Best Haunted House Books

The Shining

The Shining • Book 1

by Stephen King

King traps a recovering alcoholic and his family in a haunted hotel where cabin fever and supernatural forces conspire to drive him murderous.

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King traps a recovering alcoholic and his family in a haunted hotel where cabin fever and supernatural forces conspire to drive him murderous.

Rebecca

by Daphne du Maurier

Maxim de Winter's new bride discovers that his dead first wife, Rebecca, still rules their grand estate through memory, servants, and secrets that threaten to destroy everything.

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Maxim de Winter's new bride discovers that his dead first wife, Rebecca, still rules their grand estate through memory, servants, and secrets that threaten to destroy everything.

The Exorcist

The Exorcist • Book 1

by William Peter Blatty

Blatty's novel explores what happens when medical science fails and a mother turns to ancient rituals to save her daughter from evil.

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Blatty's novel explores what happens when medical science fails and a mother turns to ancient rituals to save her daughter from evil.

Salem's Lot

by Stephen King

King turns vampire lore into small-town dread, following residents as they discover their neighbors are becoming something monstrous in this methodical horror classic.

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King turns vampire lore into small-town dread, following residents as they discover their neighbors are becoming something monstrous in this methodical horror classic.

Pet Sematary

by Stephen King

Behind the Creed family's new home lies an ancient burial ground where the dead return to life, but grief makes people ignore the terrible price of resurrection.

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Behind the Creed family's new home lies an ancient burial ground where the dead return to life, but grief makes people ignore the terrible price of resurrection.

The Thief of Always

by Clive Barker

Bored Harvey finds Mr. Hood's Holiday House where every season happens daily and wishes come true, until he realizes what the endless magic costs.

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Bored Harvey finds Mr. Hood's Holiday House where every season happens daily and wishes come true, until he realizes what the endless magic costs.

The Broken Girls

by Simone St. James

Idlewild Hall was where 1950s Vermont sent its unwanted girls, and when a journalist investigates her sister's murder there decades later, she uncovers the school's dark history.

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Idlewild Hall was where 1950s Vermont sent its unwanted girls, and when a journalist investigates her sister's murder there decades later, she uncovers the school's dark history.

The Sun Down Motel

by Simone St. James

Thirty-five years after her aunt Viv vanished while working at the Sun Down Motel, Carly takes the same night shift job to investigate. The rundown motel holds supernatural secrets, but the human monsters prove far more dangerous than any ghost.

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Thirty-five years after her aunt Viv vanished while working at the Sun Down Motel, Carly takes the same night shift job to investigate. The rundown motel holds supernatural secrets, but the human monsters prove far more dangerous than any ghost.

The Phantom of the Opera

by Gaston Leroux

Behind the Paris Opera's glamorous facade lurks a disfigured musical genius who becomes obsessed with soprano Christine Daaé, leading to tragedy and revelation. Leroux's original Gothic romance explores beauty, art, and the thin line between devotion and possession.

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Behind the Paris Opera's glamorous facade lurks a disfigured musical genius who becomes obsessed with soprano Christine Daaé, leading to tragedy and revelation. Leroux's original Gothic romance explores beauty, art, and the thin line between devotion and possession.

Sleeping Murder

Miss Marple • Book 12

by Agatha Christie

Gwenda's new house triggers terrifying memories of a murder she witnessed as a child, drawing Miss Marple into investigating a decades-old crime that someone will kill to keep buried.

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Gwenda's new house triggers terrifying memories of a murder she witnessed as a child, drawing Miss Marple into investigating a decades-old crime that someone will kill to keep buried.

We Have Always Lived in the Castle

by Shirley Jackson, Jonathan Lethem

Two sisters live as recluses after their family died from poisoned sugar, with only each other and their rituals for protection. Jackson's final novel is a claustrophobic masterpiece of paranoia, guilt, and the violence lurking beneath domestic quiet.

