If you love to listen to ghost stories while camping or late night, we will bring that nostalgia and horror back. The best horror audiobooks from this article will blow your mind, and you will indeed have one or two sleepless nights or horrific dreams.
People often get bored after reading love stories because most of them have almost similar plots. However, the horror audiobooks will give you the best horror story listening experience that you ever have in your life. So, read this article to know the 15 best horror audiobooks that can RIP you Ass in the night.
Even the scariest audiobooks are better than conventional horror flicks. You want to have an intriguing full-boiled response, yes? Then go for the best audiobooks.
Why Do People Look For Scariest Audiobooks?
Who doesn’t love a good old scare from stories? Best scary audiobooks are much more prevalent among kids and teens than anyone else. People still like to hear or read the stories to feel the immersive, thrilling kick. After a thorough listening session, our team of experts has come with 10 of the scariest audiobooks running from popular Scandinavian horror/thriller to claustrophobic crime/thriller, among others. It is time to get lost in these audiobooks that will make you stay in rooms for a few weeks, if not months. As the winter is here, classic Game of Thrones reference, you can even hide right under your duvet.
Best Horror Audiobooks Of All Time:
- The Haunting of Hill House
Written by Shirley Jackson, The Haunting of Hill House is a bone-chilling story. Netflix has already adapted the spine-tingling novel for an Original Series. Given that the series is much more popular among the Netizens, the unabridged audiobook is still the popular novel’s best adaptation. The premise of the audiobook speaks of the intoxicating virtue of fear’s power.
Listeners will come across four strangers who arrive at a beguiling house. They come with different aspirations as well as motivation. However, what they find in the house overtakes their mind and their senses. However, the only common thing about their experience is that they have their share of spooky experiences. None of the incidents have any similarities. Initially, their stay at the mysterious house spoke of self-closing doors and weird noises. However, this is only the beginning. The real fun is for the listeners as the house accumulates its power to torment souls. The house begins its journey to choose one of them to do its evil bidding.
Pros:
The story talks about reality and explains the unexplained phenomenon. It allows the listeners to pursue the truth, the truth about the haunted house.
- The Crow Girl
The Crow Girl is an international sensation written by Erik Axl Sund. The popular novel turned audiobook is narrated by the versatile Gabrielle Glaister. The story in the audiobook begins with only one corpse. The body upon post-mortem is found to be tortured, mummified & lastly discarded. The world-renowned Scandi thriller crime sensation features one of the most gruesome and darkest elements ever witnessed in a thriller-crime novel. Listeners will initially think this audio novel to be as intriguing as others. However, there is a big difference; listeners will find one twist after another.
Jeanette Kihlberg, the Detective Superintendent, gets the case of the deserted body. Upon examination, the detective found out that the skin has several marks. The detective is hell-bent on finding out the killer of an innocent soul. Upon realizing that she’s pursuing a psycho serial killer with motiveless malignity, she seeks the help of a psychotherapist, namely Sofia Zetterlund. As the findings and the unveiling of reality begins, the detective stumbles upon the world of nightmare and secret lives. Listeners will be shocked by brutal exploitation, secret rituals, and lost identities. Remember, do not trust a single character until you finish the audiobook.
Pros:
The audiobook redefines complexity, darkness, and mystery in a thriller.
- The Turn of the Key: the addictive new thriller from the Sunday Times bestselling author
The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware is engrossed with menace. The story is exceptionally gripping and, at the same time, addictive. The modern-day listeners are going to be in love with the atmospheric new-age haunted house fiasco. Shari Lapena, the author of the notable book ‘The Couple Next Door,’ remarked that The Turn of the Key is original, innovative, and intoxicating for all. The audiobook resonates with the pure, unadulterated suspense is gripping throughout the narration. However, the ending is excruciatingly shocking to throw listeners off-balance.
There are chances that the lovers of audiobooks like Frankestine will not find the story fast-paced. The story takes time to entice listeners. But there is the character building that you cannot find anywhere. There are chances that the gothic picturesque will make you impatient due to its extensively impressive plot depth. And what happens at the end of the audiobook will leave you completely speechless. Once you begin hearing this audiobook, you can’t rest until you finish it.
Pros:
The audiobook is a combination of The Girl on the Train and Agatha Christie. It is brilliant, dark, unsettling. By the looks of it, The Turn of the Key is one of the best thrillers for modern-day listeners.
- The Handmaid’s Tale
Margaret Atwood doesn’t need any introduction. She’s a living legend, a veteran story-teller, brilliant literary personality. Her novel, The Handmaid’s Tale, has already become popular among mainstream audiences after being adapted for TV. However, nothing could beat the charm of uncovering the plot from an audiobook. Also, the people acquainted with the TV Series know the basics and how Atwood has re-imagined the patriarchal dystopia. The plot of The Handmaid’s Tale revolves around after a theocratic state removes the US government from power. And women are the ones who lose their fundamental rights.
