★Gish, Elliott. Grey Dog. Dreamscape Media. Apr. 2024. 10:53 hrs. ISBN 9781666658248. $17.99. HORROR

Gish debuts with an atmospheric historical horror in the gothic tradition that descends into truly terrifying places. In 1901, Ada Byrd takes a teaching position in the small town of Lowry Bridge, looking for distance from a scandal that cost her her last teaching job. She dutifully interacts with her young students, engages in church and social activities, and even makes friends. However, in the woods lives a creature Ada calls “the grey dog,” an entity that torments Ada with terrifying yet enticing visions. These visions lead Ada out into the dark woods where the grey dog awaits. Told through journal entries and gorgeous prose, Gish’s novel evokes other gothic stories of fractured minds, even as it tackles more issues like sexual assault and repressed LGBTQIA+ identity. Some, however, might argue that Ada’s dizzying and disturbing transformation is not a descent into delusions but a step toward embracing freedom and independent thought. Thanks to Natalie Naudus’s brilliant voicework, readers will hear (and perhaps even feel) Ada losing her grip on reality as the visions worsen, her resolve crumbles, and society’s restraints are ripped away. VERDICT Gothic and feminist horror fans, especially those who love bloody folk horror, will be mesmerized.—James Gardner

★Malfi, Ronald. Small Town Horror. Tantor Media. Jun. 2024. 10:50 hrs. ISBN 9798350817645. $19.99. HORROR

Malfi (Black Mouth) delves into the true horrors lurking behind small-town facades and teenage cruelty gone horribly wrong. The story follows Manhattan lawyer Andrew Larimer, who is becoming increasingly unsettled over his wife’s troubling pregnancy. Then, he is called back to his hometown of Kingsport, MD, when he learns that his friend Dale’s wife has gone missing. Once in town, he meets up with the rest of his high school friends, a complicated reunion that brings up long-held secrets and events from the past that are not forgiven or forgotten. Andrew’s worries over his wife are upsetting, but they pale in comparison with the secret that this motley group has carried for years. Narrator Joe Hempel’s performance is utterly gripping, pulling listeners in from the beginning and ratcheting up the tension from there. Hempel’s varied tones and inflections make it easy to get lost in the storytelling, even as the book shifts back and forth from the past to the present. The shocking ending may come as a surprise, so listeners may want to brace for impact. VERDICT A familiar genre trope makes for a great home-grown horror story. Fans of Josh Malerman and Paul Tremblay will love it.—Victoria Kiszka

★McGregor, Tim. Eynhallow. Raw Dog Screaming. Feb. 2024. 6:49 hrs. ISBN 9798868770326. $14.99. HORROR

McGregor (Wasps in the Ice Cream) offers a retelling of Mary Shelley’s classic story that includes its own tragic and terrifying elements. Agnes Tulloch and her family live on the windswept island of Eynhallow. Growing disillusioned with island life and her boorish husband, Agnes, like many other island residents, takes note of the stranger who has come to Eynhallow to work in solitude. Hired to cook and clean for the stranger, the infamous Victor Frankenstein, Agnes finds herself drawn to him, even as the evil he brings sweeps over the island. Many authors have tackled Shelley’s story, but McGregor doesn’t simply use the story as a shoddy skeleton for his own. He assembles a compelling narrative that steadily becomes monstrous as Agnes and the island get swept up in Frankenstein’s machinations. As portrayed by narrator Angela Ness, Agnes is a multifaceted woman who loves her family (her children, at least) but wants something more out of life. Listeners will understand why Frankenstein might tempt her and weep for Agnes as she’s consumed by horror and heartbreak. VERDICT Fans of Frankenstein retellings like Victor Lavalle’s Destroyer will savor this story of infatuation gone horribly wrong.—James Gardner

★Tingle, Chuck. Bury Your Gays. Macmillan Audio. Jul. 2024. 10:11 hrs. ISBN 9781250351272. $19.99. HORROR

Now firmly established as a mainstream voice in queer horror, self-publishing phenom Tingle (Camp Damascus) returns with a story that skewers LGBTQIA+ representation in Hollywood. Misha is a successful Hollywood screenwriter who has just been nominated for an Academy Award, but the studio he works for demands that he kill off his show’s two gay leads because “the Algorithm” said they had to die for ratings. Expecting a legal fight with the studio, Misha is surprised when the terrifying creations he’s written for the studio (and born from his own psychological trauma) begin stalking him and his friends while the clock ticks down toward the cancellation of Misha’s life. Tingle once again demonstrates his skill by offering a metafiction horror story that takes a cutting yet nuanced look at how LGBTQIA+ heroes are either underrepresented or objectified. Narrator André Santana voices inspirational protagonist Misha with valiance and determination as he pushes back against the queer tragedy trope. Along with Santana, other well-established writers like CJ Leede and Sarah Gailey offer their voices in asides that dovetail seamlessly with the overall story of Misha vs. the Algorithm. VERDICT A triumph for Tingle and an audiobook that fans of queer horror will devour.—James Gardner