6 Books with CREEPY Settings for your Fall TBR- Part 2

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I promised I would be back with 6 more books with CREEPY settings! I recently shared Part 1 and as I was typing up the post I was thinking of several more books that were majorly creepy and knew I couldn’t leave them out! Fall is the perfect time to sit down with a creepy read and I think these 6 definitely fit the bill. There is something about a creepy setting that just sets the mood for the whole book, don’t you think? So let’s check out the next 6 books…

River of Ashes by Weis and Astor

I don’t know HOW I managed to leave River of Ashes out of Part 1. It was so insanely atmospheric…and had ALL of the creepy vibes that I love. From the Spanish moss covered trees to the abandoned haunted abbey…River of Ashes just oozes creepiness and I loved every page. I have shared this book on numerous occasions because it was just so well written, had one of the most loathsome villains I’ve ever read, and exudes such a chilling atmosphere that you don’t want to put it down! (I do want to share some content warnings if you do decide to read this one…it contains rape, violence, and a psychopaths point of view.)

Goodreads Synopsis

Some truths are better kept secret. Some secrets are better off dead.

ALONG THE BANKS OF THE BOGUE FALAYA RIVER, sits the abandoned St. Francis Seminary. Beneath a canopy of oaks, blocked from prying eyes, the teens of St. Benedict High gather here on Fridays. The rest of the week belongs to school and family—but weekends belong to the river.

And the river belongs to Beau Devereaux.

The only child of a powerful family, Beau can do no wrong. Star quarterback. Handsome. Charming. The “prince” of St. Benedict is the ultimate catch.

He is also a psychopath.

A dirty family secret buried for years, Beau’s evil grows unchecked. In the shadows of the haunted abbey, he commits unspeakable acts on his victims and ensures their silence with threats and intimidation. Senior year, Beau sets his sights on his girlfriend’s headstrong twin sister, Leslie, who hates him. Everything he wants but cannot have, she will be his ultimate prize.

As the victim toll mounts, it becomes clear that someone must stop Beau Devereaux.

And that someone will pay with their life.

The Broken Girls by Simone St. James

This next book was SO good. I had heard such amazing things about The Broken Girls and every single thing was true. This just oozed Gothic creepiness. There is something about an isolated boarding school…but once you add in potential ghosts and hauntings…the creep factor increases exponentially. This book was so fast-paced, so disturbing, and 100% captivated my attention the entire time. This would be a fabulous fall read! Here is some info…

Goodreads Synopsis

Vermont, 1950. There’s a place for the girls whom no one wants–the troublemakers, the illegitimate, the too smart for their own good. It’s called Idlewild Hall. And in the small town where it’s located, there are rumors that the boarding school is haunted. Four roommates bond over their whispered fears, their budding friendship blossoming–until one of them mysteriously disappears. . . .

Vermont, 2014. As much as she’s tried, journalist Fiona Sheridan cannot stop revisiting the events surrounding her older sister’s death. Twenty years ago, her body was found lying in the overgrown fields near the ruins of Idlewild Hall. And though her sister’s boyfriend was tried and convicted of murder, Fiona can’t shake the suspicion that something was never right about the case.

When Fiona discovers that Idlewild Hall is being restored by an anonymous benefactor, she decides to write a story about it. But a shocking discovery during the renovations will link the loss of her sister to secrets that were meant to stay hidden in the past–and a voice that won’t be silenced. . . .

The Stranger Upstairs by Lisa M. Matlin

Would you buy a “murder house” if you had the chance? I am a definite NO on that front. But, reading about a “murder house” is a definite YES for me. I had to include this book on the list for creepy settings simply because it is a murder house. It is a house that holds a ton of secrets and it definitely gave me all of the creepy vibes. This wasn’t my favorite read…but I think most of that is because I couldn’t really connect with the main character…but the house is most defintely creepy. I got a few Mexican Gothic vibes from this book…and if you read it I would love to hear if you think the same thing!! Check out the Goodreads Synopsis below…

Goodreads Synopsis

A social media influencer with a secret past buys a murder house to renovate, but finds more than she bargained for behind the peeling wallpaper in this gothic psychological debut.

Sarah Slade is starting over. As the new owner of the infamous Black Wood House—the scene of a grisly murder-suicide—she’s determined that the fixer-upper will help reach a new audience on her successful lifestyle blog, and distract her from her failing marriage.

But as Sarah paints over the house’s horrifying past, she knows better than anyone that a new façade can’t conceal every secret. Then the builders start acting erratically and experiencing bizarre accidents—and Sarah knows there’s only so long she can continue to sleep in the bedroom with the bloodstained floor and suffer the mysterious footsteps she hears from the attic.

When menacing notes start appearing everywhere, Sarah becomes convinced that someone or something is out to kill her—her husband, her neighbors, maybe even the house itself. The more she remodels Black Wood House, the angrier it seems to become.

With every passing moment, Sarah’s life spirals further out of control—and with it, her sense of reality. Though she desperately clings to the lies she’s crafted to conceal her own secrets, Sarah Slade must wonder . . . was it all worth it? Or will this house be her final unraveling?

