Dark Academia, Chilling Thrillers, And Cozy Romance Books That'll Really Set The Spooky Season Mood

Twisty thrillers, cozy autumnal romances, and eerie dark academia coming right up!

Fall is a moody, atmospheric time of year, so it only makes sense to bring you brand-new books that match the vibe. From cozy paranormal romances to riveting dark academia to heart-pounding thrillers and mysteries, we have something for everyone who loves the chills of spooky season.

1. Angelika Frankenstein Makes Her Match by Sally Thorne

Avon Books

From the bestselling author of The Hating Game comes a rom-com historical reimagining of Victor Frankenstein's younger sister Angelika and her ambition to create the perfect man. Angelika is one of the only members of her family who hasn't found a suitor, so when she aids her brother Victor in reviving a previously disassembled man, she slowly begins to realize that he could perhaps be her true love. But Will, the resurrected gentleman, is hell-bent on figuring out the identity he has forgotten, and Angelika joins him on this quest for truth. When a different suitor is thrown into the mix, Angelika wonders if inserting herself into Will's life was a good idea after all. 

Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound. You can also try the audiobook version through Libro.fm.

2. The Kiss Curse by Erin Sterling

Avon Books

The author of the bestselling novel The Ex Hex brings us an enchanting follow-up. Gwyn Jones resides in Graves Glen with her family coven and runs a successful witchcraft shop. Llewellyn "Wells" Penhallow has just returned to Graves Glen to reconnect to the town his family founded and opens a competing store across the street from Gwyn's, which is beyond irritating. It's even more irritating that Gwyn begins to find him a bit irresistible. But she's got bigger fish to fry, because when a new coven of witches steps foot in Graves Glen, Gwyn begins to lose her powers. And she'll have to team up with Wells to figure out what's going on before they're gone for good. 

Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound. You can also try the audiobook version through Libro.fm.

3. Pretty Dead Queens by Alexa Donne

Crown Books for Young Readers

Donne is back with another sharp and captivating YA thriller set in a California coastal town, and it's perfect for readers who love reading tantalizing thrillers during spooky season. Cecelia Ellis transfers to Seaview High after losing her mother to cancer, which means she's now living with her grandmother — a renowned mystery author — in a harrowing Victorian mansion. When Seaview's homecoming queen is murdered, the town believes a copycat murder is on the loose. Like one of her grandmother's heroines, Cecelia is eager to unravel the mystery, but the deeper she digs, the more dangerous secrets she unearths. 

Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound. You can also try the audiobook version through Libro.fm.

4. The Witch Hunt by Sasha Peyton Smith

Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

From the the New York Times bestselling author of The Witch Haven comes the follow-up novel. Frances has found a peaceful life within Haxahaven Academy. There's just one problem: her magic is acting up. So when she receives an opportunity to go to Paris, she takes it, hoping to find answers to her current troubles. And when Frances learns a spell she had been using had devastating consequences, lifting the veil between living and dead, she must try and make things right. But a group of magicians have used her mistake for their own selfish gains, which means Frances must team up with the one person she thought she could never trust again in order to set things right. 

Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound. You can also try the audiobook version through Libro.fm.

5. The Atlas Paradox by Olivie Blake

Tor Books

Blake is the New York Times bestselling author of The Atlas Six, and she's back with a magical sequel. After the events of The Atlas Six, five powerful magicians are now members of the Society. But two different paths within this secret society are presented before them, leaving the crew to test alliances and make difficult choices. 

Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound. You can also try the audiobook version through Libro.fm.

6. Blackmail and Bibingka by Mia P. Manansala

Berkley Books

For my cozy mystery lovers, travel to Shady Palms during the holiday season in this charming thrill ride of a book. Lila Macapagal is trying to ensure the Brew-ha Cafe is profitable while balancing a brand-new romance with her friend Jae Park. But after 15 years away, her cousin Ronnie returns to the Shady Palms community, claiming he's ready to lay down roots. But when it's rumored that Ronnie was involved in a recent murder, dangerous secrets begin to come to light. Even though Lila's resentful toward him, he's still family. And she's going to try and prove that he's innocent. Because he is innocent, right?

Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound. You can also try the audiobook version through Libro.fm.

7. The Second Death of Edie and Violet Bond by Amanda Glaze

Union Square & Co.

Where are my paranormal, historical, and mystery lovers? This atmospheric YA novel, set in Sacramento, 1885, follows 17-year-old twins named Edie and Violet Bond who are powerful mediums with unique abilities: Violet has the ability to open the veil between life and death, and Edie possesses the skill to cross into the spirit world. Now, they're runaways who are part of a traveling Spiritualist show. But when Violet's act backfires one evening, they realize a dark spirit who is responsible for their mother's death now walks among the land of the living. To make matters worse, someone is hunting mediums — and they could be next. 

Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound. You can also try the audiobook version through Libro.fm.

8. The Whispering Dark by Kelly Andrew

Scholastic Press

In this dark fantasy debut that's pitched as The Raven Boys meets Ninth House, we follow Delaney Meyers-Petrov, a Deaf college student who is tired of being seen as fragile. Godbole University has accepted her into their prestigious school, which helps students to slip between parallel worlds, but she faces frustrating challenges once here: Her professors aren't accommodating to her disability. Then there is the charming, arrogant Colton Price, who died at the age of 9 only to wake after several weeks. It's been 12 years since that moment, and Delaney is somehow back in his life. Colton's been told to stay away from her, which proves to be hard when a Godbole student turns up dead, leading them to forming an alliance. Can they uncover buried secrets while facing dangerous enemy that threatens to destroy everything? 

Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound. You can also try the audiobook version through Libro.fm.

9. House of Hunger by Alexis Henderson

Ace Books

The author of The Year of the Witching is back with a dark, Gothic novel that's perfect for spooky season. Marion Shaw has grown up in poverty, but when she uncovers a newspaper wanted ad seeking a bloodmaid among the wealthy in the far north, she decides she has nothing to lose and applies. Days later, she's summoned to the House of Hunger and all the unsettling darkness that resides there. Marion is eager to please Countess Lisavet, who is both loved and feared within the court. And when Marion uncovers long-buried secrets within the house, she'll have to ensure her curiosity doesn't put her life in danger. 

Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound. You can also try the audiobook version through Libro.fm.

10. Kingdom of the Feared by Kerri Maniscalco

Little, Brown

Maniscalco is back with the dark, sexy conclusion to her Kingdom of the Wicked series. Determined to absolve her sister from murderous accusations, Emilia's quest for justice overlaps with her desire to claim the heart and soul of the Prince of Wrath. Together, Wrath and Emilia must defeat deceptive villains if they have any hope of bringing the true murderer to light. 

Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound. You can also try the audiobook version through Libro.fm.

11. The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna

Berkley Books

If you prefer charming supernatural romances this time of year, look no further than Mandanna's latest. Mika Moon is one of the few witches left in Britain forced to keep a low profile: She can't draw attention to her powers. But without a solid sense of community in her real life, Mika begins posting online videos pretending to be a witch, certain no one will take her seriously. Except someone does. Mika receives a message inviting her to Nowhere House, where she'll be teaching young witches how to control their own magic. Even though it breaks the rules, she decides to go. Mika doesn't expect to find a found family in this new environment, so when an outside danger threatens everything, she must do whatever it takes to protect her newfound sense of belonging. 

Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound. You can also try the audiobook version through Libro.fm.

12. Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young

Delacorte Press

While Young’s fascinating, atmospheric, and mystical adult debut blends a few different genres, it is a mystery at its core. Set on Saiorse Island off the coast of Washington, this story unfolds from multiple points of view but is primarily told through the lens of two main characters: Emery Blackwood and August Salt. While Emery had big dreams of moving away from her remote island after high school, the unexpected death of her best friend tied her to her community. August, her high school sweetheart and first love, was accused of killing Lily, which is why he’s no longer welcome on Saiorse. But after his mother’s death, August returns to the island to sell her home and lay her to rest, and he’s unsurprised to find the town has still turned on him. Now, Emery finds herself drawn to August as she begins to uncover an array of secrets that might just reveal a different story.

Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound. You can also try the audiobook version through Libro.fm.

13. The Cloisters by Katy Hays

Atria Books

Dear dark academia lovers: This book is for you. Pitched as The Secret History meets Ninth House and set in New York City, we follow Ann Stilwell, a curatorial associate at the Metropolitan Museum of Art where she's assigned to work within the Cloisters, a gothic museum and garden primarily known for its medieval art collection. It's there that Ann stumbles upon a historic tarot card deck believed to hold the key to predicting the future — but that knowledge comes at a dangerous cost. 

Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound. You can also try the audiobook version through Libro.fm.

14. The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson

Katherine Tegen Books

Jackson returns with another haunting YA horror novel set in Springville, Georgia. Maddy Washington is used to being an outcast at her small-town Georgia high school, but when it's revealed that Maddy is biracial despite having passed as white for many years, and when a viral video shows the racist true colors of Springville High, the students decide it's time to do damage control. Her school will host its first integrated prom, and when Maddy finds herself with a date, she begins to wonder if she'll finally receive a movie-esque high school experience. But perhaps her classmates don't have the best intentions, and what they don't know is that Maddy herself holds a dark secret. 

Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound. You can also try the audiobook version through Libro.fm.

15. Before You Knew My Name by Jacqueline Bublitz

Atria Books

If mystery novels are your jam this time of year, be sure to check out Bublitz's thriller. Ruby Jones has just moved to New York City to reinvent herself. She doesn't expect to stumble upon the body of Alice Lee, the city's latest Jane Doe. Although Alice is dead, she's determined to continue her story, and Ruby is the key to solving her tragic death. And although Ruby wants to be free of Alice, she finds herself drawn to figuring out why her life was cut short. 

Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound. You can also try the audiobook version through Libro.fm.

16. The Quarry Girls by Jess Lourey

Thomas & Mercer

It's 1977 in Minnesota, and Heather and Brenda are carrying a secret. They saw something unspeakable in the dark, and they've vowed not to tell a soul. But when their friend disappears and authorities don't take it seriously, Heather becomes paranoid that it's connected to her shared secret with Brenda. So she sets off to find answers on her own, realizing that there's nobody in this town she can truly trust. And if she isn't careful, she might be next. 

Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound.

17. Belladonna by Adalyn Grace

Little, Brown

Belladonna is a mesmerizing story that’s on the more mature side of YA lit — our main character Signa is 19, after all — and Grace’s succinct, gorgeous prose instantly grabbed me. The author’s described it as Knives Out meets gothic Victorian Bridgerton, but I’d add that it has a supernatural sprinkle of Stranger Things as well, and fans of Kerri Maniscalco and Stephanie Garber are sure to love this one. Orphaned Signa Farrow has been raised by various guardians that have all met a peculiar demise. After the loss of her aunt, Signa is sent to Thorn Grove to live with the Hawthornes until she reaches the age of 20, when she is able to receive her inheritance. Signa is no ordinary girl; she is able to see spirits. So when the restless spirit of the late Lillian Hawthorn reveals that her untimely death was a result of poison, Signa must quickly figure out who is plotting against her children, especially since Lillian’s daughter has fallen ill by the same poison. And in order to solve this pressing mystery, Signa has no choice but to align herself with Death, a mysterious shadow man who has always had an unexplainable connection with Signa. With exquisite pacing, luscious details, and impeccable prose, Grace’s latest is a standout. 

Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound.