We all know the girlies, gays and theys love a good queer spooky series. So, if you’ve been scouring queer BookTok for a new title or browsing bookstores for a plot that pulls you in, we know the feeling. LGBTQ+ literature has hit an exciting boom and there’s plenty of new reads to discover. It doesn’t matter if a slow-burn romance is more your type or a creepy late-night thriller, our latest list has got you covered.
Killing Jericho by William Hussey
What happens when you find a series of bizarre murders? For the disgraced Detective Constable Scott Jericho, these ritual deaths are part of a bigger picture. Forced to seek out refuge with a fairground family he once turned away, Jericho finds himself reliving an old gruesome legend that hits close to home.
Hide by Kiersten White
What would you do for enough money to change your life? Mack has the opportunity to start over — and all she has to do is win a game of competitive hide and seek. Battling it out between 14 competitors, Mack is assured she’s got this in the bag. After all, she is a daughter of survival. But, when fellow contestants start disappearing, she realises this game might be more than she bargained for. White’s young teen novel is a perfect mix of Stranger Things and Squid Games for all those that want some high-stakes tension.
She Is a Haunting by Trang Thanh Tran
Jade Nguyen has one job: to fit in. So, when she arrives in Vietnam to spend some time with her estranged father, she has nothing unconventional planned. In fact, the more traditional better. All she needs to do is spend five weeks pretending everything is fine to get her hands on the college money promised to her. After all, what can go wrong in this seemingly normal French colonial house her father is restoring? For fans of everything creepy and mysterious, She Is a Haunting is the perfect queer gothic read to get stuck into.
Scorched Grace: A Sister Holiday Mystery Book by Margot Douaihy
When Saint Sebastian’s School is the victim of an arson attack, their community and sisterhood of the Sublime Blood are faced with a new fear. However, not everyone is thrown off by the chaos. Sister Holiday is determined to use her rough-edged attitude to get to the bottom of whoever tried to set their sanctuary ablaze. Packed with twists and turns, Scorched Grace follows a crime-solving liberal nun on a mission to set things straight. If you’re looking for a queer edgy Agatha Christie-type read, then this is one for you.
If Tomorrow Doesn’t Come by Jen. St. Jude
For fans of Adam Silvera’s They Both Die At The and Nina LaCour’s We Are Okay, this YA all-or-nothing read will have you gripped. After all, who doesn’t love an uncertain lovers plotline? In Jen. St. Jude’s brilliant novel, there’s only nine days left to live as an asteroid, hurling towards Earth, threatens to wipe out life as we know it. And Avery is running toward a dead end. Yet, just before she gives in -by jumping in a local river- she holds on for her family and, of course, her best friend Cass. A powerful story that deals with mental health, queer love and confessions, If Tomorrow Does Come will leave you wanting to read it all over again.
Let’s Play Murder by Kesia Lupo
If Ready Player One and Tron were to come with a sinister twist, you’d get Let’s Play Murder. For those willing to brave their tech anxiety, get ready to experience Veronica’s whirlwind gaming nightmare. With a prize fortune online on the line, four strangers step into the virtual world of The Game. But when reality disintegrates and Veronica finds herself trapped with the other contestants, it looks like there’s no turning back. Glitches, blackouts and weird-behaving NPCs threaten their progress and their lives. Veronica and the gang must figure out who’s sabotaging the game before they end up trapped forever… or worse.
The Shattered Lands by Brenna Nation
Sapphire, an unsuspecting kingdom heiress, finds herself in the unknown land of Eriobis surrounded by magic and secrets. Then, as if things couldn’t get any worse, she sees her — the unnamed girl from her visions. As the pair get to know each other, Sapphire realises there’s a deep darkness brewing in Ashes. With her life in jeopardy and the kingdom on the line, Sapphire must choose between besting or befriending Ashes before it’s too late.
Let The Woods Keep Our Bodies – E. M. Roy
Leo Bates knows her hometown of Eston, Maine, like nobody else. But when her best girlfriend, Tate, goes missing, Leo must face horrors (old and new) if she ever wants to find out the truth about Tate and Eston’s mysterious woods.
The Wicked Unseen by Gigi Griffis
Audre is the new kid on the block. Usually, that wouldn’t bother the sixteen-year-old, even if she did have to trade the city for the countryside town. But, when she catches wind of a supposed secret Satanic cult conducting rituals in the nearby woods — she has to find out more. However, things don’t go to plan and when the preacher’s daughter (and her crush), Elle, disappears, Audre becomes the face of the blame. If you’re wanting to double up on who-dun-it horrors, then Let The Woods Keep Our Bodies and The Wicked Unseen are a killer combo.
More
