11 Harrowing New Horror Books to Read in March 2023
It’s only 239 more days until Halloween — who’s ready??? Okay, maybe it’s a little early to start celebrating the biggest night of scares, but you can treat your brain to a happily horrifying time with books every day of the year! That’s why we present a monthly round-up of amazing upcoming horror books, including this list of 11 Harrowing New Horror Books to Read in March 2023!
And what a list it is today! There are debut novels and books from seasoned authors we love, like Victor LaValle. (A new LaValle is always a reason to celebrate!) There’s a collection of short stories, and horror manga from an Eisner Award winner. You’ll find monsters, vampires, ghosts, and other horrifying haunts aplenty, in homes, in graveyards, and more. Some of these are non-stop scarefests, while others let the creepy slowly creep into your brains (which might not be safe from some of the things you’ll find within these pages. Mmmm, brains.)
Like I said, Halloween may be a ways off, but you can still enjoy being scared year-round with the fabulous supply of horror books being released every month. So, we’ve got your horror reads figured out — you’re welcome. Now you have 239 days to pick your costume. (And if you simply cannot get enough horror to read, check out more recommendations at the bottom of the post!)
The God of Endings by Jacqueline Holland (Flatiron Books, March 7)
This is a debut with bite! (Vampire joke, sorry not sorry.) It’s about an immortal woman whose cravings for blood are growing stronger as danger appears on her doorstep. Collette LeSange is hiding away in upstate New York as the head of a school for gifted children, but a visit from an evil figure in her past is going to throw her life into upheaval.
The Trees Grew Because I Bled There: Collected Stories by Eric LaRocca (Titan Books, March 7)
Eric LaRocca has made a name in horror the past few years with Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke and Other Misfortunes and You’ve Lost a Lot of Blood. His most recent collection is eight stories of varying levels of horror, featuring terrible events and traumatic twists at every turn. LaRocca’s stuff is INTENSE.
Monstrilio by Gerardo Sámano Córdova (Zando, March 7)
In this imaginative debut, one mother is going to discover the limits to maternal love — but not before lots of terrible stuff happens. Sure, that little fella on the cover is kind of a cute bat thing. But Monstrilio in the book is a creature grown from a diseased part of a dead boy’s lung. Raising a piece of a corpse to love as your own child sounds like a good idea, right? Spoiler: No, no it does not.
Piñata by Leopoldo Gout (Tor Nightfire, March 14)
Carmen Sanchez brings her two young daughters to a job site in Mexico in the hopes of getting in a little bonding time between work. But instead, something is awakened in the abbey she is renovating, and it follows them home. Now she must fight to save her family, and possibly humanity, from a dark possession.
The Memory Eater by Rebecca Mahoney (Razorbill, March 14)
And this one is set in a state famous for being the setting of horror novels: Maine! A cave in Whistler Beach has been home to a memory eater for generations. The monster literally eats the bad memories of the town’s citizens. But when it escapes, it will be up to a 17-year-old girl, who discovers there were things she wanted to forget, to save her town before they forget everything.
The Shoemaker’s Magician by Cynthia Pelayo (Agora Books, March 21)
This is the second book in Pelayo’s exciting Chicago series! The first was a dark Pied Piper tale. This one involves a grand historic theater, a mutilated corpse, and a possibly-evil host of old horror movies. A mother will have to battle a great evil if she wants to save her son.
Tombs: Junji Ito Story Collection by Junji Ito (VIZ Media, March 28)
A House With Good Bones by T. Kingfisher (Tor Nightfire, March 28)
Sam’s grandmother was a racist, belligerent nightmare, so no one was sad when she died. But when Sam goes to visit her mother at her deceased grandmother’s house, she notices her mom is acting really weird. Why is her mother acting like her dead grandmother sometimes? What’s with all the redecorating? And why is the yard filled with vultures?
Lone Women by Victor LaValle (One World, March 28)
And from the author of Devil in Silver and The Changeling comes a historical horror story. It’s set in 1915 and follows a young woman named Adelaide, who is forced to lug a locked steamer trunk with her everywhere she goes. She moves to a parcel of land in California for a fresh start after terrible events, but she can’t escape the secret of her trunk…
Chlorine by Jade Song (William Morrow, March 28)
This debut is more of a psychological horror story. It’s about a young woman who pushes herself to her limits to be the best swimmer she can be. But the stories she was told as a child about scary creatures that swim in the deep start to seep into her psyche, and she feels herself longing to become one of them.
In Nightfall by Suzanne Young (Delacorte Press, March 28)
We started the list with vampires, and we’re going to end it with vampires! This is a Lost Boys–like YA novel about the town of Nightfall. When Theo and her brother, Marco, get in trouble with their parents, they’re sent to live with their grandmother in Nightfall for the summer. Their grandmother tells them it is very important they never leave the house after dark, but you know how rebellious kids can get. Plus, there’s a group of cool kids they want to impress. Unfortunately for them, trying to be cool just might cost them their lives.
For more exciting horror reads, check out The 10 Best Horror Books of 2022 and 13 of the Best “Good for Her” Horror Books, and be sure to sign up for The Fright Stuff, our horror newsletter. And finally, you can also 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.
