It’s the time of year when the weather gets crisp, the leaves begin to fall and Hocus Pocus airs non-stop on TV. It’s also the perfect month to catch up on some great thrillers to add to the excitement of the Halloween season. Whether you believe in the supernatural or are an armchair detective these 13 books will keep you up at night and turning pages. So grab your favorite blanket, pour a glass of wine and get reading.

“A House of Ghosts” by W.C. Ryan

With England deep into the First World War the Highmounts, like many other families, are reeling from the loss of their two sons. Wishing to hear from them one more time, Lord & Lady Highmount have invited a specially selected group of people to their isolated island off the coast of Devon for a unique gathering. Their home, Blackwater Abbey is unlike any place you have been before. The estate is known to be haunted by ghosts from long ago, a setting perfect for the weekend’s planned seances. Kate Cartwright, a long time friend of the family has been convinced to accept her invitation to attend by her boss in the intelligence service. Accompanying her will be another member of the military, undercover as a manservant. Plans for top secret weapons designed by Lord Highmount’s company have fallen into the German’s hands and Kate’s boss believes that the guilty party will be in attendance this weekend. Kate and Donovan have been tasked to figure out who has betrayed their country. The mediums the Highmounts have hired for the seance aren’t the only ones that are able to contact the spirit world. Kate has a secret gift of her own, one that will come in handy as she attempts to solve the mysteries that Blackwater holds within its walls. William Ryan has written an absolute page-turner! A murder-mystery at its core, “A House of Ghosts”, is told from multi-POVs so the reader doesn’t miss a beat of what is happening while the living are stranded for the weekend in the company of the dead. A must read for all suspense/mystery fans! Order your copy here.

“The Dry” by Jane Harper

Talk about a page turner. “The Dry” follows Officer Aaron Falk as he returns to his hometown for Luke’s funeral, his childhood best friend. Circumstances around his friend’s death couldn’t be more horrific and Aaron’s countdown until he can leave Kiewarra begins the minute he steps foot back in the town. He has a complicated history there and ghosts he would rather not run into. Luke’s parents don’t believe what the city police said happened inside Luke’s home the night he and his family died. Gerry and Barb beg Aaron to stay in town to see if he can help uncover the truth. Set in a small Australian farming town during a severe drought the residents of Kiewarra are a powder keg of emotions waiting to go off. The author gives the reader just enough information to keep you guessing as to what really happened to the Hadler family. I’m usually able to figure out the ending of “who-done-its” fairly early on but Jane Harper did a great job not giving it away. Her smooth transitions between chapters keeps the story flowing and keeps the reader wanting more. Order your copy here.

“The Last Time I Lied” by Riley Sager

When Emma Davis was 13 she was sent to spend the summer at Camp Nightingale, a prominent retreat for girls from the wealthy families of New York. After arriving late she gets placed in a cabin with 3 older girls. Vivian, the alpha-roommate decides to take young Emma under her wing that doesn’t leave her immune to Viv’s deceptive ways. On the Fourth of July, Vivian, Allison & Natalie sneak out of the cabin in the middle of the night and are never seen again. Fast forward 15 years, Emma is living in the city and has made a solid career as an artist, more specifically a painter. Hidden within each of her works are the three girls who continue to haunt her all these years later. When the owner of Camp Nightingale decides it’s time to reopen she approaches Emma to be the camp’s art instructor, a job Emma accepts after deciding returning to the camp would be the best way to discover for herself what happened the last time she lied. Will returning to Lake Midnight help Emma close the door on her ghosts or will this decision prove to be a fatal one. Told through dual-timelines, Riley Sager has written the perfect twisty suspense novel to get you through the summer. This reminded me so much of the campy-summer thriller movies of my teenage years and I would love to see this on the big screen. Order your copy here.

“The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle” by Stuart Turton

A man wakes in the forrest at dawn with no memory except for the name, Anna. While still confused and uncertain of where or who he is, he makes his way towards Blackheath Manor. What he doesn’t yet know is that he will be forced to repeat this same day over and over again until he can solve the murder of Evelyn Hardcastle, the only way out of this game. Each morning he wakes in the body of a different guest staying at Blackheath, bringing pieces of his days inside his other hosts with him. Peter & Helena Hardcastle have invited everyone to the Manor to welcome their daughter, Evelyn back home from Paris after 19 years. The Hardcastle family have been at odds since the death of young Thomas that day by the lake and morbidly this party falls on the anniversary of his murder. Can the man piece together what becomes of Evelyn Hardcastle and escape the endless trap that his Blackheath before someone else beats him to it? This original, creative and clever mystery gave me a Clue meets Groundhog Day meets a sci-fi feels. It was so intriguing to see where author, Stuart Turton, was taking the reader next it made the book hard to put down. There are so many twists, turns and time jumps it will keep you on your toes. “The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle” was really unlike anything I’ve read before, really creative. Order your copy here.

