As 2018 prepares to blow away like the falling Autumn leaves, now is the perfect time to catch up on the spine-tingling books that have been released this year. The horror and thriller genres [1] are virtually indistinguishable these days, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Both genres are all about giving readers the chills, and 2018 has definitely delivered on the scary page-turner front. From a new entry from horror maestro Stephen King [2] to a startling book that casts a child as the ultimate villain, this year's horror offerings have been diverse to say the least. But which horror books are the most worthy of your time? We're partial to these 13 new releases from the past year that kept us up at night [3].
Baby Teeth
What if you couldn't trust your own child? That's the premise at the heart of Zoje Stage's unnerving Baby Teeth [4]. Due to a chronic condition, Suzette Jensen always knew having children would be dangerous, but she has a healthy baby girl anyway. However, the danger comes as her 7-year-old's willful and antisocial behaviour begins to hint at something much darker that could put Suzette's life at risk.
Sawkill Girls
In Claire Legrand's Sawkill Girls [5], it's the monster that needs to be afraid of the determined young women who have had enough of their friends vanishing. Set on the island of Sawkill, a place where girls have been going missing for years, three unlikely friends team up in order to take down the monster that some believe is nothing more than a legend.
The Last Time I Lied
Riley Sager is back with another hit after last year's blockbuster debut Final Girls, and The Last Time I Lied [6] might actually be better. New York artist Emma finds herself drawn back to Camp Nightingale, the place where two of her friends went missing without a trace when she was just a teen. Now she has a chance to find out what happened to them, but the answer she finds will chill her (and you) to the bone.
The Death of Mrs. Westaway
Ruth Ware's latest thriller is a modern gothic masterpiece. The Death of Mrs. Westaway [7] focuses on Hal, a Tarot card reader who sees an opportunity to claim an inheritance that doesn't belong to her after receiving a letter by mistake. But first she has to make everyone believe she's someone else as she ventures into a decrepit estate that's brimming with secrets.
The Cabin at the End of the World
A young girl named Wren and her dads are vacationing at a remote cabin in New Hampshire when a strange man seems to befriend her before warning, "None of what's going to happen is your fault." This is the terrifying setup to Paul Tremblay's The Cabin at the End of the World [8], a story that's part home invasion nightmare and part apocalyptic horror. This one is definitely for readers looking for serious scares.
The Broken Girls
The Broken Girls [9] by Simone St. James makes excellent use of a familiar setting for horror fare: a boarding school for wayward girls. The story is split between two timelines. In the '50s, four friends share their dreams and fears until one of them goes missing. In 2014, a journalist named Fiona is still haunted by the death of her sister, whose body was found on the school's grounds. Now that the building is being restored, she's determined to find answers to the haunted past surrounding Idlewild Hall.
The Hunger
Of all the books on this list, Alma Katsu's The Hunger [10] is by far the most disturbing. Her subject is the infamous Donner Party, but she adds a supernatural twist to this already unnerving part of America's history. As the group heads west, their numbers begin to dwindle, and those who survive can't help but wonder if something evil is waiting to come for them too.
The Outsider
The prolific Stephen King has done it again with The Outsider [11]. This time, the master of horror sets his sights on a man named Terry Maitland, who is seemingly one of the nicest people in town. Then a horrific crime is pinned on him, leaving the reader to wonder if Terry was framed or if there's something dark lurking behind his kind demeanour.
Undead Girl Gang
Who says horror can't be fun? Lily Anderson's Undead Girl Gang [12] is a witchy good time. Set in a high school where a young Wiccan named Mila sets out to clear her best friend's name after three of their classmates die, this wholly original book reveals what happens when Mila accidentally brings the dead girls back to life.
The Chalk Man
C.J. Tudor's debut novel is an intense ride from start to finish. The Chalk Man [13] moves between 1986 and the present day as the main character, Eddie, receives an unwanted blast from the past. Eddie and his pals used to use chalk stick figures as a secret code until one figure led them to a dead body. When a letter containing one of these figures shows up in his mailbox years later, he finds himself drawn back into the mystery he's been trying to forget for years.
Something in the Water
Erin and Mark are the perfect couple on an idyllic holiday when they discover something in the water during a scuba diving trip. What they find leads them to make a choice that has irrevocable consequences. Catherine Steadman's Something in the Water [14] ratchets up the tension with every page, and it's even better if you go in knowing as little as possible.
The Haunting of Cabin Green
Grief is the driving force in The Haunting of Cabin Green [15]. April A. Taylor weaves a haunting tale of a man who can't be sure if the desolate cabin he's staying in is full of ghosts or if it's his mind playing tricks on him. Poor Ben just wants to get away after the death of his fiancée, but he can't escape his pain or run from the darkness threatening to engulf him.
The Woman in the Window
The Woman in the Window [16] tips its hat to Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window in a major way. A.J. Finn's thrilling novel follows the reclusive Anna Fox who refuses to leave her apartment. Instead she spends her days spying on her neighbours, which leads to her seeing something that she wasn't meant to see.