Top new horror books in May 2022
Last updated:
May 31, 2022
May 2022 featuring new releases by Adrian McKinty, Josh Malerman, Ramsey Campbell, Sarai Walker, Kiersten White, Karina Halle, Dana Mele, Lindsay Buroker, Ava Reid, Jason Rekulak, Christian Galacar and many more.
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The Island by Adrian McKinty
IT WAS JUST SUPPOSED TO BE A FAMILY VACATION.A TERRIBLE ACCIDENT CHANGED EVERYTHING.YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE CAPABLE OF UNTIL THEY COME FOR YOUR FAMILY.After moving from a small country town to Seattle, Heather Baxter marries Tom, a widowed doctor with a young son and teenage daughter...thriller · mystery · fiction · audiobook · psychological · suspense · crime · kidnapping · book · adult -
Dark Stars: New Tales of Darkest Horror by Josh Malerman, Ramsey Campbell, Stephen Graham Jones, Priya Sharma
'DARK STARS' is a tribute to horror’s longstanding short fiction legacy, featuring 12 terrifying original stories from today's most noteworthy authors, with an introduction by best-selling author Josh Malerman ('Bird Box') and an afterword by Ramsey Campbell... -
The Cherry Robbers by Sarai Walker
Sarai Walker has done it again. With The Cherry Robbers she upends the Gothic ghost story with a fiery feminist zeal. --Maria SempleThe highly anticipated second novel from Sarai Walker, following her "slyly subversive" (EW) cult-hit Dietland--a feminist gothic about the lone survivor of a cursed family of sisters, whose time may finally be up... -
Hide by Kiersten White
The challenge: spend a week hiding in an abandoned amusement park and don't get caught.The prize: enough money to change everything.Even though everyone is desperate to win--to seize their dream futures or escape their haunting pasts--Mack feels sure that she can beat her competitors. All she has to do is hide, and she's an expert at that.It's the reason she's alive, and her family isn't...audiobook · book · dark · fantasy · fiction · gothic · mystery · paranormal · romantic-love · supernatural -
Crown of Crimson by Karina Halle
The next thrilling instalment in the Underworld Gods series. Perfect for readers who want high steam Hades/Persephone and Beauty and the Beast vibes with a dark Nordic folklore twist.All Hanna Heikkinen wants is to be reunited with her father again. After all, that's why she ventured into the dark and dangerous fantasy world of Tuonela, the Land of the Dead, in order to save his life...fantasy · myths · romance · paranormal · fiction · new-adult · erotica · ancient-greek-roman · urban-fantasy · horror -
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Summer's Edge by Dana Mele
I Know What You Did Last Summer meets The Haunting of Hill House in this atmospheric, eerie teen thriller following an estranged group of friends being haunted by their friend who died last summer.Emily Joiner was once part of an inseparable group—she was a sister, a best friend, a lover, and a rival. Summers without Emily were unthinkable...book · fantasy · fiction · friendship · lesbian-mc · lgbtq+ · mystery · paranormal · romantic-love · season-summer -
Sky on Fire by Lindsay Buroker
The dragons of eld, once benevolent allies to mankind, have been infested by a magical parasite that makes them cruel and aggressive. They’ve flown through the ancient portal to invade Torvil and plan to kill or enslave all of humanity...fantasy · fiction · steampunk · industrial-era · epic · horror · dark · sword-sorcery · historical · high-fantasy -
Juniper & Thorn by Ava Reid
From highly acclaimed bestselling author Ava Reid comes a gothic horror retelling of The Juniper Tree, set in another time and place within the world of The Wolf and the Woodsman, where a young witch seeks to discover her identity and escape the domination of her wizard father, perfect for fans of Shirley Jackson and Catherynne M. Valente.A gruesome curse. A city in upheaval...book · dark · epic · fantasy · fiction · gaslamp · gothic · high-fantasy · historical · industrial-era -
Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak
From Jason Rekulak, Edgar-nominated author of The Impossible Fortress, comes a wildly inventive spin on the classic horror story in Hidden Pictures, a creepy and warm-hearted mystery about a woman working as a nanny for a young boy with strange and disturbing secrets... -
