There’s a reason the haunted house remains one of the most beloved—and bone-chilling—tropes in spooky fiction. No matter how many times we crack open a door or creep up a dusty staircase, there’s something irresistible about the idea that a house could remember, and even resent, those who live within its walls.
Haunted houses tap into some of our deepest fears: the fear of being alone, the fear of the unknown, and the fear that the past is never really behind us. Unlike monsters you can run from or villains you can defeat, a haunted house traps you in its history. Sometimes it mourns. Sometimes it seethes. Either way, it blurs the line between memory and nightmare—and invites readers to step right into the middle of it.
Sometimes the true horror isn’t what’s lurking behind the door, but what the house reflects back at us: grief, guilt, or secrets that refuse to stay buried. That’s why a really good haunted house story stays with you long after you’ve finished the final page.
If you’re ready to wander through some truly unforgettable haunted halls, here are 7 books that do the haunted house story justice:
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
This classic isn’t just scary—it’s unsettling on a soul-deep level. Hill House is more than haunted; it feels alive, and its malevolence is never fully explained, making the terror feel all the more real.
The Family Plot by Cherie Priest
In this modern haunted house novel, a salvage crew is hired to strip a crumbling old estate, only to find themselves trapped by something much darker than peeling wallpaper and rotting floors. Priest builds a fantastic, creeping tension throughout the novel, mixing Southern Gothic atmosphere with true supernatural menace.
The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters
In postwar England, Hundreds Hall is falling apart along with the class system that built it. Waters blurs the line between ghost story and psychological thriller, leaving you wondering if the real haunting comes from within.
Home Before Dark by Riley Sager
Told in two timelines, Sager’s twisty haunted house thriller at Baneberry Hall blends family secrets with paranormal horror, keeping readers guessing what’s real and what’s legend right up to the last page.
Hell House by Richard Matheson
If you like your haunted houses extremely haunted, Matheson’s Belasco House is about as bad as it gets. This story is pure, relentless terror—and one of the most brutal haunted house books out there.
The Good House by Tananarive Due
This isn’t just a ghost story—it’s a powerful exploration of grief, generational trauma, and spiritual forces. Tananarive Due crafts a haunting that feels deeply personal and heart breakingly-human.
The Grip of It by Jac Jemc
New house, new life… right? Not exactly. In The Grip of It, the horror is subtle and psychological, burrowing under your skin as a young couple slowly loses their grip on reality. The house feels alive—and not in a good way.
