Summary
- Here are some highly anticipated horror and thriller books releasing in July 2024:
- A Darker Mischief by Maggie Tokuda-Hall (July 9, 2024)
- Bury Your Gays by Gail Simone (July 9, 2024)
There is no shortage of horror and thriller books coming out in 2024, and although July isn’t the biggest month for these genres, it has a number of exciting releases in store. Horror novels and thrillers make for surprisingly good beach reads, so summer is a great time for readers to catch up on eerie and unsettling novels. June 2024’s most-anticipated horror and thriller books are great offerings, and July will continue delivering on the mysteries and scares.
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10 A Darker Mischief by Derek Milman
Release Date: July 2, 2024
Derek Milman is known for Scream All Night and Swipe Right for Murder, and the author returns in July with a young adult thriller set in a dark academia setting: A Darker Mischief. A Darker Mischief follows Cal Ware as he ventures from Mississippi to a boarding school in New England, courtesy of a scholarship. Being queer and from a low-income family, Cal’s life in Mississippi hasn’t been easy. He hopes Essex Academy will change things for him, but he still finds himself judged for being poor. That’s why he seeks out the school’s mysterious secret society to better his status.
This is how Cal meets Luke Kim, a charming boy who makes the Rush process for Essex’s secret society that much more appealing. Of course, things get darker and more dangerous as their initiation continues, and Cal uncovers unnerving secrets about the academy and its students. A Darker Mischief sounds like the perfect combination of spooky and fun, and the LGBTQ+ romance is an added benefit of this July 2024 release.
9 Pink Slime: A Novel By Fernanda Trías (Translated By Heather Cleary)
Release Date: July 2, 2024
Pink Slime by Fernanda Trías is being published in the U.S. on the heels of its initial South American release, and the award-winning novel promises to be one of the best horror books of July 2024. Translated to English by Heather Clearly, Pink Slime straddles the line between horror and science-fiction. It tells the tale of a woman who finds her world on the brink of collapse — a reality made worse by all the people she’s tasked with caring for.
Pink Slime
sounds devastating and relevant, and it speaks to a very relatable type of horror.
Pink Slime sounds devastating and relevant, and it speaks to a very relatable type of horror. Trías’ novel promises to explore how people respond to the loss of control and deadly change that accompanies the apocalypse. It also boasts themes of family and motherhood through its intriguing character study. Needless to say, Pink Slime is a July release that sci-fi and horror readers should have on their radar.
8 Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle
Release Date: July 9, 2024
Chuck Tingle wowed readers with Camp Damascus in 2023, and the author is back with a horror novel dubbed Bury Your Gays in July 2024. The book follows a successful scriptwriter named Misha who finds himself facing demands to kill off a gay character in the upcoming finale of his TV show. His producers hope the use of the harmful “bury your gays” trope will increase the interaction and attention the project receives online. But Misha finds himself “haunted by his past,” and this sends him on a risky and urgent journey to do the right thing.
Bury Your Gays has an impressive 4.53 Goodreads rating ahead of its July 9 release, and reviews indicate that it’s a smart and compelling horror story. Its strengths go beyond its horror elements, as Bury Your Gays is a clear commentary on the ways social media and corporate greed impact art. With a decrease in LGBTQ+ characters on TV (via The Hollywood Reporter), Tingle’s novel couldn’t come at a better time. It’s a relevant addition to the horror genre and promises a gripping narrative, making it a can’t-miss July release.
7 I Was A Teenager Slasher By Stephen Graham Jones
Release Date: July 16, 2024
Stephen Graham Jones is well-loved among horror readers, and The Indian Lake Trilogy only made his name more recognizable. It’s no wonder that I Was a Teenage Slasher is one of the most-anticipated horror books of the whole year, and its 4.31 Goodreads rating suggests readers’ excitement is warranted. Set in Texas in 1989, I Was a Teenage Slasher places readers in the perspective of the book’s killer — and dares them to sympathize. Tolly Driver’s autobiography follows a teen “cursed to kill for revenge.” It’s not entirely clear what this means, but that makes it all the more intriguing.
Pitched for fans of Grady Hendrix and Riley Sager, I Was a Teenage Slasher sounds like one of the most unique horror releases hitting shelves in July. Its premise holds a lot of potential, and early reviews suggest that its use of slasher tropes and references is quite clever. This book is a must-read for anyone who loves slasher movies, but fans of the author’s previous work also won’t want to miss out.
6 So Witches We Became by Jill Baguchinsky
Release Date: July 23, 2024
July is an exciting month for queer YA horror stories, as A Darker Mischief isn’t the only release to fit this description. So Witches We Became by Jill Baguchinsky also boasts a spooky narrative with LGBTQ+ themes, and if that doesn’t convince readers to pick it up, its gorgeous cover will. So Witches We Became follows Nell, a high school senior who heads to a private Florida Island for her spring break. The trip is meant to be relaxing and fun, but things take a dark turn thanks to a curse involving a mysterious mist and the monster that lurks within it.
