This article was originally posted on CrimeReads on February 25, 2026. Several readers have mentioned this article to me at various events over the past few months, and the good folks at CrimeReads have graciously allowed me to repost here.

For decades, the slasher taught us the rules:

Girls screamed. Girls ran. Girls died.

The Final Girl lived, yes—but survival was her only reward. She didn’t get joy. She didn’t get closure. She didn’t even get rest. More often than not, she got sequels: Laurie Strode returning again and again in Halloween, Sally Hardesty screaming her way out of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre only to remain forever trapped in its orbit—endless variations on the same violence, the same man, the same knife. She lived long enough for the credits to roll.

We were told this was victory.

But survival is a low bar. To live within the rules is not the same thing as to win outside them.

Throughout horror history, women have been relegated to hysterics, monsters, hags, witches, and worse. In slashers, we were reduced to a brutal economy of virtue and punishment—the virgins and the sluts, the worthy and the dispensable. Even the Final Girl, canonized as a feminist triumph, remained a role shaped by constraint. Her body became a warning. Her trauma, a narrative function—proof that the system still worked. Proof that violence could continue as long as one woman lived through it.

The Final Girl was the genre’s alibi. A way to say, See? She lived, while continuing to discard every other woman along the way.

Before the Final Girl became a symbol, she was just a body.

Proof that desire came with consequences. Proof that curiosity carried a price. Proof that stepping outside a prescribed role invited erasure. Franchises like Friday the 13th and A Nightmare on Elm Street didn’t just kill women—they sorted them. Some were spared longer than others, their bodies arranged into lessons meant for the women in the audience to absorb: don’t be a slut, don’t be nosy, don’t go asking for trouble.

The Final Girl pretended to be the exception. Smarter. Cleaner. More agreeable. She lived because she followed the rules—not because the rules served her. She survived by being palatable. Presentable. Acceptable.

And this is where the trope becomes a cop-out.

The existence of a single female survivor allowed horror to keep sacrificing women wholesale while congratulating itself for progress. The genre didn’t stop killing women; it simply learned to point to the one left standing. The Final Girl didn’t challenge the violence—she made it easier to swallow. After all, if a woman could survive, it’s really not that bad, is it?

Though she survived, the Final Girl’s story was still one of endurance rather than agency. She didn’t choose to fight; violence cornered her and demanded a response. Power wasn’t something she claimed—only something she borrowed at the last possible moment. Survival came at the cost of everything else.

The Final Girl was allowed to exist, but not to transform. She didn’t get a future. She got a memory. Her purpose was to remember the horror so the story could justify itself—so the audience could leave reassured that the old rules still worked.

It wasn’t enough.

The most meaningful evolution in the slasher isn’t that women learned to survive it. It’s that we stopped mistaking survival for victory.

We’re pushing away the roles of hysterics, monsters, hags, witches. We’re no longer interested in earning our survival through restraint. We’re reclaiming our femininity, our complexity, our softness—not as weakness, but as tools. We’re refusing the false choice between villain and victim.

We’re both.

We’re neither.

And we’re done accepting the terms altogether.

Women creators are no longer content to revise the Final Girl. We’re dismantling her entirely. A growing wave of women are reshaping the genre from the inside out, shifting the focus from reaction to intention. The new breed of Final Girl is no longer confined to running. She doesn’t just escape violence—she strips the slasher of its inevitability. She refuses the moral narrowness of the role. Refuses to be good—or grateful.

Female-driven slashers ask a more dangerous question: What happens when a woman doesn’t want redemption?

What happens when she wants control?

This is where female rage enters the genre—not as hysteria, not as breakdown, but as a force with narrative weight. In contemporary horror—in works by authors like Rachel Harrison, Gwendolyn Kiste, Rachel Yoder, Mona Awad, and many more—women are allowed to be furious without apology.

Their anger is not framed as a problem to solve. It’s treated as rational. Earned. Useful. These works may not all wear the slasher’s mask, but they operate on the same blade—reclaiming violence, agency, and female interiority from a genre that once denied them.

The slasher becomes a framework where women explore power, control, and consequence on their own terms—without asking permission.

This shift doesn’t require a monster in a mask any more than it requires a male body to oppose. In many of these narratives, the conflict exists entirely within a feminine ecosystem—between women, within women, or between who a woman is and who she is expected to be. The pressure isn’t always external. Sometimes it looks like tradition. Like concern. Like the quiet choreography of acceptable womanhood.

Here, the Final Girl is no longer the opposite of the slasher.

She is not the answer to violence.

She is the author of it.

When a woman occupies both roles, the genre changes fundamentally. Violence is no longer a moral lesson or an interruption—it becomes expression. Choice. Craft. The knife is no longer borrowed or symbolic. It isn’t a punishment and it isn’t a prop. It’s a tool of agency, of ownership, of authorship.

These stories aren’t asking who deserves to die.

They’re asking who gets to decide.

This is where pink horror thrives—not as irony or novelty, but as strategy. Femininity, long treated as artificial and disposable, becomes material. Performance becomes camouflage. Domestic spaces become stages. Bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens, PTA meetings, elementary-school playdates—spaces once coded as safe or trivial or “womanly”—are transformed into sites of power and control.

In my novel Dollface, the slasher is no longer something a woman escapes. It’s something she inhabits. The violence is shaped by performance, by expectation, by the suffocating pressure of being pleasing and presentable—and by the fury that blooms when that pressure becomes unbearable. The woman at the center is not redeemed by survival. She is clarified by choice.

And she is not alone.

In today’s horror landscape, women are reclaiming the genre not just as survivors, as Final Girls, but as villains—as slashers. Their violence is intimate, observant, and deeply personal. It understands the social architecture it moves through because it—we, the women writing it—were raised inside it. These stories don’t imagine women becoming monstrous. They recognize that we’ve always been paying attention.

Women don’t just survive horror anymore. We’re writing it.

And we’re done pretending we’re not furious.

This article was originally published on BookTrib as part of my Chill Quill series. Read the original article here.

May’s horror lineup is all about transformation — with teeth. From isolated islands and idyllic farms to haunted forests and too-perfect lives, these stories peel back the veneer of control and ask what we’re willing to become to survive, belong or start over. The result? A month of sharp, unsettling reads where reinvention isn’t just tempting — it’s terrifying.

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I Know A Place: Rest Stop and Other Dark Detours by Nat Cassidy

(Shortwave, May 5)

This chilling short-story collection turns ordinary places into nightmares, guiding readers through a series of dark, uncanny stops where something is always watching — and waiting. Blending terror with sharp humor, each story dares you to keep going…even when you know you shouldn’t.

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Make Me Better by Sarah Gailey

(Tor, May 12)

Lured to a remote island community that promises healing and belonging, a lonely woman finds herself drawn into a seductive world where transformation comes at an unspoken cost. As the line between self-improvement and self-erasure blurs, she must decide how much of herself she’s willing to give to finally belong.

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Femme Feral by Sam Beckbessinger

(Viking, May 12)

When a high-powered mom chalks her alarming symptoms up to perimenopause, she discovers she’s actually turning into a werewolf — one fueled by years of swallowed rage. As her newfound power turns violently liberating, she must decide whether to tame the beast or let it tear her carefully built life apart.

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Trad Wife by Sarah Langan

(Tor Nightfire, May 14)

When a journalist sets out to expose a picture-perfect tradwife influencer, she finds something far more sinister lurking beneath the curated façade of Black Swan Farm. As reality begins to slip and something ancient coils at the heart of it all, the story she’s chasing might consume her first.

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The Dorians by Nick Cutter

(Gallery, May 19)

On a remote island, five elderly volunteers agree to a radical experiment promising restored youth — only to become subjects of something far older, hungrier and impossible to control. As science collides with survival instinct, the pursuit of immortality spirals into a nightmare with no ethical limits.

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Salomé by Leslie Baird

(Putnam, May 19)

When an adrift journalist follows a magnetic stranger to a surveillance-laced home in rural France, she’s pulled into a feverish spiral of cultish ambition, family secrets and seductive reinvention. As nightmare and reality blur, she must decide whether the story she’s chasing is worth the cost of losing herself — or her life.

