Book picks similar to
Village of Fear by Martin Jenson


horror
folk-horror
paperbacks-from-hell
pulp

Button Bright


Michael Kurland - 1990
    But Button was only dimly aware of the sounds. Her consciousness had shrunk down to focus on the body that was blocking her hole— —and the warm, thick liquid that was dripping onto her hand.” Button is an 11 year old, bubbly and intelligent girl who is haunted in her dreams by a tapping sound… Living with her mother and father in Cottsborough, Vermont, Button had been trained to hide and not ever answer to her secret name, ‘Rachel’. One day, two men arrive at Button’s family home searching for her by this secret name. Refusing to give Button up, things turn violent and the men shoot her father dead. Through a narrow crack in the floor boards, Button bears witness to the murder. Eluding the two men who tried to catch her, Button uses her wits to navigate herself from Vermont to Boston and then to New York. Button has a plan to find her uncle Dromkin. When her search seems hopeless, Button is taken in by a resident of her uncle’s apartment building, Phil, who claims he can help. But when they find Dromkin sprawled on the floor with his throat cut, Button is convinced she is somehow the cause of these family murders... Will Phil be able to keep her identity hidden long enough for her to find out the truth? Praise for Michael Kurland: "A perfect tale of childhood terror." - Tom Kasey Michael Kurland grew up in New York City, attended Columbia University, spent four years in the Army, much of it in Europe, and now lives in California with his partner, novelist Linda Robertson, a dog, a cat, and an occasional visiting family of raccoons. He has been a teacher of obscure subjects to disinterested children, the editor of a magazine even more idiosyncratic than himself, a seeker of absent persons, a magical explainer, and guest lecturer at numerous unrelated events. Kurland has written a dozen or so science fiction novels, a brace of mysteries, and several books that fit into that tenuous genre known as “mainstream.” He has been nominated for an Edgar (twice) and for the American Book Award. His books have been translated into eleven other languages. His other novel with Venture Press is Psi Hunt.

The Seeding


David Shobin - 1982
    Sandra Fischer relaxes in bed. Moments later, when her husband enters the room — she is dead. One by one, the women are dying. The leading medical experts are baffled. There is only one clue: the rich, sweet scent of the tropics — the scent of life, seconds after each woman's shocking death.One dedicated doctor. One beautiful woman. Together they will enter an awesome new realm of medical knowledge beyond both life and death. For he will discover a terrifying secret. And she has been chosen for … THE SEEDING.

The Frighteners


Stephen Laws - 1990
    HOW MUCH DO YOU HATE? When Sheraton's gang burn his wife and kids to death, Eddie soon learns the meaning of hate. HOW MUCH DO YOU HATE? And that's how the prison psycho transfers his awesome power to Eddie. A power that Eddie reckons he can control. A power that will enable Eddie to put the frighteners on Sheraton...

The Hatching


Mark Gillespie - 2021
    Now Dani, along with her four companions, must fight against incredible odds to survive a night that no one will ever forget.A night that will forever be known as ‘the hatching.’The Hatching is a horror novel inspired by John Carpenter movies, as well as the classic stories of Stephen King and Richard Matheson. If you love taut, fast-paced claustrophobic horror, you’ll love The Hatching.

The Visitors: A True Haunting (True Hauntings Book 5)


Rebecca Patrick-Howard - 2016
    They didn’t believe in ghosts…but they would.Named for the row of weeping willows that lined the driveway,Willow Terrace was the most well-known house in the county. With its sweeping views, wraparound porches, and fourteen rooms it was the kind of place that was coveted. Built in the mid-nineteenth century, it was also one of the old houses in town. Stained windows, intricate wood carvings, and a winding staircase straight out of the movies– So why had it been empty for so long? The Sanders family had been watching the house for most of their lives. As a teenager, Piper had sworn she would own the house one day. When their small business began taking off, they finally had the chance to buy Willow Terrace and begin fixing up the sad, neglected place.They’d brushed off those rumors and stories they’d heard, tales of ghostly figures that appeared in windows, cries in the middle of the night, objects that flew across rooms... Ghosts weren’t real, right?Piper and Larry were about to take a journey into the world of the supernatural–a journey they’d never forget. They’d soon learn they weren’t the only ones living in their new house.And that their unearthly visitors might not be happy for the intrusion. Secret passageways, underground tunnels, an invisible child, demonic rituals, and a town’s haunting mystery…had they bitten off more than they could chew? Now the Sanders' family faced a difficult choice: make a run for it or stay and fight for the house they'd invested everything in. Based on a true story.

The Haunting of Galsbury Inn: Haunted House


Caroline Clark - 2019
    He was a man who believed what he could see, but even he knew that something was very wrong. FREE with Kindle Unlimited. The Galsbury Inn is a magnificent structure, nestled in the idyllic English countryside. The place is rundown and spooky from being abandoned over the years. Then there were the rumors about deaths and disappearances. Some say the first owner tortured and killed people, including his own wife, but that happened a hundred years ago, or more, and besides, there’s no such things as ghosts. Only Charles may have to change his mind. Based on the Inn’s history, Harriet has a hunch that something more sinister—and paranormal—is at play. She’s a paranormal investigator, an amateur sure, and eagerly jumps on the chance to investigate the Galsbury. But soon, she quickly realizes what she’s playing with is far out of her league, and she’s a bit in over her head. But she’s persistent and won’t let a poltergeist intimidate her into heading back home with her tail between her legs. With the help of an unwitting policeman, Harriet takes on the Galsbury and its secrets. Is she strong enough to face the Inn’s horrible past and find the truth? Or will the spirit that resides within scare her away, or kill her in the process? Also by Caroline Clark: Don’t Close Your Eyes The Spirit Guide Series: The Haunting of Seafield House The Haunting on the Hillside The Haunting of Oldfield Drive The Ghosts of RedRise House 4 book box set Single Books: The Haunting of Brynlee House Daddy Won’t Kill You The Spirit Behind You The Haunting of Shadow Hill House

