Book picks similar to
The Third Parent by Elias Witherow


horror
nosleep-authors
fiction
favorites

The Uncanny Valley: Tales from a Lost Town


Gregory Miller - 2011
    Told by individual inhabitants, the stories recount tales of disappearing dead deer, enchanted gardens, invisible killer dogs, and rattlesnakes that fall from the sky; each contribution adds to a composite portrait that skitters between eerie, ghoulish, and poignant. Miller is a master storyteller, clearly delighting in his mischievous creations.” Thirty-Three Tales. Thirty-Three Tellers. One Lost Town.

The Mammoth Book of Modern Ghost Stories


Peter HainingElizabeth Bowen - 2007
    Wodehouse, John Steinbeck, and Ian Rankin

The Hellbound Heart


Clive Barker - 1986
    Not your ordinary affair. For Frank it began with his own insatiable sexual appetite, a mysterious lacquered box- and then an unhinged voyage through a netherworld of imaginable pleasures and unimaginable horror… Now Frank - or what is left of Frank - waits in an empty room. All he wants is to live as he was before. All Julia can do is bring him her unfulfilled passions… and a little flesh and blood…

Search and Rescue Woods


Kerry Hammond - 2015
    It was originally posted to the Nosleep subreddit in August of 2015, with its final update being in December of that year. Currently, a novelization is in progress.The story follows the experiences of its narrator, an unnamed SAR officer working in a national forest, as he recalls stories of supernatural happenings, strange disappearances, and mysterious staircases in the middle of the woods.In addition to the core SAR stories, Hammond also wrote several additional companion pieces that, while not always being set in the woods or featuring the main SAR officer, expand upon the lore of the world featured in the stories. These include: "The Tunnel", "Late Night", "Anniversary", "Molten", "The Nameless Dark Story #2", and "Radio".All eight parts (alongside "Late Night", "Anniversary", "Molten", and "Radio") were featured on The Nosleep Podcast.An television adaption of the series will be airing as apart of Channel Zero in early 2018 under the title "Butcher's Block."(source)

Ghosts of Demons Past


Matt Schiariti - 2013
    Gabriel. What do you know about…demons?”For most people, that’s a question that never comes up. Medium Seth Gabriel isn’t most people and for him, it’s another normal day in an abnormal life. It’s bad enough that his love life has seen better days but his personal problems are only the half of it. Seth’s ghost hunting business, SG Cleaning Services hasn’t seen a client in weeks and he’s desperate for a paycheck. Things look up when two potential clients seek him out.Courtney Reeves hires Seth to investigate a paranormal disturbance in her home. On the surface it’s a run of the mill cleaning job but when you deal with the dead for a living, there’s no such thing as routine. The close of the case is the start of even bigger problems and Seth will find that, while there’s nothing to fear from the dead, the living are another story.When the nervous and persistent Evan Gallagher enters his life, Seth sees the promise of a big payday. There’s only one catch. The wealthy lawyer thinks his wife is possessed by a demon. Seth doesn’t believe in demons…not anymore, but the money is too good to turn down. Is Evan crazy or is he one hundred percent sane? As Seth digs deeper, he’ll ask the same question of himself.For a guy who’s coasted through life on not much more than Greek takeout, tequila, and attitude, Seth’s going to have to dig deep to survive what will turn out to be a very bad week.

Welcome to the Funhouse


Kelly Brocklehurst - 2021
    With twelve grisly stories of coming-of-age terror, carnival cruelty and fairground frights, this collection brings together the best and most exciting talents in the horror community. Roll up! with the following stories:"Mirrors" by Robin Grieve"Candy Apple Smiles" by Christopher Robertson"The Cyclone Sisters' Travelling Circus" by Angela Sylvaine"Anna and Abby" by L. Pine"The Prop" by Nikki R. Leigh"The Viperess of Las Cruces" by C.W. Blackwell"The Golden Tickets" by Roxie Voorhees"Dance With Us" by Kelly Brocklehurst"No Strings" by Jamie Stewart"Family Outing" by Briana Morgan"Mirrored" by Dave Musson"Smile at All the Good Times We Had" by Spencer HamiltonWith a foreword from the editors.

