I mentioned in a recent post that I was reading The Crying Child by Barbara Michaels for R.I.P. XVI and that turned out to be a perfect read to kick off the spooky reads season. It had an old house with a turret, a graveyard and the eerie cries of a child in the night.
I wasn’t sure what to pick up next and I know I had made a list of some potential reads but you know how that goes. I have a hard time sticking to a list and while looking through my shelves I found The Haunting of Maddy Clare by Simone St. James and guys, this is fabulous. Wait until you get to chapter five.
Anyway, I was thinking that for those of you who may still be looking for some suggestions I wanted to share some of my favorites from recent years.
The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon. West Hall, Vermont, has always been a town of strange disappearances and old legends. The most mysterious is that of Sara Harrison Shea, who, in 1908, was found dead in the field behind her house just months after the tragic death of her daughter. This another story involving ghosts and the ties between mothers and daughters.
The House Next Door by Anne Rivers Siddons. Colquitt and Walter live in a charming, peaceful suburb. Life is made up of enjoyable work, long, lazy weekends, and the company of good neighbors. Then, to their shock, construction starts on the vacant lot next door, a wooded hillside they’d believed would always remain undeveloped. Disappointed by their diminished privacy, Colquitt and Walter soon realize something more is wrong with the house next door. Surely the house can’t be haunted, yet it seems to destroy the goodness of every person who comes to live in it. This was such a great read.
Disappearance at Devil’s Rock by Paul Tremblay. Late one summer night, Elizabeth Sanderson receives the devastating news that every mother fears: her thirteen-year-old son, Tommy, has vanished without a trace in the woods of a local park. I thought the author captured the relationships between young kids so well but there is certainly evil lurking in this story.
The Whisper Man by Alex North. I finished reading this one last month and it would have been perfect for R.I.P. After the sudden death of his wife, Tom Kennedy believes a fresh start will help him and his young son Jake heal. A new beginning, a new house, a new town. But the town has a dark past and there are whispers at night.
Let me know if you’ve read any of these and if you liked them. I’m close to finishing The Haunting of Maddy Clare and I almost don’t want to finish it’s that good but at the same time I’m looking forward to more spooky reads. I’ll keep you posted on what else I read.
I need to read more backlist by Simone St. James since I’ve enjoyed her recent ones. The Winter People and Disappearance at Devil’s Rock is definitely a must-read for the R.I.P. Challenge. The House Next Door sounds like a good one so I’ll need to check that out.
I love Simone St James – she has a new book coming out in 2022 as well. Looks like a great RIP LIST!
Oh, I’m so glad you enjoyed The Crying Child. One of my favorite Michaels’ books. I’ve read The Winter People and The House Next Door from your list – loved them. You know, The House Next Door is the only Gothic type book that Anne Rivers Siddons has written. Very much outside her usual wheelhouse and a lot of people don’t know about it. It’s been around a long time. I’m reading The Girl From Widow Hills right now and will be reading Simone St. James’ newest book very soon for a new book group. Enjoy your RIP reading, Iliana!
Melody – I have at least three other Simone St. James’ books and can’t believe it’s taken me this long to discover her. This book is excellent and I don’t want it to end! I hope you do check out The House Next Door. Such a good one!
Diane – Oh I better hurry up and read the books of hers that I already have!
Kay – It was so good and the spooky factor was great. I wonder if Anne Rivers Siddons didn’t try to write any others like it but it would be wonderful if she had because this one was so good. Can’t wait to hear about your current reads and I hope they are good ones!
I read The House Next Door back in 2006 (reviewed here and loved it, but boy was it scary! I plan to read The Winter People and The Whisper Man sometime in the future, but probably not for this RIP challenge.
Thank you for sharing these recommendations. I have to completely skip Anything Scary, so I’m looking for gentle book ways to celebrate fall.
These all look like perfect R.I.P. choices! Ghost-y and spooky!
Lesley in OR – Oh my goodness I just read your post about that and how creepy! I’ve had some strange things happen to me and I don’t know what to think but I guess I’m open to the possibilities. Probably why I enjoy books like these because they do make me think. I really did love The House Next Door and wish she had written another book in that genre.
Deb Nance at Readerbuzz – I just finished The Fortnight in September which is not at all a creepy book but definitely gives you fall vibes what with the end of summer vacations, etc. Such a good read. I’ll have to share more about it soon!
Jen Mullen – If I get a chance I’ll have to follow up with recommendations of vampire books 🙂
I really really like Simone St. James’s work. So far, none of her books have disappointed me. I’m always wary of starting off a “spooky” book, but James makes it very easy to get hooked. 🙂
Lex @ Lexlingua – I finished The Haunting of Maddy Clare this weekend. Wow, it was so good. I’m so glad I have more of Simone St. James books on my shelf to look forward to! Let me know if you have a favorite one.