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Two sisters live as recluses after their family died from poisoned sugar, with only each other and their rituals for protection. Jackson's final novel is a claustrophobic masterpiece of paranoia, guilt, and the violence lurking beneath domestic quiet.

The Whisper House

Rylan Flynn • Book 3

by Dawn Merriman

Rylan Flynn's ghost-hunting expertise is tested when her ex-boyfriend's mansion harbors both restless spirits and a fresh corpse. Merriman blends paranormal investigation with murder mystery in this third series installment.

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Rylan Flynn's ghost-hunting expertise is tested when her ex-boyfriend's mansion harbors both restless spirits and a fresh corpse. Merriman blends paranormal investigation with murder mystery in this third series installment.

The Night Is Alive

Krewe of Hunters • Book 10

by Heather Graham

The Dragonslayer tavern, built in 1750s Savannah, harbors centuries of ghosts — but when fresh bodies appear, FBI academy student Abigail Anderson must return home to investigate.

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The Dragonslayer tavern, built in 1750s Savannah, harbors centuries of ghosts — but when fresh bodies appear, FBI academy student Abigail Anderson must return home to investigate.

The Uninvited

Krewe of Hunters • Book 8

by Heather Graham, Luke Daniels

A Revolutionary War-era stabbing echoes through centuries when a museum docent discovers a colleague dead on the same desk where Lucy Tarleton met her brutal end in 1777.

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A Revolutionary War-era stabbing echoes through centuries when a museum docent discovers a colleague dead on the same desk where Lucy Tarleton met her brutal end in 1777.

The Good House

by Tananarive Due

Two years after tragedy shattered her family at her grandmother's rural healing house, Angela discovers the supernatural forces that once offered comfort have turned malevolent.

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Two years after tragedy shattered her family at her grandmother's rural healing house, Angela discovers the supernatural forces that once offered comfort have turned malevolent.

The Night Is Forever

Krewe of Hunters • Book 11

by Heather Graham

Olivia works at a horse therapy facility where Civil War history bleeds into present-day murders—Graham blends therapeutic healing with supernatural mystery.

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Olivia works at a horse therapy facility where Civil War history bleeds into present-day murders—Graham blends therapeutic healing with supernatural mystery.

The Evil Inside

Krewe of Hunters • Book 4

by Heather Graham

Graham sends paranormal forensic investigator Jenna Duffy into a coastal mansion where centuries of madness and murder have left their mark, blending historical horror with modern ghost-hunting techniques.

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Graham sends paranormal forensic investigator Jenna Duffy into a coastal mansion where centuries of madness and murder have left their mark, blending historical horror with modern ghost-hunting techniques.

The Distant Hours

by Kate Morton, Unknown Author

Morton constructs an atmospheric Gothic mystery around three elderly sisters, their decaying castle, and secrets from World War II. The layered narrative explores how wartime trauma echoes through generations.

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Morton constructs an atmospheric Gothic mystery around three elderly sisters, their decaying castle, and secrets from World War II. The layered narrative explores how wartime trauma echoes through generations.

"The Haunting of Hill House Novel

by Shirley Jackson

Four paranormal investigators enter America's most malevolent house, where the real terror isn't ghosts but psychological breakdown. Jackson's masterpiece proves the most effective horror happens inside your own mind.

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Four paranormal investigators enter America's most malevolent house, where the real terror isn't ghosts but psychological breakdown. Jackson's masterpiece proves the most effective horror happens inside your own mind.

Heart of Evil

Krewe of Hunters • Book 2

by Heather Graham

When a murder at a Louisiana plantation mirrors a Civil War killing, the Krewe of Hunters must separate ghostly vengeance from human malice. Luke Daniels captures both the sultry bayou setting and the mounting supernatural dread.

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When a murder at a Louisiana plantation mirrors a Civil War killing, the Krewe of Hunters must separate ghostly vengeance from human malice. Luke Daniels captures both the sultry bayou setting and the mounting supernatural dread.

