What’s something you associate most with Halloween and horror movies? If you said haunted houses, you’re on the right track. Plenty of haunted house novels are out there, but how do you choose which to read first? I’ve narrowed down six books with unconventionally haunted houses, including some about hotels, boarding schools and even big box stores. Read on!
The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz
After giving up on her dreams of becoming an author, Alex is shocked by an offer of a coveted spot at a prestigious writing retreat at the estate of feminist horror writer Roza Vallo. However, as Roza challenges participants to complete a novel in a month for a life-changing publishing deal, strange occurrences and the disappearance of one of the writers hint at something sinister. With the clock ticking, Alex must uncover the truth to save herself from a similar fate.
An isolated estate is the perfect setting for a haunted house novel. Like many, the one in The Writing Retreat belongs to a wealthy and mysterious stranger. However, Julia Bartz adds tension and drama by having so many people trapped under one roof, expertly exploring the dark side of the desire for fame.
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Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth
In 1902, a series of macabre deaths rocked Brookhants School for Girls, resulting in its closing. But campus comes alive again when a current-day horror movie uses it as a backdrop. As people return to the school, past and present become grimly entangled and strange things happen to the women involved. Is it a curse on the school or just Hollywood drama?
Unlike many haunted house novels, Plain Bad Heroines occurs at a boarding school. This is actually the perfect place for a haunting; secrets lurk around every corner, and history lingers in the building’s walls. Emily M. Danforth will definitely have you looking over your shoulder.
Just Like Home by Sarah Gailey
When Vera’s mother falls ill, she heads home for the first time in years. For her entire adult life, she avoided facing the memories of her father, a serial killer, and her complicated love for him. Once there, however, things go very wrong. A strange artist has moved into the guest house out back, and when Vera begins finding notes around the house in her father’s handwriting, he denies that it’s him. But who else could it be?
Just Like Home was probably the scariest book I read in 2022. Darkly Gothic and always thrilling, it has everything you can expect from a Sarah Gailey novel.
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A Castle in the Clouds by Kerstin Gier
High in the Swiss mountains, a faded yet grand hotel comes to life once a year for its famous New Year’s Eve Ball. Sophie, an intern, does her best to ensure everything runs smoothly. As she navigates unexpected problems and unravels the true identities of some of the guests, Sophie becomes embroiled in a perilous adventure that puts her job and heart at risk.
Okay, scaredy-cats, this one is for you. A Castle in the Clouds is a sweet rom-com that happens to have a few ghosts haunting an old luxury hotel. Check out Kerstin Gier’s book if you need a break from chills and thrills.
Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix
At the Orsk furniture superstore in Cleveland, Ohio, everything is going wrong. Product breaks overnight, sales are down and employees are scared. To solve the mystery, three workers volunteer for a night shift. After dark, they’ll patrol the eerie showroom, face bizarre occurrences, and confront unimaginable horrors that defy explanation.
What if it wasn’t a haunted house but an entire big-box store? That’s the premise of Horrorstör, a traditional haunted house narrative turned out its head. Grady Hendrix’s novel is sleekly produced and truly scary.
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White Is for Witching by Helen Oyeyemi
The Silver family grapples with a profound loss in a mysterious house on the Cliffs of Dover after Lily disappears. Her daughter Miranda begins drifting away from her family, taking up magic and talking to spirits. When she eventually vanishes, too, her family is left to unravel her story and the house’s secrets.
White Is for Witching is the closest to a traditional haunted house novel on this list. While Helen Oyeyemi draws on Gothic roots, she adds a layer by introducing the house as a malevolent, unreliable and even racist narrator. Read this one with the lights on, folks.
What do you think is the creepiest setting for a haunted house novel? Pick up a few of these unconventional reads from your local independent bookstore or Bookshop.org, then let us know below!
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