Ghoulish Tales

From heartwarming to spine tingling, these new reads are just in time for fall

Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law by Mary Roach

Roach is known for her irreverent, witty, and accessible approach to science, and Fuzz is no exception. Her latest endeavor takes you into the world of flora and fauna misbehaving, starting with bears dumpster diving and housebreaking in Aspen. She leads the reader around the globe to pickpocketing monkeys in India and invasive alien species in New Zealand. Roach explores the issues posed by these beings, how they have been dealt with in past, present, and potential future solutions. Fuzz is a simultaneously hilarious and sobering look at the difficult choices wildlife and natural resource organizations must make to humanely control out-of-control populations while also appeasing those suffering the nuisance and mollifying defenders of animal rights.   –Megan Mathis


Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune

Wallace Price was not a good man in life. Now that he’s dead, can he come to terms with the things he can’t change? Will his Reaper and his Ferryman be able to help him to move on to what’s next? Will the health inspector shut down the tea shop? The themes are heavy, but the tone is light and gentle – it deals with serious topics, like suicide, in a profoundly kind and loving manner. This heartwarming book is full of tender found-family bonds, bittersweet charm, and love – a perfect cozy fall read.   –Sara Shiver McBride


The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling

L.R. Dorn’s The Ex Hex is a thrilling update of Theodore Dreiser’s 1925 novel An American Tragedy. When her heart gets broken, Vivienne and her cousin Gwyn jokingly curse Rhys Penhallow, but what Vivi doesn’t know is that the curse worked! When Rhys returns to recharge the town’s ley lines and make an appearance at the annual fall festival, the Ex Hex kicks in. Things take a disastrous turn – Graves Glen, Georgia, a Halloween hotspot, is suddenly under siege by an angry ghost, animated feral wind-up toys, and corrupted magic. Erin Sterling’s The Ex Hex has a witty tone, banter-filled dialog, and likable characters. This paranormal romantic comedy makes for a fun, and spooky good fall read.   –Chantal Wilson


Horseman by Christina Henry

Christina Henry’s chilling, atmospheric continuation of Washington Irving’s classic story The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is a perfect read for a fall evening and keeps the pages turning with its tautly paced literary suspense. 14-year-old Ben van Brunt, grandson of the legendary Brom Bones, must solve the mystery of a series of gruesome local killings before he loses more loved ones to the evil lurking in the woods. Could the Headless Horseman be more than just a story? Of particular interest is the unexpected exploration of transgender identity in a time before we had those words for it. The super creepy folkloric horror of Horseman is impossible to put down.   –Sarah Cameron


As the Wicked Watch by Tamron Hall

Expected Publication Date: October 26, 2021

As the Wicked Watch is a fantastic must-read debut novel by broadcast journalist and daytime talk show host Tamron Hall. It is a chilling mystery about the disturbing disappearance and death of Masey James, a gifted 15-year-old Black girl. Jordan Manning, the very likable main character, is an ingenious Black reporter who gives a voice to the victim and looks for compelling clues to find the killer - all while reporting breaking news live, rain or shine, in designer stilettos! Hall keeps the book intriguing and insightfully portrays the behind-the-scenes politics of how the police, media, and the community intersect to react to such a ghastly crime. This novel serves as a reminder that evil exists among us, and we should be watchful and wary.   –Mona Verma