The Amityville Horror

by Jay Anson

The Fall of the House of Usher: Edgar Allan Poe's Haunting Tale of Family Secrets and Tragic Decay

by Edgar Allan Poe

A decaying mansion mirrors the psychological collapse of its inhabitants in Poe's ultimate tale of Gothic horror and family curse.

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A decaying mansion mirrors the psychological collapse of its inhabitants in Poe's ultimate tale of Gothic horror and family curse.

The Silent Companions

by Laura Purcell

Newly widowed Elsie expected wealth at her husband's country estate but instead finds resentful servants and eerie life-sized painted figures called silent companions that appear to shift position.

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Newly widowed Elsie expected wealth at her husband's country estate but instead finds resentful servants and eerie life-sized painted figures called silent companions that appear to shift position.

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

by Washington Irving

Gullible schoolmaster Ichabod Crane's romantic pursuit in Tarry Town leads to a midnight encounter with the legendary Headless Horseman.

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Gullible schoolmaster Ichabod Crane's romantic pursuit in Tarry Town leads to a midnight encounter with the legendary Headless Horseman.

A Head Full of Ghosts

by Paul Tremblay

The Barrett family's life unravels when daughter Marjorie exhibits disturbing behavior that could be schizophrenia or demonic possession—and they agree to broadcast an exorcism on reality television.

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The Barrett family's life unravels when daughter Marjorie exhibits disturbing behavior that could be schizophrenia or demonic possession—and they agree to broadcast an exorcism on reality television.

The Winter Spirits: Ghostly Tales for Frosty Nights

by Bridget Collins, Susan Stokes-Chapman, Imogen Hermes Gowar, Kiran Millwood Hargrave, Andrew Michael Hurley, Jess Kidd, Elizabeth Macneal, Natasha Pulley, Laura Purcell, Laura Shepherd-Robinson, Stuart Turton, Catriona Ward, Lisa Perrin

Twelve acclaimed writers revive the beloved tradition of Christmas ghost stories with winter-themed supernatural tales. Each story centers on the holiday season, boldly reimagining the classic format with contemporary gothic sensibilities.

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Twelve acclaimed writers revive the beloved tradition of Christmas ghost stories with winter-themed supernatural tales. Each story centers on the holiday season, boldly reimagining the classic format with contemporary gothic sensibilities.

The Haunting of Maddy Clare

by Simone St. James

Desperate for work, Sarah takes a job helping shell-shocked investigator Alistair Gellis communicate with Maddy Clare, a violent ghost who died under mysterious circumstances.

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Desperate for work, Sarah takes a job helping shell-shocked investigator Alistair Gellis communicate with Maddy Clare, a violent ghost who died under mysterious circumstances.

The Woman in Black

by Susan Hill, John Lawrence

Young solicitor Arthur Kipps travels to a remote estate to settle a client's affairs and encounters the malevolent Woman in Black. Hill crafts a classically structured ghost story with genuine psychological terror.

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Young solicitor Arthur Kipps travels to a remote estate to settle a client's affairs and encounters the malevolent Woman in Black. Hill crafts a classically structured ghost story with genuine psychological terror.

Mexican Gothic

by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Glamorous Noemí travels to the Mexican countryside to rescue her cousin from a mysterious English family and their rotting mansion. Moreno-Garcia blends social commentary with body horror in this fungal Gothic nightmare.

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Glamorous Noemí travels to the Mexican countryside to rescue her cousin from a mysterious English family and their rotting mansion. Moreno-Garcia blends social commentary with body horror in this fungal Gothic nightmare.

The Ghosts of Sleath

David Ash • Book 2

by James Herbert

Harvest Home

by Thomas Tryon

Ned and Beth Constantine find their dream village in Cornwall Coombe, where time seems frozen. Tryon's folk horror explores what happens when old traditions refuse to die.

