The Night Strangers by Chris Bohjalian

Chip Linton had a good life - a successful airline pilot at a northeastern airline with a loving, successful wife and happy 10-year old twin daughters. One day a flock of unlucky geese change all that. As his plane's engines die as they suck in a flock of geese, he is calm, focused, and chooses to emergency land the plane on nearby Lake Champlain, fully anticipating a Sully Sullenberg moment. Luck, however, is not on his side, and his plane's wing catches a wave, causing the initially-smooth landing to morph into a careening, plane-breaking disaster in which 39 passengers are killed.

Suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, Chip and his family relocate to a small, quiet New Hampshire town to aid in his recovery. While he and his family, wife Emily and daughters Hallie and Garnet settle in, many of the townspeople seem to take an unnatural interest in the girls. As Chip deals with some ghosts of his own from his crash, Emily attempts to keep a hold on working, the girls, their strange new home with a creepy history, and Chip's apparent downward spiral into insanity.

Bohjalian does a masterful job of creating a sense of dread with this story. As Emily struggles between needing the support of her new friends and a growing feeling of unease with their ways, she also remains unaware of Chip's close calls with causing physical pain to her and their children as the paranormal forces sink their claws deeper and deeper into him. As the group of herbalists surrounding Emily and the girls seem to grow more and more bizarre and malevolent with their rituals, Emily's maternal instincts kick in...but is it too late? Creepy mulit-dimensional novel with a dark, harsh ending.

Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill

This time of year is perfect for curling up with a hot mug of tea and a truly terrifying ghost story. Heart-Shaped Box fits the bill nicely. Jude Coyne is an aging rock and roll star with a taste for the morbid - so when he is tipped off about a "ghost" that inhabits a recently deceased man's suit for sale on an internet auction site, he can't resist. The suit arrives - in a black, heart-shaped box - a few days later. Jude, his live-in girlfriend, Georgia, and his personal assistant, Danny have no idea what is in store for them.

The ghost wastes no time making himself known to the inhabitants of the house, not only making personal appearances, but also infiltrating the dreams of the occupants of the house, as well as transmitting his voice over the radio and TV. Jude, a wee bit disturbed by all of this undead activity in his home, discovers that the dead man just happens to be the stepfather of his previous girlfriend, who committed suicide when their relationship ended. Presumably, the ghost has come back with the intention of enacting revenge on Jude - by goading Jude into killing not only himself, but also anyone who tries to help him.

As Jude and Georgia attempt to outlast the ghost, Jude is also trying to outrun his dying father, a cold and abusive man, who is on his deathbed in rural Louisiana, and who he has not seen in over 30 years. As Jude and Georgia flee his farm in an effort to solve their ghostly predicament, they grow closer to figuring out a way to not only outsmart their ghost, but also determine what really happened to Jude's former flame. Through this all, Jude learns to grow up and see what is really important in his life...but is it too late?

I really enjoyed this book, I thought the ending was surprisingly upbeat considering the subject matter. If you enjoy feeling the hair stand up on the back of your neck, give this one a try. It is interesting to note that the author, Joe Hill is Stephen King's son. He seems to have the same gift for story telling that his father does.

The White Devil by Justin Evans

Looking for a creepy ghost story to get you in the Halloween spirit? Look no further than Evans' second book, The White Devil.

Andrew Taylor, a 17 year-old American, is enrolled in the prestigious Harrow School of London after he is expelled from his elite prep school in the U.S. for drug abuse. Shortly after his arrival at the school, Andrew witnesses the murder of one of his peers by a sickly and odd-looking fellow. The murderer is not located, and as strange situations seem to follow Andrew, he becomes an object of scrutiny, particularly after his past comes to light.

Renowned poet and cynical alcoholic Piers Fawkes is the unlikely housemaster of Andrew's dorm and also writer and director of a play that features Lord Byron, one of Harrow's more famous alumni. Andrew, who bears an uncanny resemblace to Byron, is cast in the lead role, and Fawkes finds himself drawn to the young man.

Evans has crafted a spooky and well-written story, with elements of history, poetry, paranormal and romance all wrapped up in one tragic, ghostly tale.

Horns by Joe Hill

Joe Hill, author of Heart-Shaped Box, and son of horror legend Stephen King, continues to solidify his place among up-and-coming writers with his most recent work, Horns.

Ig Perrish awakens one morning with the mother of all hangovers...not to mention the horns growing out of his head. As he attempts to move through his day, he begins to realize that people aren't as freaked out by the horns as he thinks they should be. Plus, they tell him things that they normally would not tell anyone - secret, dark desires - then cannot remember the conversation or even that they spoke with him. In one such conversation, Ig's brother Terry reveals the who the killer of Ig's former girlfriend is, a crime that the community assumes was committed by Ig. Ig, with horns humming, decides to use his new power to trap the real killer.

Hill continues honing his storytelling abilities in this entertaining and thought-provoking read. He tackles age-old topics such as good vs. evil, what awaits in the afterlife, and what are people really thinking behind their public facades? Is forgiveness always an option? To learn more about this book and Joe Hill, see the widget below.