Top new horror books in December 2021
Last updated:
December 31, 2021
December 2021 featuring new releases by Sadeqa Johnson, Renée Ahdieh, Shea Ernshaw, Darby Kane, Sophie Lark, Isabel Sterling, Shayne Silvers, Cameron O'Connell, Nell Pattison, Ania Ahlborn, Allison Brennan and many more.
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Yellow Wife by Sadeqa Johnson
Called “wholly engrossing” by New York Times bestselling author Kathleen Grissom, this “fully immersive” (Lisa Wingate, #1 bestselling author of Before We Were Yours) story follows an enslaved woman forced to barter love and freedom while living in the most infamous slave jail in Virginia.Born on a plantation in Charles City, Virginia, Pheby Delores Brown has lived a relatively sheltered life...abuse · action-adventure · adult · audiobook · black-mc · book · civil-war · coming-of-age · death · drama -
![The Righteous by Renée Ahdieh]()
The Righteous by Renée Ahdieh
Following the explosive events of The Damned, Odette faces a vampire's final death. The Court of the Lions have done everything they can to save her but have failed. A healer from the Sylvan Vale could help her, but only Arjun Desai, as a half fey, can cross the boundary between realms. The Sylvan Vale is a world Arjun despises, and in return, it despises him...audiobook · book · enemies-to-lovers · epic · fae · fiction · historical · historical-fiction · horror · magic -
![A History of Wild Places by Shea Ernshaw]()
A History of Wild Places by Shea Ernshaw
Travis Wren has an unusual talent for locating missing people. Hired by families as a last resort, he requires only a single object to find the person who has vanished. When he takes on the case of Maggie St. James—a well-known author of dark, macabre children’s books—he’s led to a place many believed to be only a legend... -
![The Replacement Wife by Darby Kane]()
The Replacement Wife by Darby Kane
A domestic suspense novel that asks, how many wives and girlfriends should disappear before your family notices?Elisa Wright is a mom and wife, living a nice, quiet life in a nice, quiet town. She’s also convinced her brother-in-law is a murderer. Josh has one dead wife and one missing fiancée, and though he grieved for them he starts dating someone new... -
![There Is No Devil by Sophie Lark]()
There Is No Devil by Sophie Lark
I Couldn’t Kill Mara…But that doesn’t mean Shaw won’t.She’s living in my house, always with me, always under my control.The more I push her, the more she pushes back.She’s peeling away my secrets, one by one. And I’m tempting her to do things she never thought she’d do…Shaw won’t stop hunting her...adult · age-gap · alpha-mc · angst · anti-hero · billionaire · book · cheerful-mc · contemporary · crime -
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![The Coldest Touch by Isabel Sterling]()
The Coldest Touch by Isabel Sterling
Elise Beaumont is cursed. With every touch, she experiences exactly how her loved ones will die. And after her brother’s death—a death she predicted but was unable to prevent—Elise is desperate to get rid of her terrible gift, no matter the cost.Claire Montgomery also has a unique relationship with death, mostly because she’s already dead. Technically, anyway...audiobook · book · coming-of-age · contemporary · fiction · horror · lesbian-mc · lgbtq · magic · mystery -
![Yuletide Punch: Phantom Queen Book 12—A Temple Verse Series by Shayne Silvers, Cameron O'Connell]()
Yuletide Punch: Phantom Queen Book 12—A Temple Verse Series by Shayne Silvers, Cameron O'Connell
Tis the season...for slayingFresh off a disturbingly long absence for which she has no explanation or recollection, Quinn MacKenna—reformed Catholic, semi-retired arms dealer, and borderline alcoholic—is busy enjoying the Nordic idea of an afterparty before becoming quickly embroiled in a bitter power struggle coinciding with the advent of the Yuletide season...action-adventure · adult · anti-hero · assassins · audiobook · book · coming-of-age · dark · fae · fiction -
![Hide by Nell Pattison]()
Hide by Nell Pattison
