Submitted by Alexandria Ducksworth

A good scary story sends chills down your spine. A true one keeps you up at all night.
Are you up for a frightening reading challenge this Halloween season? Here are six books based on freaky true stories:

1. Dead Mountain by Donnie Eicher (Adult Non-Fiction)

Join Donnie Eicher as he uncovers the mysterious deaths of nine Russian hikers in the Ural Mountains in 1959.
Investigators discovered the hikers’ tents were open from the inside, their belongings left behind. Whatever happened to the hikers remains a mystery to this day. For some reason, their clothes show signs of radiation exposure.

2. Deliver Us From Evil by Ralph Sarchie (Adult Non-Fiction)

You might remember the movie with the same title premiered in 2014. While the film was completely fictional, Ralph Sarchie’s demons were not. The former NYPD officer still performs exorcisms (for free).

3. The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson (Adult Non-Fiction)

H.H. Holmes invited guests to his hotel and they never checked out. His infamous “murder castle” had built-in torture rooms, trap doors, and acid vats. The victims’ skeletons were sold to medical supply companies. Makes you think twice about your next hotel reservation.

4. The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty (Adult Fiction)

William Blatty’s inspiration for The Exorcist came from two exorcists’ case of Ronald Hunkeler. Hunkeler showed signs of demon possession after playing with a Ouija board (bad move from the start). His St. Louis home still stands today. No demons have been sighted.

5. Norman by Stephen Lancaster (Adult Non-Fiction)

Add Norman to your list of creepy dolls to avoid along with Chucky and Annabelle. Paranormal investigator Stephen Lancaster finds Norman at an antique shop. Unknowingly, he has purchased a doll haunted by an unborn child.

6. The Terror by Dan Simmons (Adult Fiction)

While Sir John Franklin’s 1845 arctic expedition features a monster stalking him and his crew, the real history is a darker tale.

Franklin and his crew never returned from the voyage alive. Rumors of mutiny, poison, and cannibalism added fuel to the mystery. Franklin’s ships, the HMS Erebus and the HMS Terror weren’t found until the 21st century. Even then, no further evidence of Franklin’s whereabouts.

If you’re craving more chills and thrills, search through our library catalog’s horror collection.