Anyone who knows me knows I love all things supernatural…and murder…and crime-related. So what’s better than a thrilling mystery or a great supernatural read? Well, a supernatural crime mystery of course. So here are seven killer supernatural crime mystery reads for you to sink your teeth into.
7 Supernatural Crime Thrillers Sure to Keep You Up All Night
When you want to pick up a story that combines crime, supernatural elements and horror that will truly chill your bones, you don’t have to look much further than Stephen King. THE OUTSIDER is no exception. After the corpse of an 11-year-old boy is found in the park, all of the evidence points to one of Flint City’s most beloved characters, Terry Maitland. Despite having an alibi, the case against Terry seems airtight. But what if Terry is wearing another face? The twists in this book are guaranteed to shock you in a way that only Stephen King can. The book is so filled with suspense you will not be able to put it down, but when you finally do, then you can watch the HBO series.
Now an HBO limited series starring Ben Mendelsohn!
Evil has many faces…maybe even yours in this #1 New York Times bestseller from master storyteller Stephen King.
An eleven-year-old boy’s violated corpse is discovered in a town park. Eyewitnesses and fingerprints point unmistakably to one of Flint City’s most popular citizens—Terry Maitland, Little League coach, English teacher, husband, and father of two girls. Detective Ralph Anderson, whose son Maitland once coached, orders a quick and very public arrest. Maitland has an alibi, but Anderson and the district attorney soon have DNA evidence to go with the fingerprints and witnesses. Their case seems ironclad.
As the investigation expands and horrifying details begin to emerge, King’s story kicks into high gear, generating strong tension and almost unbearable suspense. Terry Maitland seems like a nice guy, but is he wearing another face? When the answer comes, it will shock you as only Stephen King can.
I’ll be honest: I actually just read this book recently and I cannot stop thinking about it. Are you a mystery reader who loves attempting to guess the twist with every new piece of information you receive? Because I am and this novel did not disappoint. THE 7½ DEATHS OF EVELYN HARDCASTLE follows Aiden Bishop as he races to solve the murder of Evelyn Hardcastle. Every day Evelyn will die at exactly 11 p.m. and Aiden is forced to repeat the day until he finds her killer. The catch? Everyday Aiden wakes up in the body of a different guest, and some are more helpful than others. This novel was truly addicting to the point where I kept trying to sneak my Kindle into the office so I could keep reading.
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A BOOK OF BONES is the newest installment in John Connolly’s thrilling Charlie Parker series. A true supernatural thriller, this story follows Charlie as he tracks down a potentially immortal lawyer and his enforcer who has the ability to sniff out death and decay. Together they believe they’ve located a book of unimaginable evil that has the ability to remake the world with evil. Charlie and his team are determined to stop them. Perhaps one of Connolly’s most ambitious novels to date, it is a truly terrifying and complex story with multiple characters, timelines, and a little bit of religious history that spring to life on the page.
A USA TODAY Bestseller
“Complex, pulse-pounding...Connolly’s nuanced characterizations and facility at creating spooky atmospherics make it easy to suspend disbelief about the threat of cosmic horror from other dimensions.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Private Investigator Charlie Parker returns in this heart-pounding thriller as he seeks revenge against the darkest forces in the world, from the internationally bestselling author of the acclaimed The Woman in the Woods.
He is our best hope.
He is our last hope.
On a lonely moor in northern England, the body of a young woman is discovered. In the south, a girl lies buried beneath a Saxon mound. To the southeast, the ruins of a priory hide a human skull.
Each is a sacrifice, a summons. And something in the darkness has heard the call.
Charlie Parker has also heard it and from the forests of Maine to the deserts of the Mexican border, from the canals of Amsterdam to the streets of London, he will track those who would cast the world into darkness.
Parker fears no evil—but evil fears him.
With John Connolly’s signature “blend of crime and supernatural horror” (Crime Reads), A Book of Bones is a terrifying and suspenseful thrill ride that will keep you guessing until the very last page.
A true supernatural crime thriller, WITHIN THESE WALLS follows washed-up true-crime writer Lucas Graham after he’s given exclusive access to a death row inmate. Desperate to reclaim the fame he once had, Lucas moves from New York to the Washington State farmhouse where the notorious cult leader and mass murderer Jeffrey Halcomb committed his crimes. Once there, Lucas is determined to write the true story of what happened to Halcomb’s followers, but he’s not alone. Jeffrey Halcomb promised his faithful servants an eternal life, and within these walls, they still live. Ania Ahlborn truly has a way with words and this spooky story is sure to grab you from the start. It really does have all the best elements of a crime novel mixed with supernatural horror for you to enjoy.
