The only genre I love even more than gothic fiction is historical fiction, so a novel that combines the two has me at hello. Set at the end of the Great Depression and the dawn of World War II, this story follows two young girls—one living, one dead. Abandoned at an orphanage, sisters Frankie and Toni must find a way to survive on the streets of Chicago. Told through the voice of a ghostly narrator, this is a haunting tale of the wolves lurking behind closed doors and the dangers girls must navigate in a world determined to devour them.

Cat Winters is one of my favorite local RVA authors, and in this novel, she brings another Richmond legend to life: Edgar Allan Poe. Centered on Poe’s teenage years, The Raven’s Tale imagines the story of his macabre Muse, Lenore, whose greatest desire is to be seen. Winters clearly did her research, crafting a richly detailed narrative that feels authentic while embracing a wonderfully inventive premise. The result is a surreal, atmospheric reading experience that feels like stepping straight into Poe’s dark and dreamlike imagination.

If you love audiobooks as much as I do, I can’t recommend this one enough. Honestly, listen to the entire series! Libba Bray’s The Diviners follows Evie O’Neill, who arrives in New York City to live with her Uncle Will. Both have a dark side—Will is obsessed with the occult, while Evie possesses a supernatural gift of her own. When a gruesome murder takes place, they team up with a wonderfully eclectic cast of characters, both of this world and the next, to hunt down the killer. The characters are so distinct and endearing that you’ll be eager to follow their stories as the series unfolds. Add in the glitz, glamour, and shadowy underbelly of the 1920s, and you have an amazing read!

Shirley Jackson is an icon of unsettling fiction, and We Have Always Lived in the Castle is a perfect example of her brilliance. Jackson introduces us to Merricat and her family, who live in seclusion on an isolated New England estate. The locals are convinced that one of them is a murderer and might visiting cousin Charles be next? The characters are eccentric, the atmosphere is deliciously eerie, and the narrative is wonderfully unnerving. By the end of this short but unforgettable tale, you might find yourself questioning your own sanity as well.

Set in post-World War II Britain, this novel follows Dr. Faraday, who is called to Hundreds Hall, a once-grand estate now crumbling alongside its inhabitants, the Ayres family. Unable to maintain their home or adapt to a changing world, the family seems trapped in a past that is quickly slipping away. But as the months pass, strange occurrences plague the house, and the Ayres family’s decline only deepens. It becomes increasingly difficult to tell whether the house is falling apart because of the family or if the house itself is driving them to ruin. Waters is a master of atmosphere, building a slow, creeping sense of dread that makes this haunted house story a chef’s kiss.

Ghost brides are women who marry dead men. Yes, you read that right! Rooted in Chinese traditions practiced in Malaysia, this unusual custom becomes a very real proposition for Li Lan when her impoverished family is offered a generous dowry in exchange for her marrying a deceased young man. Curious about the family and the life she might have had, Li Lan visits her would-be groom’s home, where she becomes captivated by its glamorous lifestyle—and the family’s handsome new heir. But things take a sinister turn when Li Lan begins experiencing hauntings, and her prospective groom proves creepy for reasons that go well beyond being dead. Soon, she finds herself caught between the living world and the afterlife, desperately trying to avoid becoming trapped in the beyond forever. Equal parts gothic romance, ghost story, and cultural exploration, this novel is a fascinating journey into Malaysian history and folklore!