As the nights get longer and Halloween creeps closer, it’s time to swap the comfort reads for something a little darker. Luckily, 2026 has delivered plenty of gothic fiction to add to your October TBR. Here are some of our recommendations.
1. Rottenheart by Kat Dunn
For readers who love: Victorian gothic, sapphic fiction and revenge.
What could be more fitting for Halloween than a family haunted by its own past? Kat Dunn’s Rottenheart is a sapphic Victorian gothic retelling inspired by Shakespeare’s Hamlet, blending family secrets, revenge and supernatural horror. With a sinister household and a mother whose death may not be the end of her story, this novel promises a dark take on grief, vengeance and the ghosts that refuse to stay buried.
2. Weavingshaw by Heba Al-Wasity
A gothic fantasy and romantasy pick for readers who want an immersive, shadowy world with romantic tension.
It’s a fitting addition for anyone who gravitates towards shadowy worlds, unsettling mysteries and relationships complicated by forces beyond the characters’ control.
3. The Wellness Retreat by Dawn Kurtagich
For readers who love: Psychological horror, isolated settings and sinister secrets.
Forget relaxing spa weekends. In Dawn Kurtagich’s The Wellness Retreat, an exclusive health retreat on a remote Scottish island offers wealthy guests seemingly miraculous treatments. Naturally, things are not quite as idyllic as they appear. Drawing comparisons to The Picture of Dorian Gray and A Cure for Wellness, this unsettling thriller explores the darker side of beauty, wellness and the desire to escape our own mortality.
4. The Faithful Dark by Cate Baumer
For readers who love: Gothic fantasy, forbidden magic and dark mysteries.
Set in a holy city on the brink of destruction, The Faithful Dark follows a world where miracles come at a dangerous price. With its blend of fantasy, horror and mystery, Cate Baumer’s novel explores the darker side of faith, power and the supernatural. The result is an atmospheric story for readers who like their fantasy worlds beautiful on the surface and deeply unsettling underneath.
5. The House of Cursed Daughters by C. J. Cooke
For readers who love: Historical fantasy, curses and dark family legacies.
C. J. Cooke’s The House of Cursed Daughters brings together historical fantasy and horror in a release arriving just in time for Halloween. Published by HarperCollins in the UK, it is among the season’s new gothic-leaning titles highlighted by The Scotsman.