Soulstorm


Chet Williamson - 1986
    There they will confront madness, murder, and the ultimate evil so that their billionaire host might find the key to life beyond the grave. But as they learn, dead souls dwell in The Pines. And death is just the beginning...

Human Flesh


Nick Clausen - 2019
    A rational explanation for what happened has still not been presented. Now, for the first time, all the available written evidence is being released to the public from what is commonly know as the Freyston case.Human Flesh was originally published in Danish to great reviews, and is now available in English. This dark winter horror story will also satisfy crime lovers, as the plot is told through written evidence in a fictitious murder case. For fans of Hannibal Lecter and Pet Sematary. REVIEWS "great, mysterious and creepy ... I couldn't put it down"★★★★★ Adventures of a Book Nerd"all the planning it must have taken to put the story together is impressive. And the effect is enormous. It gave me chills and I still feel it"★★★★★ Bookish Love Affair EXCERPT “Has he had any other episodes since then?” I asked.“A bunch,” Martin said. “Most of the time he’s just gone for a couple of seconds or so. My dad has been keeping an eye on him ever since that New Year’s Eve.”“Then why do you think it’s PTSD?”“Because it always happens in the winter. I think the cold reminds him of your grandma and—” Martin broke off at this point and threw a look at me. “You know how she died, right?”I nodded.“He never told anyone around here about it,” Martin went on. “We only know the story through rumors. How did he say she died exactly?”I was kind of surprised Martin would ask me that directly. I told him she died from cold in a cabin they had come by to seek shelter.“From cold,” he repeated thoughtfully.“Yes, from cold,” I said. “What else would she have died from?”Martin bit his lip. “Maybe we shouldn’t talk anymore about it.”“It’s kind of too late now,” I said.“All right, listen. You might as well hear it from me. There are certain rumors going about. Some people think your grandpa killed your grandma.”It honestly made me laugh. “That’s ridiculous. He loved her more than anything.” When Martin didn’t reply, I crossed my arms and asked him: “Why on earth would he have killed her?”“To survive, of course. There was this whole case concerning the plane crash. Your grandpa was detained by the Canadian police for like three months before he was allowed to return home. He was the sole survivor, so no one could really confirm what he said had happened.”“Why would that need to be confirmed? He had nothing to lie about!”“The police apparently thought your grandma was murdered by someone. They never found her body, you know. I guess that’s kind of weird.”“Yeah, well, it doesn’t mean he killed her,” I told him—I probably sounded pretty angry by now, because I was.“Listen, I’m on your side,” he said. “I’m just telling you what people are saying. I’ve known your grandpa my whole life, and I don’t think for a second he could hurt anyone.

The Howling Trilogy


Gary Brandner - 2012
    On the surface Drago appeared to be like most small rural towns.But it was not.The village had a most unsavory history. Unexplained disappearances, sudden deaths.People just vanished, never to be found.THE HOWLING II:For Karyn it was the howling.The howling that had heralded the nightmare in Drago… the nightmare that had joined her husband Roy to the she-wolf Marcia and should have ended forever with the fire.But it hadn’t.Roy and Marcia were still alive, and deadly…And thirsty for the most horrifying vengeance imaginable…THE HOWLING III:They are man. And they are beast.Once again they stalk the night, eyes aflame, teeth flashing in vengeance.Malcolm is the young one. He must choose between the familiar way of the human and the seductive howling of the wolf. Those who share his blood want to make him one of them.Those who fear him want him dead.Only one woman and one man want to help him.Even though they can't believe their ears. Or their eyes.* * *Includes:Preview: James Roy Daley’s - Terror TownPreview: Matt Hults’ - HuskPreview: James Roy Daley’s - Into HellPreview: Paul Kane’s - Pain Cages

Sour Candy


Kealan Patrick Burke - 2015
    They take walks in the park together, visit county fairs, museums, and zoos, and eat together overlooking the lake. Some might say the father is a little too accommodating given the lack of discipline when the child loses his temper in public. Some might say he spoils his son by allowing him to set his own bedtimes and eat candy whenever he wants. Some might say that such leniency is starting to take its toll on the father, given how his health has declined.What no one knows is that Phil is a prisoner, and that up until a few weeks ago and a chance encounter at a grocery store, he had never seen the child before in his life.