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Bone of My Bone by Johanna van Veen

(Poisoned Pen, May 26)

In war-ravaged 1635 Bavaria, a runaway nun and a cunning peasant follow a cursed saint’s skull through a haunted forest, pursued by dark magic and their own dangerous desires. As devotion twists into obsession, they must decide what they’re willing to sacrifice — for salvation, for power and for each other.

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I’ll Watch Your Baby by Neena Viel

(St. Martin’s Press, May 26)

Spanning decades, a notorious con woman builds a monstrous legacy through child trafficking schemes that ripple into the life of a young woman caught in the aftermath. As past and present collide, survival means confronting the brutal truth of who’s been watching — and what it will cost to break free.

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This article was originally published on BookTrib as part of my Chill Quill series. Read the original article here.

Spring may be in full bloom, but this horror lineup proves the rot is still very much alive beneath the surface. This month’s releases dig into haunted houses, fractured timelines, buried rage and the ghosts we carry — whether in our homes, our histories or our own bodies. From surreal revenge to gothic reckonings and quiet, creeping dread, these stories remind us that what’s been hidden doesn’t stay that way for long.

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Bodies of Work by Clay McLeod Chapman

(Titan Books, April 7)

A reclusive janitor who murders forgotten women to fuel his “art” finds himself haunted by the voices he stole — voices that now demand revenge. This chilling, surreal novella delivers a brutal reckoning where the unseen refuse to stay silent.

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Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Baker

(Hanover Square Press, April 14)

In this lyrical, mythology-laced horror novel, a man on the run and a samurai in exile—centuries apart—find their lives entwined by a haunted house where time fractures and something ancient waits beneath. As their realities blur, only one truth remains: not every ghost is what it seems, and some doors should never be opened.

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The Haunted House She Calls Her Own by Gwendolyn Kiste

(Raw Dog Screaming Press, April 14)

This haunting collection weaves gothic, feminist and query tales where the past refuses to stay buried and the house itself becomes a prison of memory and rage. Featuring award-winning and original stories, these eerie, emotionally charged narratives explore survival, resistance and the ghosts we carry within us.

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May the Dead Keep You by Jill Baguchinsky

(Little, Brown, April 21)

In a redwood-shrouded estate steeped in rot and memory, a solitary girl is drawn into a haunting that twists love into something possessive and violent. As the house’s dark history seeps into everyone around her, she must break the cycle before it consumes her, too.

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Molka by Monika Kim

(Erewhon Books, April 28)

In a surveillance-soaked Seoul, a hidden camera scandal entangles a lonely IT voyeur and a woman unraveling under grief, betrayal and obsession. A chilling exploration of voyeurism, power and female raged pushed to its breaking point.

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Dark Is When the Devil Comes by Daisy Pearce

(Minotaur Books, April 28)

When a woman returns to her isolated hometown after a failed marriage, she vanishes into the woods — awakening old fears and something far worse that may have followed her back. Thick with dread and unease, the forest in this chilling tale doesn’t just take — it keeps.

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This article was originally published on BookTrib as part of my Chill Quill series. Read the original article here.

This year, March is bringing the monsters! From neon-lit cities haunted by vanished gods to blood-soaked cabarets, cursed forests and grief that refuses to stay buried, this month’s darkest releases dive deep into obsession, transformation and things that refuse to die.

Whether you prefer Gothic dread, supernatural thrillers or strange stories that linger under your skin, these new reads prove that spring isn’t the only thing stirring in the dark.

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No Gods for Drowning by Hailey Piper

(Bad Hand Books, March 3)

In a neon-soaked city abandoned by the gods, monsters rise from the deep while a ritualistic killer stalks the streets. As detectives hunt the murderer and a desperate woman turns to blood magic to save her home, they uncover a conspiracy that could drown the world in ancient chaos.

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Cabaret in Flames by Hache Pueyo

(Tordotcom, March 10)

In an alternate Brazil ruled from the shadows by flesh-hungry guls, a doctor who survived their brutality is pulled into a dangerous investigation when a charming gul arrives searching for her missing mentor. What follows is a glittering, bloody descent into Rio’s most infamous cabaret — where conspiracies, monsters and forbidden desire burn just beneath the surface.

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The Fox and the Devil by Kiersten White

(Del Rey, March 10)

After her father’s brutal murder, Anneke Van Helsing hunts the mysterious killer stalking Europe — an otherworldly woman who leaves only bodies and blood-soaked letters behind. But as the trail leads deeper into vampire lore and forbidden obsession, Anneke realizes the monster she’s chasing may be something far more ancient — and dangerously drawn to her.

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Wolf Worm by T. Kingfisher

(Tor Nightfire, March 24)

In 1899, North Carolina, a young scientific illustrator accepts a position cataloguing insects for a reclusive doctor, only to discover his research has taken a horrifying turn. As strange creatures stir in the woods and whispers of “blood thieves” grow louder, she realizes the cost of his discoveries may be paid in human flesh.

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Wretch by Eric LaRocca

(Saga, March 24)

After the death of his husband, a grieving man joins a mysterious support group that offers members one final, intimate encounter with their lost loved ones — for a terrible price. This hallucinatory tech-Gothic nightmare explores grief, obsession and the dangerous lengths we’ll go to hold on to love.

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Nothing Tastes as Good by Luke Dumas

(Atria Books, March 31)

A desperate man enrolls in a radical weight-loss trial that transforms his body overnight, but the miracle drug comes with blackouts, monstrous cravings, and a growing body count. Darkly surreal and razor-sharp, this thriller explores body image, obsession, and the terrifying cost of finally becoming someone the world accepts.

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This article was originally published on BookTrib as part of my Chill Quill series. Read the original article here.

Love is in the air this February—but so is something darker. This month’s horror releases bring haunted influencers, monstrous pregnancies, bloodthirsty vampires, enchanted forests, cursed wells, and the high price of happily-ever-after. Whether you’re craving a slow-burn gothic or a full-throttle screamfest, there’s something for every dark heart in this month’s new reads.

And speaking of twisted love stories, my new novel Dollface hits shelves February 24! Barbie meets Scream when a plastic-faced serial killer starts slashing their way through suburban New Jersey, horror author and new-PTA mom Jill finds herself at the center of a gossip-fueled murder spree—until she might just be the last woman standing. If you’re here for a whimsical, bloody, unsettling suburban slasher with a killer twist, this one is for you!

So, whether you’re looking for a little romance with your horror—or a little horror with your romance—here are a few of this month’s new books to fall for.

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Books & Bewitchment by Isla Jewell

When Rhea Wolfe inherits a crumbling video store and an unexpected magical legacy, she sets out to build the bookstore of her dreams—only to uncover old rivalries, dangerous secrets and a forbidden love that could cost her everything. This cozy, witchy romcom is perfect for fans of small towns, big magic and second chances.

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Trad Wife by Saratoga Schaefer

In this razor-sharp horror novel for the digital age, a desperate tradwife influencer makes a wish for a baby at a cursed well—and finds herself pregnant with something monstrous in this chilling tale where online performance and eldritch motherhood collide.

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First Date by Gemma Armor

When two lonely hearts hit it off on a promising first date, they’re abducted by a killer who hunts happy couples—and must rely on each other to survive. A vicious, blood-soaked thriller that asks: if you make it out alive, are you still meant to be?

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Dead First by Johnny Compton

When a private investigator is hired by an immortal billionaire to uncover why he can’t die, she finds herself unraveling a terrifying mystery buried in forgotten memories—and bound to her own darkest secrets. A chilling, twisty supernatural horror.

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A Forest, Darkly by A. G. Slatter

In a haunted forest stalked by god-hounds and growing darkness, a reclusive witch shelters a hunted woman—and finds herself at the heart of a battle for her found family, forbidden love and the soul of the woods. A gothic fairytale of changelings, curses and witchcraft.

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Maria the Hunted by V. Castro

A newly turned vampire on the run through Mexico, Maria battles cartels, ancient conspiracies and the devil himself in a visceral journey of blood, desire and defiance. A fierce, seductive tale of survival and self-discovery.

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Nowhere Burning by Catriona Ward

Two runaway siblings seek refuge in the mountains at a derelict ranch-turned-haven for lost kids—but the price of sanctuary may be more terrifying than what they fled. A haunting blend of dark fairy tale and survival horror set in the Colorado Rockies.

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Night of the Mannequins by Stephen Graham Jones

This reissue of the award-winning novella is a fast, feral slasher where a teen prank turns into a bloodbath. Darkly funny and brutally smart, this one proves that sometimes being the hero means becoming the monster.

