Becky Spratford

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The Queen

Cutter (The Troop; Little Heaven) is at the top of his game here, providing an intensely visceral and gripping tale.

Curdle Creek

Clearly inspired by Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery,” with a nod as well toward Kindred by Octavia Butler, this is a compelling and immersive story.

At Dark, I Become Loathsome

LaRocca gives readers an unforgettable protagonist, a complicated man who will repulse them at first but will ultimately steal their hearts. Suggest to those who like the extreme horror of Paula D. Ashe or the work of Kathe Koja; it’s also a good pick for those looking for intense horror, as seen in What Kind of Mother by Clay McLeod Chapman.

All Your Friends Are Here

Shaw’s striking stories will connect with a wide range of readers, especially those who like to be simultaneously entertained and asked to think about what they just read, much like in the short fiction of Philip Fracassi and Cassandra Khaw or the novels of Jeremy Robert Johnson.

PREMIUM

The Night Guest

Knútsdóttir will hook readers with her first title to be translated into English. For fans of disorienting psychological horror marked by extreme tension and familial trauma, such as in The Grip of It by Jac Jemc, My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite, and anything by Catriona Ward.

Sacrificial Animals

Pedersen’s debut skillfully balances character and atmosphere. Recommend to readers who like creepy, methodically paced stories that focus on unease, such as the work of Kevin Brockmeier. Also a good pick for those who enjoy tales that use mythology in a revenge plot, like The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones.

Pink Slime

With her eerie and unnervingly probable plot, strong narrative voice, and focus on the small, beautiful moments of life amid disaster, Trías’s (The Rooftop) tale will continue to haunt readers long after they turn the final page. Pair it with other thoughtful and subtle horror stories such as Sealed by Naomi Booth or Fever Dream by Samanta Schweblin.
PREMIUM

The Body Harvest

Seidlinger’s (Anybody Home??) squirm-inducing and thought-provoking novel spins the fear of the COVID era into something terrifying in a whole new way. Suggest to those who like the immersive discomfort of books like The Seventh Mansion by Maryse Meijer, Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke by Eric LaRocca, and This Thing Between Us by Gus Moreno.
PREMIUM

The Drowning House

Priest (Cinderwich) is popular with library audiences from teen to adult, and her latest will appeal to both. A great suspenseful and twisty story, reminiscent of Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt, The Twisted Ones by T. Kingfisher, and The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon.
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