Chilling Summer Horror Books

Lynnette Tarkington has bravely survived a bloody massacre — but where do final girls like her go after the traumatic events that nearly killed them? The final girl support group. Other women like Lynnette, find their way into the support group to cope with the lasting effects of those horrific nights. But when one of the women from the group is murdered, Lynnette knows that those nights aren’t behind them after all — but a killer could be. The remaining women will have to put up one final fight to remain the last ones standing.

The last sweet summer before Kit Lamb leaves for college turns into a nightmare when members of her high school’s basketball team begin to die. Could it be possible that their murderer is Daphne, the school’s infamous former basketball player, or rather — her ghost? Though Daphne died a mysterious death several years earlier, her small town has kept the legend alive by fantasizing about the ways she might come back to avenge her death. While Kit’s ghost theory may seem far-fetched, her realization that she’s conjuring Daphne with her own mind sounds twice as outrageous — but this may prove itself to be supernaturally true.

Suburbia in Winchester, Illinois has tons to offer — that is if you’re interested in PTA meetings, block parties, and frequent trips to Target. Amy Foster can’t find a job in social work, but she has found a group of friends to get her through each monotonous moment. During one of their monthly meet-ups, they christen their new hangout spot — but the devil is in the details when they conjure the spirit of a woman who murdered her family — and finds her way into one of their bodies. It might be a cold day in hell before the women find a way to get back to their quiet suburban lives — and their friend.

After she loses her father and her home during the overthrow of the Mexican government, Beatriz has no choice but to marry the mysterious Don Rodolfo Solórzano. While rumors fly about the death of his first wife, Beatriz can’t get comfortable in his estate, Hacienda San Isidro. Her fears are amplified by the inexplicable things she sees and hears around the hacienda. When no one else listens to her, she must turn to Padre Andrés, an unconventional priest with a knowledge of witchcraft — and a budding, yet forbidden, attraction to Beatriz. But despite his best efforts, Hacienda San Isidro might take out the second Doña Solórzano, too.

As a Black woman, Liz Rocher left her predominantly white hometown with good reason and begrudgingly returns solely for her friend Mel’s wedding. But uncomfortable reunions aren’t the worst thing that Liz has coming. When Mel’s young daughter goes missing, a piece of bloodied fabric left in her place, Liz knows she’s seen this all before. A summer party and a girl who disappears without a trace — all reminiscent of several years prior when Keisha Woodson, the only other Black girl in town, was found dead. Liz knows this isn’t the first time a Black girl was targeted in this town, but she knows it will be the last — she’ll make sure of it.

Would it even be a summer horror list without Stephen King? Devin Jones looks at the summer of 1973 when he took an unforgettable summer job at Joyland — an amusement park in North Carolina. Hoping that a change of scenery might mend his broken heart, Devin finds far bigger fish to fry when he encounters the legend of the Carny Killer. Four years before, a girl named Linda Gray had been killed in Joyland’s Horror House — where her murderer was never found and her ghost has always stayed. Devin’s goals shift, now looking to discover who the killer is and find the answers that will set Linda free once and for all.

When Noemí Taboada receives an SOS from her recently-married cousin, she shows up at Catalina’s new husband’s dark and secluded family home in the Mexican countryside. But Catalina is kept from Noemí with a case of (supposed) consumption and Noemí must deal with the less-than-welcoming husband and his family by herself. As Noemí investigates the house’s hidden secrets, she comes closer to finding the true reason for her cousin’s ominous letter, and the violent history of her in-laws. Take a summer trip straight to the Mexican countryside, shown through Noemí’s eyes. But beware — this journey will be no vacation.

In this social horror, Farrah Turner is forced to stay with her best friend, Cherish Whitman, when her parents’ home faces foreclosure. As the only two Black girls in their country club community, Farrah feels even more out of place while living with Cherish’s white adoptive parents. In an angered attempt to gain back the control she’s lost, Farrah manipulates her way deeper into the Whitman family’s life, despite her own parents’ concerns. But the Whitmans’ warmth and hospitality comes from a much darker place than Farrah’s manipulative tactics. Will she come to realize this before she overstays her welcome?

In 2003, three campers snuck out of their cabin during the night and never returned. Emma, their fellow cabin mate who stayed behind, was the last person to see them alive — and she still carries that guilt around with her fifteen years later. Working as an artist, Emma paints the murdered girls onto her canvases — something that Francesca, the current owner of the newly reopened camp, notices. When Emma agrees to take on a job there as an art counselor, memories come flooding back, and new details in the case arise — particularly ones that point to Emma as the camp’s killer.