8 Most Anticipated Horror Books of 2026

If you’re a horror enthusiast, get ready to mark your calendars! The literary world is buzzing with spine-chilling tales and heart-pounding narratives set to release in 2026. As we look ahead, the anticipation builds for these eight horror books that promise to haunt your dreams and keep you turning pages late into the night. From psychological thrillers that delve into the darkest corners of the human psyche to supernatural stories that blur the lines between reality and nightmare, this upcoming collection is sure to satisfy even the most discerning horror aficionados. Join us as we explore these thrilling reads that are generating buzz and excitement within the genre!

Wolf Worm

T. Kingfisher

Sonia Wilson is a talented scientific illustrator—but she is only able to follow her dream because of her father’s reputation as a renowned scientist. Such is the lot in life for a woman in science in 1899. And after his death, she is left without work, prospects, or hope.

So when the reclusive Dr. Halder offers her a position illustrating his vast collection of insects, Sonia jumps at the chance to move to his North Carolina manor house and put her talents to use. Once there though, she encounters dark happenings in the Carolina woods, and even darker questions come to light, like what happened to her predecessor?

Release Date: March 24, 2026

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Trad Wife

Saratoga Schaefer

When Camille Deming isn’t cooking, cleaning, or homesteading in her picture-perfect country farmhouse, she’s posting about her tradwife lifestyle for her online followers. She takes inspiration from other tradwives on social media, aspiring to be like them, but Camille’s missing a key component: a baby. And contrary to what she posts online, things with her husband, Graham, have been strained. Pressured by her eager followers, Camille fears that without a baby, her relationship will suffer and her social media will never grow out of its infancy. When Camille discovers a mysterious, decrepit well in the wheatfield behind her house.

Release Date: February 10, 2026

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The Caretaker

Marcus Kliewer

Macy Mullins can’t say why the job posting grabbed her attention—it had the pull of a fisherman’s lure, barbed hook and all—vaguely ominous. But after an endless string of failed job interviews, she’s not exactly in the position to be picky. She has rent to pay, groceries to buy, and a younger sister to provide for.

Besides, it’s only three days’ work… Three days, cooped up in a stranger’s house, surrounded by Oregon Coast wilderness. What starts as a peculiar side gig soon becomes a waking nightmare. An incomprehensible evil may dwell on this property—and Macy Mullins might just be the only thing standing between it.

Release Date: April 21, 2026

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Nowhere Burning

Catriona Ward

Riley and her brother Oliver set off in the pitch-black night, fleeing their troubled home. They are heading for Nowhere―an abandoned ranch, once the playground of its former eccentric movie-star owner, now a haven for runaways.

What awaits could be the freedom they crave.

But this mysterious clan guards dark secrets, and the scorched grounds hold the ghosts of the past. Riley quickly realizes that while she and Oliver may have escaped the devil they knew, something darker lurks in the burnt shell of Nowhere. Something which asks a terrible price for sanctuary…

Release Date: February 24, 2026

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Mother Is Watching

Karma Brown

Mathilde “Tilly” Crewson, a thirty-nine-year-old mother and art conservator, is tasked with restoring The Mother. The painting, believed to be the work of a female surgeon-turned-artist after a personal tragedy, is the rumored fourth piece in a collection of only three known works. But this newly discovered painting, scarred by fire, holds more than meets the eye.

Soon after receiving the painting, Tilly discovers she’s unexpectedly pregnant, and strange, inexplicable occurrences begin: terrifying insect swarms, eerie visits from her long-deceased mother, and sinister whispers that invade her mind.

Release Date: March 11, 2026

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Molka

Monika Kim

In an unassuming Seoul workplace, IT technician Junyoung’s network reaches throughout the entire building. He sees every entrance. Every lobby. Every bathroom. The women in this building may be cold and dismissive, but he can always pull up his favorite images of them and remember who holds the real power. Until one, Dahye, sets herself apart from the rest.

Dahye, ever the romantic, yearns to be cherished after years of living in the shadow of her perfect older sister, who tragically drowned years ago. Only her boyfriend seems to appreciate Dahye. He’s rich, handsome, and generous.

Release Date: April 28, 2026

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Small Town Slasher

Stephanie Rose

Jenna is a spunky, disabled, horror fanatic who comes to rural Montana for a stay at a horror themed rental cabin. Jenna has struggled with severe anxiety for years, hardly ever leaving her house. This vacation will test her limits and, she hopes, open her back up to the world. But her dream vacation is built on a nightmare.

25 years ago the Bitter Butcher massacred 11 people in the small town of Marion, culminating his slaughter on the land where Jenna’s vacation cabin now sits. Her arrival coincides with the beginning of a new massacre as a body is discovered outside town, the morning before her arrival.

Release Date: August 4, 2026

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The Fortune Tellers of Rue Daru

Olesya Salnikova Gilmore

Spirited Zina and her secretive grandmother, Baba Valya, own a tearoom on rue Daru in Paris, where they have lived quietly since Zina’s mother’s untimely death. By day, the women serve tea, mostly to members of the bustling Russian émigré community, but when dusk falls, they divine fortunes and perform séances for their loyal clientele.

Then the charming Princess Olga and her brother arrive, searching for knowledge about the disappearance of their father, the exiled Grand Duke, cousin of the last Tsar of Russia.

Release Date: March 24, 2026

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