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This article was originally published on BookTrib as part of my Chill Quill series. Read the original article here.

New year, new nightmares. From ghost-haunted towns to snowbound streets whispering ancient secrets, this month’s horror lineup explores the dark threads of grief, inheritance, and transformation. Whether you’re craving short stories or queer Southern Gothic, January kicks off the year with fresh chills that linger well past the final page.

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A Box Full of Darkness by Simone St. James

When three estranged siblings are lured home by the sudden reappearance of their missing brother, they must confront the ghosts of their past—some literal, some not—before the ghosts of Fell consume them all.

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Eminence Front by Rebecca Rowland

A brutal winter storm awakens an ancient malevolence buried beneath a quiet New England street. As the snow falls, the residents hear the storm whisper through their darkest regrets—and not everyone will survive its call.

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Hemlock by Melissa Faliveno

A woman returns to her family’s crumbling forest cabin to confront the addition and ancestral rot still lurking there. The wilderness creeps in and her body begins to change in this haunting tale of transformation, inheritance, and monstrous rebirth.

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Ballad of the Bone Road by A.C. Wise

In ghost-drenched Port Astor, two haunted investigators uncover a supernatural conspiracy that links a demon, a cursed hotel and a long-vanished fae queen. A lush, eerie blend of queer love, doomed glamour and dangerous magic that refuses to be forgotten.

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On Sundays She Picked Flowers by Yah Yah Scholfield

In this feral Southern Gothic debut, a woman builds a haunted life of healing in the Georgia woods—until a mysterious stranger arrives and awakens the violence she thought she’d buried. A tale of ghosts, trauma and transformation rooted in blood and blooming with vengeance.

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We Should Have Left Well Enough Alone by Ronald Malfi

Twenty eerie tales where grief, addiction and unsettling encounters peel back reality’s skin to reveal the horrors beneath. From Halloween revelations to shark-infested getaways, this collection proves that the darkness inside us is always the most terrifying.

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This article was originally published on BookTrib as part of my Chill Quill series. Read the original article here.

As the nights grow colder and the year winds down, I’m revisiting some of my favorite reads from this year’s New Releases. From ghost-soaked hotels to cursed legacies, witchy teens to viral monsters and even a nefarious cheesecake murder, these were the books that stuck with me long after the last page. Of course, no end-of-year roundup would be complete without a few unexpected guests, so I’ve tucked in some chilling surprises perfect for winter reading. So, light a candle, lock the door and let’s look back at a year of terror, transformation and terrifying fiction. Here are my Top 10 2025 favorites.

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Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix

In the blistering summer of 1970, a pregnant teen arrives at a reform home for girls and discovers a book of witchcraft that offers more than rebellion—it offers real power. Gritty, spellbinding, and ferociously feminist, Hendrix’s latest is a raw invocation of girlhood rage and supernatural liberation.

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The Haunting of Room 904 by Erika T. Wurth

After her sister’s sudden death, Olivia finds herself haunted by more than grief—she’s hearing voices, seeing things, and the spirits only get louder once she checks into Room 904 of the Brown Palace Hotel. In this gritty, atmospheric paranormal thriller, Wurth blends Indigenous horror with raw emotional weight, unearthing secrets that refuse to stay buried.

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Murder by Cheesecake by Rachel Ekstrom Courage

When Dorothy’s obnoxious date turns up dead in a hotel freezer—beside a ruined cheesecake—it threatens to derail Rose’s elaborate St. Olaf-themed wedding. Cozy, kitschy, and full of cheesecake-baked chaos, Ekstrom’s first Golden Girls murder-mystery is a sweet stab of nostalgia.

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When the Wolf Comes Home by Nat Cassidy

After a brutal encounter with a violent man, a struggling actress finds herself on the run with a mysterious child—and hunted by something darker than trauma: a primal, unstoppable force that feeds on fear. Brutal, strange and emotionally raw, Cassidy’s latest is a razor-sharp exploration of monstrosity, motherhood, and what happens when the Big Bad Wolf is already inside the house.

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Pam Kowolski is a Monster! by Sarah Langan

Two decades after high school, Janet’s childhood nemesis has transformed into a viral psychic influencer predicting the apocalypse—and she might actually be right. Unhinged, hilarious, and razor-sharp, Langan’s novella is a riotous tale of revenge, fame, and the monsters we make (and follow) online.

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Secret lives of the Dead by Tim Lebbon

A forbidden dare leads three friends into the decaying remains of a country estate—where something old, buried, and vengeful stirs beneath the floorboards. With blood-soaked relics and a curse steeped in belief, Lebbon’s chilling folk horror will have you questioning what lingers in the dark.

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Play Nice by Rachel Harrison

When influencer Clio Barnes inherits her childhood home, she sees a content opportunity—until renovations stir something sinister that makes her question if her mother’s madness was really a curse. Harrison delivers a sharp, chilling take on hauntings and legacy in her first New York Times Bestseller.

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We Love You, Bunny by Mona Awad

In this blood-soaked, deliriously unhinged sequel to Bunny, Awad drags Samantha Mackey back into the Bunny-verse—this time kidnapped at axe-point by her former classmates demanding their side of the story.

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The Place Where They Buried Your Heart by Christina Henry

Years after her little brother vanished inside a house that devours, Jessie Campanelli is still haunted by what’s waiting down the block. Henry delivers a chilling tale of grief, guilt and the kind of evil that waits, patient and hungry, in an otherwise quiet Chicago suburban neighborhood.

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Dark Sisters by Kristi DeMeester

A fire once sparked by a desperate bargain burns across generations in this genre-blending tale. Told through interwoven stories of three women—a 17^th-century healer, a 1950s housewife, and a modern preacher’s daughter, DeMeester’s haunting novel explores the enduring power of love, rebellion, and a curse that refuses to die.

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This article was originally published on BookTrib as part of my Chill Quill series. Read the original article here.

This month’s newest horrors are about the things we bury — secrets in the trees, grief in the walls, wolves in our hearts. Whether you’re chasing ghosts in haunted houses, howling with rage in the wild, or vanishing into a valley of impossible wonders, November’s releases are rich with atmosphere, aching with memory and sharpened by the bite of what we tried to forget. These are tales of return, reckoning and the monsters we carry with us.

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THE PLACE WHERE THEY BURIED YOUR HEART by Christina Henry

(Berkley, November 4)

Years after daring her little brother into a house that swallowed him whole, Jessie Campanelli still lives on the same Chicago street — haunted by grief, guilt and something far more sinister. In this chilling tale of loss and lingering evil, the house that took Paul — and the rest of Jessie’s family — is still waiting … and it’s hungry.

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HOWL: AN ANTHOLOGY OF WEREWOLVES FROM WOMEN IN HORROR by Lindy Ryan & Stephanie M. Wytovich (editors)

(Black Spot Books, November 4)

Fierce, feral and gloriously untamed, this visceral anthology explores the deep-rooted connection between women and wolves through blood, rage, transformation and freedom. A star-studded collection, contemporary horror’s most powerful voices rip into the mythos of the she-wolf and bare their teeth against the world.

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THE FOREST OF MISSING GIRLS by Nichelle Giraldes

(Poisoned Pen, November 11)

After a breakup sends her back to her childhood home, Lia Gregg must confront the forest that haunted her youth — a place of whispered legends and vanished girls. But when her sister disappears and the danger creeps closer, Lia uncovers secrets tangled in the trees and a family history rooted in something far darker than fear.

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GOD’S JUNK DRAWER by Peter Clines

(Blackstone, November 11)

Forty years after vanished into thin air during a rafting trip, Billy Gather returns with an unbelievable tale of a lost valley teeming with dinosaurs, androids and ancient mysteries. Now, as an adult known as Professor Noah Barnes, he accidentally drags his students back into that strange, dangerous world.

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YOU WATCHED IN SILENCE by H. Lee Justine

(Blackstone, November 18)

When heartbroken Caitlyn becomes nanny to the children of a disgraced influencer on a remote Pacific Northwest island, she hopes to rebuild her life — but the eerie estate hides whispers, magic and a girl only she can see. Blending psychological thriller and gothic horror, grief, obsession and dark secrets threaten to consume everything Caitlyn thought she knew.

