The witching hour is nearly upon us. If you don’t feel like even twitching, let alone witching, why not sit in and read a crime fiction novel with a Halloween theme? We’ve got some terrifically terrifying treats just for as we select seven of the best paranormal mysteries and thrillers. The first one’s free too, and that’s certainly better than being tortured by Michael Myers! Happy Halloween from Crime Fiction Lover…

Carnacki, the Ghost Finder by WH Hodgeson
Carnacki is an old school ghost hunter. In fact, he first appeared in 1910 in The Gateway of the Monster, in Idler magazine. This release, which is free on Kindle, collects together nine Carnacki stories many, though not all, of which have a supernatural angle. The fact that these stories continue to be enjoyed more than a century after their initial publication is testament to their enduring appeal, which is all down to the spooky atmosphere Hodgson conjures.
Free on Amazon

The Wrath of Angels by John Connolly
The latest Charlie Parker novel begins with a plane crash in the woods of Maine. Mysteriously, there were no bodies, and no plane has been reported missing. On board the plane was a list of people who have struck deals with the Devil. PI Parker sets off to retrieve the list – worried his name is on it – but he’s not alone in this. A beautiful but deadly woman, a serial killer, and others, share the same mission, and it’s up to our paranormal detective to deal with them. But they could be the least of his concerns because something else survived the crash.
Buy now on Amazon

Blackbirds by Chuck Wendig
Miriam Black has an unusual gift, though many would call it a curse. She can see how people are going to die. Car crashes, cancer, murder, she can see your fate. When she hitches a ride with Louis Darling all it takes is a handshake and she knows he’ll be murdered, and she could be the killer’s next victim. This gripping, mysterious and utterly para-noir-mal story is perfect for All Hallows Eve. And, it’s followed up in Mockingbird. The third in the series, The Cormorant, is due out at the end of the year.
Buy now on Amazon

Dark Harvest by Norman Partridge
In a small town, back in 1963, it’s Halloween night. Every year at this time the October Boy, a nightmarish monster with a pumpkin for a head, is unleashed on the town. Legend has it that if it gets to the church something terrible will happen. It’s the town’s 17-year-old boys who much who hunt him down and the one who kills him wins a ticket out of a town which is surprisingly hard to leave. Written in a style that mixes Ray Bradbury with Jim Thomson, the story brings together elements of folklore, comic book horror and hardboiled to produce a dark and heartbreaking coming of age saga.
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The Fabric of Sin by Phil Rickman
This is the ninth in the series featuring Anglican priest and expert on the paranormal, Merrily Watkins. The owners of a derelict medieval house are anxious to restore it to its former grandeur, but the house has a sinister reputation, and the contractors refuse to set foot inside. Merrily is called in to investigate, but discovers that The Master House has a connection to the celebrated writer of spine chilling ghost stories, MR James. Phil Rickman gives us a master class, as he subtly suggests the presence of evil in ancient places and shows how the past can impinge on the present.
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Roman Dalton – Werewolf PI by Paul D Brazill
Here Brit grit author Paul D Brazill invites you to enjoy a collection of stories featuring his private detective Roman Dalton. Dalton is an ex-cop suffering from more than just the normal whiskey hangover. Whenever the moon’s full his lupine alter ego is unleashed and woe betide the lowlifes of The City when this happens. Across these six stories there’s not always a lot of detective work taking place, but in fitting fashion for Halloween you will meet the occasional zombie and to ramp up the horror angle there’s a bit of flesh eating to boot. Read our review here – it’s more treat than trick at just 77p on Kindle.
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Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch
The latest of the four PC Peter Grant novels by Ben Aaronovitch is Broken Homes, but if you’re the type to read a series in order then you must begin with Rivers of London or be cursed. Here we meet Grant, a probationary constable, and one of his first acts is to take a statement from the victim of a crime. A victim who is already dead! The series has been described as everything from CSI London to the Harry Potter of police procedurals. We’re not sure about these claims but we do know that Aaronovitch is a witty writer who mixes in an array of paranormal characters – including Grant – but never lets the fantasy material cast too long a shadow over the mystery elements. His writing is good for teens and adults alike.
Buy now on Amazon

What’s the scariest crime novel you’ve read? Let us know in the comments below…