“The Breakdown” by B.A. Paris

Cass is out with her co-workers celebrating the end of school year when a huge storm begins to brew. She decides to head for home promising her husband, Matthew, that she won’t take the shortcut through the woods. Driving conditions are terrible on the main roads so she decides to make a break for it and head in the direction she said she wouldn’t. She’d get there faster this way anyway. Sheets of rain are coming down as she nears the end of the lane. She can finally see another set of lights ahead of her and hurries on to catch up so they can share the use of headlights for the remainder of the drive but as she gets closer she sees that the car isn’t moving but instead is parked in the lay-by. Annoyed that she now has to squeeze past she flashes the woman inside a dirty look as she passes. Realizing this woman might be in trouble out here all alone in the woods, Cass decides to pull over as well. When the woman makes no effort to get out or signal for help, Cass decides to continue on and call the police when she regains cell service once she clears the woods…something she ultimately forgets to do. When she wakes the next morning, Matthew informs her there has been a murder not 5 minutes from their home. A woman in the woods was found dead in her car. Knowing Matthew would be furious with her if she told him she returned that way last night she keeps her run-in with the woman to herself but when the silent phone calls starting coming, Cass begins to wonder did Jane’s killer see her that night? Does he know who she is? This was my first book by B.A. Paris and it certainly won’t be my last. When an author keeps you up until 1 a.m. you know you’ve found a gem. Order your copy here.

“Before She Knew Him” by Peter Swanson

Meeting your neighbors shouldn’t put your life in danger but that’s exactly what happens when Hen & Lloyd sit down for dinner with Mira & Matthew. Being the only two childless couples on their street, they decide to get together one Saturday evening. Matthew & Mira seem genuinely interested in Hen’s art but Lloyd can’t seem to click with their hosts. After dinner Mira invites them on a tour of their home. While in Matthew’s study something catches Hen’s eye. A trophy from a Junior Olympics fencing competition is displayed front and center on the mantle. Something sparks in Hen’s brain, wasn’t the man who was murdered recently on that same team? After questioning Matthew where it came from and receiving a strange reply, Hen begins to fixate on the idea that her neighbor could be a murderer. Is she in danger or on the verge of another mental breakdown? Peter Swanson has written a true page turning thriller. “Before She Knew Him” is filled with twists and turns that will leave any mystery fan saying ‘just one more chapter’. Order your copy here.

“Two Days Gone” by Randall Silvis

Author and Professor Thomas Huston’s family has just been found murdered in their own home and Thomas is no where to be found. Naturally, this makes him Detective Ryan DeMarco’s number one suspect. DeMarco and Huston have a history together. DeMarco had recently helped Huston develop an understanding of police procedures for the novel he was working on. Now DeMarco can’t understand how the man he thought to be a thoughtful, genuine, family man snapped and committed this terrible crime. After turning to Huston’s writing journal for clues, DeMarco starts to piece together the mystery of what really happened to Claire Huston and their three children. Notes and rough outlines for his next book guide the Detective on a dangerous journey to uncovering the truth about who Thomas Huston really is, perpetrator or innocent victim. Alternating between DeMarco’s investigation and Huston’s narrative while on the run Randall Silvis has written a suspense filled story that will keep you guessing until the very last page. “Two Days Gone” may not be for all readers with graphic descriptions of crime scenes, strong language and some violence throughout but fans of thrillers/crime mysteries will find this one hard to put down. Order your copy here.

“The Blackbird Season” by Kate Moretti

When a thousand dead starlings fall out of the sky onto a high school baseball game in small town Mt. Oanoke, PA, it should have been a sign that dark things were to come. Coach Nick Winters is the kind of teacher that cares about the lives of his students, almost to a fault. He makes it his job to know what is going on outside of his classroom by secretly keeping tabs on his student’s social media accounts, offering up his cellphone number to anyone who wants it and having an open door at all times for those who want to talk. When a reporter in town to cover the birds gets a tip about a local teacher having an affair with a student, she snaps a picture of Nick embracing Lucia, one of his 17 year old students outside a motel. Nick’s wife Alicia, who spends every moment of her life taking care of their 5 year old autistic son, Gabe, completely denies any wrong doing on her husbands behalf but when Lucia goes missing, her suspicions begin to creep in. Nick is placed on leave at work and his only ally at the school is the Winter’s friend and fellow teacher, Bridget Harris. Bridget makes it her mission to uncover the truth behind Lucia’s disappearance, what really is behind the bullying and the rumors of her being a witch as well as clear her friend’s name as the entire town turns their back on the once beloved coach. Kate Moretti has written a page-turning thriller that keeps you guessing about what really happened at that motel and where Lucia went after that dark night on the road. Order your copy here.

