Ladies! This one’s for you! Being horror movie obsessed it was no surprise I fell head over heels for thriller, suspense and horror novels as well. It’s practically a movie in your hands!
I wanted to take the time to acknowledge the female authors specifically in this genre, because it’s hard to write a good horror/suspense novel that captivates the audience very well. These women manage to do that in some of their most well known novels. Without further adieu, here are some female authors to check out if you love scary books just as much as the next person!
Fair warning; maybe don’t read these books at night?
1. Karin Slaughter
Karin Slaughter is considered one of the scariest female writers of this time. Her work is absolutely phenomenal. Many have praised her writing as being terrifying and a bit gruesome (which is good given you like gory horror books).
Pretty Girls is one of her best books that’s a mix of a mystery, suspense and thriller. The plot twists in this book are crazy and I’d definitely recommend you reading it.
You can read the synopsis HERE
2. Paula Hawkins
Have you seen the movie, “The Girl on The Train” starring Emily Blunt? Well, who would have guessed that film is actually based on a book written by Paula Hawkins.
The book, The Girl on The Train is an amazing thriller/suspense novel that will keep you on your toes from beginning to end. After you finish the book, I highly recommend checking out the film and comparing the two!
If you’re looking for more suspense than horror, then Paula Hawkins is the author for you.
3. Ruth Ware
Ruth Ware, in my opinion, is a recent author I’ve seen highly praised all across booktube. She’s written many (MANY) highly rated horror and thriller books over her career.
Some of her most famous pieces of literature is “Turn of The Key”, which is a very suspenseful book. Here is the synopsis of the novel from Goodreads,
“When she stumbles across the ad, she’s looking for something else completely. But it seems like too good an opportunity to miss—a live-in nannying post, with a staggeringly generous salary. And when Rowan Caine arrives at Heatherbrae House, she is smitten—by the luxurious “smart” home fitted out with all modern conveniences, by the beautiful Scottish Highlands, and by this picture-perfect family.
What she doesn’t know is that she’s stepping into a nightmare—one that will end with a child dead and herself in prison awaiting trial for murder.
Writing to her lawyer from prison, she struggles to explain the unravelling events that led to her incarceration. It wasn’t just the constant surveillance from the cameras installed around the house, or the malfunctioning technology that woke the household with booming music, or turned the lights off at the worst possible time. It wasn’t just the girls, who turned out to be a far cry from the immaculately behaved model children she met at her interview. It wasn’t even the way she was left alone for weeks at a time, with no adults around apart from the enigmatic handyman, Jack Grant.
It was everything.
She knows she’s made mistakes. She admits that she lied to obtain the post, and that her behavior toward the children wasn’t always ideal. She’s not innocent, by any means. But, she maintains, she’s not guilty—at least not of murder. Which means someone else is” (Goodreads).
I had recently just started this book after hearing so many positive ratings from booktubers around me. I look forward to sharing my final thoughts once I’m done.
4. Caroline Kepnes
“You”, not you literally, but the movie and book, has been a phenomenal hit on Netflix recently. The book and movie tells the story behind the eyes of a stalker in love with a girl he recently met.
To sum it up, it’s… chilling. You’ll definitely feel eerie after reading the things Joe, the main character, does throughout the book.
You should definitely check out the book YOU by Caroline Kepnes.
…I love wordplay.
5. Gillian Flynn
If you haven’t heard of the book or film, Gone Girl, my only question for you is what kind of rock are you living under? And can I join you under said rock?
Jokes aside, Gillian Flynn is possibly one of my favorite authors on this list. Why? Gone Girl. The book has the craziest plot twists I’ve ever read in a book. It’s amazing and chilling and beautiful all in one.
Though it takes a while to get through, once you hit the sweet spot in the book you won’t be able to put it down!
6. Shari Lapena
Shari is a canadian author praised for her multitudes of horror and thriller books. Her books give readers chills when they read it especially for the first time.
Some of her most recent work includes Someone We Know and An Unwanted Guest. Both perfect books to read during the spooky month of October.
7. Rebecca Schaeffer
Rebecca is a unique addition on this list. Her novels cover not only horror, but also fantasy and science fiction. She is a fairly new author, having written her first book in 2018 – Not Even Bones.
“Dexter meets This Savage Song in this dark fantasy about a girl who sells magical body parts on the black market — until she’s betrayed.
Nita doesn’t murder supernatural beings and sell their body parts on the internet—her mother does that. Nita just dissects the bodies after they’ve been “acquired.” But when her mom brings home a live specimen, Nita decides she wants out — dissecting living people is a step too far.
But when she tries to save her mother’s victim, she ends up sold on the black market in his place — because Nita herself is a supernatural being. Now Nita is on the other side of the bars, and there is no line she won’t cross to escape and make sure no one can ever capture her again.
Nita did a good deed, and it cost her everything. Now she’s going to do a lot of bad deeds to get it all back.” (Goodreads).
Oh dear, we’ve reached the end of the list. I hope one or two of these female authors intrigued you. Perhaps you’ll pick up one of their scary books in the near future.
Don’t forget it’s halloween soon, so get in all those suspenseful horror books before the end of the month!
And if you’re looking for more scary book recommendations check out THIS POST on scary thriller books to read (at night)!
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