Book picks similar to
The Dark Servant by Matt Manochio


horror
a1-netgalley
krampus
apocalyptic-dystopian-futuristic

Murder Most Malicious


Alyssa Maxwell - 2015
    . .December 1918: As a difficult year draws to a close, there is much to celebrate for nineteen-year-old Phoebe Renshaw and her three siblings at their beloved family estate of Foxwood Hall. The dreadful war is finally over; eldest daughter Julia's engagement to their houseguest, the Marquis of Allerton, appears imminent; and all have gathered to enjoy peace on earth, good will toward men. But the peace of Foxwood Hall is shattered on the morning of Boxing Day, when the Marquis goes missing. Not entirely missing, however, as macabre evidence of foul play turns up in gift boxes given to lady's maid Eva Huntford and a handful of others. Having overheard her sister and the Marquis in a heated exchange the night before, Lady Phoebe takes a personal interest in solving the mystery. As the local constable suspects a footman at Foxwood Hall, Phoebe and Eva follow the clues to a different conclusion. But both young women will need to think outside the box to wrap up this case--before a cornered killer lashes out with ill will toward them. . .

Shadow Valley


Gwen Hunter - 2004
    Fleeing a crumbling marriage, Mac needs some time to bond with her daughter and escape the betrayal that still leaves her numb. But when a drifter abducts Bella and carries her on horseback deep into the woods, Mac must pull from her greatest reserves to fight for her daughter's safe return. When her soon-to-be ex-husband arrives, old wounds flare, and Mac turns to Caleb Howell, a local ranger, who helps keep her focused on the most important task: finding Bella. Then astonishing evidence comes to light that reveals the abduction was not as random as they first believed. But as hours turn into days, Mac must struggle to keep her hope -- and her terrified daughter -- alive.

The Jilted: A Novel


Meghan O'Flynn - 2018
    And that evil is waking up. "An expertly layered work of impressive scope, The Jilted will leave you pondering the real-life differences between good and evil.” ~Kristen Mae, bestselling author of Red Water BLOODIED HANDS. WHISPERED WORDS. BURIED TRUTHS. It’s been two weeks since Chloe Anderson’s fiancé, Victor, disappeared with his daughter, and each night since, Chloe has awakened from the same horrible dream. She’s convinced the nightmares are trying to tell her something, especially when she finds Victor’s camera at an old antique shop downtown—a place where the shadows of the past roam the cobbled streets. Chloe takes a job at the shop, hoping Victor will return for his prized possession. But when she’s sent to do an antiques appraisal on the outskirts of New Orleans, she feels the energy of the sprawling plantation like an icy hand on her back, drawing her away from the shop—and sucking her in. Perhaps it’s the plantation’s mysterious owner triggering her long-dormant intuition. But intuition doesn’t explain the terrifying visions that now plague her waking hours, or the mutilated girl who stalks her from the shadows, vanishing when Chloe tries to speak to her. And the voices… Come to me. Watch out for the dark, child. Is this what Victor meant when he told her he’d felt possessed? Is she losing her mind the way he did? Now Chloe must look deep within herself, summoning a power she’s tamped down since childhood, because the thing that took Victor is an old, vicious darkness, far more ancient than the horrors that seep from every branch on the white-washed plantation—more appalling than the hideous acts of violence that lurk in each long-abandoned cemetery. And if she cannot defeat the evil, if she succumbs to the madness, the creature stalking the town will take Victor, take Chloe . . . and make sure no one leaves Cicatrice alive. For fans of Stephen King, Nick Cutter, and Thomas Heuvelt, this breathtaking supernatural thriller is a masterfully crafted novel about what horrors might exist on the other side—whether we believe they are there or not.

Where the Dead Go to Die


Aaron Dries - 2016
    And they used to be us. Now it's time to euthanize to survive in a hospice where Emily, a woman haunted by her past, only wants to do her job and be the best mother possible. Post-infection Chicago. Christmas. Inside The Hospice, Emily and her fellow nurses do their rounds. Here, men and women live out their final days in comfort, segregated from society, and are then humanely terminated before fate turns them into marrow-craving monsters known as ‘Smilers.’ Outside these imposing walls, rabid protesters swarm with signs, caught up in the heat of their hatred. Emily, a woman haunted by her past, only wants to do her job and be the best mother possible. But in a world where mortality means nothing, where guns are drawn in fear and nobody seems safe anymore – at what cost will this pursuit come? And through it all, the soon to be dead remain silent, ever smiling. Such is their curse. This emotional, political novel comes from two of horror’s freshest voices, and puts a new spin on an eternal topic: the undead. In the spirit of George A Romero meets Jack Ketchum, Where the Dead Go to Die it is an unforgettable epilogue to the zombie genre, one that will leave you shaken and questioning right from wrong…even when it’s the only right left. It won't be long before that snow-speckled ground will be salted by blood.