Looking for scary books

[TodaysAGoodDay]

Hi,

In January I decided to do the '52' challenge, i.e. read 52 books in a year. I am 32 books into a wonderful year, I haven't read so much in over 10 years. However, most of the books I am reading are intricate stories, beautifully written, as recommended on several threads here on MN.

I digress. What I particularly lack is scary books, in particular psychologically scary books. The only 'scary' ones in my bookcase are 'Outpost' by Adam Baker and 'The Abominable' by Dan Simmons. So I am looking for recommendations, but with three exclusions please:
-no zombies
-no blood, guts and gore
-no vampires

Yes, I know 'Outpost' is zombies. However, no more suggestions for that particular genre please.

All other ideas welcome, thank you!

Dan Simmons' "Carrion Comfort" and "Drood" are also pretty good.

Come join us on the 50 Book Challenge - Part 3 .

... continuing on from the previous thread 50 Book Challenge - Part 2.

Stephen King?

I read Pet Semetary in one day - thoroughly recommended!

I'd love to join you, thank you!
I will check those out on Amazon, thanks.
Someone suggested a book recently released in hardback about not looking, something like 'Keep your eyes shut' or 'Don't open your eyes' or something similar. Maybe there was something about a bird in the title? It sounded right up my street, but I can't find it again. Any ideas please?

Oh, I meant to mention, I have read all of Stephen King and Dean Koontz. Wonderful books, the authors need to write quicker IMO!

Now that I think about it, Stephen King's "Duma Key" properly scared me. No vampires, zombies, blood or gore.

MR James? Very spooky, proper old ghost-story type stuff. Best enjoyed during autumn/winter but I guess you could read him any time. They are short stories but you can buy a collection of them.

I don't scare easily so I'm struggling to recommend

'Carrion Comfort' by Dan Simmons is pretty darn good.

My personal favourite is 'Needful Things'. But all the early Stephen King stuff is pretty good. His later stuff not so much.

Read Mo Ryder, the Jack Caffrey series - they are whodunits but truly creepy IMO.

Also John Connolly - no vampires, no zombies, possibly some angels though… V scary stuff.

Stephen kings needful things. Scared the absolute bejesus out of me.

Or books by the guy who wrote the secret of crickley hall. James someone.

Thank you, you lovely lot!

So far I have ordered:
Dan Simmons:
-Carrion Comfort
-The Terror
-Summer of Night

John Connelly: Every Dead Thing

James Herbert: The Secret of Crickley Hall

I read the election literature of all the major parties including UKIP, no zombies but they scared the crap out of me!

gambler

TodaysAGoodDay I think the book you mentioned up thread is Bird box by Josh Malerman, its tag line is "Don't open your eyes"

I haven't read it so can't comment on the book itself

Oh, and John Connolly's first book scared me so much I haven't been able to read any others yet (I'm a big coward, though)

Dr sleep by Stephen king is great also pretty much anything by james Herbert. I particularly enjoyed once, the magic cottage and the others by J H.

James Herbert's ghost stories are very good, you could also try haunted by him and the ghosts of sleath. Both excellent. I also enjoyed the magic cottage.

Misery by Stephen king is good, but generally not into his stuff.

How could I forget the others!! Rats is pretty gory but a great read.

The Woman in Black by Susan Hill. It scared the bejesus out of me.

Jonathon Aycliffe, brilliant ghost stories, also Michelle Paver, Dark Matter

Cheboludo That's it! Thank you

I've also added 'The Woman in Black' as people have tended to say the film is rubbish but the book is very good. I'd forgotten about that one.

Also, Dark Matter sounds perfect, and a short one at that.

Oh dear, do you think I'll have to get shares at Amazon? I seem to spend a fortune on there.

Thanks for all the suggestions

Two books by same author from me: Irene and Alex by Pierre Lemaitre.

They are absolutely wonderful, psychologically scary, clever and just amazing. I wish more of his novels were available in English.

Warning: they are quite gruesome.

People have mentioned Herbert, I enjoyed Creed.

Some of Clive barkers like Galilee, sacrament, coldheart canyon, the damnation game.

I'm reading The Three atm. It's amazing well worth the price.
4 airliners crash at the same time on a different continent the only survivor on each plane is a child.
It's not written like a novel it's all interviews, IMs, emails and diary entry's. It's just starting to get scary I'm absolutely loving it.

Other books
Domain James Herbert
Nos 4a2 Joe Hill
IT Stephen King
The Shining Stephen King

Daphne Du Maurier. The Birds or Jamaica Inn.

Stephen King has a new book out tomorrow.