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Ned and Beth Constantine find their dream village in Cornwall Coombe, where time seems frozen. Tryon's folk horror explores what happens when old traditions refuse to die.

The Amulet

by Michael McDowell

A Box Full of Darkness

by Simone St. James

Siblings flee Fell, New York as children after their brother vanishes, but his ghost calls them home to face the town's deadly secrets.

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Siblings flee Fell, New York as children after their brother vanishes, but his ghost calls them home to face the town's deadly secrets.

Hell House

by Richard Matheson

Matheson creates the ultimate haunted house story as four strangers enter Belasco House, where previous investigations ended in murder, suicide, and insanity.

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Matheson creates the ultimate haunted house story as four strangers enter Belasco House, where previous investigations ended in murder, suicide, and insanity.

Haunted

David Ash • Book 1

by James Herbert

Paranormal investigator David Ash faces three nights of terror at Edbrook house, where the true horror may lie in confronting his own past. Herbert blends classic ghost story with psychological thriller.

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Paranormal investigator David Ash faces three nights of terror at Edbrook house, where the true horror may lie in confronting his own past. Herbert blends classic ghost story with psychological thriller.

Hellfire

by John Saul

One hundred years after eleven children died in horrific flames, the abandoned Westover mill is about to be reopened by the last surviving member of the Sturgess family.

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One hundred years after eleven children died in horrific flames, the abandoned Westover mill is about to be reopened by the last surviving member of the Sturgess family.

The oval portrait (Edgar Allan Poe Collection nº 3)

by Edgar Allan Poe

Poe's haunting tale of a man discovering a mysteriously lifelike portrait in a decrepit chateau, where beauty and death intertwine in classic gothic fashion.

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Poe's haunting tale of a man discovering a mysteriously lifelike portrait in a decrepit chateau, where beauty and death intertwine in classic gothic fashion.

Model Home

by Rivers Solomon

The Maxwell siblings escaped their gated Dallas community not because they were the only Black family, but because of the strange, terrifying things haunting their house.

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The Maxwell siblings escaped their gated Dallas community not because they were the only Black family, but because of the strange, terrifying things haunting their house.

Spirits from Beyond

Ghost Finders • Book 4

by Simon R. Green

JC Chance leads his team of ghost hunters armed with attitude, technology, and telepathic abilities against spirits that won't stay dead. Their mission: kick ectoplasmic ass and take supernatural names.

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JC Chance leads his team of ghost hunters armed with attitude, technology, and telepathic abilities against spirits that won't stay dead. Their mission: kick ectoplasmic ass and take supernatural names.

Whistlin' Past the Graveyard: A Pine Deep Story

Pine Deep

by Jonathan Maberry

A cemetery worker in the cursed town of Pine Deep begins noticing disturbing signs that the dead aren't resting peacefully in their graves.

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A cemetery worker in the cursed town of Pine Deep begins noticing disturbing signs that the dead aren't resting peacefully in their graves.

The Little Stranger

by Sarah Waters

Waters blurs the line between psychological breakdown and supernatural horror as a working-class doctor infiltrates a crumbling Georgian manor.

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Waters blurs the line between psychological breakdown and supernatural horror as a working-class doctor infiltrates a crumbling Georgian manor.

Real Ghost Stories: Disturbing Paranormal Stories Based On True Events (True Ghost Stories: Real Hauntings)

True Ghost Stories: Real Hauntings

by Eve S. Evans

Short, allegedly true paranormal encounters that pack genuine chills—a haunted apartment, a supernatural school, and other brief but effective ghost stories.

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Short, allegedly true paranormal encounters that pack genuine chills—a haunted apartment, a supernatural school, and other brief but effective ghost stories.

The Night Boat

by Robert McCammon, Colin Sullivan, Rowena Morrill

Salvage diver David Moore's discovery of a Nazi U-boat in a Caribbean lagoon becomes a nightmare when the long-dead crew proves to be neither dead nor harmless.