So Witches We Became
by Jill Baguchinsky also boasts a spooky narrative with LGBTQ+ themes, and if that doesn’t convince readers to pick it up, its gorgeous cover will.
In order to survive their time on the island, Nell and her friends must confront their secrets and pasts — a task easier said than done. It sounds like So Witches We Became will contain plenty of twists, promising readers a thrilling ride. It’s being marketed as “a YA feminist spin on Stephen King’s The Mist.” That’s an intriguing way to put it, and it moves this novel way up on July’s release radar.
5 The Drowning House By Cherie Priest
Release Date: July 23, 2024
Cherie Priest, the award-winning author of The Family Plot and The Toll, is publishing a suspenseful new book this July: The Drowning House. This 2024 release centers on a strange house that’s swept onto a Pacific Northwest beach on the heels of a storm. There’s only one woman who understands why the house exists, and she dies as it arrives on the shore. Her grandson also disappears, leaving his two old friends to investigate. Their search brings them to the remote island where the house resides, and they uncover surprising secrets about its history and reason for being there.
The Drowning House has a strange premise, but it stands out among 2024’s other thrillers and horror releases. It offers a unique story, and its island setting makes it a perfect summer read. The tensions between the characters also promise to get readers invested, adding yet another compelling reason to pick up Priest’s latest.
4 The Grandest Game by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Release Date: July 30, 2024
A young adult book set in the world of The Inheritance Games, The Grandest Game isn’t a typical mystery-thriller novel — though its premise does land it in both categories. Also falling into the fantasy and romance genres, The Grandest Game sees Jennifer Lynn Barnes expanding the world of her best-selling YA saga. The first installment in a new series, The Grandest Game chronicles the titular competition held by Avery Grambs and the Hawthorne Brothers. Anyone who finds one of seven golden tickets can enter, and they have the chance to win millions of dollars.
With such an impressive prize, it’s not surprising that the competitors become desperate to win the Grandest Game. This leads to cheating and scheming as they embark on a thrilling journey to win. Although Barnes’ latest isn’t a spooky thriller, it’s certainly one with high stakes. And it will take readers back to the world of The Inheritance Games, making it a much-anticipated July release.
3 Like Mother, Like Daughter By Kimberly McCreight
Release Date: July 30, 2024
Kimberly McCreight is no stranger to writing thrillers, and the author’s July 2024 release sounds like one of her best stories yet. Like Mother, Like Daughter opens when Cleo returns to her childhood home and finds food left in the oven and her mother’s bloody shoe hidden beneath the couch. Her mother is nowhere to be found, leading Cleo to worry about what’s become of her. And it seems Kat is hiding a whole other life from her daughter, something Cleo will need to unravel if she hopes to find her mom.
McCreight’s latest explores the complex dynamics between mothers and daughters, all while promising a gripping mystery at its core. Like Mother, Like Daughter is already getting positive reviews on Goodreads, suggesting it’s a must-read for thriller readers. Its story sounds both tense and emotional, ensuring readers will have good reason to get invested.
2 What Have You Done? By Shari Lapena
Release Date: July 30, 2024
Shari Lapena’s thriller books make great summer reads, and What Have You Done? is one to keep an eye out for in July. Set in the usually quiet town of Fairhill, Vermont, What Have You Done? explores what happens when tragedy strikes. Its mystery centers on the death of a teenage girl named Diana Brewer, whose body is discovered in a hayfield. This sends Fairhill into a frenzy, altering the typically trusting and relaxed demeanor of everyone who lives there.
With the entire town on edge, just about everyone becomes a suspect in Diana’s murder — and knowing Lapena, she’ll keep readers on their toes as they try to uncover the killer. What Have You Done? sounds like a compelling addition to the author’s lineup. After all, who doesn’t love a good small-town mystery? And Lapena’s definitely fits the bill.
1 Look In The Mirror By Catherine Steadman
Release Date: July 30, 2024
Best known for The Family Game, Catherine Steadman is back this July with another thriller centered on mysterious family dynamics. Look in the Mirror follows Nina, who inherits a vacation home in the British Virgin Islands on the heels of her father’s death — a surprise, as Nina doesn’t know how her father acquired such an impressive property. The novel also follows Maria, who works as a nanny for incredibly rich families. She takes a luxurious gig that will set her up for success, but she isn’t allowed to enter the basement. When she does, she discovers the unthinkable.
It’s not entirely clear how Nina’s and Maria’s stories merge in Look in the Mirror. However, knowing Steadman, she’ll tie both of these thrilling mysteries together nicely. Look in the Mirror is yet another exciting thriller book hitting shelves in July 2024. Those who like their beach reads spooky will no doubt be satisfied with this month’s releases.