If you want to read gothic stories about family secrets, black magic, and paranormal mysteries, check our guide with authors like Wendy Webb for eerie suspense reads.
In her early career, Wendy Webb worked as a journalist, contributing to local and national newspapers and magazines. While Webb balanced work and family, she dedicated time to writing novels. She released her first book, The Tale of Halcyon Crane, in 2010. This modern ghost story follows a woman who travels to a remote island hoping to uncover her past, and it won the Minnesota Book Award Fiction category in 2011.
Webb earned the title “Queen of the Northern Gothic” for her continuous delivery of thrilling and unsettling paranormal and horror stories set in the Great Lakes Region. When she published Daughters of the Lake, it cemented her name in the literary world of gothic suspense as she showcased her talent for writing about love, redemption, and reckoning seamlessly blended with supernatural storylines. In 2020, she published The Haunting of Brynn Wilder, revealing her personal encounters with loss and horror.
Must-Read Authors Like Wendy Webb
For more fantasy recommendations, you might also enjoy exploring best fantasy authors, authors like Brandon Sanderson, authors like George R.R. Martin, or discover our comprehensive guide to best fantasy authors.
1. Jonathan Moore, 1964 -
Before becoming a full-time writer, Jonathan Moore worked as an English teacher and investigator while attending law school in New Orleans. In 2013, he debuted with Redheads and was immediately nominated for the Bram Stoker Award. The following year, he received another nomination for the same award for his novel Close Reach, a tale of horror set on a ship with pirates voyaging the high seas.
Moore is a recipient of the Edgar Award by the Mystery Writers of America and was nominated for the Hammett Prize, a literary excellence award in crime writing. His work The Poison Artist was praised and selected by BBC Radio 2 Book Club, and his The Night Market was optioned by Mandeville Films and Amazon Studios. With these achievements, Moore has established himself as a notable name in gothic suspense fiction, delivering intense and terrifying stories about horrors and supernatural elements.
Moore’s atmospheric writing continues to gain recognition in 2025, with his latest works exploring contemporary fears through classic horror tropes, making him particularly relevant for readers seeking modern gothic tales.
“There was nothing wrong with her. It was the world that was the problem. Frankly, it was hard to argue against that.”
Jonathan Moore, The Night Market
2. Sarah Addison Allen, 1971 -
Sarah Addison Allen earned her literary degree at the University of North Carolina. Shortly after graduating, she published her first modern fairy tale novel, Garden Spells, in 2007, which immediately entered mainstream paranormal fiction. The book uncovers a family’s secret garden full of extraordinary powers that must remain protected by their generations despite the wounds of the past. It was a New York Times bestseller and also included in Barnes & Noble Recommends.
Her novels have been translated into over 30 languages, with millions sold worldwide. In 2011, she released The Girl Who Chased the Moon, where the protagonist sets out to solve her mother’s mysteries and ends up haunted by ghosts in their old house. Although most of Allen’s works delve into magical realism, she incorporates suspenseful gothic elements that make her writings unique and chilling.
Allen’s blend of Southern Gothic atmosphere with magical elements has found renewed popularity in 2025, as readers increasingly seek stories that combine everyday magic with darker undertones.
“Sometimes it’s necessary to embrace the magic, to find out what’s real in life, and in one’s own heart.”
Sarah Addison Allen, First Frost
3. Betty Ren Wright, 1927 - 2013
Betty Ren Wright’s early career as an editor of children’s books at Western Publishing helped her develop skills for writing compelling ghost stories about kids. She also contributed short fictional stories to many magazines before fully committing to writing novels. Wright authored over 50 books, and among her famous gothic works are The Dollhouse Murders, Christina’s Ghost, and The Ghosts of Mercy Manor.
In The Dollhouse Murders, she created characters with disabilities who were called by the spirit of a dollhouse to unravel a murder that happened in the house 30 years earlier. Similarly, A Ghost in the House plots supernatural events occurring in an old home until the main character decides to track them and discovers they involve a family. In these novels, Wright’s writing style centers on bringing scary yet satisfying reader involvement in solving the twists and plots in the stories.
Though Wright passed away in 2013, her influence on young adult gothic fiction continues to inspire contemporary authors writing supernatural mysteries for younger audiences.
“But, even little kids can learn to help themselves, and they’re happier because of it.”
Betty Ren Wright, The Dollhouse Murders
4. Katherine Howe, 1977 -
Most of Katherine Howe’s works in the gothic suspense genre are based on historical information about universal beliefs and supernatural phenomena. For instance, her debut novel, The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane, published in 2009, reflects the controversial Salem Witch Trials. The hearings prosecuted over 200 people for witchcraft during colonial Massachusetts in 1692. In this novel, Howe hooks her readers through black magic, alchemy, and witchcraft.
Howe’s debut novel landed the second spot on the New York Times bestselling list in 2009 and was one of the top ten books for USA Today in the same year. With her significant work on this topic, she became an editor of the Penguin Classics for The Penguin Book of Witches in 2014, sourcing the witchcraft history of England and North America. Howe also worked with editions of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The House of the Seven Gables, a classic gothic story of curses and ghosts spreading terror in an evil house.
Howe’s meticulous historical research combined with supernatural elements has gained renewed relevance in 2025 as interest in witchcraft and historical mysteries continues to grow in popular culture.
“God shields the souls of the innocent the best He can from the Devil’s torments.”
Katherine Howe, The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane
5. Daphne du Maurier, 1907 - 1989
Many critics initially overlooked the works of Daphne du Maurier in the gothic suspense genre, claiming she borrowed traditional gothic motifs from other writers and revived them using dark romance plotlines. Soon enough, her persistence and love for this genre earned her a well-deserved reputation. For instance, her three novels Jamaica Inn, Rebecca, and My Cousin Rachel used gothic themes and twists in gripping stories with dark and mature themes.