The Buzzing (A Narrowdale Novella)


Michael Omer - 2015
    But this is Narrowdale, and nothing’s ever quite normal. When two of the kids she is looking after disappear, things quickly spiral out of control. Now Roxanne's crawling around in old maintenance tunnels, catching glimpses of creepy happenings in the building's many apartments. In one of them lives a man with a dark, terrible secret, and Roxanne's path is on a collision course with his. And all around the man, there is a strange sound of buzzing…

Beneath the Deep


J.T. Cross - 2014
    Cross, acclaimed author of the LOST VALLEY, returns with BENEATH THE DEEP, an epic underwater science thriller. When Megan O’Brien, an archaeologist on a quest for a lost underwater civilization, and her treasure hunting partner, Matt Turner, rescue a disgraced physics professor, they stumble upon a man with a stunning scientific discovery—a location under the ocean where quantum physics fails. Joining forces with Sam DeCourcy, a wealthy undersea salvage expert, they form a crack exploration team to dive and drill beneath the ocean floor in the Bermuda Triangle. Danger arises when a rival team aims to get there first and they’re armed with explosives and a plan that could kill them all. Now, racing against their competition, the explorers discover remnants of a mysterious lost civilization, and then, the game changer unfurls: evidence of an ancient intelligent species—and they are not happy to have company. J.T. Cross weaves science fact with science fiction to create a believable, riveting epic adventure that will appeal to readers of Michael Crichton and fans of James Cameron's THE ABYSS. **Acclaim for J.T. Cross** “Pulse-pounding action, brilliant speculation, and the introduction of a lost world filled with horrors and wonders. J.T. Cross is a lot of writer.” ―J.R. Rain, #1 bestselling author of MOON DANCE and THE LOST ARK.

Apex Predator: Hunter's Moon


D.A. Roberts - 2020
    

The Luxury Orphanage


Grant Finnegan - 2020
    Ravenstone House, built in the early 1800s, was once a majestic home. Then it was used as an orphanage for decades. When it closed its doors in 1956, the building lay derelict for more than thirty years.In its neighbourhood, the house is well known for being haunted. But only when it is converted into luxury flats do the dark secrets from its past come to light. The unexpected events that follow will upend the lives of the residents as the tortured souls trapped beneath Ravenstone reveal themselves to demand justice.Get us to where we belong.It's not our fault.We did nothing wrong.

Son of Rosemary/Rosemary's Baby


Ira Levin - 2013
    

Bane County: A Short Story


J.R. Rice - 2019
    . . Mystery, Suspense, an edge-of-your-seat Thriller with characters you’ll fall in love with. An old-school, heart-pounding, coming-of-age Horror series with 100s of 5-Star Reviews. A Bane County Short Story. This 8,000-word Novelette entitled “When Bane Flowers Bloom” takes place within the Bane County Universe. The timeline of the story is set during the third book of the series (First Moon), and it answers many questions and reveals new mysteries spanning all the way back to Book 1 (Forgotten Moon). Prepare yourself, for a twisting turning descent into absolute terror.

Evil Whispers


Owl Goingback - 2001
    They found it in a backwoods Florida town. Far away from civilization. Quiet and peaceful. And terribly isolated.Robert and Janet should have listened to the local legends. They should have heeded the warnings about the black water lagoons. And they should have listened to their daughter when she told them about the whispers in the woods. Because now, it's too late. Krissy's disappeared, and whatever took their little girl is coming back for more....

The Shee


Joe Donnelly - 1992
    Things at Donovan's Bar get a little raucous sometimes and the people carry their share of Ireland's tragic history, but in Kilgallan, the fights are happy, the songs are sad and the days are as rich as slow-poured, peaty beer.It happens first to the children.To little Mikey Boyle, whose auntie takes off all her clothes, takes his off too, and persuades him into the river...To sweet Marie Lally, barely sixteen, when Mike O'Hara ties the cord around her neck and slides up her nightgown...Village tragedies. Casual eruptions of horror... but at the heart of a nearby hill, something turns in its sleep.Breathes...Awakes...The Shee will put her fingers into your dreams and leave you crying for more.

Helltown: A Horror Novel


Stephen Bentley - 2015
    It's nothing like the suburb you might live in . . . Unless, that is, an insane, Listerine-guzzling Realtor sold you your house? Or perhaps your postman happens to have a disturbing relationship with his claw hammer? A grieving Dan LaBarbara knows something is different in Helltown as soon as he comes back home. Yeah, sure, the town always been a little off. You can feel that about the place, like if you stepped into a house whose only occupants were freshly murdered corpses in an upstairs bedroom. But this is something else entirely. Standing in his little brother Barbie's basement workshop, holding one of those dioramas Barbie's been building since the accident, the ones that seem to move when you hold them, Dan can feel Barbie's terror. Barbie must know something is coming, something big, something evil. He's trying to warn Dan in the only way he knows. Why else would Barbie build a diorama depicting a man-sized version of a cartoon rabbit with bloody teeth about to devour a trembling teenager? Why else would he spend so much time crafting an intricate model of Death standing over a pimply teenager in the school library? And let's not even talk about that little model of the mob of undead surrounding the massive tower of vicious black spines behind the high school. Hilltown has a story to tell, and the lonely brain-damaged man who builds magical dioramas in his basement workshop has been telling it all along. As the evil closes in around them, Dan and his new love interest Jessica must do the impossible: save everyone one in Hilltown before it's too late.