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Salvage diver David Moore's discovery of a Nazi U-boat in a Caribbean lagoon becomes a nightmare when the long-dead crew proves to be neither dead nor harmless.

The Haunting Season: Ghostly Tales for Long Winter Nights

by Bridget Collins, Natasha Pulley, Imogen Hermes Gowar, Kiran Millwood Hargrave, Andrew Michael Hurley, Jess Kidd, Elizabeth Macneal, Laura Purcell

Modern masters of literary horror craft new ghost stories in the tradition of Victorian winter tale-telling. Eight unsettling narratives blend historical settings with contemporary psychological insight, exploring how the past haunts the present through supernatural means.

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Modern masters of literary horror craft new ghost stories in the tradition of Victorian winter tale-telling. Eight unsettling narratives blend historical settings with contemporary psychological insight, exploring how the past haunts the present through supernatural means.

The Phantom Coach: A Connoisseur's Collection of Victorian Ghost Stories (The Connoisseur's Collections)

by Michael Sims, Elizabeth Gaskell, Amelia B. Edwards, Charles Dickens, Arthur Conan Doyle, Henry James, Robert W. Chambers, Mrs. Oliphant, W.W. Jacobs, Mary Eleanor Wilkins Freeman, Rudyard Kipling, Ambrose Bierce, W.F. Harvey

Victorian ghost stories possess an unmatched atmospheric darkness that modern horror rarely achieves. This collection gathers the best spectral tales from Dickens, Kipling, and other masters.

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Victorian ghost stories possess an unmatched atmospheric darkness that modern horror rarely achieves. This collection gathers the best spectral tales from Dickens, Kipling, and other masters.

Glimpses of the Unknown: Lost Ghost Stories (British Library Tales of the Weird)

British Library Tales of the Weird • Book 3

by Mike Ashley

The British Library's vaults yield forgotten supernatural fiction where figures step from paintings seeking vengeance and final transmissions haunt the airwaves. These lost gems deserve rediscovery.

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The British Library's vaults yield forgotten supernatural fiction where figures step from paintings seeking vengeance and final transmissions haunt the airwaves. These lost gems deserve rediscovery.

The Turn of the Screw

by Joseph Cowley

A governess at a remote estate becomes convinced that malevolent spirits are corrupting the children in her care, but the true horror lies in questioning her own sanity.

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A governess at a remote estate becomes convinced that malevolent spirits are corrupting the children in her care, but the true horror lies in questioning her own sanity.

Before Us

by Jane E. James

A family discovers their new home mirrors another family's tragedy in ways that defy coincidence. The house itself becomes a character, harboring secrets that refuse to stay buried.

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A family discovers their new home mirrors another family's tragedy in ways that defy coincidence. The house itself becomes a character, harboring secrets that refuse to stay buried.

Experimental Film

by Gemma Files

Jobless film teacher Lois Cairns stumbles upon traces of lost filmmaker Mrs. A. Macalla Whitcomb, whose early 20th century obsessions may have opened doorways better left closed. Files crafts contemporary horror from academic research and the dangerous allure of forgotten art.

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Jobless film teacher Lois Cairns stumbles upon traces of lost filmmaker Mrs. A. Macalla Whitcomb, whose early 20th century obsessions may have opened doorways better left closed. Files crafts contemporary horror from academic research and the dangerous allure of forgotten art.

The Haunted Palace

by Edgar Allan Poe

Originally woven into 'The Fall of the House of Usher,' this poem traces a palace's transformation from glory to ruin as metaphor for mental collapse. Poe's architectural imagery becomes increasingly disturbing.

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Originally woven into 'The Fall of the House of Usher,' this poem traces a palace's transformation from glory to ruin as metaphor for mental collapse. Poe's architectural imagery becomes increasingly disturbing.