

A young man is haunted by a mythological specter bent on stealing everything he loves in this unsettling horror from the author of Indian Burial Ground and Sisters of the Lost Nation.

For fear of summoning evil spirits, Native superstition says you should never, ever whistle at night.

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Coffin Moon

Keith Rosson

From the author of Fever House and The Devil by Name: a Vietnam veteran and his adopted niece hunt—and are hunted by—the vampire that slaughtered their family.

“This is mind-blowingly good. A horror novel that will keep you awake long after you turn the last page.”—Stephen King

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Mystery & Detective

The Bone Thief

Vanessa Lillie

When a Native teenager vanishes from her small town—a place with dark ties to an elite historical society—archaeologist Syd Walker is called to investigate . . . from bestselling author Vanessa Lillie.

“The Bone Thief is a riveting mystery with a plot that seamlessly blends history with fiction. And Syd Walker is an unforgettable protagonist.”—Liz Moore, New York Times bestselling author of The God of the Woods

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You Are the Detective: The Creeping Hand Murder

Maureen Johnson and Jay Cooper

November 1933. London. Seven people receive mysterious letters. Someone knows their terrible secrets. They are summoned to a posh townhouse where one is stabbed right in front of the others, but somehow no one saw a thing. Can you help Scotland Yard solve the mystery?

“Examine photographs, study newspaper clippings, and read through interviews to solve this delightfully witty interactive mystery packed with theatrical characters and exciting twists.”—G.T. Karber, author of Murdle

Clown Town

Mick Herron

Jackson Lamb and the bad spies of Slough House are caught in a deadly battle between MI5’s secret past and its murky future in this gripping, hilarious, and heartbreaking thriller by Mick Herron, “the le Carré of the future” (BBC).

“May be the best Slow Horses book to date . . . Unpredictability remains a hallmark of the series: One of the slow horses takes an irreversible action toward the end of Clown Town so unexpected it seems as shocking as a drive-by shooting.”—Tom Nolan, The Wall Street Journal

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Chilling Thrillers

The Girl with Ice in Her Veins

Karin Smirnoff

Lisbeth Salander returns in this chilling new installment of the multi-million-copy bestselling Millennium series.

“Lisbeth Salander is back—and maybe better than ever.” —Lee Child

“Fresh, fearless. . . . One of the great crime series of our time could not be in safer, more capable hands.” —Chris Whitaker

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The Wives of Hawthorne Lane

Stephanie DeCarolis

In this twisty tale of domestic suspense, four neighbors become the prime suspects in a murder investigation that reveals the sinister underside of their picture-perfect community—from the bestselling author of The Guilty Husband.

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Too Old for This

Samantha Downing

*A LibraryReads Hall of Fame Pick*

A retired serial killer’s quiet life is upended by an unexpected visitor. To protect her secret, there’s only one option left—what’s another murder? From bestselling author Samantha Downing.

“Samantha Downing is one of the most daring and original thriller writers in the business . . . Combining tension with heartbreak and laugh-out-loud wit, Too Old for This is a fast and thoroughly satisfying read.”—David Ellis, New York Times bestselling author of Look Closer

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Cozy Mysteries

Dead & Breakfast

Kat Hillis and Rosiee Thor

The new vampires in town are sinking their teeth into solving a murder…

“Both laugh-out-loud hilarious and deeply emotional, Dead & Breakfast tackles important themes of love, acceptance, and the true meaning of home while still offering up a thrilling plot and the cozy vibes that mystery lovers like me eat up. Can’t wait for Arthur and Sal’s next case!”—Mia P. Manansala, Agatha Award–winning author of the bestselling Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mysteries

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In the Time of Five Pumpkins

Alexander McCall Smith

In this newest installment of Alexander McCall Smith’s beloved No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series, Mma Ramotswe takes on a number of perplexing situations, and while she tries to maintain her usual impartiality, it’s difficult when one of the cases involves someone so close to her heart.

“Delightful . . . The warm humanity infused throughout [these] novels is what brings readers back . . . [McCall Smith] brings out the profound importance of everyday revelations.” —San Francisco Chronicle

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Fox and Furious

Rita Mae Brown

Two brothers fight over the inheritance of five acres and a hunting beagle kennel—until one of them is murdered. It’s up to “Sister” Jane Arnold to hunt down the truth, with a little help from her four-legged friends, in this delightful new mystery from New York Times bestselling author Rita Mae Brown.

“Cunning foxes, sensible hounds, and sweet-tempered horses are among the sparkling conversationalists in this charming series.” —The New York Times Book Review

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Cozy Supernatural

Witches of Dubious Origin

Jenn McKinlay

When a librarian discovers she’s descended from a long line of powerful witches, she’ll need all of her bookish knowledge to harness her family’s magic, in this enchanting cozy fantasy from New York Times bestselling author Jenn McKinlay.

“With an irresistible found family, tons of magic and a dash of romance, this book is a rollicking, delightful adventure from start to finish.”—Jen DeLuca, USA Today bestselling author of Haunted Ever After

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The Late-Night Witches

Auralee Wallace

An enchantingly warm and funny novel about family, love lost and found, discovering who you are, and how difficult it is to slay a vampire from the beloved national bestselling author of the TikTok sensation In the Company of Witches.

“You’ll fall deeply in love with this enchanting and cozy book, so much so that you’ll want to return to it every fall just to experience it again!”—New York Times bestselling author Breanne Randall

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Soul Searching

Lyla Sage

*A LibraryReads Hall of Fame Pick*

The author of the Rebel Blue Ranch series returns with a brand-new story, featuring a small-town upholsterer in need of a fresh start, a photographer whose life has come to a screeching halt . . . and the supernatural forces that bring them together.

Home is where the heart is—and this one is haunted.

“Lyla Sage enters the world of paranormal storytelling with an absolute knockout. Cozy, compelling, and clever, Soul Searching is a tender love story that lights up the shadows. I can’t wait to visit Sweetwater Peak again.”—B. K. Borison, New York Times bestselling author of First-Time Caller

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Road Trip with a Vampire

Jenna Levine

A vampire who can’t remember his past and a witch with secrets of her own hit the road in this zany, cross-country romantic comedy from beloved author Jenna Levine.

“Once again, Jenna Levine delivers an enchanting blend of swoony, sexy, and spooky. Peter and Zelda are the perfect paranormal pair, and their road trip across the country is as dazzlingly romantic as it is laugh-out-loud funny. A truly bewitching read.”—Kate Golden, USA Today bestselling author of A Dawn of Onyx and If Not For My Baby

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Crazy Spooky Love

Josie Silver

A plucky medium, her fame-chasing ex, and an infuriatingly handsome skeptic reporter make for a complicated love triangle—and that’s before the ghosts get involved. From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of One Day in December comes the first novel in a ghost-hunting series full of romance and humor.

Ghosts and spirits are business as usual, but love just might be enough to scare Melody Bittersweet.

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