Haunting Books for Halloween: Laura Pearson

October is in full swing, and we’re sure you don’t need us to remind you of all that is spectacular about this spooky season. But just in case, we’ve asked our authors to share some of their favourite Halloween reads. Up first: Laura Pearson, author of Missing Pieces.

I’m a bit of a wimp and don’t really read much scary stuff, but I run The Motherload Book Club on Facebook, and I thought it would be fun to share some recent and upcoming creepy books with the members, so I’ve been on the hunt for examples. These are some of the ones I’m really looking forward to.

The Lingering by SJI Holliday

Described as ‘an unnerving mystery…and a dark and superbly wrought ghost story,’ The Lingering is about a couple who move to a self-sufficient commune and set off a chain of unsettling events. I’ve seen lots of people on Twitter saying it’s really chilling.

The Flower Girls by Alice Clark-Platts

Nineteen years after three girls went out to play and only two came back, another child has gone missing. The Flower Girls has been described as unsettling and sinister, and it’s calling to me from the bookcase.

Bad Apple by Zoje Stage

This novel is about a 7-year-old girl, who has never spoken a word, that breaks her silence to say something chilling to her mother when no one else is around to hear it. There’s something really fascinating about ‘bad’ children, and the premise of this one makes me shiver.

The Tall Man by Phoebe Locke

The Tall Man has been described as ‘a blend of dark psychological suspense and spine-tingling chills,’ and I think I’m going to have to read it when I’m not alone in the house. It’s about two women, one who’s been haunted by the Tall Man since she was a child and one who’s just been acquitted of a murder charge.

Too Close to Breathe by Olivia Kiernan

‘A claustrophobic crime thriller that will keep you gripped and leave you gasping,’ Too Close to Breathe is about a death that looks like a suicide but might be a murder. Then another body is found, and it starts to look like there’s a serial killer on the loose.

Come back next Wednesday for more haunting Halloween reads, and don’t forget to share your personal favourites with us on Twitter @AgoraBooksLDN!