“The Last Mrs. Parrish” by Liv Constantine

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. A page-turning thriller about a woman who conceives a plot to work her way into the life of a married couple is told in two parts from two different characters POV. As the book opens, Amber is putting her master plan into play. She is manipulative, calculated and really quiet despicable but you find yourself sucked into her storyline and in a twisted way almost pulling for her. Part II is from Daphne’s perspective. The twist the author lays out for Daphne is unsettling and disturbing. Amber & Daphne remind you that not everyone’s relationships are always what they seem to be. Order your copy here.

“Dark Matter” by Blake Crouch

Jason Dessen was a brilliant scientist on the verge of a major breakthrough in his career, his wife was an up and coming artist – then Daniela got pregnant and they gave up on their careers to start a family together. Neither of them regretting the choice they made even as their former colleagues gain notoriety that was destined to be theirs once upon a time. One night, Jason gets abducted on his way home. When he awakes he finds himself in an unfamiliar place. Everyone seems to know who he is and they are celebrating his “return”. Is this just a side-effect of being hit on the head by his attacker or is this all really happening? Jason discovers that in this “world” he and his wife never married, his son never born but professionally he accomplished everything he ever imagined. Something he only dream of. “Dark Matter” explores the theory of mutli-universes and what life would have been like if you had chosen a different path? What if you had chosen a different college, accepted another job, married a different person? This book explores how much each decision we make shapes us and those we love. Jason Dessen wants nothing more than to get his life back…no matter what the cost. Blake Crouch has written an absolute page turner. I read this book in a day because I just couldn’t put it down. Order your copy here.

“The Couple Next Door” by Shari Lapena

You never can really know a person. If you have trust issues, this one is not for you. Anne and Marco lose their babysitter at the last-minute so instead of canceling their plans, they decide to leave their sleeping baby at home while they go next door to a dinner party. They plan to take the baby monitor with them and take turns checking on her every half hour. After drinking too much, they arrive home to find their front door open and their baby gone. There are so many twists and turns in this book and just when you thought it was all about to wrap but the author gives you one last jolt. Pick this one up if you love a good mystery. Order your copy here.

“The Turn of the Key” by Ruth Ware

A former nanny is writing to a solicitor from prison after being accused of murdering one of her charges. She is writing out of desperation. She is writing in the hopes that someone will listen to her story, so she can finally tell the truth about what she knows. So begins our tale narrated through Rowan’s letters to Mr. Wrexham as she goes into detail about what led up to the night she found the young Elincourt girl dead. After losing several nannies abruptly the Elincourt family needed to find a replacement fast. During their first conversation Sandra Elincourt informs Rowan that the high salary comes with a bit of a warning – the last few nannies left due to a fear that the house might be haunted. Being a non-believer, Rowan immediately shook off the concerns Sandra was sharing and headed north to Scotland something Rowan would regret doing for the rest of her life. I had such high hopes for this one. The build up! The suspense! I had no idea where this was going and sad to say I wish it had gone in another direction. Don’t get me wrong I enjoyed the book but the ended left something to be desired. Fans of Ruth Ware will enjoy her masterful way of pulling you on a twisty journey. Order your copy here.

“We Were Liars” by E. Lockhart

The Sinclair family are perfect on the outside. The affluent family has everything. Each Sinclair daughter has their own home on their private island near Martha’s Vineyard that they bring their family to summer at year after year. All three Sinclair daughters are divorced and are slyly battling each other to win their father’s affection to ensure their inheritance of the families fortune. Mirren, Johnny and Cadence, the oldest of the Sinclair grandchildren as well as Gat, their aunt’s boyfriend’s son, spend all of their days on the island together. Their carefree days of swimming and picnicking are disrupted by their mother’s scheming materialistic ways. The Liars decide to teach them all a lesson. I find it hard to write much more about this book as it has quiet the plot twist that I don’t want to give away. I can honestly say, “I didn’t see that one coming!” Great read for YA and beyond. Order your copy here.