5 New Horror Books for 2026 Spooky Season

Looking for a scare this fall without the usual haunted-house tropes? Collider has you covered with five page-turners released this year. Here is what the outlet flagged as the best new horror and thriller novels for spooky season 2026.

Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Baker

American college student Lee Turner stumbles into a time portal and lands in 1877. He ends up in his father's rural Japanese house and meets Sen, a young samurai-in-training from 149 years earlier. The story weaves generational trauma and family secrets across timelines. Collider calls it terrifying, with supernatural and historical elements that keep you guessing.

The Caretaker by Marcus Kliewer

Macy Mullins takes a caretaking job on the Oregon coast expecting to look after an elderly man. Instead she must care for the house itself, following strict rules like turning off lights at an exact time. The book explores mental illness, grief, and OCD through Macy's relationship with her little sister Jemma after their father's death. Collider notes it goes beyond classic haunted house stories and that a film adaptation starring Sydney Sweeney is already in the works.

Headlights by CJ Leede

FBI detective Daniel Stansfield postpones retirement for one last case in his hometown of Denver. People are being found along roadsides wearing other people's skin, with a strand of a stranger's hair tied around their tongue. The case forces Daniel to confront his mother's murder by his father. Collider describes it as gory, tragic, and irresistible, perfect for fans of body horror and psychological thrillers.

Helpless by Jessica Knoll

Screenwriter Faye Heron returns to Upstate New York for her college professor's funeral and reunites with two men who are the professor's nephews. The story becomes a toxic romance and wilderness thriller in the Adirondacks, with explicit details of intimate acts and murder. Collider warns it is spicy and not for anyone who shies away from graphic content. Fans of Knoll's other books (Luckiest Girl Alive, Bright Young Women) will want to pick this up.

Molka by Monika Kim

Dahye faces a series of privacy invasions inspired by the real South Korean phenomenon of hidden cameras in homes. The novel shows how misogyny drives a woman to seek revenge. Collider says it reads like science fiction but mimics real life in unsettling ways. Recommended for readers who liked feminist thrillers such as The Natural Way of Things or The Handmaid's Tale.

• 2026
• Books
• CJ Leede
• Collider
• horror
• Jessica Knoll
• Kylie Lee Baker
• Marcus Kliewer
• Monika Kim
• spooky season