Best Horror Audiobooks

If you’re after the best horror audiobooks backed by stellar storylines, Jennifer McMahon’s works should be at the top of your to-listen list. And The Winter People is her masterpiece. Grief, betrayal, fear and vengeance all swirl together in this evocative, dramatic chiller.

There’s nothing more classic in horror than a haunted house and there’s no author more suited to write it than the queen of classic horror, Shirley Jackson. Snapped up by Netflix and reimagined for a modern audience, the original is spooky, subtle and gave me actual chills of the full body kind.

One of the best horror audiobooks around envisions our world beset by monsters. And yet Josh Mallerman’s creations do not tear flesh or break bones. They don’t have to. They make humans destroy themselves. And all it takes is one look. One glance at these creatures drives people to madness, violence, suicide and murder.

Honestly I could have filled this list with Stephen King’s works. But you’ve already heard of IT, Pet Sematary, Needful Things and The Shining, right? So what would be the fun in that? Nevertheless, it wouldn’t be a list of the best horror audiobooks with him so here we are. Released in 2019, this part coming-of-age, part suspenseful thriller shows The King’s still got it.

It’s the end of the world and all the monsters have come out to play. Prepare to enter the worst reality imaginable in what is surely one of the scariest audiobooks around. Malevolence, destruction and terror abound in this epic battle of good versus evil.

Betrayal, rivalries, death and even cannibalism famously plagued the ill-fated Donner Party on their journey to California. But Alma Katsu’s reimagining of the tale of the doomed pioneers adds a supernatural slant. Incredibly well researched and with a dreamy quality that’ll put you under its spell, this is a brilliant bit of historical horror.

We’re getting gothic now, with this 19th century tale of paranoia, ghostly sightings and a battle of good versus evil. Turned into the fantastic Netflix series The Haunting at Bly Manor, this will give you chills while adding a touch of classics cred to your reading list.

A Mexican holiday turns to horror when a group of teens stumble into a nightmare. Trapped and isolated, they find themselves at the mercy of something sinister, mysterious and “other”.

The horror is all too real in this story of a school shooting. Told from the perspective of the shooter’s mother, Ava, this is an audiobook that compels, confounds and is utterly unforgettable.

The snow starts, but never stops. It brings with it supernatural horrors and turns a weekend away into a fight for survival. The characters are likeable, the stakes are high and the story sinister. A lesser known gem well worth a listen.