Perfect time of year for ghost stories & vampiric thrillers

This month’s book recommendations from Kemps in Malton include several spooky books perfect for October. Moreover, following his visit to Malton Museum’s annual Roman Festival in July, Horrible Histories author Terry Deary features this month with his new book, A History of Britain in Ten Enemies; and, to commemorate Black History Month, historian David Olusoga features too with his latest work.

Kemps are also hosting an array of bookish events this month including historian Annie Gray, author Victoria Hislop, and a ghostly evening with Alison Weir as she explores gruesome tales from the Tower of London. Details of all our events can be found online or in-store.

Meanwhile, here are some Halloween and historical books to add to your October reading list.

So Thirsty by Rachael Harrison

Rachel Harrison is the bestselling author of Black Sheep, Cackle, and The Return, which was nominated for a Bram Stoker Award. Her newest horror novel is So Thirsty.

With her birthday approaching, Sloane’s husband organises a weekend away for her and her best friend, Naomi. Despite being longtime friends, these characters could not be more different. Sloane lives a mundane life, settled into her comfortable domestic existence and worried about her ageing appearance, while Naomi travels the world untamed. Sloane anticipates a cosy weekend to forget issues she’d rather not confront, like her husband’s repeated infidelity, but when they arrive at their rental cottage it becomes clear that her outgoing friend has other ideas. Naomi wants Sloane to come out of her shell so orchestrates an exuberant night out with a group of mysterious strangers in a foreboding house, where their lives are irrevocably changed. Two friends are forced to adapt to eternal consequences in this bloodthirsty novel.

With the exploration of friendship and mortality, this feminist-centred paranormal thriller is a unique vampiric Halloween read.

9781835410981

Titan Books Ltd, 9.99

Paperback

The Black Feathers by Rebecca Netley

Author of The Whistling, Rebecca Netley brings us her second book The Black Feathers, a ghostly tale of magic and wickedness.

Intent on escaping trauma, Annie marries wealthy widower Edward Stonehouse and moves with him and their infant son to Guardbridge, his ornate, isolated manor home on the Yorkshire Moors. Annie hopes to put her darkness behind her, but she is mistaken. There waiting eagerly to greet her is Edward’s sister, Iris, a spinster with macabre hobbies who talks of spirits lingering within Guardbridge and invites Annie to her monthly séances. After initially dismissing Iris’ insistence on the supernatural, Annie begins to feel haunted by the omnipresent shadow of Edward’s previous wife, finding unexplainable messages and black feathers that Iris warned her about. With Edward failing to disclose the details of the mysterious death of his last wife and child, Annie becomes increasingly concerned for her safety while also holding a secret of her own.

With a secluded house on the bleak Yorkshire Moors laden with secrets and full of enigmatic characters, The Black Feathers is an atmospheric Victorian Gothic thriller reminiscent of Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca and Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre. This book exudes palpable eeriness and a pervasive sense of dread, making it an ideal autumnal read.

9781405950268

Penguin, 9.99

Paperback

Home Before Dark by Riley Sager

Under the pseudonym, Riley Sager has written many best-selling thriller novels, including The Only One Left. Home Before Dark is one of his popular thrillers, with elements of horror.

Twenty-five years ago, Maggie Holt and her parents moved to Banberry Hall, a notorious Victorian estate with a dark history. They spent three weeks there before fleeing in the dead of night and never returned, an ordeal her dad Ewan later recounted in a bestselling nonfiction book, House of Horrors. He depicts unexplainable happenings and encounters with malevolent spirits leading the book to be both popular and hated. Today, Maggie is haunted by her father's work with people having questions about her experience, only Maggie was too young to remember the events and does not believe a word of the book. Unexpectedly, Maggie inherits the infamous manor and returns to renovate the place to prepare it for sale. However, her homecoming is anything but warm; people chronicled in House of Horrors lurk in the shadows with relics posing as a reminder of the house's sinister history. As Maggie experiences strange occurrences mirroring her father’s book, she starts believing his anecdotes.

Home Before Dark alternates between past and present, blurring the lines between fiction and reality to create an ominous setting and intriguing gothic mystery. With similar traits to Shirley Jackson and Stephen King, this book is a perfect spooky read for October.

9781529358230

Hodder & Stoughton, 9.99

Paperback

A History of Britain in Ten Enemies by Terry Deary

Terry Deary is a best-selling author, writing over 300 books and selling 38 million fiction and non-fiction copies. His most notable work is the children’s series, Horrible Histories, which continues to be popular through television and film. From 2024, Deary will be writing adult fiction and non-fiction books for a new audience, starting with A History of Britain in Ten Enemies.

Told through several enemies from around the world, from Scandinavia to the United States, this book explores how Britain shaped history through the enemies she made. Britain is thought to be one of the greatest nations on earth, solely conquering countries across the globe, but as Terry argues, nations and their leaders are defined by the enemies they make. Without the Romans, we would not have the name Britannia, without the Spanish Armada, Elizabeth I would be a minor royal, and Churchill an opposition windbag without the Nazis.

Terry has replicated his infamous Horrible Histories series and catered it towards adults, with interesting anecdotes, witty humour, and abundant facts. This book is perfect for history lovers, but also an overall enjoyable read for everyone.

9780857506351

Bantam 20.00

Hardback

Black History for Every Day of the Year by David Olusoga, Yinka Olusoga and Kemi Olusoga

David Olusoga is an award-winning historian and broadcaster who has collaborated with his siblings to produce Black History for Everyday of the Year. A notable previous work of his is Black and British: A Forgotten History, which is also an ideal read for this year’s Black History Month.

From the Victorian Transatlantic anti-slavery movement to the Black contribution to World Wars I and II, Black History for Every Day of the Year is filled with quotes, poems, and illustrations to provide daily insights into renowned figures and the involvement of Black people in key historical events from ancient times to the modern day. Emphasising hope, connection, ingenuity and creativity, alongside tales of racism and oppression, resistance and celebration, this book highlights forgotten figures who changed the course of history.

It is the perfect book to pick up daily for a short but fascinating read, or even just from time to time. Black History for Every Day of the Year is for all ages, revealing significant elements of history that are relevant to us all. Overall, allowing us to recognise the importance of remembering the past will prevent history from repeating itself

2928377114701

Pan Macmillan, 25.00

Hardback