In the Shadow of Spindrift House


Mira Grant - 2019
    The natural world is a place of curves and softened edges, of gentle mists and welcoming spirals. Nature remembers deviation; nature does not forgive.For Harlowe Upton-Jones, life has never been a straight line. Shipped off to live with her paternal grandparents after a mysterious cult killed her mother and father, she has grown up chasing the question behind the curve, becoming part of a tight-knit teen detective agency. But “teen” is a limited time offer, and when her friends start looking for adult professions, it’s up to Harlowe to find them one last case so that they can go out in a blaze of glory.Welcome to Spindrift House.The stories and legends surrounding the decrepit property are countless and contradictory, but one thing is clear: there are people willing to pay a great deal to determine the legal ownership of the house. When Harlowe and her friends agree to investigate the mystery behind the manor, they do so on the assumption that they’ll be going down in history as the ones who determined who built Spindrift House—and why. The house has secrets. They have the skills. They have a plan. They have everything they need to solve the mystery.Everything they need except for time. Because Spindrift House keeps its secrets for a reason, and it has no intention of letting them go.Nature abhors a straight line.Here’s where the story bends.

The Devil's Alphabet


Daryl Gregory - 2009
    Then, as quickly and inexplicably as it had struck, the disease–dubbed Transcription Divergence Syndrome (TDS)–vanished, leaving behind a population divided into three new branches of humanity: giant gray-skinned argos, hairless seal-like betas, and grotesquely obese charlies.Paxton Abel Martin was fourteen when TDS struck, killing his mother, transforming his preacher father into a charlie, and changing one of his best friends, Jo Lynn, into a beta. But Pax was one of the few who didn’t change. He remained as normal as ever. At least on the outside.Having fled shortly after the pandemic, Pax now returns to Switchcreek fifteen years later, following the suicide of Jo Lynn. What he finds is a town seething with secrets, among which murder may well be numbered. But there are even darker–and far weirder–mysteries hiding below the surface that will threaten not only Pax’s future but the future of the whole human race.

Neverland


Douglas Clegg - 1990
    One particular summer, young Beau follows his cousin Sumter into a hidden shack in the woods—and christens this new clubhouse "Neverland."Neverland has a secret history, unknown to the children...The rundown shack in the woods is the key to an age-old mystery, a place forbidden to all. But Sumter and his cousins gather in its dusty shadows to escape the tensions at their grandmother's house. Neverland becomes the place where children begin to worship a creature of shadows, which Sumter calls "Lucy."All gods demand sacrifice...It begins with small sacrifices, little games, strange imaginings. While Sumter's games spiral out of control, twisting from the mysterious to the macabre, a nightmarish presence rises among the straggly trees beyond the bluffs overlooking the sea.And when Neverland itself is threatened with destruction, the children's games take on a horrifying reality—and Gull Island becomes a place of unrelenting terror.

Dark Hollow


Brian Keene - 2006
    Women are vanishing without a trace overnight, leaving behind husbands and families. When up-and-coming novelist Adam Senft stumbles upon an unearthly scene, it plunges him and the entire town into an ancient nightmare. Folks say the woods in LeHorn's Hollow are haunted, but what waits there is far worse than any ghost. It has been summoned...and now it demands to be satisfied.

Sasquatch


K.T. Tomb - 2014
    Stevens to find a legendary creature that he believes lurks in the Piney Woods. What she doesn't count on is leading a motley team of field investigators: Sam, the pompous anthropologist; Julie, the know-it-all biologist and survivalist; Ben, whose tattoos hide more than they reveal; and Hal, a seasoned adventurer. In the unforgiving boggy Texas woodlands, their days-long foray to seek Bigfoot leads Lux and her team to a remarkable discovery. Or a hoax. When one of the team disobeys her orders, the tables are turned and the predator becomes the prey. Now, it will take all of her instincts, training, and courage to help her team survive the danger and emerge from the woods. Five adventurers go into the deep woods seeking proof, but will they live to tell the world what they discover? SASQUATCH is K.T. Tomb’s first novel featuring Lux Branson in the Sasquatch series, and is her twenty-fourth book. “Epic and awesome!” —J.T. Cross, bestselling author of Beneath the Deep “K.T. Tomb is a wonderful new voice in adventure fiction.” —Aiden James, bestselling author of Plague of Coins