Seven friends. One killer. You can run, but you can’t hide…The winter hike is meant to bring their nature group together.Emily, the sister who never lets her hearing loss hold her back.Lauren, the sister who always feels a step behind.Morna, who doesn’t get on with Lauren.Ben, whose feelings for Emily border on obsession.Dan, the quiet newcomer to the group...mystery · fiction · suspense · crime · murder · contemporary · audiobook · thriller · season-winter · psychological -
![Dark Across the Bay by Ania Ahlborn]()
Dark Across the Bay by Ania Ahlborn
In the vein of John MacDonald’s Cape Fear, Ahlborn takes the classic stalker tale and updates it for the modern era.The house sits stoic and slightly askew off the coast of Raven’s Head. Its off-kilter windows are both charming and disorienting, its walls of overstuffed bookshelves both comforting and claustrophobic...horror · mystery · fiction · audiobook · suspense · murder · thriller · spooky · haunted-places · small-town -
![The Sorority Murder by Allison Brennan]()
The Sorority Murder by Allison Brennan
A popular sorority girl. An unsolved murder. A campus podcast with chilling repercussions.Lucas Vega is obsessed with the death of Candace Swain, who left a sorority party one night and never came back. Her body was found after two weeks, but the case has grown cold. Three years later while interning at the medical examiner's, Lucas discovers new information, but the police are not interested...adult · audiobook · book · cold-case · contemporary · crime · dark-academia · death · fiction · horror -
![One Nation, Under... by Daniel Schinhofen]()
One Nation, Under... by Daniel Schinhofen
Alvin and his wives had been busy over the last few weeks. They’d gone out of their way to visit settlements they’d helped in the past, all while killing a string of mini-bosses across what had been the American west. Life looked good for Team Asshole… until the devs made a mistake.Without any warning, Sammi stopped showing up...romance · sci-fi · fantasy · harem · post-apocalyptic · litrpg · steamy · apocalyptic · magic · demons -
![World Between by Sarah Lyons Fleming]()
World Between by Sarah Lyons Fleming
Danger can be anywhere in the world between.Trapped in the fairgrounds by zombies and circumstance, it’s impossible to move out—and tough to move on.Whether romantic or platonic, changing relationships prove tricky for Rose, Tom, Clara, and Craig—never mind adapting to the new not-so-normal...action-adventure · adult · apocalyptic · audiobook · book · crime · disaster · dystopia · fiction · futuristic -
![Dungeons by Rohan M. Vider]()
Dungeons by Rohan M. Vider
Humanity has inherited a contested Dominion and a Patron intent on enslaving it. Others, too, gather, sensing weakness. Can Jamie and Sierra defy the odds? Can they save humanity? And at what cost?Enter the world of the Trials again and join Jamie on his journey to gather power and save humanity...book · cyberpunk · dark · epic · fiction · heroic-fantasy · high-fantasy · horror · litrpg · male-mc -
![Chosen for Power by Lindsay Buroker]()
Chosen for Power by Lindsay Buroker
Jak and his allies venture through the portal in search of the longevity plant their king demands, but all Jak wants is to find the elder dragons.Some say they’re extinct. Some say they’re in hiding.If he can’t locate them, there won’t be anyone to teach his hatchling how to fly. Or to protect the dragon eggs preserved within a glacier on another world...action-adventure · adult · audiobook · book · coming-of-age · dark · dragons · epic · fiction · high-fantasy -
![Melt for Us by Molly Doyle]()
Melt for Us by Molly Doyle
After going to a cabin in the woods, Quinn finds herself stuck in the midst of a blizzard with her three masked men. As they spend the holidays with one another, Quinn is left captivated. Christmas and New Year’s Eve will never be the same.Tis the season for giving, and receiving.Holy, not so silent, night...-This is a Dark Romance/Suspense, RH Novella with MMF and MM scenes... -
![Mack's Rousing Ghoulish Highland Adventure by A.J. Sherwood]()
Mack's Rousing Ghoulish Highland Adventure by A.J. Sherwood
