Summer Horror Books

Kill River trilogy by Cameron Roubique

I love this trilogy! Roubique's writing perfectly captures the 80's slasher movie vibe, and his books are so hard to put down. He also writes great characters, even the less likable ones have moments where they evoke empathy, making their deaths more impactful. Slasher fans definitely need to check this series out. Roubique is my new favorite writer, and this trilogy is so much fun. They're some of those rare books that you're sorry when they're over, because you want the chance to read them for the first time all over again. I cannot recommend them highly enough. Check out my review of the first book here.

Sharkwater Beach by Tim Meyer

Okay, so this book doesn't actually specify what time of year it takes place in, but it's set on a beach in hot weather, so I'm counting it. This is a really strange book and definitely won't be everybody's cup of tea. See, our monster isn't just any old giant killer shark, it's an alien giant killer shark, and trust me, that's not even the weirdest part. Still, I had a lot of fun reading it, so if it sounds interesting to you, definitely give it a go. And check out my full review here.

Apart in the Dark by Ania Ahlborn
Apart in the Dark contains two novellas, The Pretty Ones and I Call Upon Thee. Pretty Ones takes place in New York City during the Son of Sam murders. Nell Sullivan lives in Brooklyn with her mute brother and works in an office, where she has trouble fitting in with the other girls. When she tries to come out of her shell, all hell breaks loose, and bodies start turning up. I Call Upon Thee is a supernatural story, set in the sweltering Savannah summer heat. When Maggie comes home for her sister's funeral, she is forced to contend with old ghosts...literally. I Call Upon Thee features ouija boards, creepy dolls, and a seriously haunted house, making it much different from the more realistic Pretty Ones, but both are excellent stories.

Cirque Berserk by Jessica Guess

Cirque Berserk is excellent! It helps that Guess's novel has its own spin on the slasher formula. The back cover synopsis is actually a bit misleading, but that might be a good thing, because the twist, which occurs a little over 50 pages in, is even better in that it's surprising. And I really like the new direction the book took. As fun as the carnage is, the characters and their relationships are my favorite part of the novel. I really came to care about our four main characters by the end. Highly highly highly recommended.

The Summer Job by Adam Cesare

In Cesare's novel, Claire gets a summer position at a hotel in middle-of-nowhere-Mission, Massachusetts. Her early qualms about the job soon give way to real fear, as she discovers that the town of Mission is home to not just one, but two, Satanic cults, and she's caught in the middle of their escalating war. This is a fun book; Cesare's a talented writer, and his novel is fast paced and intriguing. You know things are headed for hell, but you're not sure what horror is going to occur next. This one's a fun beach read for the morbidly minded.

Also, it's not out yet, but I'm super excited about Worst Laid Plans: an Anthology of Vacation Horror edited by Samantha Kolesnik (True Crime). Obviously, it didn't come out in time for me to add it to this list, but maybe I'll review it when it comes out...or include it in a second list next summer? We'll see!