Madison Cassidy, Account Coordinator

Between working remotely on my laptop, watching the daily news on television, and doomscrolling on my phone, I’ve found myself needing to find an escape through literature more than ever. As the days start getting shorter and the chilly weather means spending more time inside, I usually turn toward more mysterious, spooky titles ahead of Halloween. Here are three of my recent favorites that are perfect for the season.

When No One Is Watching by Alyssa Cole

Cole uses modern-day Brooklyn as the backdrop for this new thriller about gentrification. When Sydney Green tries to preserve her changing neighborhood, she starts noticing that her neighbors are going missing. To share the neighborhood’s history, she conducts research for a walking tour but she and new neighbor Theo start to realize there’s something more sinister moving in… An important and timely read, When No One Is Watching is a Get Out-esque suspenseful tale.

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

Setterfield’s neo-Gothic novel is a book for book lovers. Popular but reclusive author Vida Winter chooses biographer Margaret Lea to document her life and finally the eponymous long-lost tale. As Margaret starts listening, she and Vida slowly uncover the older woman’s tragic past. This haunting story is for anyone wanting a slow-burn mystery.  

Social Creature by Tara Isabella Burton

It’s been a couple years since the Summer of Scam but Social Creature is a fictionalized take on those addictive stories. Soon after meeting glamorous Lavinia, Louise leaves her unfulfilling tutoring gig to party, and eventually live, with the socialite. As the two indulge in a ritzy lifestyle against the backdrop of New York City, their friendship begins to spiral. Be warned: Burton’s Gossip Girl meets The Talented Mr. Ripley thriller will steal your free time away before you even notice.

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