Horror writer Susie Moloney picks spooky books for Halloween

One of the scariest books I've read in the last couple of years. It's a vampire book, but hold on there - this is some messed-up, nasty-assed vampire nastiness. There are no cute boyfriends in this book, not really.

—Author Susie Moloney on "Enter, Night" by Michael Rowe

Susie Moloney is a supernatural horror novelist. Her fourth novel, The Thirteen, has been described as Desperate Housewives meets The Witches of Eastwick.

SCENE asked Moloney to provide her top picks for spooky books:

Halloween's my favourite time of year. It's when I feel a real community with my fellow horror lovers. It gets dark early, so no can see you watching them. It's chilly outside, so wounds will bleed out slow. And everyone's screaming about their favourite book.

This year I went with a sort of "haunted house" theme. And the first book on my list is a classic...

1. Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin

Story in brief: Rosemary and Guy Woodhouse score an apartment in The Bramford, the old-school, posh building they can't quite afford. But suddenly, everything in their lives turns around, not the least of which is that they can afford this fabulous apartment.

And, then Rosemary gets pregnant. But it's not what you think! All in all, it's an evil little domestic story about apartment decorating, nesting for baby, and wishing your neighbours weren't so nosy.  

Favourite scene: The ending. It's the most perfect, satisfying ending of any book I've ever read. Might be an exaggeration, but maybe not.

The real joy of this book is really in Ira Levin's beautiful, clean, parsed out prose. That man could make dirty dishwater interesting. And I think he does on page 32.

2. The Ruins by Scott Smith

Story in Brief: Two couples go off-route while traveling in Mexico, and find themselves trapped in some Mayan ruins on a mesa in the middle of nowhere. And their phones don't work and no one speaks any English (first world problems). And the locals won't let them leave. Turns out there's some bad agriculture out there, and they can't risk the seed spreading...

Favourite scene: Oh, there's an amputation scene that's worth never reading again without some sort of anesthesia. (Ironically, that was also THEIR problem.)

3. Enter, Night by Michael Rowe

One of the scariest books I've read in the last couple of years. It's a vampire book, but hold on there - this is some messed-up, nasty-assed vampire nastiness. There are no cute boyfriends in this book, not really.

Story in brief: An unconventional family in mourning goes back to their hometown, Parr's Landing, to rest and recover. But a series of brutal murders leading to Parr's Landing casts everything into suspicion. This book is probably the best cautionary tale about why you should never ever go home again. No good ever comes of a family reunion.

Favourite scene: There is a whole storyline involving a dog and a kid that I won't forget for... ever. Now and then, when my dog is really quiet, I think he might be lost and I start to think that I should go look for him, in the dark, alone - I don't.

Again, it's the writing in this book that makes it really special. Michael Rowe writes like a storyteller, so seamlessly that the words disappear under your skin.

4. "1408" by Stephen King (originally part of the collection Everything's Eventual)

This is the scariest story I think I've ever read. I can't even re-read it.

Story in brief: Mike Eslin is a writer, who writes non-fiction books debunking famously haunted places. In this story, he goes to stay in a notoriously haunted room in a New York hotel - room (you guessed it) 1408--which by the way, adds up to 13, the title of a really good witch book, available in stores now.

Anyway, Mike is an idiot because dozens of people have died in this particular room, and the room turns out to be every bit as haunted as promised.

Favourite scene: There's a moment in this story when Mike finally decides he needs to be rescued. He calls his wife and begs her to send the cops, the SWAT team, the army, anyone... and she tells him - ohmygod - that THEY'RE ALREADY IN THE ROOM!

5. Every House is Haunted by Ian Rogers

My last pick is a book I haven't even read yet, by a new writer. It's a collection of short fiction, and I've been really anxious for this to come out.

It's getting lots of good buzz from folks in the know, and I should be reading it sometime soon. Here's a pitch from one of the stories in the collection: "A suburban home is transformed into the hunting ground for a new breed of spider."  

Oh, they had me at "spider..."

Susie Moloney will be at the World Fantasy Convention in Toronto from November 1 - 4.

This content is provided bySusie Moloney. The views expressed do not express the views of CBC. CBC is not responsible for this content.