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This article was originally published on BookTrib as part of my Chill Quill series. Read the original article here.

It’s the spookiest month of spooky season, and this month’s picks are all about horror in its finest forms — ghost girls in cursed homes, sisters wrapped in secrets and botanical estates blooming with forbidden love and buried rot. From queer retellings to murderous hauntings, demonic demons and blood-soaked culinary revenge, October’s newest books remind us that what lies beneath is often far more terrifying than what waits on the surface. Happy haunting!

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Her Wicked Roots by Tanya Pell

In this lush retelling of Rappaccini’s Daughter, Cordelia Beecher flees a grim charity school in search of her missing brother — only to be drawn into the eerie splendor of a secluded estate ruled by a mysterious botanist and her beguiling daughters. As Cordi’s romance with the enigmatic Briar deepens, she uncovers dark secrets rooted deep in Edenfield’s soil.

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Sisters Before Misters by Amelia Diane Coombs

Remi Finch’s Halloween takes a sharp turn when her sister’s estranged husband vanishes, leaving behind a severed finger and a trail of lies. With a ruthless detective circling and their family ties fraying, Remi must untangle a deadly web of secrets before her sister takes the fall for a crime she may or may not have committed in the second adventure for the Finch sisters.

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How To Fake A Haunting by Christa Carmen

When Lainey Taylor and her friend stage a fake haunting to scare off her volatile, alcoholic husband, their plan seems foolproof — until something truly sinister takes root in their rage-filled home. As fabricated horrors spiral into real nightmares, Lainey must team up with the man she fears most to survive the darkness they’ve unleashed.

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Cinder House by Freya Marske

Ella is a ghost bound to her father’s house, visible only to her cruel stepfamily and cursed to return to the scene of her death every night. But when a mysterious charm-seller offers her three nights of her near-life, Ella steps into a darkly romantic world of forbidden magic and longing in this lush and aching queer retelling of Cinderella.

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King Sorrow by Joe Hill

When six college friends use a forbidden grimoire to summon a dragon and solve a desperate problem, they unwittingly unleash an ancient entity with a hunger for blood and a long memory. A chilling dark academia tale of magic, friendship and the monstrous price of revenge that demands yearly human sacrifice — or else.

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Futility by Nuzo Onoh

When a trickster spirit offers two betrayed women the chance at bloody vengeance, they embark on a gleeful spree of murder, body-swapping and culinary revenge. Set in Abuja and brimming with wit and horror, this darkly funny tale from the Queen of African Horror is as sharp as a butcher’s knife — and twice as satisfying.

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This interview originally ran on Rue Morgue.

Storms batter the cliffs, and shadows coil in the lantern room in WIDOW’S POINT, the blood-chilling new novel from Richard Chizmar and his son, W.H. Chizmar. Solitude quickly becomes madness when a paranormal investigator agrees to spend a weekend inside the infamous Widow’s Point lighthouse. He expects creaking stairs and cold drafts, but what he finds are restless phantoms, centuries of violence and a darkness that refuses to let him leave. With father and son joining forces, the Chizmars deliver a gothic descent into isolation, obsession and the horrors we bring with us into the dark.

A tight, terrifying plunge into supernatural dread, WIDOW’S POINT is a terrifying melange that blends the dark atmosphere and isolation of The Lighthouse with the lore-building of The Blair Witch Project.

RUE MORGUE recently had the opportunity to sit down with Richard and W.H. Chizmar to chat about WIDOW’S POINT, now available from Simon and Schuster/Gallery Books.

WIDOW’S POINT is a father-and-son collaboration. What was it like writing together? How does the creative process shift when you’re not just co-authors but family?

Richard Chizmar: Billy and I had collaborated on a number of short stories, but WIDOW’S POINT was by far our most ambitious project. It was a real joy from start to finish. Challenging, for sure, but also a lot of fun. Most days, I couldn’t wait to sit down at the keyboard. We actually never sat side-by-side working on the book until we did the final editorial pass. Before that, it was always solo work and then sending along the updated file via email. Sometimes, we indicated where we thought the story was going, but mostly, we just trusted each other to pick up where we’d left off.

W.H. Chizmar: Being family makes it a lot easier, I think. I grew up with Dad as my rec sports coach, so he and I had plenty of opportunities to butt heads and sort it out. By the time we were writing together, we knew each other’s collaborative style like the backs of our own hands. Besides, we’ve been each other’s first readers for over a decade now. I know my dad’s storytelling voice; he knows my writing strengths and weaknesses, and we seem to mesh with each other.

Lighthouses are inherently eerie, perched between land and sea, safety and danger. What drew you both to Widow’s Point as the story’s setting?

RC: WIDOW’S POINT, the novel, was based on Widow’s Point, the novella, which was based on “Widow’s Point,” the short story. The original story, published back in 2017, was written for an anthology of sea-faring horror called Fearful Fathoms edited by Mark Parker. Billy and I figured most of the writers would be trying their hand at stories set on ships far out to sea, so we wanted to do something a little different. The idea of a haunted lighthouse with a cursed past hit us like a thunderbolt, and we ran with it.

W.H. C: It helped that we had recently returned from a New England road trip, during which Maine was a definite highlight. I think we stopped at every lighthouse we saw there, just as an excuse to stretch our legs and get a deep breath of fresh sea breeze. But we couldn’t help but be a little mesmerized by the massive stone towers, some of them on rocky islands hundreds of yards from shore. By comparison, the lighthouses in our hometown of Chesapeake are miniature!

The book weaves the lore of past tragedies at the lighthouse. How did you decide what “haunted history” to invent, and how much did you pull from real lighthouse legends?

RC: We’ve often referred to WIDOW’S POINT as our “everything-but-the-kitchen-sink” novel. In building the back story, we showed little restraint and pretty much threw in everything we could think of. That was the fun of it. To play with a whole slew of horror tropes and chestnuts. As for research, the only thing I really dug into was the design and architecture of lighthouses from that era. I wanted our descriptions to be authentic and believable.

W.H. C: I’m with Rich. Most of my lighthouse-specific research was practical, especially for the novella and novel versions. We had to know the day-to-day routine of a lighthouse keeper inside and out. That more grounded starting point led us to some fun and unique places, but also helped to remind us that keepers were just ordinary people with a pretty unique job. Though my mom and her siblings did grow up fishing on the Bay a lot, and even those shallow waters spark some very strange stories. So, nautical tall tales do run in the family!

The protagonists’ isolation spirals into psychological horror. Did you approach the story as more of a supernatural haunting or a tale of madness – or a mix of both?

RC: Definitely, a mixture of both… with very blurred lines delineating which was which. That’s something we discussed very early on.

W.H. C: Blurring that line was a heavy focus of the original short story and novella, but looking back at the full novel? With the 2025 section? I think we’ve leapt over that line, and I couldn’t be more thrilled.

Rich, you’ve built an impressive horror legacy. Billy, you’re carrying that forward. What did you each learn from the other during WIDOW’S POINT?

RC: From Billy, I learned to trust my instincts and not be afraid to let loose. He’s young but also a very confident writer. That was cool to see as the story played out.

W.H. C: Over the iterations of WIDOW’S POINT, I haven’t just watched myself grow as a writer, but my dad, too. I think this applies to any craft, but watching how the voice of someone I look up to has sharpened and matured makes it easier to see where I can improve myself.

And, of course, what’s next for you both – together and/or individually!

RC: I’m hoping to turn in the third and final Boogeyman book at the end of this year. That should come out sometime next fall. Then, I’ll take a short break and get to work on the next one. Hopefully, sometime next year, Billy and I will also be tackling a new book together. Fingers crossed!

W.H. C: I’m currently working through edits for Them, my debut solo novel, which will be widely released early 2026. It’s about monsters and the end of the world, a bit more sci-fi than supernatural.Thanks for reading Evans Funeral Parlor! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

This interview originally ran on Rue Morgue.

Fire up your VCR and dim your fear, horror fans. From Josh Malerman comes WATCHING EVIL DEAD: UNEARTHING THE RADIANT ARTIST WITHIN, a memoir-manifesto centered on the single night that changed everything. Before he was a bestselling author, Malerman was just another aspiring writer plowing through rough drafts, playing music and dreaming big, but the night he screened The Evil Dead with then-fiancée Allison and friends helped him see the kind of artist he wanted to be. Through laughter, gore and existential dread, he confronts doubts, celebrates love and urges all creators to face the fears that have kept them silent. A funny, unnervingly intimate twist on haunted houses for the influencer age, Malerman’s latest is Stephen King’s On Writing meets the Deadites, a passionate, raw call to arms for anyone who’s ever wanted to create.