Blackwater: Two Stories by Christian Galacar
BLACKWATER is a collection of two tales of horror and dark fantasy. In "Mercury Rain" a soldier fighting a new enemy learns the importance of holding on to his memories... -
Decimate by Christopher Rice
A desperate family confronts the mysteries that lie between life and death in this soul-gripping novel of supernatural suspense by Amazon Charts and New York Times bestselling author Christopher Rice.Claire Huntley and her brother, Poe, were on a midnight hike in Montana when the woods went wild...thriller · fiction · mystery · paranormal · lgbtq+ · psychological · suspense · sci-fi · aliens · technothriller -
Sound of Darkness by Heather Graham
The cries of the dead are deafeningWomen are being taken in Virginia, and FBI agent Mark Frampton is determined to put a stop to it. Certain he’s closing in on the killer known as The Embracer, Mark is less than thrilled when he’s partnered with rookie agent Colleen Law, worried she’s a liability when there’s so much at stake...romance · fantasy · paranormal · fiction · supernatural · mystery · ghosts · crime · psychics · serial-killers -
Orphans of Bliss: Tales of Addiction Horror by Cassandra Khaw, Josh Malerman, Kathe Koja, S.A. Cosby
"My soul's bliss kills my body, but does not satisfy itself." ~Emily BronteAddiction is the perpetual epidemic, where swarms of human moths flutter to the flames of hell. Because that warm blanket of a heroin high, that joyful intoxication of a pint of vodka, that electric energy from a line of cocaine, over time leaves you with a cold loneliness and a bitter heart...adult · anthologies · dark · fantasy · fiction · mystery · psychological · sci-fi · supernatural · thriller -
Death Warden: Grave Spirits MC by Debbie Cassidy
Death waits for no one, unless you’re a necromancer, in which case he might stop for a cup of tea and a chat.I didn’t ask to be a necromancer, and I certainly didn’t ask to be saddled with a magical amulet holding an ancient big bad at bay.I got both.All I want to do is steer clear of trouble, write horror novels, and hang with my talking cat...fantasy · paranormal · romance · multi-pov · demons · horror · ghosts · supernatural · urban-fantasy · non-fiction -
The Doctor by C.S. Poe
1882—Gillian Hamilton, magic caster and Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Magic and Steam, has been stripped of his title, badge, and freedom. Gillian’s true name and powers have been exposed, so now he’s kept under lock and key. To make a tragedy worse, Gunner the Deadly has returned to his life out in the Wild West and has not been heard from since...sci-fi · steampunk · industrial-era · romance · mlm · historical · lgbtq+ · western · supernatural · murder -
Turning The Tide: A Mystery, Thriller, Sci-Fi, and Urban Fantasy Charity Anthology for Ukraine by Jonathan Maberry, Nick Thacker, D.N. Erikson, Anthony M. Strong
Authors coming together to help Ukraine...sci-fi · anthologies · thriller · mystery · urban-fantasy · fiction · horror · suspense · crime · adult -
Seasonal Fears by Seanan McGuire
Melanie has a destiny, though it isn’t the one everyone assumes it to be. She’s delicate; she’s fragile; she’s dying. Now, truly, is the winter of her soul.Harry doesn’t want to believe in destiny, because that means accepting the loss of the one person who gives his life meaning, who brings summer to his world...action-adventure · book · dark · fantasy · fiction · mystery · paranormal · supernatural · urban · urban-fantasy -
Summoning Trouble by Hadena James
Soleil Burns and the investigators of Angel Investigations are on a job when someone breaks into their office and destroys their files. Figuring out who broke in and why is just the beginning of a personal investigation.During her hunt for who broke into her office and why, she will discover her former business partner, Janet has disappeared... -
The Ambitious Guest by Nathaniel Hawthorne, B.J. Harrison
"The Ambitious Guest" is a short story by Nathaniel Hawthorne. First published in The New-England Magazine in June 1835, it was republished in the second volume of Twice-Told Tales in 1841...classics · fiction · audiobook · university · horror · romantic-love · gothic · humor · historical · book -
