10 Scariest Summer-Based Horror Novels Ever

Bentley Little may not be a big name in the horror genre, but with a book being published pretty much every year since 1990, he’s certainly one of the most prolific. The Town stands as his strongest effort to date – apologies, The House fans – with a plot that centres on minted city boy Gregory moving his family back to his dusty Arizona hometown of McGuane. But the old farmhouse they move into isn’t what it seems and something is amiss in (dun, dun duuuun!) The Town.

Pretty soon the plot opens up into something more far reaching and dangerous as Little drip feeds a central mystery (just why are townsfolk scared of their surroundings?) and a mix of built up scares. Along with putting a chill down your spine, the story often veers into the absurd with cactus babies, weird critters that hang around at dusk and churches sprouting hair all featuring.

But the parts of this tale that stay with you long after are the little nuances, where Gregory and his brood individually start to piece together just what happened at their home, spawning an unforgettable set piece in a dilapidated bath house and a finale that will sweep you away.