Ghosts Fiction Mystery

When a mysterious little free library (guarded by a large orange cat) appears overnight in the small town of Martinville, eleven-year-old Evan plucks two weathered books from its shelves, never suspecting that his life is about to change. Evan and his best friend Rafe quickly discover a link between one of the old books and a long-ago event that none of the grown-ups want to talk about. The two boys start asking questions whose answers will transform not only their own futures, but the town itself.

For more than 30 years, Ellen Datlow has been at the center of horror. Bringing you the most frightening and terrifying stories, Datlow always has her finger on the pulse of what horror fans crave. Now, with the 11th volume of the series, Daltow's back again to bring you the stories that will keep you up at night. With each passing year, science, technology, and the march of time shine light into the craggy corners of the universe, making the fears of an earlier generation seem quaint. This light creates its own shadows. The Best Horror of the Year chronicles these shifting shadows.

A convoy of cars carrying several family members of the President’s cabinet to Camp David for “Family Day” is ambushed, killing and wounding wives, husbands, and children. Immediately in the aftermath, Vick Harwood watches a Facebook live feed of his former ranger buddy Sammie Samuelson’s apparent suicide and confession in his Thurmont, Maryland apartment, just one mile from Camp David. Remnants of a firefight are in the background: sniper rifle, rocket launchers, and ammunition. Simultaneously, an intruder breaks into Harwood’s house.

Hay-on-Wye, 1400. War is brewing in the Welsh borders. Catrin is on the brink of womanhood and falling in love for the first time. Her father is a soothsayer playing a dangerous game, playing on the mixed loyalties and furious rivalries between Welsh princes and English lords. For 200 years the Welsh people have lain under the English yoke, dreaming of independence. And finally it looks as though the charismatic Owain Glyndwr may be the man legend talks of.

Kari James, Urban Native, is a fan of heavy metal, ripped jeans, Stephen King novels, and dive bars. She spends most of her time at her favorite spot in Denver, the White Horse. When her cousin Debby finds an old family bracelet that once belonged to Kari’s mother, it inadvertently calls up both her mother’s ghost and a monstrous entity, and her willful ignorance about her past is no longer sustainable. Haunted by visions of her mother and hunted by this mysterious creature, Kari must search for what happened to her mother all those years ago.

Claire has absolutely no interest in the paranormal. She's a scientist, which is why she can't think of anything worse than having to help out her dad on one of his ghost-themed Chicago bus tours. She thinks she's made it through when she sees a boy with a sad face and dark eyes at the back of the bus. There's something off about his presence, especially because when she checks at the end of the tour...he's gone.

Restless spirits invade Beach Drive with the arrival of the twins and the stork's unexpected return.

In this collection of three stories, after the brutal murder of his wife, Victor Daniels is thrust into a supernatural world he struggles to comprehend. Seeking answers, he teams up with paranormal expert Jeremy Rhinehart. They race against time to stop a man who’s spreading chaos and violence by way of deadly, haunted objects.

Jadyn St. James is excited to start her job as game warden in Mudbug, Louisiana, and hopes it is the beginning of a new and improved life. She expected to run across any number of odd occurrences in the small bayou town, but she never thought her life would be in danger within a matter of days. And that’s not even the worst thing. Helena Henry was hell on wheels - both alive and dead - when she resided in Mudbug, and a year in heaven hasn’t improved her one bit. Now, she’s back and has brought trouble with her.

In the desolate Nevada desert, FBI Agent Xander Ventura uncovers a chilling conspiracy that threatens to unleash supernatural terror. Haunted by past investigations, Xander finds himself joining forces once more with retired marine and full-time ghost hunter, Shane Ryan. Together, Xander and Shane are drawn into the nightmarish world of spectral trafficking, when mysterious corpses turn up beneath the scorching sands. And they discover a link to rancher Bennet Ross—a sinister merchant dealing in haunted items tainted by the radiation of past atomic tests.

When social worker Jax receives nine missed calls from her older sister, Lexie, she assumes that it’s just another one of her sister’s episodes. Manic and increasingly out of touch with reality, Lexie’s mental state has pushed Jax away for over a year. But the next day, Lexie is dead: drowned in the pool at their grandmother’s estate. When Jax returns to the house, she learns that Lexie was researching their family’s and the house’s history. And as Jax dives deeper into that research, she discovers that the land holds a far darker history than she could have ever imagined.

The crime scene is horrific: the corpse of a young actress, drained of blood and cut in two. LAPD Detective Sophie Manning’s new case is high-profile and difficult - there’s no evidence to work with. And it’s a disturbing echo of the infamous Black Dahlia killing. Sophie is burning the candle at both ends, desperate to catch the murderer before he strikes again, when she starts to experience inexplicable visits...from ghosts.

Attacked at home by an unknown assailant, meek Lucille Stevenson should be dead, but she isn’t. She should have called the police, she should have told her family, she should have done a lot of things, but she didn’t. Because what Lucille did to her attacker went far beyond self-defense. It was cold, brutal, and vicious; and if anyone found out, her life would be over. Unfortunately, her biggest problem isn't getting rid of the body; it's that she really enjoyed killing the man and can't wait to do it again...

Moscow and Argentina form a devastating secret alliance to control the territory - and the oil rights - of the Falkland Islands. The United States is furious at this act of international piracy - and the fact that their largest oil giant owns those same rights. Under the stern eye of Admiral Morgan, the Navy SEALs bring in legendary Commander Rick Hunter. Their mission is to hammer Argentina's military and free the Falklands. For the fabled Hunter, the assignment strikes close to home.

The ghosts of Overlook Manor cannot rest in peace. Their history is filled with love, betrayal, disappearance, and murder. They roam the halls of their ancestral home in an endless pursuit of justice. When Jenessa inherits the house from an unknown relative, she is immediately thrust into this family's secret affairs, working to unravel a blood-soaked mystery that could help the souls of the departed find their peace or trap her for all eternity in their ghostly hell. The Haunting of Beckett MansionA mansion sits on top of a mountain in northern Georgia.

Blood. Whiskey. Pink. A voice. Someone who loved her. Someone she loved. A killer. And death. So much death. Convinced that her chaotic flashes of memory are real Amy keeps pushing forward despite what it’s doing to her. But the further she goes, the more her memories reveal a dark past that isn't finished with her yet...

What Paige Campbell saw when she opened a door into 70 years from now scared the hell out of her. She and her Tangent colleagues brought their terrible discovery to the President and were met with a hail of automatic gunfire after leaving the White House. Only Paige survived.

Estes Park, Colorado, is a place of serenity. But it wasn't always so serene. Shortly after the Civil War, Nathan Kendall and his wife were murdered there. The crime was never solved. Now...historian Scarlet Barlow is working at a small museum attached to a B and B, the same building where that murder occurred. When Scarlet unwittingly takes pictures of people who've been murdered - just like the Kendalls a hundred and fifty years before - the police look at her with suspicion.

Charlene's parents are in town for Christmas, and her mother is driving her up a tree. Her bed-and-breakfast's resident ghost, Jack, isn't fond of her either - and he's showing it with some haunting high jinks. But when Charlene takes her mom and dad out for dinner, the less-than-seasonal spirits take a deadly turn.

Immortal not-ghost Wes Cooper and his vampire partner, Hudson Rojas, have it all - rewarding private investigation work, great friends, and, most important, a love that's endured. But ever since Wes sent a demon screaming back to the beyond, his abilities have grown overpowering and overwhelming. He's hiding the fact that he's losing control the best he can, but it's hard to keep anything a secret for long when your partner's a former cop...and especially when your partner's a former cop who wants to move in together.