10 Twisted Tales for Halloween

There’s nothing quite like a twisted psychological thriller or scary ghost story to get you in the mood for Halloween …

The ultimate “things are not as they seem” holiday …

For which people hide their true face behind masks and costumes, and you just never know if you’re going to get a treat …

Or a trick.

Ready to get into the spirit?

Let’s break out the Halloween candy, pour a glass of wine, and check out these 10 twisted tales: a mix of psychological thrillers, mysteries, and ghostly tales.

1. Ghost Gifts by Laura Spinella

This is a more of a romantic mystery then anything super scary, but it still has its twisted moments.

Aubrey, the main character, can talk to ghosts. Actually, more than that, she helps ghosts resolve things with the living, so they can move on.

Of course, if a ghost met an untimely death (think murder), things get more complicated, which is what this book is about.

If you tend to prefer more of a “who done it” type of mystery, this book may be perfect for you.

2. The Haunting of Ashbury House by Darcy Coates

You can check out my full review here. I’m including it here because it’s more of a “classic” scary story. Besides, you can’t go wrong with haunted houses and Halloween.

3. Little Darlings by Melanie Golding

I also reviewed this book here. If you’re looking for a truly twisted and creepy story, definitely check this one out. It’s a twist on the changeling mythology or fairy tales (where a fairy steals away a human child in the middle of the night and leaves behind one of its own, a changeling), and it’s both plausible and unsettling.

4. The Tales of Edgar Allan Poe by Edgar Allan Poe

No Halloween book collection would be complete without including the master himself. This anthology of short stories includes all of his most famous works such as “The Pit and the Pendulum,” “The Cask of Amontillado,” and, of course, “The Tell-Tale Heart.”

If you haven’t read Poe, I would encourage you to take a peek as many of the great horror stories and even twisted psychological tales are descended from the stories and poems he first conceived.

I’ll leave you with this:

“And the life of the ebony clock went out with that of the last of the gay. And the flames of the tripods expired. And Darkness and Decay and the Red Death held illimitable dominion over all.”

5. Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury

Another classically creepy story. Like Poe, Bradbury left us with many unsettling and spooky tales, and this one is one of his most famous.

What I loved most about it was the writing, how lyrical and poetic it was. (But, as a writer, I do tend to read books on two levels, as a reader and as a writer.) It’s hard to explain, but you’ll know what I’m talking about if you pick up a copy.

6. Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell

You can find my full review here. This was a very twisted psychological thriller. In fact, it was so twisted that I sort of figured it out early on, but it made no sense, so I discounted it. Little did I know that the crazy answer was indeed what was going on.

7. Silent Victim by Caroline Mitchell

My full review is here. What struck me about this book is that it’s better than what the cover and the title seemed to indicate. I still don’t completely understand the title, as the “victim” wasn’t really silent, but even if she was, I don’t think it’s that compelling of a title anyway.

However, the story itself is very compelling, as you’re never completely sure what precisely is going on.

8. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

I couldn’t possibly have a “twisted tale” list without including Gone Girl, the book most responsible for the resurgence of the psychological thriller genre. If you haven’t read this very dark and twisted book, I would highly recommend it.

9. The Stolen Twin by Michele Pariza Wacek

This book is definitely twisted, plus it opens at a Halloween party. Can’t get much more Halloween than that.

10. Secrets of Redemption series by Michele Pariza Wacek

As the whole series is about a haunted house in a haunted town (or, maybe it’s not haunted after all?), I of course had to include it in my twisted Halloween list. You can check the three-book series out (along with all my other books) right here.

Now it’s your turn. What are your fave Halloween twisted tales? Share in the comments below.