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Just Like Mother by Anne Heltzel
A girl would be such a blessing...The last time Maeve saw her cousin was the night she escaped the cult they were raised in. For the past two decades, Maeve has worked hard to build a normal life in New York City, where she keeps everything—and everyone—at a safe distance.When Andrea suddenly reappears, Maeve regains the only true friend she’s ever had... -
Locke & Key: Clockworks #2 by Joe Hill, Gabriel Rodríguez
Chapter Two – “SMASH!” The 2011 Eisner-nominated series continues here! Terror runs wild, and the Locke family comes to grief in the smash-ingest story of the series... -
Locke & Key: Clockworks #3 by Joe Hill, Gabriel Rodríguez
Chapter Three: "The Keepers of the Keys" - With the Timeshift Key in their hands, the past is an open book to the Locke children. It's time for answers; it's time for the truth. And now that Dodge knows where Tyler has been hiding the key to the black door, time is running out.. -
Locke & Key Clockworks #4 by Joe Hill
Clockworks, chapter 4: 'The Whispering Iron.' The tamers of The Tempest -- Rendell Locke, Dodge Caravaggio, and their friends -- descend into the Drowning Cave to open the Black Door, hoping to get their hands on some of the fabled whispering iron, the material from which all of the keys are forged. And everything goes according to plan! Not... -
Eerie Elementary #9: The Art Show Attacks!: A Branches Book by Jack Chabert
Pick a book. Grow a Reader!This series is part of Scholastic's early chapter book line, Branches, aimed at newly independent readers. With easy-to-read text, high-interest content, fast-paced plots, and illustrations on every page, these books will boost reading confidence and stamina. Branches books help readers grow!In the ninth book of this spooky series, Eerie Elementary is having an art show...children-books · middle-grade · horror · fiction · haunted-places · friendship · action-adventure · book -
Chaos God 5 by Eric Vall
The gaping chasm of Helheim has finally been conquered, but Ragnarok has left more scars in Asgard’s crust than I’d thought.Now, another evil lurks to the south of Castle Levi, and a strange group of survivors have struggled to defeat the frigid threat that’s closing in.But gathering loyal followers has become as natural as breathing to me...horror · dark · fiction · myths · epic · fantasy · norse-viking · sword-sorcery · retellings · historical -
Ruination by Courtney Konstantin
Montana calls to him and all he wants is to take his family home.Rafe Duncan isn't the oldest of his siblings, but he felt the pressure of responsibility just the same. He dedicated his life to keeping their family compound running and his goal was to get them back there, alive.At the beginning of the zombie apocalypse, Rafe couldn’t have foreseen what was to come...post-apocalyptic · horror · young-adult · action-adventure · sci-fi · zombies · dystopia · monsters · book -
Pocketful of Bones by Julie Frayn
Finnegan MacGillivray, red-haired, freckle-faced social pariah, finds solace in his mother's garden while she entertains "dates" in his home. When an accident takes the life of a friend, Finnegan buries the evidence amid the purple dead nettle and bougainvillea, and unearths a treasure trove of human remains... -
Second Coming by J.A. Konrath
In 1906, a demon was unearthed in Panama, and confined to a secret government testing facility. A hundred years later, Satan escaped. As a rash of strange and horrible deaths plague the United States, only a few key people know what's really happening... -
The Lost Journals by Mark Tufo
Wilkes is alone, struggling to survive on the island once known as Great Britain, thirty-six years after the zombie apocalypse devastated the world.As the young woman makes her way along the ruined landscape, she stumbles across a backpack filled with journals written by a man she will never meet, but who will alter the course of her life nonetheless...zombies · supernatural · sci-fi · fiction · dystopia · splatterpunk · graphic-violence · apocalyptic · audiobook · post-apocalyptic -
