New books in October
No October book list would be complete without some spooky titles. This month's new books don't fail to raise the hairs on your arms, or at least to raise your eyebrows in wonder. Take a look at the best "dark and twisted" fiction coming your way in October and get your holds right away so you're sure to have the perfect, bone-chilling book for a cool fall evening.
1. Welcome to Night Vale by Joseph Fink & Jeffrey Cranor
"Hypnotic and darkly funny. . . . Belongs to a particular strain of American gothic that encompasses The Twilight Zone, Stephen King and Twin Peaks, with a bit of Tremors thrown in."-The Guardian
From the creators of the wildly popular Welcome to Night Vale podcast comes an imaginative mystery of appearances and disappearances that is also a poignant look at the ways in which we all struggle to find ourselves...no matter where we live. Located in a nameless desert somewhere in the great American Southwest, Night Vale is a small town where ghosts, angels, aliens, and government conspiracies are all commonplace parts of everyday life. It is here that the lives of two women, with two mysteries, will converge.
2. Fearie Tales: Stories of the Grimm and Gruesome
In the grand tradition of the Brothers Grimm, some of the today's finest fantasy and horror writers have created their own brand-new fairy tales, but with a decidedly darker twist. Fearie Tales is a fantastical mix of spellbinding retelling of classic stories such as Cinderella, Rapunzel, Hansel and Gretel and Rumpelstiltskin, along with unsettling tales inspired by other children's classics. These modern masterpieces of the macabre by Neil Gaiman, Garth Nix, Ramsey Campbell, Joanne Harris, Markus Heitz, John Ajvide Lindquist, Angela Slatter, Michael Marshall Smith, and many others, and are illustrated by Oscar-winning artist Alan Lee.
3. The Circle by Bernard Minier
The plot is perfectly executed and delivers two genuine gut punches at the end. - Publishers Weekly
In the middle of a World Cup match, Martin Servaz receives a call from a long-lost lover. A few miles away in the town of Marsac, Classics professor Claire Diemar has been brutally murdered. As if that weren't disturbing enough, Servaz receives a cryptic e-mail indicating that Julian Hirtmann, the most twisted of all serial killers, is back...and hitting a little too close to home.
4. What You See by Hank Phillippi Ryan
"Drop everything and binge-read!" - Library Journal
Why would a father abduct his own child? A wedding is planned in Jane Ryland's family, but there's a disaster instead. Nine-year-old Gracie-supposed to be the flower girl-has been taken by her stepdad. Where are they? Is the girl in danger? Reporter Jane Ryland learns there's a limit to the bonds of family-and learns to her peril what happens when loved ones are pushed too far.
5. Wake of Vultures by Lila Bowen
"The narrative is a love letter to the paranormal western genre. Fantastical history fans will be delighted." - Publisher's Weekly
Nettie Lonesome lives in a land of hard people and hard ground dusted with sand. She's a half-breed who dresses like a boy, raised by folks who don't call her a slave but use her like one. She knows of nothing else. That is, until the day a stranger attacks her. When nothing, not even a sickle to the eye can stop him, Nettie stabs him through the heart with a chunk of wood, and he turns into black sand. And just like that, Nettie can see . But her newfound ability is a blessing and a curse.
Looking for something more?
Catch up on the Fiction 5 archives, where you're sure to find your next favorite book.
