Take a step into the dark with these stories of murder, mystery, and the supernatural. In some stories dangerous creatures pray on our vulnerabilities, in others characters turn to the occult for power and family. Whether you want something that will keep you up at night or something that will have you shuddering and laughing; there will be something on the list for you.
This list is loosely ordered from ‘light’ to ‘gritty’ reads. A Christchurch City Libraries’ list.
This is a spooky, queer, modern-day retelling of Macbeth set in an exclusive boarding school. Ultimate power couple Maria and Lily have their future all planned out, and one thing stands in their way - golden child Delilah, who is all but…
On the lighter side of horror comes a surreal story of self-acceptance, friendship, and the mysteries of life. Dino is used to death as his parents own a funeral home. It still comes as a shock when his ex-best friend July dies suddenly -…
Witches were often outsiders; rebellious and powerful, defying traditional societal expectations. 'Toil & Trouble' presents 15 stories that are diverse in race, class, and sexuality all united through girls claiming their destinies. This…
Alex is a bruja and the most powerful witch in her family. But she's hated magic ever since it made her father disappear into thin air. When a curse she performs to rid herself of magic backfires and her family vanishes, she must travel to…
A young woman risen from poverty uses the seductive powers of black magic and her street smarts to bewitch and manipulate the highest levels of power in 17th Century France. Fast paced, bold with a captivating cast as dark and mysterious…
A mystery whose creepy, tense atmosphere will have you on edge and fearing the woods. Natasha's sister is missing and the only clue is her car, abandoned at the local nature preserve known as the Bend. Della's family have drawn magic from…
He’s black, queer, funny and sees dead people! These are only the start of the story for Jake Livingston as he navigates the microaggressions of being black and queer in a rich white school and the terrors of dealing with the troubled…
'The lines between past and present, fiction and reality blur in this twisting murder-mystery reminiscent of 'Heavenly Creatures'. Brynn, Mia, and Summer were best-friends, united by their obsession with the book "The Way into Lovelorn"…
‘Paranormal Activity’ meets ‘Black Swan’, with thrills, scares, mystery, self-care and love. Marianne has never been quite the same since her parents split up - she loses track of time, objects break around her, she feels threatened at…
Short, sharp and brutal! A virus "the Tox" has taken over the story's island setting causing horrific mutations of animals and mankind alike. Left alone on an island to fend for themselves the girls of The Raxter School for Girls face the…
For fans of Rory Power and Erica Jane Waters comes a story of murderous cults and malevolant dieties, all set on the lush and dark Sawkill Rock. The new girl, the pariah, and the queen bee - three girls united by loss and grief, each…
For fans of 'Wilder Girls' or 'Sawkill Girls', here's another queer horror that'll keep you reading into the night. Something monstrous prevented Finch from drowning and ever since, she's been drawn to the island town Rainwater and its…
A private club at a school for young ladies! Cursed books! Mysterious deaths! With it's striking imagery and cheeky nod Instagram influencer and celebrity culture, this increasingly dark story-within-a-story is one you'll not want to put…