Mack did not sign up for hunting unknown ghost-eating creatures.But that’s what he gets when he and Brandon arrive to help Eli and husbands at an old inn situated in the Scottish Highlands. Now he’s surrounded by terrified ghosts on the run, zombie-ghosts that look eaten, and no one knows what the baddie is...action-adventure · adult · alternate-universe · book · contemporary · crime · fiction · ghosts · gothic · horror -
![Queen by Katee Robert]()
Queen by Katee Robert
I’ve lost everything.My father’s plan worked. I am now pregnant with a Bloodline vampire child, and he’s taken my men captive. The only person who can save them from a fate worse than death is…me.To do that I’ll have to harness my new powers and walk into the one place I promised myself I’d never return to. To protect my lovers and my unborn child, I’ll have to kill my father and take the throne...abuse · adult · age-gap · alpha-mc · angels · book · contemporary · dark · enemies-to-lovers · female-mc -
![Revenant by Alex White]()
Revenant by Alex White
An all-new novel based on the landmark TV series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine from the acclaimed author of A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe!Jadzia Dax has been a friend to Etom Prit, the Trill Trade Commissioner, over two lifetimes. When Etom visits Deep Space Nine with the request to rein in his wayward granddaughter Nemi, Dax can hardly say no...action-adventure · adult · aliens · audiobook · book · fiction · first-contact · genetic-engineering · horror · invasion -
![The Hawthorne School by Sylvie Perry]()
The Hawthorne School by Sylvie Perry
For fans of Riley Sager, The Hawthorne School is a twisty psychological suspense about the lengths one mother will go for her child, inspired by present-day obsession with cults and true crime.Claudia Morgan is overwhelmed. She's a single parent trying the best that she can, but her four-year-old son, Henry, is a handful--for her and for his preschool...adult · amateur-sleuth · audiobook · boarding-school · book · contemporary · crime · cults · dark-academia · fiction -
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![The Last She by H.J. Nelson]()
The Last She by H.J. Nelson
Ara . . . I made a mistake, we all did . . . go back to the beginning . . . it’s not too late.As the only female to survive the devastating virus, Ara hasn’t seen another human in months―not since her father disappeared. The plague has swept away humanity, and Ara’s world is desolate, haunted by the ghosts of her former life. Her mother. Her sister...action-adventure · apocalyptic · audiobook · book · dystopia · fiction · futuristic · horror · mystery · post-apocalyptic -
![Dark Places by Sherrilyn Kenyon]()
Dark Places by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Eager fans have been clamoring for an all-in-one collection of #1 bestselling author Sherrilyn Kenyon’s hard-to-find short stories. At their enthusiastic behest, we have delivered this brand-new short story collection that includes stories from long out-of-print works and stories that appeared in several Horror Writers of America short story anthologies...fiction · anthologies · horror · audiobook · paranormal · contemporary · mlm · vampires · shapeshifters · myths -
![The Witching Tree by Alice Blanchard]()
The Witching Tree by Alice Blanchard
Welcome to Burning Lake, a small, isolated town with a dark history of witches and false accusations. Now, a modern-day witch has been murdered, and Detective Natalie Lockhart is reluctantly drawn deep into the case, in this atmospheric mystery from Alice Blanchard, The Witching Tree...mystery · fiction · witches-wizards · crime · suspense · paranormal · fantasy · law-enforcement · police-procedural · horror -
![Criminal Spirits by Eva Chase]()
Criminal Spirits by Eva Chase
Not the only psychos in town...Falling for the ghosts of murdered gangsters who were your imaginary friends once upon a time? I'll admit it's a little unusual. But they're back and totally real, and it's hard to argue with their admittedly obsessive level of devotion.Unfortunately, their violent dedication isn't enough to bring down the powerful man who hurt my little sister... -
![Desires Darkly: The Camper by Jack Harbon]()
Desires Darkly: The Camper by Jack Harbon