The Last Word by Taylor Adams

Ok, this book may not give everyone immediate creepy vibes. It isn’t a haunted house or a broken down mansion…but when I tell you this book creeped me out so badly…gahhh. I think it was the realness of everything. For me, it was the isolation. This young woman is alone with her dog in an isolated beach house…immediately on edge. I have read too many thrillers because my brain immediately begins to think about ALL of the things that could go wrong. I wasn’t prepared for even half of the things that happened in The Last Word. Taylor Adams is the king of suspense and twists. This was excellent and I am still a little freaked out to be honest! Definitely a great fall read…

Goodreads Synopsis

After posting a negative book review, a woman living in a remote location begins to wonder if the author is a little touchy—or very, very dangerous—in this pulse-pounding novel of psychological suspense and terror from the critically acclaimed author of No Exit and Hairpin Bridge.

Emma Carpenter lives in isolation with her golden retriever Laika, house-sitting an old beachfront home on the rainy Washington coast. Her only human contact is her enigmatic old neighbor, Deek, and (via text) the house’s owner, Jules.

One day, she reads a poorly written—but gruesome—horror novel by the author H. G. Kane, and posts a one-star review that drags her into an online argument with none other than the author himself. Soon after, disturbing incidents start to occur at night. To Emma, this can’t just be a coincidence. It was strange enough for this author to bicker with her online about a lousy review; could he be stalking her, too?

As Emma digs into Kane’s life and work, she learns he has published sixteen other novels, all similarly sadistic tales of stalking and murder. But who is he? How did he find her? And what else is he capable of?

Starling House by Alix E. Harrow

I am cheating a little here…because I haven’t quite finished this book yet. But…it just HAD to be included on this list. It is so delightfully atmospheric and creepy! Starling House is described as a modern gothic fantasy and it that is the most perfect description. I think I have discovered that if they use the word “gothic” to describe the book it will end up on my creepy atmosphere list. This book has it all…an isolated old house, a reclusive young man who resides there, and a host of creepy stories that surround the history. It is just so good. I am over halfway through and it definitely is a page-turner. Also…look at that cover!! Here is some info…

Goodreads Synopsis

A grim and gothic new tale from author Alix E. Harrow about a small town haunted by secrets that can’t stay buried and the sinister house that sits at the crossroads of it all.

Eden, Kentucky, is just another dying, bad-luck town, known only for the legend of E. Starling, the reclusive nineteenth-century author and illustrator who wrote The Underland–and disappeared. Before she vanished, Starling House appeared. But everyone agrees that it’s best to let the uncanny house―and its last lonely heir, Arthur Starling―go to rot.

Opal knows better than to mess with haunted houses or brooding men, but an unexpected job offer might be a chance to get her brother out of Eden. Too quickly, though, Starling House starts to feel dangerously like something she’s never had: a home.

As sinister forces converge on Starling House, Opal and Arthur are going to have to make a dire choice to dig up the buried secrets of the past and confront their own fears, or let Eden be taken over by literal nightmares.

If Opal wants a home, she’ll have to fight for it.

Dead of Winter by Darcy Coates

This last book is being included for the simple fact that it creeped me all the way out. Isolated in the middle of nowhere in freezing cold temperatures with a group of strangers…literal nightmare situation for me. Im not sure if it is the cold, the strangers, or the feeling of being trapped but I literally hate it all. Hate. It. All. Then you throw in the fact that people are dropping like flies…and no one knows who is killing them…yeah…I would be in the fetal position in the corner…or I would hike into the freezing wasteland to my certain death. This setting gave me all of the freaked out creepy vibes but I really enjoyed it! Here is a little info…

Goodreads Synopsis

When Christa joins a tour group heading deep into the snowy expanse of the Rocky Mountains, she’s hopeful this will be her chance to put the ghosts of her past to rest. But when a bitterly cold snowstorm sweeps the region, the small group is forced to take shelter in an abandoned hunting cabin. Despite the uncomfortably claustrophobic quarters and rapidly dropping temperature, Christa believes they’ll be safe as they wait out the storm.

She couldn’t be more wrong.

Deep in the night, their tour guide goes missing…only to be discovered the following morning, his severed head impaled on a tree outside the cabin. Terrified, and completely isolated by the storm, Christa finds herself trapped with eight total strangers. One of them kills for sport…and they’re far from finished. As the storm grows more dangerous and the number of survivors dwindles one by one, Christa must decide who she can trust before this frozen mountain becomes her tomb.

Thanks for Reading

I hope that you will find a book or two to add to your Fall TBR! Do you have any books with creepy settings that you think I would like to read?

This is just the tip of the iceberg. There are so many other amazing books out there. I didn’t even touch any of the classics like Frankenstein…and Stephen King FOR SURE needs to be included on another list…The Shining will forever be one of the creepiest settings for me!

Be sure to check out Part 1 for even more creepy settings for your Fall TBR! Happy Reading!