As summer draws to an end and fall creeps into North Georgia, the changing leaves, cooler air and harvest season is so welcomed in the mountains that we wouldn’t blame you for setting out autumn and Halloween décor the day after Labor Day. If you’ve been eagerly awaiting these days, as well as creepy nights filled with ghost stories by the fire and horror flicks on the big and small screen, we’ve got a host of books to send shivers down your spine. Don’t forget to lock your windows and doors and check under the bed for goblins before diving into these thrilling novels.
THE LOST BOOK OF ELEANOR DARE
Kimberly Brock Harper Muse North Georgia author Kimberly Brock of Milton released this thrilling new book earlier this year. Inspired by the discovery of the real Dare Stones, stones with messages written on them that are thought to be written by the members of the lost Roanoke Colony, “The Lost Book of Eleanor Dare” is set in Savannah with a World War II widow and her young daughter working to preserve their family’s history and legacy after inheriting their new home.
Uncovering a book written by Eleanor Dare, the lone survivor of the lost 16th-century colony, Alice Young delves into the mystery of the Dare family and her new home while working through her grief of losing her husband in the war and raising a young child on her own. Although the story’s main plot is Alice becoming strong and empowered, the mystery of the Roanoke Colony is woven throughout in such a way, you’ll want to read more books about the early settlers that disappeared mysteriously.
SUCH A PRETTY SMILE
Kristi DeMeester St. Martin’s Publishing Group Taking the fiction world by storm since its release earlier this year, “Such a Pretty Smile” is a psychological thriller from breakthrough and Georgia-born author Kristi DeMeester.
Called a “heart-stopping tour-de-force about powerful women, angry men and all the ways in which girls fight against the forces that try to silence them,” this book may be tough to read before bed!
Terror comes in the form of a demonlike creature known as “The Cur,” which preys on Atlanta girls considered to be trouble-makers. Leaving the bodies of its victims so savagely destroyed, girls on the verge of becoming women begin to conform and remain quiet in an effort to go unnoticed by the monster. Until Caroline and Lila Sawyer push back and decide to let their independent streaks shine and take on the Cur.
Yes, it’s scary. But it’s also empowering for women.
ONE OF US IS DEAD
Jeneva Rose Blackstone Publishing Revered author Jeneva Rose brings her new thriller, released in late April, to the streets of Buckhead. As the trendy and high-class area of Atlanta sets the stage, readers meet a cast of pampered and elitist characters who turn out to be backstabbing each other—quite literally!
This murder mystery is filled with twists and turns revealing the secrets and lies of the Buckhead women in what has been called “Mean Girls meets Desperate Housewives.” It’s a breeze of fun to read and you may even devour it in one weekend. This thriller is so juicy, it would make a great popcorn flick.
THESE SILENT WOODS
Kimi Cunningham Grant St. Martin’s Publishing Group Released last fall, this haunting story is set deep within the Appalachian mountains and revolves around another widower and young child: Cooper and his daughter, Finch. Safely tucked away from his painful past in a remote log cabin without electricity or a connection to the outside world, Cooper and Finch lead a quiet life.
Until Cooper’s past catches up to him and threatens to destroy him and Finch.
This is the story of a parent pushed to the brink, set so descriptively in the mountains you’ll feel the dense fog setting in and the chill in the air in this tense drama that is both suspenseful and mesmerizing.
HOW TO SELL A HAUNTED HOUSE
Grady Hendrix Berkley Books Best-selling Charleston-based author Grady Hendrix returns with a terrifying comedy soon to be released—and the early reviews are already giving him major props. The story delves into how all of our childhood homes are haunted in some shape or form, and how nothing can haunt us as much as our pasts.
Hendrix is renowned for his take on horror and science fiction, even winning a Bram Stoker Award, so if you haven’t gotten a taste of his monster humor, this may be the introduction you need.
THE LAST TO VANISH
Megan Miranda Simon and Schuster Taking place in Cutters Pass, North Carolina, which could very easily be any North Georgia mountain town, “The Last to Vanish” is a thriller about tourists who keep going missing in the upscale resort area along the Appalachian Trail. Filled with outdoor adventures and beautiful waterfalls, the secret of Cutter’s Pass is the number of tourists who go missing every year.
The story introduces us to resident Abigail Lovett, who joins forces with the brother of a journalist who has also gone missing while investigating 25 years of disappearances in Cutter’s Pass. The plot is filled with twists and turns and Abby soon discovers she’s living in the most dangerous town in the state.
ONE OF US IS DEAD
Jeneva Rose Blackstone Publishing Revered author Jeneva Rose brings her new thriller, released in late April, to the streets of Buckhead. As the trendy and high-class area of Atlanta sets the stage, readers meet a cast of pampered and elitist characters who turn out to be backstabbing each other—quite literally!
This murder mystery is filled with twists and turns revealing the secrets and lies of the Buckhead women in what has been called “Mean Girls meets Desperate Housewives.” It’s a breeze of fun to read and you may even devour it in one weekend. This thriller is so juicy, it would make a great popcorn flick.
THESE SILENT WOODS
Kimi Cunningham Grant St. Martin’s Publishing Group Released last fall, this haunting story is set deep within the Appalachian mountains and revolves around another widower and young child: Cooper and his daughter, Finch. Safely tucked away from his painful past in a remote log cabin without electricity or a connection to the outside world, Cooper and Finch lead a quiet life.
Until Cooper’s past catches up to him and threatens to destroy him and Finch.
This is the story of a parent pushed to the brink, set so descriptively in the mountains you’ll feel the dense fog setting in and the chill in the air in this tense drama that is both suspenseful and mesmerizing.
HOW TO SELL A HAUNTED HOUSE
Grady Hendrix Berkley Books Best-selling Charleston-based author Grady Hendrix returns with a terrifying comedy soon to be released—and the early reviews are already giving him major props. The story delves into how all of our childhood homes are haunted in some shape or form, and how nothing can haunt us as much as our pasts.
Hendrix is renowned for his take on horror and science fiction, even winning a Bram Stoker Award, so if you haven’t gotten a taste of his monster humor, this may be the introduction you need.
THE LAST TO VANISH
Megan Miranda Simon and Schuster Taking place in Cutters Pass, North Carolina, which could very easily be any North Georgia mountain town, “The Last to Vanish” is a thriller about tourists who keep going missing in the upscale resort area along the Appalachian Trail. Filled with outdoor adventures and beautiful waterfalls, the secret of Cutter’s Pass is the number of tourists who go missing every year.
The story introduces us to resident Abigail Lovett, who joins forces with the brother of a journalist who has also gone missing while investigating 25 years of disappearances in Cutter’s Pass. The plot is filled with twists and turns and Abby soon discovers she’s living in the most dangerous town in the state.
