8 of the Best New Horror Books Coming Out April 2023
So spring is officially here. The weather is beautiful outside. The cherry blossom trees are in bloom. The sun is setting later in the day. Birds are chirping and such. But you know what? Horror fans are gonna keep things dark all year round, whether spring likes it or not. So while everyone else is out frolicking in the flowers, let us retire back to our dark cave, throw on our favorite atmospheric reading music, and talk scary books.
For the month of April, these eight must-read horror new release novels have everything your dark horror-loving soul could desire. We’ve got zombies attending music festivals. We’ve got evil mold haunting fancy apartment complexes. Of course, there’s a good old evil child story. And what would April be without an evil beauty brand with sinister secrets? If hauntings are more your vibe, there’s also a novella set in a haunted neighborhood. This month, we’ve got all that and more.
So if it’s horror you’re looking for as the weather gets warmer and the days get brighter, you’ve come to the correct creepy cave. Here are the eight horrifying, haunting horror stories you’re going to want to add to your TBR this month.
As always, you can find a full list of new releases in the magical New Release Index, carefully curated by your favorite Book Riot editors, organized by genre and release date.
Natural Beauty by Ling Ling Huang (Dutton, April 4)
After her parents’ lives are forever changed by a debilitating accident, our narrator in Natural Beauty is forced to leave behind her life as a young, promising musician to find a job and support her parents. And so she starts working at Holistik, a high-end wellness and beauty shop in New York City known for its unique procedures. She soon falls in love with the world of Holistik, especially Helen, the niece of Holistik’s owner. But beneath the shiny surface of the beauty brand lies something dark and sinister.
Linghun by Ai Jiang (Dark Matter INK, April 4)
Linghun is a chilling horror novella set in HOME, a neighborhood inhabited by ghosts. HOME, which stands for Homecoming of Missing Entities, is a place where the ghosts of loved one remain, propelled by the grief that refuses to let their survivors go. Wenqi and her family move to HOME in the hopes of reuniting with Wenqi’s brother, who died several years ago. But what awaits them in HOME is not what they expected.
The Haunting of Alejandra by V. Castro (Del Ray, April 18)
To everyone around Alejandra, she is the same woman she’s always been: a wife, a mother, a daughter. But inside Alejandra, a darkness is threatening to consume her, and she’s haunted by visions of a woman crying. When Alejandra goes to see a therapist, she begins to unpack the history of her family and realizes that the darkness she feels inside of her starts with her ancestors. And the crying woman is La Llorona, who refuses to leave until Alejandra follows her grandmother, mother, and all of the women who came before her into the darkness.
The Wishing Pool and Other Stories by Tananarive Due (Akashic Books, April 18)
The Wishing Pool is the first book from horror and Afrofuturist author Tananarive Due in seven years. This collection of 14 stories pulls together all of the genres Due does best — mystery, horror, sci-fi, and suspense — to tell truly terrifying stories filled with monsters both supernatural and real. This book includes many previously unpublished stories and a supernatural horror novelette, “Rumpus Room,” which tells the story of a woman in Florida struggling with her demons.
Sisters of the Lost Nation by Nick Medina (Berkley, April 18)
When women begin disappearing around her reservation’s casino, Anna Horn searches for answers. She’s certain the key is connected to the legends of her tribe’s past — and the nameless, disembodied spirit who haunts her, following her every step. When Anna’s little sister Grace goes missing, Anna will do anything to bring her sister back. Even if it means uncovering horrifying secrets from the rez’s past.
The Vile Thing We Created by Robert P. Ottone (Hydra, April 18)
Ever felt pressured to have kids? Read The Vile Thing We Created. Married couple Lola and Ian thought they had everything they needed. After all, they had a happy, comfortable lifestyle filled with vacations, fine dining, and lots of sex. But when their childless marriage marks them as outsiders in their social circles, they decide to take the natural next step. But children aren’t always blessings, and theirs threatens to destroy everything.
The Marigold by Andrew F. Sullivan (ECW Press, April 18)
The Marigold is an eco-horror novel about a luxury apartment complex called (you guessed it) the Marigold. The Marigold hasn’t sold as well as expected. In fact, the building is only half full. And next to it lie the unfinished remains of the Marigold II that never was. But the true terrors lie beneath the Marigold II. And when public health inspector Cathy Jin investigates the toxic mold growing in the building, she discovers just how horrifying the growth around the Marigold(s) is.
This Delicious Death by Kayla Cottingham (Sourcebooks, April 25)
This Delicious Death is a sapphic horror novel set two years after part of the population underwent a transformation known as “the Hollowing.” Those affected can now only survive by consuming human flesh. To combat this disease, scientists created Synflesh, synthetic human meat to satisfy the hollow people’s hunger. Zoey, Celeste, Valeria, and Jasmine are four hollow girls just looking to have a little fun before graduation. So they head to a music festival with a cooler filled with seltzer, vodka, and Synflesh. All they want is a good time, but on the first night of the festival, Val goes feral and kills one of the band members. And as festival guests start dying all around them, the girls realize someone is targeting their kind.
Can’t get enough horror? Come back at the start of every month, and we’ll give you a fresh roundup of all the horror coming out that you won’t want to miss. In the meantime, make sure you sign up for the Fright Stuff, our newsletter bringing you all the horror news you could ask for every week.
You can find also a full list of new releases in the magical New Release Index, carefully curated by your favorite Book Riot editors, organized by genre and release date. Happy horror reading!