RUE MORGUE recently had the opportunity to sit down with Malerman to chat about WATCHING EVIL DEAD, now available from Del Rey/Penguin Random House.

You’ve said that one night watching The Evil Dead with friends shaped your creative life forever. What about that experience unlocked something for you as an artist and a storyteller?

It wasn’t so much that it shaped me; it was more like a convergence of a number of mammoth themes, all present in the same living room one night, and I suppose it was up to the four of us to notice that convergence or not. There was young love (Allison and I were only a few months deep at the time) and dying love (her cousin and his girlfriend were at the end of their rope), and so the entire arc of a relationship was present. And could be felt. Both ends of that spectrum in full. Add in the fact that I’d just gotten a book deal for Bird Box and felt like I was standing at the potential head of a career in horror, plus we were watching Sam Raimi’s first movie, meaning he was standing at the head of a potential career in horror, and it all just… It all felt huge. It could’ve been a regular night, watching a movie with friends, but there was so much unseen that was present as well. The next morning, I told Allison I wanted to write an entire book about it, and then twelve years later, I have. Here we are.

The Evil Dead is the spine of this book, and also a key part of your own creative DNA. What is it about Raimi’s film that continues to resonate with you after all these years?

The rhythm, the freedom, the vividness. It feels like a band made the movie rather than one person, though we can now recognize Sam Raimi’s signature shots and style from The Evil Dead in every movie he’s done since. A thing that really stands out for me is that I read somewhere he and his band of friends used to film Three Stooges-esque bits in a graveyard, something like that, and The Evil Dead really is a combination of those elements. I think sometimes, when we say “comedy horror” or “horror comedy,” we’re unknowingly undercutting the horror element. How scary can it be if it’s funny, right? But the comedy Sam Raimi was into feels more like the silent era… Charlie Chaplin… and Evil Dead 2 definitely has that in its blood. So, yes, the originality, the energy, the fact that he wasn’t afraid to create on instinct and with confidence. All of that. And then, despite the Chaplin-esque levity, the scares are legit.

The subtitle promises a look at “unearthing the radiant artist within.” What does that phrase mean to you now, upon the book’s publication?

Well, the subtitle was Del Rey’s idea. And I understand why it’s there. The book isn’t a film analysis, it’s not theory and it’s definitely not a history of the movie itself. As I say in the book, I’m not an expert on The Evil Dead. The book should feel more akin to what it feels like when you show a good friend a movie you love, rather than a writing guide. Yet, there is an element of a writing guide in WATCHING EVIL DEAD. Not by way of advice (I can’t imagine giving people advice in that way), but more like… a shot in the arm. I hope so anyway. I hope a writer would feel compelled to get back to their book immediately after reading this one. So, Del Rey putting that subtitle kinda lets people know this isn’t horror commentary, and it’s not just for fans of The Evil Dead. It’s about bigger feelings, worries, connections than an examination of a single movie.

Throughout the book, you talk about insecurity and comparison. How have those challenges evolved from your early days as a writer to the success of Bird Box and beyond?

Well, I’d written some fourteen books by the time Bird Box came out, so I wasn’t insecure about it all. It was more like, What does a writer deserve? And what wish/hope might make you feel uncomfortable? Are you pining for attention, money, likes? That’s okay if you are! But there is something naturally revelatory about achieving any level of success because then, you can feel, up close, what actually excites you. There’s no hiding from that truth. And for me, I’ve discovered there’s still no better feeling than finishing the rough draft. It’s the greatest feeling I know. And so… What does the writer deserve? Well, that question propels much of the book. And, as you know, I couldn’t get it out of my head the night we watched The Evil Dead.

WATCHING EVIL DEAD reads like both a memoir and a creative manifesto. What’s one piece of guidance you’d pass along to other horror fans standing at the edge of their own artistic journey?

I don’t have the easiest time giving advice because I know there are so many ways to do this. But something that helped me a lot, way back, was the day I got rid of the words “good” and “bad” or “right” and “wrong.” If you write enough rough drafts, you begin to realize you’re gonna have to do a lot of rewriting, no matter how “right” or “wrong” you thought the thing was. So, with that in mind, why labor and loathe, why doubt, while working on the rough draft? You know it’s gonna change no matter what. But you need those three, four hundred pages to rewrite. My advice would be to experience the rough draft with as much energy, charisma, freedom and glee as you possibly can, even if you’re writing the darkest thing. Because to spend all that time worrying whether you’re any good isn’t helping any, given that no matter how awesome the rough draft is, you’re gonna rewrite it like six times.

This interview originally ran on Rue Morgue.

Charge your phones and dim your ring lights, horror fans. From Rachel Harrison comes PLAY NICE, a wickedly sharp haunted house tale in which the deadliest things might be the memories you can’t filter away. After her estranged mother’s death, Clio Louise Barnes, the queen of curated content, returns to her childhood home – infamous for her late mother’s claims of demonic possession – with plans to renovate it into her next viral project. But as she tears down the walls, she unearths more than outdated wallpaper, including buried family secrets, an annotated copy of her mother’s novel and a presence with a taste for peanut butter and mayhem. The more she digs, the more the house reminds her that some hauntings are personal.

RUE MORGUE recently had the opportunity to sit down with Harrison to chat about PLAY NICE, now available from Berkley.

PLAY NICE blends the classic haunted house setup with the modern world of influencer culture. How did you approach balancing timeless supernatural horror with such a contemporary, social-media-driven character?

I was very intentional with my protagonist, Clio, being an influencer because I knew I wanted to explore perception [and] the “crazy woman” aspect of the haunted house trope. It made sense to me that someone who, as a child, saw their mother lose control of her image, would then grow up to be hyperaware of how important it is to keep that control and present a very curated version of herself to the world. It’s a defense mechanism. I write contemporary horror, and social media is a major facet of contemporary life, but its purpose in the novel is to serve the themes, and as a little bit as a dare for readers to judge Clio.

Clio is a narrator who’s curating her life for public consumption while confronting private trauma. What interested you in exploring that tension between authenticity and performance?

We perform every day of our lives. In my experience as someone who came of age during the early aughts tabloid era, I have an inherent fear of judgment and public scrutiny. I appreciate how social media allows us to take control over our own narratives, but it didn’t solve cruelty, just shifted it from cheap magazine covers to anonymous comments. The pressure for us to be perfect to avoid shame and judgment has only been exacerbated by the fact that we now all have audiences. Clio has a bigger reach as an influencer, but anyone who steps out the door in the morning must make a choice about who they’re going to be, what they’re going to present to the world and what they want to keep private. It’s universal, but also deeply personal.

The childhood home in PLAY NICE is more than just a backdrop. It’s a vessel for grief, memory and inherited fear. How did you approach developing the house as a character in its own right?

This book was very much inspired by The Amityville Horror and Poltergeist; I just love that ’70s aesthetic. Listen, I adore a grand Victorian or sprawling gothic mansion, but something about a tacky house with saloon doors and shag carpets being the chosen home of a demon really amused me. Logistically, it made sense that a rundown split-level would be what a recently divorced woman in the ’90s could reasonably afford. A split-level also offers this immediate pressure of choice, ascending or descending, but maybe that’s getting too pretentious.

PLAY NICE nods to the DNA of haunted house classics while subverting them. Were there particular haunted house stories or tropes you wanted to lean into, or dismantle, while writing this book?

For sure, the “crazy woman” trope. This book was also inspired by Britney Spears, watching what happened to her. And Brittany Murphy and Amy Winehouse, just to name a few. Why do women have to be “good” to deserve to be believed? Why do we have to be likable to deserve empathy? Then back to Amityville, I’ve always been fascinated with the layering of lore on top of real-life tragedy, the questions of what actually happened versus the stories we’re told or tell ourselves. I incorporated an Amityville-style book-within-the-book to explore that theme and to really go ham with some tropes.

Even at its darkest, PLAY NICE still has your signature wit. How do you navigate the line between humor and horror, especially when dealing with themes like loss, mental health, addiction and the supernatural?