The Legacy of Molly Southbourne by Tade Thompson
From Arthur C. Clarke Award-winner Tade Thompson, The Legacy of Molly Southbourne continues his chilling series.Whenever Molly Southbourne bled, a murderer was born. Deadly copies, drawn to destroy their creator, bound by a legacy of death. With the original Molly Southbourne gone, her remnants drew together, seeking safety and a chance for peace... -
The Game by Scott Kershaw
The rules are simple. To save their life, you have to play.[text message]DEAR PLAYER,THE PERSON YOU LOVE MOST IS IN DANGER.TO SAVE THEM, YOU MUST PLAY THE GAME.THE RULES ARE: THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE WINNER.IF YOU LOSE, YOUR LOVED ONE WILL DIE.ALL PLAYERS ENTER ALONE.DO NOT SHARE THIS MESSAGE. DO NOT SEEK HELP.WELCOME TO THE GAME.YOU’VE JUST STARTED PLAYING...thriller · mystery · fiction · crime · psychological · horror · action-adventure · serial-killers · suspense · technothriller -
Dark Ride by P.G. Kassel
Marty Wedlow's luck is about to change... and not in the direction he expects... -
Deep Water by Emma Bamford
The dark side of paradise is exposed when a terrified couple reveals their daunting experience on a remote island to their rescuers—only to realize they’re still in the grips of the island’s secrets—in this intense and startling debut in the tradition of Into the Jungle and The Ruins... -
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Not Good for Maidens by Tori Bovalino
Salem’s Lot meets The Darkest Part of the Forest in this horror-fantasy retelling of Christina Rossetti’s “Goblin Market.”Lou never believed in superstitions or magic--until her teenage aunt Neela is kidnapped to the goblin market.The market is a place Lou has only read about--twisted streets, offerings of sweet fruits and incredible jewels... -
Who Else Is Living In Our House? / Our School Ghost by James Lee
Turn off your lights, get ready for frights! When the clock strikes midnight and the moon's full and bright, it's time for dread and fear. For Mr. Midnight is here with two stories, double the danger and twice the terror! STORY #1: Samantha and Ashley are terrified by weird happenings in their new home... -
B.P.R.D.: The Devil You Know by Mike Mignola, Scott Allie
The explosive conclusion to the B.P.R.D. series is collected in full for the first time in paperback! Lovecraftian monsters ravage an apocalyptic earth as the B.P.R.D. fights to save what little of humanity they can. But even Hellboy is not who he once was, and whether anyone survives Varvara and the long-awaited Ragna Rok remains to be seen.This book collects the end of the B.P.R.D... -
Devi by Nag Mani
Somewhere in a faraway village, there is the ruin of an ancient temple where no one worships. If you happen to come across it someday, you should bow your head and walk away. Do not be tempted to go in, and temped you will be, for the Devi of the temple grants wishes... -
The Green Room by Nag Mani
Queen Victoria School, Nainital. Founded: 1855. "She wears an old uniform," Nisha continued, "pale white face, dark shadows around her eyes. She is often seen sitting on this very chair. And it is said that the chair is always found in front of the mirror no matter where you leave it...horror · fiction · young-adult · romance · high-school · mystery · hauntings · new-adult · supernatural · book -
Neonomicon #2 by Alan Moore, Jacen Burrows
The second issue of the all-new, all Alan Moore, horror series spoken of only in hushed whispers for years is finally here! From the award-winning master of comics, Alan Moore, comes a brand new tale of Lovecraftian horror that will leave you too afraid to close your eyes, but more afraid to open them! NEONOMICON, the sequel to THE COURTYARD Graphic Novel, is slithering its way onto tablets and... -
Neonomicon #3 by Alan Moore, Jacen Burrows
From the award-winning master of comics, Alan Moore, comes a brand new tale of Lovecraftian horror that will leave you too afraid to close your eyes, but more afraid to open them! NEONOMICON, the sequel to THE COURTYARD Graphic Novel, is slithering its way onto tablets and readers to take its place as a Great Old One of comics terror! Illustrated by Moore's favorite demented artist, Jacen...