Looking for the best horror audiobooks of 2023? You've come to the right article.
We've hunted around the web for the spookiest stories out there to add to your reading list this Halloween / Dia de Los Muertos.
Some of these books were released this year, and some of them are older but still stand the test of time as a great creepy story.
Read through the list, find one that sounds like a good fit, and you'll be experiencing the Halloween season the right way.
This guide to the best horror audiobooks of 2023 covers:
- World War Z
- All Good People Are Here: A Novel
- The Butcher and the Wren
- Wrong Place Wrong Time: A Novel
- The Ghost Tree
- The Ritual
- The Haunting of Hill House
- December Park
- Pet Sematary
- The Earthlings
- The Hellbound Heart
- Two Can Keep A Secret
- The Shuddering
Let's dive into some of the best horror audiobooks of 2023.
World War Z by Max Brooks
While most people know of the World War Z movie, you might not know it's also a fantastic horror book. With everything going on in the world lately, it's even scarier this year than ever before.
While it's a great book to read, it's definitely a next-level experience as an audiobook.
With narration guests including Mark Hamill and Henry Rollins, you can't go wrong with this on your list to-read.
All Good People Are Here: A Novel by Ashley Flowers
Ashley Flowers is one of the hosts of Crime Junkie, a true crime podcast.
Although this book is fiction, you're bound to be pulled in due to her podcast work and experience in the crime world.
It's a story about a journalist who is haunted by the unsolved murder of her childhood neighbor. Twenty years later, another girl goes missing, which is what catches her attention and why she comes back.
The Butcher and the Wren by Alaina Urquhart
Alaina Urquhart is the co-host of Morbid, a true crime podcast.
Once again, another book written by a podcast host, but maybe that's what makes them so fun to read. When you spend so much time reading about true crime, you know exactly what gets audiences spooked.
In this book, we read between two perspectives: a medical examiner and a serial killer. They're in a constant battle of playing a cat-and-mouse game, which is why it's a fascinating story and one you'll love if you're into crime.
Wrong Place Wrong Time: A Novel by Gillian McAllister
This book is about a mother who sees her son stab a man out of the blue but then the next day, she lives the same moment over.
And again.
And again.
She needs to quickly figure out how to stop her son from becoming a murderer, before she's trapped in the same day forever.
It has a quick pace and fantastic writing, designed to keep you intrigued until the end.
The Ghost Tree by Christina Henry
One teenager has the weight of the world on her shoulders: she's starting to see visions of a monster who is terrorizing the town.
People are going missing and her own father was killed just a year before.
If you love haunted woods mixed in with some coming-of-age stories, you're going to be happy you added this audiobook to your list.
The Ritual by Adam Nevill
Four university friends come together for a hiking trip. It was designed as a typical boys' trip — a good healing hike through nature.
They decide to take a shortcut and that's where all hell breaks loose. They start to realize they've taken a turn they should not have.
If you love creepy woods, stories about good friendships, and ancient fables, The Ritual won't let you down.
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
The Haunting of Hill House is one of the most famous horror books of all time. It has gone on to be the backbone of many movies and shows including the famous The Haunting of Hill House on Netflix.
If you haven't read this book yet, it's truly a classic in the horror genre. It's one of the books you must listen to if you're a fan of this genre or ever need to write a spooky story yourself.
Even Stephen King himself describes The Haunting of Hill House as having a major influence on his own work and has called it one of the best horror novels of all time.
In this book, we meet four characters who all have their own reasons and intentions behind going to Hill House. Each will confront their own demons as well as a few lurking around each corner in this fascinating classic.
December Park by Ronald Malfi
Children start to vanish in the quiet area of Harting Farms. With police slow to solve the crime, five kids take up the challenge to solve it on their own.
It's a slow burn novel, but that just adds to the impact of the story.
We get to know the characters and their perspectives in the backdrop of a crime that is plaguing the town.
It has fantastic writing and twists throughout the story that are bound to keep you up late to try and finish the story.
Pet Sematary by Stephen King
You can't write a horror book list without at least including one book from Stephen King.
While there are tons of books of his to choose from to give you chills, Pet Sematary is a great one to experience as an audiobook.
Of course, you could always watch one of the many remakes of the story that have been done in movies and shows, but you don't want to miss out on the original way it was told.
In Pet Sematary, generations of residents in a small town have buried their pets in the same location. Just beyond the graveyard, there's a different kind of burial ground.
This book was so dark that after Stephen King finished it, he first put it into a drawer with no plans to release it.
That fact alone should be a top reason you add it to your list.
Earthlings by Sayaka Murata
In Earthlings, we follow a young child named Natsuki. She has a hard life, which is half of the horror in this book.
This is one of those books that falls under the “You need to read it to believe it” type of plots.
If you've ever wondered if you're following in a path in life that doesn't seem like a right fit, this book will describe exactly how you're feeling.
Be ready for a wild ride with Earthlings.
The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker
The Hellbound Heart is the horror novella that was later used to create the 1987 film, Hellraiser.
The story is centered around a hedonist criminal who comes to own a puzzle box that can summon demonic beings.
It's a gory book, so you need to be in the mood for that. However, if gore with your spooks is up your alley, this is a fun one to listen to.
Two Can Keep A Secret by Karen M. McManus
A perfect town that's hiding secrets combined with a threat of murder during homecoming… it sounds like the right recipe for a creepy book.
We meet Ellery, who is moving home to live with her grandmother. Years ago, her aunt went missing and more recently, a homecoming queen was killed.
This is where the story begins and as you can imagine, it's a wild ride the whole way through.
The Shuddering by Ania Ahlborn
A group of close friends are in the snowy mountains of Colorado. They're snowed in, which can already be nerve-wracking enough when you're not prepared for such weather, but something is lurking in the woods.
What was a fun trip now becomes a fight for their lives against not only outside forces, but against the harsh elements as well.
You won't want to visit the mountains for a while after listening to this one.
Next Step
Give a couple of these audiobooks a listen. And if you're feeling inspired to write a horror novel yourself, or create your own audiobook, be sure to check out the resources below.
- Horror Book Title Generator
- Difference Between Horror and Thriller Genres
- How to Write a Horror Story
- What is Southern Gothic?
- 20 Scary Story Ideas