Maybe I’m lucky, but I don’t know anyone who doesn’t have a sense of humor. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t use humor as a coping mechanism to some degree. It would feel inauthentic for me to strip humor out of a work just for the sake of trying to make it darker or scarier. For me, if I relate to the characters in a book, if they read like real people, then when they’re in danger, that freaks me out because that could be me! Or my friends or family! I’m invested; I feel it. I believe it. When I write, I’m not thinking about the line between humor and horror; I’m thinking about my characters, what feels true to them and to the world I’ve created and to the story I’m trying to tell.

What can readers expect next from you after PLAY NICE?

My next novel is called Kiss Slay Repeat, it’s a time loop horror story that takes place at a wedding. Fingers crossed it’ll be out fall 2026.

This article was originally published on BookTrib as part of my Chill Quill series. Read the original article here.

As summer slips into shadow, spooky season kicks off with 13 brand new titles that delve into haunted homes, cursed families, buried secrets and parasitic hunger. Whether you’re drawn to the sun-scorched deserts of trauma recovery, the bloodstained walls of a childhood home or the cultish corners of a doomed town, these new releases promise thrills that linger like bruises and bites. Come for the demons, stay for the damage.

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Breathe In, Bleed Out by Brian McAuley

After surviving a deadly wilderness trip, Hannah joins a secluded desert retreat hoping to outrun her past — but when guests begin dying one by one, her healing getaway becomes a blood-soaked battle for survival. A savage, sun-drenched thriller about trauma, trust and the horrors of self-discovery.

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Play Nice by Rachel Harrison

When influencer Clio Barnes inherits her childhood home — the same one her mother once claimed was possessed — she sees a prime content opportunity, not a haunting. But as renovations stir up buried memories and something dark awakens behind the walls, Clio is forced to confront the terrifying possibility that her mother wasn’t crazy — just cursed.

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Acquired Taste by Clay McLeod Chapman

A collection of 25 razor-sharp stories that blend biting wit, creeping dread and gut-punch humanity — turning everyday anxieties into unforgettable horrors. From ghost boyfriends to news-channel nightmares, this collection is a feast of dark delights.

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We Are Always Tender With Our Dead by Eric LaRocca

In the aftermath of a senseless Christmas morning massacre, the isolated town of Burnt Sparrow spirals into a haunting reckoning with grief, violence and the monsters — human and otherwise — that walk among them. A brutal, lyrical descent into queer horror and small-town rot, where faceless entities, fractured families and forbidden truths ignite a devastating new trilogy.

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House Of Idyll by Delilah S. Dawson

In a decadent compound run by the world’s most famous rock band, a struggling artist is offered everything she’s ever wanted — fame, luxury and a chance to create her masterpiece. But as disappearances mount and twisted dreams bleed into reality, she discovers the seductive sanctuary may be a trap built to devour its worshippers.

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Galloway’s Gospel by Sam Rebelein

In 2009, a bored high schooler accidentally sparks a cult built on pig sketches and teen disillusionment; in 2019, a county guard is sent to investigate the fallout before the town destroys itself. A razor-sharp, riotously strange horror tale of faith, hysteria and two Rachels caught in the middle of a monstrous legacy.

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Teenage Girls Can Be Demons by Hailey Piper

An electrifying collection of 13 “coming-of-rage” stories that twist adolescence, vengeance and transformation into monstrous new forms. Creatures, ghosts and brutal awakenings lurking behind every page make this collection a raw, fearless exploration of what it means to grow up haunted — and fight back.

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Fiend by Alma Katsu

The powerful Berisha family owes its fortune to an ancient demon bound by blood, secrets and sacrifice. But when their luck turns, ambition collides with legacy — and the family must face the monstrous cost of keeping their empire cursed and intact.

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We Love You, Bunny by Mona Awad

In this darkly hilarious and feverishly surreal follow-up to Bunny, newly published author Samantha Mackey is kidnapped by her former classmates, who demand she hear their side of the story — at axe-point. A phantasmagoric, blood-splattered fairy tale of creation, obsession and the monstrous power of female friendship in the Bunny-verse.

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Spread Me by Sarah Gailey

When a remote desert research team unearths a strange specimen, their leader breaks protocol to bring it inside — only to discover it craves more than warmth. A darkly seductive tale of isolation, temptation and parasitic horror where survival means surrendering control.

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What Stalks The Deep by T. Kingfisher

In the newest installment of the Sworn Soldier series, Alex Easton is reluctantly pulled into a search for a missing man deep within a haunted West Virginia coal mine. What begins as a favor for an old friend descends into darkness, as Easton confronts secrets buried far beneath the surface — both literal and supernatural.

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Demon Song by Kelsea Yu

In this lush, myth-infused gothic novella, a young woman hiding out in a crumbling Beijing opera house uncovers terrifying secrets that blur the line between folklore and reality. As the building’s ancient hunger awakens, she must unravel the truth behind its haunted halls before her own ambitions become the next offering.

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The Autumn Springs Retirement Home Massacre by Philip Fracassi

Rose DuBois might be pushing 80, but when bodies start piling up at the Autumn Springs Retirement Home, she grabs her walker and gets to work. A wickedly funny, blood-spattered slasher that proves final girls don’t have expiration dates.

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There are moments in the writing life when everything feels quiet and uncertain, and then there are times where it feels like the universe hits fast-forward—and April was definitely one of the latter! Somehow, in the span of a few weeks, I had the honor of announcing a brand-new novel, celebrating DOLLFACE winning the inaugural Astra Book Award for Best Horror, and start gearing up for the UK release of DOLLFACE later this month (from Rebellion/Solaris Books).

Let’s catch up.

FINAL GIRL FOREVER is Coming in 2027

I’ve been waiting on pins and needles to share, and the news is finally live: FINAL GIRL FOREVER is officially coming from Minotaur Books in 2027!

This one is pitched as Beetlejuice meets Halloween (or maybe Death Becomes Her if you’re feeling a touch more glam), and it’s a haunted-house horror-comedy with slasher vibes. A washed-up scream queen buys a gaudy McMansion to stage a comeback with her house as the set for a reboot of the franchise that made her—only to die on Night One. It’s campy, messy, emotional, funny, mean, ghostly, and the most fun I’ve had in a while. I can’t wait for readers to meet this cast of characters—and their haunted house—very soon!

DOLLFACE Won the Inaugural Astra Book Award

The Astra Awards, hosted by the Hollywood Creative Alliance, launched their inaugural book awards this year—and DOLLFACE won! Nominated alongside peers and greats—Grady Hendrix (Witchcraft for Wayward Girls), Rachel Harrison (Play Nice), and Silvia Moreno-Garcia (The Bewitching)—it’s TRULY an honor to win this award. I genuinely don’t think it’s fully landed in my brain! To see this weird, bloody, suburban satire embraced the way it has been over the past few months has meant more to me than I can properly articulate.

Thank you to every reader who picked it up, posted about it, reviewed it, screamed with me about PTA moms and masked killers and being the odd girl out. Every bit of that support got this book to where it is, so this is a win for all of us, dolls!

DOLLFACE Hits UK Bookshelves May 21

The UK edition releases from Rebellion/Solaris Books this month! Which means my unhinged “Barbie meets Scream” nightmare is crossing the pond.

If you’re in the UK (or have horror-loving friends there), now’s the perfect time to preorder or request it from your favorite indie bookstore.

Signed Books on Sale

SIGNED BOOKS are currently available through my website while stock lasts. If you’ve been wanting a personalized copy of DOLLFACE, BLESS YOUR HEART (US & UK) editions, ANOTHER FINE MESS (US & UK editions), or other titles, now’s a good time to snag them. US orders only.

Before You Go

As aways, thank you for being here—for reading, supporting, recommending, reviewing, and helping these strange horror stories find homes. Writing can feel a lot like screaming into the void sometimes, and it means everything knowing there are people screaming back.

—Lindy

P.S. As always, feel free to hit reply and tell me what you’ve been reading, watching, or obsessing over lately. I’m always looking to add to the pile.

Delilah S. Dawson woman can write everything from horror to magical romance to graphic novels, and she does it all like it’s second nature.

