Stephen King may have put New England on the horror map, but this region has inspired plenty of other writers to set their own chilling tales amidst its ancient forests, historic towns, and misty coastlines. These ten novels, each set in a New England state, deliver thrills, haunted houses, and eerie folklore perfect for horror enthusiasts. Let’s dive into some of the scariest books that show how the region can be as terrifying as it is beautiful.

1. A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay

Location: Beverly, Massachusetts

Paul Tremblay’s psychological horror masterpiece follows the Barrett family, who agree to film a reality TV show about their teenage daughter’s apparent possession. As tension and paranoia build within the family and under the gaze of millions, A Head Full of Ghosts offers a terrifying exploration of mental illness, fame, and supernatural possibility.

Why It’s Terrifying: Tremblay’s ambiguity and psychological depth blur the lines between possession and reality, making it hard for readers to know what’s real—and making it impossible to look away.

2. The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay

Location: New Hampshire

This tense, apocalyptic thriller unfolds in a remote cabin where young Wen and her parents are vacationing when four strangers arrive, claiming that the family must make a terrible choice to prevent the end of the world. Set against the eerie isolation of rural New Hampshire, this novel twists between home invasion horror and psychological suspense, keeping readers guessing until the end.

Why It’s Terrifying: The isolation of the New Hampshire woods and the strangers’ horrifying ultimatum create a sense of inescapable dread.

Notable: This novel was so scary it got the silver screen treatment under the name “The Knock at the Cabin” in 2023

3. The Night Strangers by Chris Bohjalian

Location: Rural New Hampshire

In this gothic tale, pilot Chip Linton moves with his family to a small New Hampshire town after surviving a traumatic crash landing. However, their new home harbors sinister secrets, including the mysterious deaths of twin girls, and a cellar door bolted shut with 39 nails. As Chip becomes haunted by visions and the locals’ unsettling friendliness grows suspicious, his grip on reality slips, leading to a terrifying climax.

Why It’s Terrifying: This novel’s atmosphere is thick with suspense, blending supernatural horror with psychological unraveling as it dives into themes of guilt, tragedy, and small-town secrets.

4. The Red Tree by Caitlín R. Kiernan

Location: Rhode Island

After moving into a secluded farmhouse in Rhode Island to escape her troubled past, writer Sarah Crowe discovers a manuscript about a massive, sinister tree near her new home. As Sarah investigates, she becomes obsessed with the tree’s dark history, which seems to stretch back for centuries—and to reach into her life with disturbing consequences.

Why It’s Terrifying: Kiernan’s novel captures the eerie isolation of rural Rhode Island, where the encroaching darkness seems to lurk not only in the land but in Sarah’s own mind.

5. The Ghost Writer by John Harwood

Location: New England (several small towns in Massachusetts and Maine)

In this haunting story, Gerard Freeman unearths mysterious, century-old manuscripts that seem to mirror the strange occurrences in his own life. Through dark secrets, letters, and ghostly stories within the story, Harwood expertly blurs past and present, haunting readers with the unsettling history of New England’s ghost towns and looming manors.

Why It’s Terrifying: Harwood’s narrative layers ghost stories with psychological horror, where history feels alive and ready to haunt, especially in the quiet, overlooked corners of New England’s backcountry.

6. The Drowning Kind by Jennifer McMahon

Location: Vermont

McMahon’s novel follows Jax, a woman investigating the death of her estranged sister, Lexie, who drowned in the pool of their family’s Vermont estate. Lexie’s journals reveal the pool’s disturbing history, a source of apparent magic and wish fulfillment that comes with a deadly price. As Jax delves deeper, family secrets bubble to the surface in chilling ways.

Why It’s Terrifying: The Drowning Kind pairs supernatural horror with emotional depth, exploring themes of family trauma and twisted folklore set against the eerie beauty of Vermont’s landscapes.

7. The Missing by Sarah Langan

Location: Maine

In this haunting tale set in rural Maine, a boy’s disappearance spirals into a series of disturbing events that reveal a supernatural darkness infecting the small town. The Missing dives into fear, suspicion, and supernatural horror that feels deeply rooted in the rugged, isolated Maine landscape.

Why It’s Terrifying: Langan’s portrayal of small-town paranoia and creeping dread is eerily immersive, creating an atmosphere where the threat of supernatural forces feels all too real.

8. Winter People by Jennifer McMahon

Location: West Hall, Vermont

Set in the remote town of West Hall, Vermont, Winter People follows the intertwined stories of Sara Harrison Shea, who was found dead in 1908 shortly after the tragic loss of her daughter, and present-day teenager Ruthie, who lives in Sara’s old farmhouse. When Ruthie’s mother mysteriously disappears, she discovers Sara’s hidden diary and is drawn into a chilling mystery involving resurrection, ghostly sightings, and a place known as "The Devil’s Hand." The novel alternates between past and present, weaving a haunting tale that blurs the line between life and death.

Why It’s Terrifying: McMahon’s atmospheric storytelling captures the bone-chilling cold of rural Vermont and the isolation of small towns, where secrets are buried as deep as the winter snow. The story’s supernatural elements feel disturbingly plausible, and the eerie landscape amplifies the sense of dread. Themes of grief, longing, and the dangers of disturbing the natural order make Winter People a gripping New England ghost story that will stay with readers long after they turn the last page.

9. The Deep by Alma Katsu

Location: Aboard the Titanic, with New England roots

Though set on the Titanic, Katsu’s supernatural thriller has significant ties to New England, as the story follows a young woman from a small Massachusetts town who becomes embroiled in mysterious, eerie occurrences aboard the doomed ship. Katsu’s historical horror is steeped in tension and mystery, blending real tragedy with supernatural terror.

Why It’s Terrifying: Katsu evokes a claustrophobic atmosphere onboard the Titanic, and her portrayal of creeping dread is enhanced by the ship’s inevitable fate, turning the novel into an unsettling descent into psychological and supernatural horror.

10. Harvest Home by Thomas Tryon

Location: Cornwall Coombe, Connecticut

In Harvest Home, New York couple Ned and Beth Constantine move to the secluded, picturesque village of Cornwall Coombe, Connecticut, looking for a fresh start. At first, the village seems like an idyllic escape from city life, filled with friendly neighbors and old-fashioned traditions. But as they settle in, Ned begins to notice the unsettling customs and rituals surrounding the town’s annual Harvest Home festival. The townsfolk are bound by strange, ancient beliefs—and when Ned digs too deep, he discovers the horrifying secrets the villagers are willing to protect at any cost.

Why It’s Terrifying: Tryon’s novel is a slow-burn horror that builds a sense of creeping dread as Ned uncovers Cornwall Coombe’s dark past and disturbing rituals. The seemingly quaint Connecticut setting serves as a sinister backdrop to a story about the horrors lurking behind rural traditions. Blending folk horror with psychological tension, Harvest Home exposes the dangers of idyllic small-town life and delivers a haunting tale that explores themes of control, sacrifice, and the primal fears tied to agrarian rituals.

These novels reveal that New England is more than Stephen King’s playground for horror—it’s a region ripe with haunted houses, dark secrets, and landscapes that invite supernatural terror. These chilling books capture the region’s eerie beauty and historical weight, each one showcasing how New England’s timeless terrain is perfect for tales of dread and the supernatural. Whether you’re drawn to haunted mansions, cursed families, or eerie small towns, these novels prove that there’s plenty of horror to be found off the beaten path.