If you’re reading this, I’ve just been buried under a pile of Halloween, Blogtober, and an insane reading challenge that involves scary stories.
What’s a train wreck to do? Share some cozy horror with you all. Of course.
THE WHISPERING DEAD
BY DARCY COATES
The first book in the Gravekeeper series, The Whispering Dead, is what would result if the classic cozy mystery and a ghost story had a baby. It is equipped with a cute, slightly dilapidated home, a stray cat that seems to know a lot about people, and a colorful cast of supporting small-town characters. The Whispering Dead nonetheless packs a terrifying punch as Keira investigates the death of a young lady and unearths a terrible secret at the center of this calm, unassuming village, despite not being the kind of scary that will make you jump out of your seat.
CACKLE
BY RACHEL HARRISON
Cackle, which came out right before Halloween the previous year, is the ideal fusion of all things cozier horror. When Annie’s now ex causes her entire life to be turned upside down, she chooses to accept a teaching position in upstate New York and finds up settling into the ideal apartment in a warm, charming small hamlet. The moment she meets Sophie, everything seems to be going well. No one in the village appears to trust Sophie, who is stunning and captivating and who resides in a large old mansion in the woods. Cackle offers everything, from charming small-town shops to woodland hikes and farmers markets, ghosts, witchcraft, murder, and a little mayhem. A pet spider was genuinely endearing to me thanks to Rachel Harrison, and I’m not sure what subgenre other than cozy horror could achieve that.
MOONCAKES
BY SUZANNE WALKER AND WENDY XU
If you’re missing those autumnal Halloween vibes, Mooncakes is the ideal book, even if it’s more atmospheric than downright spooky. This stunning graphic novel is a must-read if you’re seeking for gloomy fall nights, witches, demons, werewolves, and gay love. In a little New England town, Nova Huang, a witch from a witch family, works in her grandparents’ bookshop. The same village was formerly home to Tam Lang, Nova’s childhood sweetheart, but she hasn’t visited in a while. The fact that Tam is engaged in combat with a demon thanks to rumors of a white wolf in the woods surprises Nova. As Nova and Tam cooperate to find the origin of the evil that threatens their village, dark magic and occult rituals serve as the setting for their burgeoning relationship.
THIS POISON HEART
BY KALYNN BAYRON
Maybe too many plants make my brain feel comfortable? The thought of a large, ancient, crumbling estate surrounded by its enormous grounds makes my thoughts happy. especially when one of the gardens is made up entirely of the deadliest plants on earth. Cozy homicide At her deceased aunt’s estate, Briseis is spending the summer in precisely this environment. Bri is hoping to get control over her remarkable talent, which allows her to grow plants from seed to full bloom with the touch of her palm. Bri meets Marie, a young lady with dark secrets who knows more about the estate than she is letting on, as she falls into making tinctures and elixirs for others who come to the home seeking assistance.
GHOST SQUAD
BY CLARIBEL ORTEGA
Middle grade horror simply has this innately comforting quality. Most likely because, although occasionally being genuinely terrifying, it doesn’t go as far as other YA or adult horror and tends to conclude on a positive note while focusing on themes of family and friendship. In the movie Ghost Squad, Lucely Luna and her best friend Syd team up to battle a swarm of evil spirits that Lucely unintentionally let loose in St. Augustine, along with Syd’s witch grandma and her cute cat. When I mention a focus on family and friendship, I’m specifically referring to this charming middle grade horror. The relationships between Lucely, Syd, Babette, and (the appropriately called tabby cat) Chunk are all that stand between them and succeeding in saving their community. Because it can give you real stakes you can invest in while still providing you with the confidence that everything will be well in the end, MG horror makes for the ideal cozy horror reading.
Have you read any of these? What did you think? Let me know.
The Glorious Train Wreck Mom 
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