Her sapphic dark horrormance novella, BLOOM—about a lit professor who becomes obsessed with a mysterious artisan she meets at a farmers' market, thus beginning a passionate, whirlwind relationship, ignoring red flags about her lover’s secretive, cottagecore lifestyle, which hides a sinister, cannibalistic secret—is delightful in its blend of sensuality and horror. So, when I was asked to blurb her upcoming novella, MONSTERA, which moves on the same vine, if you will, I was there.

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In MONSTERA, a lonely young woman named Lucy escapes an abusive past and moves into a divided Victorian house, hoping to finally build a “home.” She forms a tentative, charged connection with her mysterious neighbor Saskia—while something strange and organic begins to grow beneath the surface. As with everything she writes, Delilah brings beauty and violence in equal measure, with moments of tenderness contrasted against terrible cruelty. The women and their histories build toward a satisfying—er—climax, and this novella proves again that rage can be a beautiful, wonderful thing—especially when pared with love.

When Lucy McClintock moves into a dreamy Victorian in downtown Savannah after years of suffering under the rule of her overbearing grandfather, she feels like she’s won the lottery—well, outside of the creepy landlord. She soon notices a glorious green haven in the backyard and meets her downstairs neighbor, Saskia, a weightlifter who lives in a magical apartment overflowing with plant life and beautiful artwork. Naïve and lonely Lucy is drawn to strong and secretive Saskia, and as the two women grow closer, they discover they share more than just an apartment building…

A seductive, heady, sinister read: breathless romance and bone-chilling suspense collide in this sweet and deadly tale.

If you missed my thoughts on BLOOM, another of Delilah’s sapphic, sultry, body horror novellas, check it out here.

MONSTERA is coming from Delilah S. Dawson and Titan Books on October 13, 2026.

This interview originally ran on Rue Morgue.

Lock your doors and light your candles, horror fans. From George Morris De’Ath comes THE HAUNTING OF MORSLEY MANOR, a deliciously unhinged ghost story where nothing stays buried—not even the dead. World-famous paranormal investigator Eric Thompson’s career is on life support after a botched case left most of his crew in body bags and his best friend out the door. But when a mysterious woman hires him to host an investigation at the notorious, long-forbidden Morsley Manor, Eric jumps at the chance for redemption. More than shadows await him, however. Inside the manor’s rotting walls lurk grisly apparitions, blood-soaked secrets and a darkness that blurs the line between the living and the dead.

The Haunting of Hill House meets The Woman in Black in George Morris De’Ath’s THE HAUNTING AT MORSLEY MANOR, a gleefully macabre gothic horror. RUE MORGUE recently had the opportunity to sit down with the author to chat about his new book, coming from Rising Action.

THE HAUNTING AT MORSLEY MANOR blends classic gothic atmosphere with modern paranormal investigation. What inspired you to combine those two worlds?

No clue. It’s a weird thing, talking about a book you wrote eight years ago! But here’s what I do remember: I’ve always been obsessed with classic horror—the fog, the candlelit corridors, the doomed inheritances—and I also love the current horror renaissance we’re in across books, TV and film.

To me, every story has been told already—it’s just about how you mix the ingredients. So, I mashed together everything I love: dusty gothic tropes, modern ghost-hunting culture and a few experimental modernisms to see what kind of monster would crawl out. It’s like a horror smoothie, or maybe more like a Frankenstein monster of a book stitched together with old-school scares and new-school madness. Honestly, it was just fun.

Your protagonist, Eric Thompson, is a complex mix of charm, cynicism and trauma. What drew you to his character, and how did he evolve during the writing process?

Eric fascinates me because he’s kind of famous, but not too famous. He can still sit alone in a restaurant and not get recognized—just enough anonymity to brood properly. There’s this loneliness to him that’s both tragic and self-imposed. He wants to connect with people, but people keep him at arm’s length like he’s contagious with bad luck. What I love is the contradiction: he’s sociable, he can be disarmingly charming—but there’s always grief behind the grin. He’s pragmatic, even a little desensitized, but never quite tips into cold. And yes, there’s a supernatural gift involved: a bit witchy, though he’d never ever want to join a coven. Eric doesn’t crave power, he craves connection. That became the soul of the book without me even realizing it at first.

This novel doesn’t shy away from gruesome imagery or emotional horror. Without spoiling anything, what was the most challenging scene to write?

First of all, my favorite death scene? The head one. You know the one. Let’s just say it’s a satisfying, melon-splitting moment of justice. But the hardest parts to write weren’t the gory bits—it was the emotional horror. Navigating toxic relationships—romantic, familial, platonic—was the real challenge. I wanted to explore emotional manipulation and domestic abuse with nuance and respect. Getting that right was the thing that kept me up at night, editing and re-editing. Hopefully I did those moments justice.

Oh, and there’s a particular neck-snap scene that’s weirdly beautiful … tragic, but kind of poetic. That one stuck with me too.

Themes of grief, guilt and the supernatural intersect powerfully in the story. What do you hope readers take away from it?

I want readers to appreciate life: warts, ghosts, grief and all. But beyond that, it’s not really for me to dictate. One of the best parts of writing is hearing what people think a book is about, especially when it’s something I never consciously intended. I write one thing, and you read something else entirely, and then we meet somewhere in the middle. That’s the magic. That’s the conversation. That’s what makes all of this fascinating.

If Morsley Manor were real and you had to spend a night inside, would you do it? And what item would you bring for protection?

Absolutely. I’d bring party vibes. They’d either love me or murder me on the spot for being too much. I’d bring my little red zircon witch ring I got for my 18th birthday—it’s seen things. That and maybe a good ol’ circle of salt. Classic. I’d be safe as a kitten. Meow.

You set up a lot in this book: certain characters, prophecies, a modern coven. Will all this return?

Oh my, yes. This book is planting seeds like a cursed gardener. The prophecy? That’s a slow burn that’ll unravel across many, many books, right up to my final one. And I know which characters you’re referring to—Eric and … them. Trust me, they’ll meet again, and when they do, it’s going to be cataclysmic. But not for a while yet. I’m playing the long game. And the coven? They’re getting their own trilogy down the line. Modern witches fighting for control and power. Can’t wait.

What can readers expect next from you?

My next book is called Something on Your Mind and it’s coming May 2026. It’s part of the same universe but a new story. It’s wild—hallucinations, a brain tumor, a devil-on-your-shoulder type entity, pills, a pink bunny. Total chaos. I love it.

I’m also in talks for more books (can’t say too much yet), but I’ve got seven more already written and ready to go. All connected. All part of the grand, weird, haunted web. Stay tuned.

Lastly, give me three words to describe THE HAUNTING AT MORSLEY MANOR.

Campy. Creepy. Controversial. In the best, most unhinged way possible.

Friends, the Girls are BACK.

I’ve been heads down writing, but when this beauty hit my TBR, I immediately stopped everything and dove in. I’m a huge Golden Girls fan, and this series is such a fun escape—all the way to a mysterious artist’s island abode, where the Girls find themselves embroiled in yet another murder. One of Blanche’s ex-beauxs has been killed in his own art studio, and what is supposed to be a celebration turns into a game of who-dun-it, featuring a cast of questionable characters, clever puns, and even a crocodile (named Elizabeth Taylor, because why not?). While the first book, MURDER BY CHEESECAKE, is narrated by Dorothy and Rose, DEATH ON THE LANAI splits the task between Dorothy and Blanche. I hope the next gives Sophia a chance at narration!

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This is a true comfort read for Golden Girls fans. As such it’s light, cozy read, with all the voice you’d expect, so while you won’t find hard-boiled mystery or tense thrills, you’ll have a great time hanging out with four best friends. Come for the fun and enjoy following the Girls on a new adventure—with some great callbacks to some of their silliest episodes, for a little bit of bonus fun!

The New York Times bestselling series returns in June with another murder mystery for Dorothy, Rose, Blanche, and Sophia. Here’s what the Girls are up to now:

The invite delivered to 6151 Richmond Street was short on details, only promising to celebrate “the greatest artist of the century” and accompanied by a jewel-encrusted brooch—the whole package a brand of mysterious opulence that another Saturday night of gin rummy just can’t match.

Blanche Devereaux’s passionate dalliances are as plentiful as hot Southern nights, and surely one can’t be expected to remember all of one’s suitors. But when the Girls disembark the party’s ferry at a small Biscayne Bay island and meet their secretive host, the memories come flooding back: she a Radio City Rockette in her twenties, he the poor artist who could offer her nothing but his love. Fate drove them apart, but Declan, now a famous artist El Toro, professes that Blanche has always been his muse.

