With the long-awaited changing of seasons from summer to fall comes the opportunity to participate in all of the time-honored fall traditions, such as baking, apple picking, corn mazes, harvest festivals, and pumpkin painting and carving. Now that October has arrived, and Halloween is just around the corner, it’s time to prepare for another season: spooky season.
Whether you’re craving a slow-burn murder mystery or a non-stop, bone-chilling thrill ride, you can’t go wrong with any of these five selections to get your heart racing for the scariest time of the year! Clear your calendar and brew up your favorite steaming witch’s brew, because these five small-town murder mysteries will have you ready for spooky season in no time, no haunted houses or trick-or-treating required!
1. Buried by CJ Carmichael
“A captivating read full of twists and turns.” —Goodreads Reviewer
Decades of silence. A shocking discovery. Some secrets refuse to stay buried.
True crime writer Dougal Lachlan swore he’d never set foot in Twisted Cedars again. Not even for his sister’s upcoming wedding. But an email promising the story of a lifetime pulls him back to his hometown against his better judgement.
Thirty years ago, five librarians were murdered across quiet coastal towns in Oregon, leaving a trail of unsolved mysteries. All signs point to a serial killer.
As Dougal plunges into the investigation, he enlists the help of local librarian Charlotte Hammond, who prefers her mysteries between the covers of a good book since the disappearance of her older sister Daisy.
The more they dig, the more buried secrets they unearth, only to realize nothing is quite what it seems, and the danger may be closer to home than they thought…
Get your true crime fix and claim your copy of Buried by CJ Carmichael today!
2. T.A. Cruz’s mystery thriller, Have You Seen Sarah Baker?
“Mind-blowing…you just have to read it to believe it.” – Starred Goodreads Review
The search is on, but what exactly are the folks of Fulton County hiding?
For five years, high school English teacher Sarah Baker has helplessly watched her marriage become emptier than the bed she crawls into alone each night. But a divorce would leave her in financial ruin, so she stays shackled to the husband who left his vows at the altar.
Then Sarah discovers an escape and takes the ultimate risk, only to find herself chained again—this time in the basement of a remote cabin.
When a grisly teen murder rocks his quiet northwestern town, rough-around-the-edges Sheriff Jeffrey Mills has his hands full identifying the body while facing the mounting pressure of tracking down the missing high school teacher the community is determined to find. In the blink of an eye, a heart attack sidelines him during the search, and Mills
faces an impossible choice: skirt the law and lose his one chance for redemption or leave Sarah Baker to her fate.
But one thing is clear: they’re both running out of time.
Solve the bone-chilling mystery of the missing Sarah Baker without needing a detective badge!
3. The Killer in Me by Winter Austin is perfect for readers who love strong female characters, tense, action-packed dialogue, and serial killers that are brought to justice.
What price is too great to stop a killing spree?
Elizabeth Benoit ran for sheriff to wipe out the corruption in the good old boys network of Eckardt County, but she has yet to break in her shoes when a stranger’s body is found in a ravine. With her ex back in town, a new deputy detective on the edge of losing control, and a crooked ex-sheriff out for revenge, Elizabeth’s resources are stretched thin. And then the second body drops.
Fearing a serial killer on the loose, Elizabeth launches an investigation that lays bare more than one family secret: The Kauffmann matriarch is full of advice, but her progeny have a mean streak that leaves a path of destruction in their wake. The Meyer patriarch has his own agenda, and the Kauffmanns have been a thorn in his ambition for too long.
Elizabeth and her deputies are about to face off against odds that are not in their favor. Only one source can tip the scales, but will she sell her soul for his help?
Start this thrilling read by Winter Austin today!
4. Bittersweet by CJ Carmichael
“If you’re in the mood for a really good mystery, a bit of romance, some small-town shenanigans and characters who will leap off the page at you – then you’ll enjoy BITTERSWEET.” – Goodreads Reviewer
Sometimes the truth can bite back..
In the quiet town of Lost Trail, Montana, the apparent abduction of long-time librarian Sybil Tombe shakes the community to its core. An elderly neighbor reports seeing a gray-haired, bearded man driving up to Sybil’s house the night she disappeared. New Sheriff, Zak Waller, plunges into the investigation but keeps uncovering more questions than answers.
As Zak peels back the layers of Sybil’s life, he discovers she was a master at keeping secrets. When reports surface of an old man lurking near a young girl at the local school, Zak wonders if it's somehow connected to Sybil’s disappearance. But what possible link exists between a young girl and a 60-year-old woman?
With time ticking away, Zak races against the clock to unravel the truth behind Sybil’s disappearance, all while trying to keep his relationship with Deputy Nadine Black alive. As the investigation intensifies, Zak confronts the possibility that the truth he seeks may hold devastating consequences for a beloved member of his community. Will he uncover the answers in time, or will the darkness lurking beneath Lost Trail’s tranquil surface consume them all?
5. If you’re a fan of Celeste Ng, Agatha Christie, and Lisa Jewell, then Betrayal at the Old Hall by H L Marsay is perfect for you!
Welcome to Hartwell, an English village full of cobbled streets, pretty cottages, and dark secrets.
Lady Lucy Hanley is struggling to preserve crumbling Hartwell Hall for her son as rumours circulate about her husband’s disappearance. Her best friend, Rachel Foxton, feels trapped and lonely. She’s lived in Hartwell all her life and is exhausted after teaching during the pandemic, grieving her beloved father, and battling heartache. Dr. Meera Kumar is a new arrival. She’s always been the good girl, but now she needs to escape her marriage and make a fresh start for herself and her young son. And former London detective Jo Ormond has been transferred to Hartwell in disgrace. A quiet Yorkshire village where everyone knows your business is the last place she wants to be.
A friendship between the four women begins to grow but secrets run through this close-knit community like a loose thread—with just one tug, everything can unravel. Then a body is discovered, and a betrayal threatens them all.
Order your copy of Betrayal at the Old Hall today!
Written by Tule intern, Kristina Gaffney.
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