“I’ll make you scream.”The difference between pleasure and pain lies on the knife’s edge in this horror film-inspired erotic series. In The Camper, Nathan must come face-to-face with the horrors that happened at Camp Sunny Days twenty years ago, but he’ll soon learn that no secret can stay buried forever. No final girl—or boy—is safe from desires this dark..romance · horror · lgbtq · dark · mlm · steamy · contemporary · serial-killers · poc-author · fiction -
![The Haunting of Louella Ward: A Riveting Haunted House Mystery by Alexandria Clarke]()
The Haunting of Louella Ward: A Riveting Haunted House Mystery by Alexandria Clarke
Secrets, lies, and everything in between.When Louella Ward unexpectedly inherits her late grandfather’s assets, she and her brother become the new owners of a crumbling plantation home and the land around it. Soon after receiving the keys, Lou begins to wonder about Bluefield’s hidden secrets. Strange figures lurk in the shadows, and Lou experiences a resurgence in her childhood nightmares...paranormal · evil-places · fiction · ghosts · horror · supernatural · literary-fiction · amateur-sleuth · mystery · romance -
![Reboots: Undead Can Dance by Mercedes Lackey, Cody Martin]()
Reboots: Undead Can Dance by Mercedes Lackey, Cody Martin
Portions of this book have previously appeared in Reboots and Reboots: Diabolical Streak"Unfettered oddball entertainment.”—Publisher’s WeeklySay hello to Humph the Boggart, the principled, down-on-his-luck private detective, Skinny Jim the zombie, and Fred the werewolf, in this film noir style space opera...action-adventure · adult · book · fae · fiction · horror · humor · paranormal · shapeshifters · space-opera -
![Wicked Souls by Katie Wismer]()
Wicked Souls by Katie Wismer
Something is wrong with Valerie Darkmore.She may have made it through her initiation into the Marionettes, but she’s quickly learning that was only the beginning. Everything she used to know has changed, including maybe herself.Adjusting to her new reality proves to be the least of her worries when bodies appear all over the city, and the death toll continues to rise... -
![Age of Bronze by Jez Cajiao]()
Age of Bronze by Jez Cajiao
A world gone mad. Creatures of nightmare walk the streets, but worse are those we once knew…Matt survived the Dungeon’s founding, and managed to gather a small, but dedicated team to him, but when he finds his is not the only Dungeon in the area, he has a choice to make...adult · apocalyptic · book · contemporary · dark · fiction · heroic-fantasy · high-fantasy · horror · humor -
![Dragon's Justice 2 by Bruce Sentar]()
Dragon's Justice 2 by Bruce Sentar
A 2021 Prometheus Award nominee!"Mammon will scratch your itch for cranky libertarian sci-fi. Looking forward to the next part!" - John Carmack, creator of Doom and founder of Armadillo Aerospace"★★★★★ This is a compelling page turner and, once again, Kroese.. -
![Stormbringer by Michael Moorcock, Michael Chabon]()
Stormbringer by Michael Moorcock, Michael Chabon
From World Fantasy Lifetime Achievement Award–winner Michael Moorcock comes the second installment in is famous Elric of Melnibone series, brought to vivid new life with stunning illustrations.In one of the most well-known and well-loved fantasy epics of the 20th century, Elric is the brooding, albino emperor of the dying Kingdom of Melnibone...action-adventure · adult · book · classics · dark · dark-fantasy · demons · epic · fiction · high-fantasy -
![Dual Nature by Elizabeth Knight]()
Dual Nature by Elizabeth Knight
I’m a killer.A trained and skilled assassin, and I’ve never missed a target.My newest hit is human, a New York socialite, with a reputation for keeping supernatural beings as pets. Caging them and performing unspeakable acts on them. Even the United Senate wants her dead. Which is where I come into play. I’m given the contract for killing her.Only nothing goes to plan... -
![Cruel Delights by Scarlett Snow]()
Cruel Delights by Scarlett Snow
I escaped one prison only to wake up in a crueler one.This time, I’m surrounded by light instead of darkness and a wicked captor bloodthirsty for revenge.Solas makes Killian look like a saint now that I know what the Light Alpha truly intends to do with me, and for the first time in my life, I want the shadows to find me...reverse-harem · paranormal · supernatural · dark · harem · steamy · demons · myths · horror · suspense -
![Fated Under the Moon by Abby McCarthy]()
Fated Under the Moon by Abby McCarthy
ArielAfter I lost my dad, my roommate, with his tighty-whitey, pizza eating, gaming habits, wasn’t worth staying in Seattle for. So when I’m offered a job at an upscale mansion in the middle of Bum-Fuck-Ohio, I take it. I mean, what do I have to lose?The answer?Everything...adult · angels · book · contemporary · fated-mates · fiction · horror · mystery · paranormal · shapeshifters -
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![The Final Masquerade by Ariana Nash]()
The Final Masquerade by Ariana Nash
The winter solstice. The darkest day, the longest night.Every year the solstice heralds the return of the masquerade ball. Fae and human dance and drink and make merry, so long as they remain masked. But there's a darker side to this night. Should a guest lose their mask, their life is forfeit, cursed to dance forever for the entertainment of the masquerade's cold and cruel fae host...abuse · action-adventure · adult · age-gap · amnesia · angst · book · dark · dark-fantasy · enemies-to-lovers -
![The Unseelie Throne by Kathryn Ann Kingsley]()
The Unseelie Throne by Kathryn Ann Kingsley
If she loses, she becomes his queen, and he unleashes war across Earth and Tir n’Aill alike. If she wins, he dies. The answer seems clear. But then why can’t she bring herself to want victory?The longer Abigail wanders through his Maze of Shadows, the less sure she becomes of anything—allies, enemies, wrong, right, evil, good, hate…and love... -
![Shadows of Betrayal by Brenda K. Davies]()
Shadows of Betrayal by Brenda K. Davies
As Cole plunges into war against the rebellion in the Gloaming, his enemies aren’t the only things to fear on the battlefield. The Shadow Realms hold more monstrous secrets than Cole or Lexi ever knew, and some of them are about to break free. When allies become enemies and betrayals unfold, Lexi and Cole will learn who they can trust and who wants them dead... -
![Skin in the Game by Ellie Sanders]()
Skin in the Game by Ellie Sanders
"Think MI5 meets Fifty Shades....drama, passion, and a touch of espionage."Tough, fearless, ambitious; that’s how everyone described Maddie Cooper. As her company’s youngest Lead Agent she was well on her way to making big waves in Homewell Securities, one of the leading U.K. Internal Security firms...contemporary · steamy · espionage · suspense · romantic-love · fiction · mystery · horror · thriller · anthologies -
![No Beauties or Monsters by Tara Goedjen]()
No Beauties or Monsters by Tara Goedjen
A mystery about a girl whose family secrets are as threatening as the desert that surrounds her—but whose quest to expose the truth may tear apart reality itself. Rylie hasn’t been back to Twentynine Palms since her dad died. She left a lot of memories out there, buried in the sand of the Mojave Desert...book · children-books · female-author · fiction · horror · law-enforcement · mystery · paranormal · romantic-love · supernatural -
![Alpha Inmate by Liliana Carlisle]()
Alpha Inmate by Liliana Carlisle
A game of cat and mouse...Ellie knew it was a bad idea.She took the job to prove a point—that she’s more than an Omega haunted by her past.That she can find the good in the worst monsters the world has to offer.But by the time she’s face-to-face with the deadliest Alpha, it’s too late.He’s more beast than man and too intelligent to be trapped behind bars for long.She’s become his new obsession...adult · age-gap · alpha-mc · anti-hero · book · contemporary · crime · dark · enemies-to-lovers · fated-mates -
![Owned by Liliana Carlisle]()
Owned by Liliana Carlisle
I've been stolen by a monster.Cold and calculating, he's nothing like the knight in shining armor I hoped would rescue me.He tortures me with his hands and mouth, my inner Omega calling to him even as hate pulses through my veins.He's the leader of the Saviors, the brutal Alpha bastards that kidnap Omegas like me.Every part of me belongs to him and him alone.I'm his to touch. His to take...romance · omegaverse · dark · paranormal · enemies-to-lovers · plot-twist · fated-mates · alpha-mc · fantasy · steamy