Featured prominently in his artworks and central to El Toro’s return to the apex of the art world, Blanche is thrilled to have been such an inspiring figure to this man. But looking around at a party filled with those who have made their livings off the artist’s fame—his assistant, his art dealer, his greatest critic, and more—Dorothy isn’t so sure they’re welcome on the island after all.

When a tropical storm knocks power out across the island, an optimistic Blanche proclaims that everyone looks better by candlelight anyway. But when Declan is found dead the next morning, all eyes are on her, his supposed muse of thirty-plus years. Trapped at the estate with the other guests—suspects all—the Girls must band together to find the true killer and get back to pleasant evenings of card games and cheesecake.

If you missed my thoughts on the first in the series, MURDER BY CHEESECAKE, check it out here.

DEATH ON THE LANAI is coming from Rachel Ekstrom Courage and Hyperion on June 2, 2026.

March came in like a lamb and left like a final girl covered in blood, holding the knife and asking, what now?

Between touring to celebrate the release of DOLLFACE, announcing a new anthology, and working on my next novel—plus preparing for a new service pup to come home— it’s been a full, feral, wonderfully chaotic month over here. Let’s catch up.

DOLLFACE on Tour

The Official DOLLFACE book tour kicked off in late February at the Southern Voices Festival in Hoover, Alabama, and concluded last night in a virtual event with the Ashland Public Library. Here’s a few highlights from the tour:

It was a whirlwind month of library meet-ups, bookstore events, writing conventions, and two CBS morning shows (ahhh), and I had a fantastic time traveling the country to meet readers from Texas to Missouri. Thank you to everyone who came out and supported the book at your local libraries and bookstores, and for joining me online for virtual events and podcast appearances. I’ll be back on the road in August and if I didn’t see you in spring, hopefully we’ll bump into each other in fall!

A special thank-you to She Wore Black podcast host for traveling all the way to Springfield, MO to join me for the Oh! The Horror at The Library Center!

Announcing NIGHT LIGHTS

Submitted for your approval…

In case you missed it, this brand-spankin’-new announcement dropped:

I am so incredibly excited to bring NIGHT LIGHTS to readers in 2027 with Gallery Books! This is a dream project for me, and one I’ve been chomping at the bit to get my teeth into for years. This anthology is fueled with the kind of creepy, crawly, under-your-skin nostalgic horror that reminds you why you stayed up too late reading under the covers in the first place—and it’s stacked with today’s best and brightest voices in horror. NIGHT LIGHTS will truly be a feast to share around the campfire. More soon!

A New Novel for 2027

One common question I’ve been asked a lot this month: what’s coming next? The details are still under wraps, but I’m deep in the Writing Cave working on my unannounced New Novel, coming Fall 2027 from Minotaur Books.

I’m sticking to the suburbs again for this one, and while I haven’t taken off my slasher hat completely, things are going a bit less bloody and a lot more spooky this time around. Think: haunted house, washed-up scream queen, and a ghost who refuses to go quietly. The tone is somewhere between Beetlejuice and a midlife crisis—and honestly, that feels right. More soon!

Behind the Page

Not everything this month has been on the page.

There’s been the usual mix of life things—deadlines, distractions, the occasional existential spiral—but also those small, grounding moments that remind me why I do this in the first place. Reading something that hits just right. Writing a line that lands. Meeting readers who love this genre as much as I do. Remembering that horror, at its core, is about survival—and sometimes even joy.

And speaking of joy, in mid-March, I introduced you to my new service pup, Jetson. He has big paws to fill, and I’m looking forward to his homecoming later this month. We’ll spend the summer training, and I’m excited to share this journey with you.

Jet and I will be sharing more on life with service animals, mental and physical health in the publishing business, and—of course—cute puppy antics as we both settle into our new life together. If all goes well, he’ll join me in August when I hit the road again. For now, I better get all those new dog toys ready!

Before You Go

If you’ve been reading, sharing, or supporting my work in any way—thank you. Truly. This whole thing only works because of you.

And if you’re new here: welcome to the haunted house. Stay as long as you like.

—Lindy

P.S. As always, feel free to hit reply and tell me what you’ve been reading, watching, or obsessing over lately. I’m always looking to add to the pile.

In celebration of Women in Horror Month—and women in horror always—here’s a list of the incredible women shaping horror today. The list is vast, and still growing, so consider this living document an ongoing snapshot of the women* redefining the genre—across novels, short fiction, and hybrid spaces, from folklore to Gothic terror, literary horror, splatterpunk, quiet dread, feminist satire, cosmic unease, dark verse, and more.

(And if you see a name missing, add her in the comments!)

*This list is sorted alphabetically by first name and includes all women who self-identify as women.

Last Updated 4/13/2026

• A. C. Wise

• Agustina Bazterrica

• Ai Jiang

• Ally Wilkes

• Alma Katsu

• Angela (A.G.) Slatter

• Becky Spratford

• C. J. Leede

• Candace Nola

• Carina Bissett

• Carissa Orlando

• Catherynne M. Valente

• Catriona Ward

• Chandler Baker

• Cherie Priest

• Christa Carmen

• Christi Nogle

• Christina Henry

• Christina Sng

• Colleen Anderson

• Cynthia Pelayo

• Danielle Valentine

• Darcy Coates

• Delilah S. Dawson

• Denise Tapscott

• Donna Lynch

• Eliza Broadbent

• Erika T. Wurth

• Eugen Bacon

• Gwendolyn Kiste

• Hailey Piper

• J. A. W McCarthy

• Jennifer Anne Gordon

• Jennifer McMahon

• Jennifer Thorne

• Jenny Kiefer

• Jessica McHugh

• Jill Baguchinsky

• Jo Kaplan

• K-Ming Chang

• Kailey Tedesco

• Kat Dunn

• Kathe Koja

• Katrina Monroe

• Kelly Link

• Kelsey Cox

• Kiersten White

• Kristi DeMeester

• Laurel Hightower

• L. Marie Wood

• Lee Murray

• Linda D. Addison

• Lindy Ryan

• Lisa Morton

• Lucy A. Snyder

• Lucy Rose

• M. L. Rio

• Mae Murray

• Mallory Arnold

• Meg Hafdahl

• Mercedes M. Yardley

• Mariana Enriquez

• Meagan Church

• Mo Moshsty

• Mona Awad

• Monika Kim

• Nicole Givens Kurtz

• Paula Ashe

• Paulette Kennedy

• Polly Hall

• Neena Viel

• R. J. Joseph

• Rachel Harrison

• Rachel Yoder

• Rebecca Rowland

• Rena Mason

• Rhiannon Grist

• Sadie Hartmann

• Sara Tantlinger

• Sarah Gailey

• Sarah Langan

• Sarah Pinkser

• Silvia Moreno-Garcia

• Simone St. James

• Stephanie M. Wytovich

• T. Kingfisher

• Tamika Thompson

• Tananarive Due

• Tanya Pell

• Teagan Olivia King

• V. Castro

• Viggy Parr Hampton

• Wendy N. Wagner

• Zin E. Rocklyn

• Zoje Stage

A Bloody Disgusting, Shereads, Macabre Daily, CrimeReads, and more Most Anticipated thriller for Spring—and she’s here tomorrow, TUESDAY, February 24th.

Horror author Jill has just moved to suburban New Jersey, hoping to fit in with the new PTA moms and maybe not weird everyone out with her Final Girl coffee mug. You know. Make some real friends.

But then a plastic face-masked serial killer begins slashing their way through town, one overly made-up mom at a time. The police are incredulous. The moms are indignant. And Jill is slowly wrapped into a killer’s murderous spree, until she might just be the last woman standing.

A delightfully murderous novel that is equal parts scathing and salacious, Dollface will win you over with its gossip and gore, one body at a time.

DOLLFACE is my love letter to slashers, to women in horror, to moms and sisters and complicated female friendships. It’s for any woman—every woman—who’s been told to put on a pretty smile, who’s felt like the odd woman out, who’s been ignored, gaslit, and told to perform. It’s for all of us who want nothing more than to take off the mask and scream.

I hope you enjoy!

Click here to purchase!

The Tour Starts February 28th

I’m so excited to take DOLLFACE to readers around the country, both in-person and through virtual events!

Heeeere we go!