In 1940, Rebecca was adapted into a film, and in 2020, Netflix released a remake after 80 years to revive du Maurier’s timeless contribution to the gothic literary genre. The story follows a man who marries soon after his first wife’s death. However, his previous wife’s memory haunts his new marriage, and danger echoes from the grave.
Du Maurier’s psychological complexity and atmospheric writing continue to influence gothic fiction writers in 2025, with many contemporary authors citing her as a primary inspiration for exploring the darker aspects of human relationships.
“Happiness is not a possession to be prized, it is a quality of thought, a state of mind.”
Daphne du Maurier, Rebecca
6. Tamara Thorne, 1957 -
Tamara Thorne is an American horror writer who also uses the pen name Chris Curry. Her interest in collecting and reading ghost stories prompted her to write numerous novels about the paranormal, folklore, conspiracies, and vampires. Tamara has also been an investigator of real-life paranormal activities for 20 years, experiences from which she’s spoken to different groups and appeared in television shows like Ghost Adventures.
Since her first published book in 1991, she became an International Bestseller for her works including Haunted, Bad Things, and The Sorority. For instance, Haunted was set in a Victorian mansion with a bloody history of mass murders, torture, and deprivation. Bad Things tells a childhood story of a boy who sees “green jacks,” which haunt him even when he has children of his own. Thorne ventures into the depths of gothic suspense novels with a focus on visceral horror and psychological terror.
Thorne’s blend of paranormal investigation experience with fiction writing gives her work an authenticity that resonates with readers seeking genuinely frightening supernatural stories.
“In their rooms, some guests read or made love, but most of them slept, blissfully unaware of the fact that their innkeepers were losing their minds.”
Tamara Thorne, Candle Bay
7. Henry Farrell, 1920 - 2006
Henry Farrell authored the well-received gothic horror classic What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, a story of revenge through threats of revealing past secrets. The novel was adapted into a movie in 1962, establishing Farrell’s name in the literary world. After this major hit, he wrote a short story, “Sweet Charlotte,” to follow the story of Baby Jane, which was later developed into a novel, What Ever Happened to Cousin Charlotte?
His short story collection and novel were also converted into a second film, which received seven Academy Award nominations. These two works established Farrell’s writing style of including psychological horrors with profound and fascinating events about murder, ghosts, and family secrets.
Though Farrell passed away in 2006, his exploration of psychological terror within family dynamics continues to influence contemporary gothic writers, particularly those examining toxic relationships and buried secrets.
“Sometimes you thought you had a thing - but then part of it - or all of it - always got away. Life itself could not be possessed, really, not even a minute of it.”
Henry Farrell, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?
8. David Morrell, 1943 -
David Morrell received his Ph.D. in American Literature at Penn State. He taught as a professor at the University of Iowa for over 15 years before leaving to commit to full-time writing. His first book, First Blood, became an International Bestseller and was adapted into the 1982 Sylvester Stallone film Rambo, which started a series of films with the same protagonist. The novel and film reflect the psychological effects of the Vietnam War on American veteran soldiers.
Morrell is also one of the founders of the International Thriller Writers organization, with over 5,000 members in 49 countries guiding and supporting about 3.2 billion book sales worldwide. Some of his notable books include Inspector of the Dead and the Thomas and Emily De Quincey series, which portrays historical mysteries set in Victorian England, revealing dark and intense killings threatening the whole nation.
Morrell’s combination of historical settings with psychological thriller elements continues to influence the genre in 2025, particularly as readers seek stories that blend period detail with contemporary pacing.
“Sometimes life kicks you in the teeth with an irony that a self-respecting fiction writer would be ashamed to invent.”
David Morrell, Fireflies
9. Beatriz Williams
Beatriz Williams worked as a communication strategy specialist in London and New York before becoming a full-time writer. Her decision to leave her high-paying job proved worthwhile as she became a New York Times, USA Today, and International Bestselling author. Most of Williams’ novels capture the Jazz Age, demonstrating historical fiction with mysterious and sometimes brutal storylines.
Williams has written across different novel genres, including romance, fiction, mystery thrillers, and gothic suspense. Her work in The Forgotten Room combines relationships, family secrets, and mysteries set in an old mansion. Her other popular novels include A Certain Age, The Secret Life of Violet Grant, and A Hundred Summers.
Williams’ sophisticated approach to historical gothic fiction has found particular success in 2025, as readers increasingly appreciate stories that combine elegant prose with dark family secrets and atmospheric settings.
“Listen and love and support whatever you can. But you can’t expect to save them. You can’t hold yourself responsible for their choices.”
Beatriz Williams, The Glass Ocean
10. Jennifer McMahon, 1968 -
Jennifer McMahon is famous for writing thriller, suspense, and fiction novels with supernatural and paranormal content. Eleven of her books have appeared on the New York Times bestseller list, including her debut novel, Promise Not to Tell. The book is a ghost story anchored on McMahon’s dark fears and the unexplained elements that haunt her nights.
Her second book, Island of Lost Girls, was also a bestseller and was released in England and Germany. Meanwhile, her novel Dismantled earned her a nomination for the Lambda Literary Prize and was released in England, Germany, and the Netherlands. McMahon’s latest book, The Children on the Hill, tells a childhood story of evil spreading dangers.
McMahon’s ability to blend childhood trauma with supernatural horror has made her work particularly relevant in 2025, as readers increasingly seek stories that explore the psychological impact of past events through a gothic lens.
“The tragedies we endure shape our lives: we carry them like shadows.”
Jennifer McMahon, The Children on the Hill
