Spooky October 2024 Releases to Read on Halloween: From Classic Thrillers to Murder Mysteries

For those too old to trick-or-treat, Halloween is the perfect night to stay inside and curl up with a thriller or mystery novel. Yes, Us loves to watch Hocus Pocus on repeat every year but sometimes a good fictional murder — paired with some spice — is the perfect move.

When it comes to the thriller front, The Lincoln Lawyer author Michael Connelly released his latest Renée Ballard novel, titled The Waiting.

“This is my 39th novel,” Connelly told Us Weekly exclusively about the book. “What I like about this is how she’s spinning lots of plates, a lot of cases. To me, it gets closer to the reality of how detectives work.”

The author teased “three major stories in the book” and told Us that he’s “proud” how they connected in a way that will keep readers on the edge of their seat.

“They’re blended and woven together in a realistic and momentum building way,” Connelly shared.

From police thrillers to straight-up murder books, keep scrolling for a breakdown of the spookiest thrillers and mysteries that dropped in October 2024:

‘The Waiting’ by Michael Connelly

Renée Ballard is back — with three cases in one book. When the DNA of a recently arrested man matches that of an unsolved rape and murder case from 20 years prior, things get messy. Ballard also teams up with Harry Bosch’s daughter Maddie, but for a very specific reason. Amid all that, Ballard’s badge, gun. and ID are stolen. In the words of Kris Jenner, this is a case for the FBI — or the LAPD.

‘My Darlings’ by Marie Still

When she’s not acting as a philanthropist or PTO president, Eloise Williams is a serial killer. Things start to unravel in her life as the secrets of her inner circle are exposed. And yes, this is already in development for an upcoming TV show.

‘Society of Lies’ by Lauren Ling Brown

Right off the bat, this was a Reese’s Book Club pick, so it’s about to be good. Ten years after graduation, Maya returns to Princeton but what she doesn’t expect is to find out that her younger sister — a student at the school — is dead.

‘I Did Something Bad’ by Pyae Moe Thet War

A Vogue freelancer is looking for an exclusive from Hollywood’s hottest actor, who steps in to save the day when a mysterious man threatens her. Now, the writer and actor are bonded as they work to hide their deadly secret.

‘After Image’ by Jaime deBlanc

Allie Andersen disappeared four years ago. As her stepsister Natasha tries to move on, the remains of the young woman are found, reopening years-long trauma and hopefully the truth.

‘No One Will Know’ by Rose Carlyle

The more twists, the better and this novel has a lot of them. A couple hires the pregnant Eve Sylvester — who has no family or friends — to be the nanny for their child. Why? She’s trying to find out as well.

‘The Last One at the Wedding’ by Jason Rekulak

Frank is delighted to be invited to his estranged daughter’s wedding but starts to ask questions when it seems that his future son-in-law’s family has some major secrets.

‘The Blue Hour’ by Paula Hawkins

Girl on the Train readers know there’s no mystery quite like a Paula Hawkins mystery. The secrets of a one-inhabitant island named Eris start to emerge after a second person comes along.

‘The Boyfriend’ by Freida McFadden

Sydney Shaw finds the perfect man just as a string of murders is publicized. The suspect? A man who dates his victims before finishing them off.