In her all-new supernatural thriller, bestselling indie horror author Ania Ahlborn asks: How far would you go for success? What would you be capable of if the promise of forever was real?
With his marriage on the rocks and his life in shambles, washed-up true-crime writer Lucas Graham is desperate for a comeback, one more shot at the bestselling success he once enjoyed. His chance comes when he’s promised exclusive access to death row inmate Jeffrey Halcomb, the notorious cult leader and mass murderer who’s ready to break his silence after thirty years, and who contacted Lucas personally from his maximum-security cell. With nothing left to lose, Lucas leaves New York to live and work from the scene of the crime: a split-level farmhouse on a gray-sanded beach in Washington State whose foundation is steeped in the blood of Halcomb’s diviners—runaways who were drawn to his message of family, unity, and unconditional love. There, Lucas sets out to capture the real story of the departed faithful. Except that he’s not alone. For Jeffrey Halcomb promised his devout eternal life…and within these walls, they’re far from dead.
This genre-bending read is a truly unsettling page-turner. After the strange body of a boy fused with a deer is found in the city, even more horrifying bodies begin to turn up. Detective Versado is desperate to solve the case and keep her city from collapsing. Meanwhile her daughter begins a dangerous flirtation with an online predator and a freelance journalist will do whatever it takes to grab an exclusive lead on this new story. Lauren Beukes expertly weaves a large cast of characters into this supernatural mystery. Serial killers and supernatural elements—I mean, really, what else could this murder-loving paranormal fan want?
A terrifying novel that defies genres, BROKEN MONSTERS is a murder mystery where nothing is what it seems. Detroit is sent into a panic when bodies that are half human, half animal begin appearing. Is the paranormal at all involved, or is a truly disturbed serial killer stalking the city of Detroit?
This book is almost guaranteed to keep you up at night. So if you’re like me and you’d rather fill your sleepless nights with fantastic stories, then look no further than THE LITTLE STRANGER by Sarah Waters. This creepy tale of historical fiction follows Dr. Faraday, a respectable country physician who is called to help a patient at the Ayres family home. Dr. Faraday is about to learn that the family is haunted by more than just a dying way of life.
One postwar summer in his home of rural Warwickshire, Dr. Faraday, the son of a maid who has built a life of quiet respectability as a country physician, is called to a patient at lonely Hundreds Hall. Home to the Ayres family for over two centuries, the Georgian house, once impressive and handsome, is now in decline, its masonry crumbling, its gardens choked with weeds, the clock in its stable yard permanently fixed at twenty to nine. Its owners—mother, son, and daughter—are struggling to keep pace with a changing society, as well as with conflicts of their own. But are the Ayreses haunted by something more sinister than a dying way of life? Little does Dr. Faraday know how closely, and how terrifyingly, their story is about to become intimately entwined with his.
This supernatural suspense thriller takes on a different sort of creature lurking in the shadows, the Wendigo. John Bear grew up hearing the Algonquin legend of the Wendigo, an evil spirit who punishes mankind. However, when a man is found dead in the deep woods of Maine with his heart cut out, John thinks the myths might be real. This book is full of great mythology, murder and great characters. If you’re looking for an original take on monsters and mayhem, this is a great read.
Algonquin legend tells of the Wendigo, an evil spirit sent to punish mankind. It can possess a person and turn them into a monstrous creature consumed by a need to eat human flesh. For John Bear the Wendigo was merely a scary story his grandfather used to tell him. That is, until a man is found dead in the deep northern woods of Maine, butchered like an animal and with his heart cut out. And the only tracks they can find are massive footprints that couldn’t possibly be human. Now, John is sure that what is stalking the inhabitants of their remote outpost is a Wendigo, even if no one else believes it. He must stop a monster he once thought was nothing more than a tale to warn children.
From Vaughn C. Hardacker, acclaimed author of Sniper and The Fisherman and twice finalist for the Maine Literary Awards, comes a supernatural thriller from the winter depths of the Maine wilderness, where the line between myth and reality blurs and ancient horrors are never fully buried. All are in danger of the Wendigo’s endless hunger, but how do you find a creature that can look like anyone until it’s too late?
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