The new government mistreats women. The few of the country’s women who are fertile and can conceive children are in big trouble. These women are forced to have children from the country’s influential men. The text by Atwood will give you all the chills. However, listeners will be inflicted with much more impact on the narrative. The Handmaid’s Tale is beautifully executed. It’s provocative with destructive wit, irony and offers quick perception. The audiobooks are more of a cautionary tale for future generations.
Pros:
The audiobook is narrated by Amy Landexker, Ann Dowd, Bradley Whitford, and Elisabeth Moss. Moss also portrays the role of June Osburne in the significant TV Series of the same name.
- Broken Monsters
Broken Monsters by Lauren Beukes is a crime, mystery, thriller novel. The audiobook is creepy, filled with suspense and bone-chilling twists and turns. The city where crime takes place has already become a symbol of the American Dream’s demise. Lurking in the shadow, a serial killer is slaughtering victims, further demonstrating excruciating reality. Lauren Beukes had also delivered another masterpiece much before with the acclaimed The Shining Girls.
Broken Monsters start with Gabriella Versado, a seasoned detective. The detective finds the body of half deer and half woman infused with each other. However, this horrifying picture is only the beginning. There are more stranger instances that the detective will come across as the serial killer’s real intent begins to unveil. In the eight years of her career as a homicide detective, she’s dealt with terrible crimes and criminals. In addition to this, she’s also seen corruption, stupidity, and the worst about humans. However, her past experiences are nothing to the things that are about to unfold. The detective’s daughter develops an infatuation with the killer from the internet.
Pros:
Broken Monsters depicts how lousy life can make you a worse human being. It is a thrilling and convoluted tale that listeners will dearly enjoy.
- Interview with the Vampire
Now and then, people would have recommended you to read this cult horror novel. Well, we are recommending you to listen to its audiobook. And do not watch the film featuring Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise. The story revolves around a vampire named Louis, who is a 200-year-old. The vampire finally agrees to sit in a face-to-face interview with a journalist, namely “bad boy.” Louis unveils how he first became a vampire and his initial experience. Louis recalls how tough it was for him to learn the art of surviving as a vampire. During the interview, Louis also reveals that humans tried their luck to kill him and slaughter him.
Being alive for 200 years has its repercussions. Louis’s life is engrossed with pain and longing for belongingness. He also reveals that he found a young child named Claudia roaming around in the streets of New Orleans. He turned Claudia into a vampire. Listeners will fathom the intelligence and passion of an old vampire in the body of a child. The listeners will follow the adventures of the vampires across Transylvania, Austria, in a great experience.
Pros:
This vampire story will leave you spellbound via audiobook. You can come across flight, danger, betrayal, and loyalty most supernaturally.
- The Shape of Night: The spine-tingling thriller from the Sunday Times bestseller
Tess Gerritsen, the author of Rizzoli and Isles, returns with The Shape of Night. Listeners will find the story creepy and chilling at the same time. The Halloween season of the year has already gone, and if you’re still looking for a good scare, this is just the audiobook you should turn to. In the story, Ava visits the perfect place that she visualized only in her dreams. All she ever wanted was to hide from her traumatizing past. Ava has been significantly ashamed of the things, and she’s willing to forget.
Nevertheless, things do not go as planned for Ava. The house that looks and feels serene has secrets of its own. However, Ava figures this out very quickly and begins to suspect something devious is going on inside the house. There is one other possibility that Ava might be losing her mind as well. The listeners will be amazed by what the story has to offer.
Pros:
The audiobook is as bone-chilling as a thriller comes. Tess Gerritsen will play on the fears of the listeners.
- Ghost Stories
E F Benson wrote Ghost Stories. By its looks, Benson is famous because of the comic and sparkling novels, namely Lucia and Maps. Several narrators have already read this fantastic story. However, the special edition of the audiobook can be found to be narrated by Mark Gattis, the co-creator and actor in Sherlock and Dracula. Mark Gattis has also lent his talents in the revival of Doctor Who.
The collection of 10 stories features some of the most chilling stories. Each of them will give you the goosebumps that you need for a daily dose of a good scare. If you complete one story, you’ll be back for a lot more.
Pros:
Ghost Stories are perfect for listeners who like short stories.
- The Taking of Annie Thorne: ‘Britain’s female Stephen King’ Daily Mail
The Taking of Annie Thorne, written by C J Tudor, is increasingly dark, sinister, and creepy. The first-class narration by the notable actor from the Hobbit franchise will entice you. This is perfect for the ones who cannot get enough of the spooky audiobooks. The central character of the story goes missing one night. Right after that, there are significant searches alongside appeals. People who were looking for Annie even thought the worst possible about her whereabouts.
Nevertheless, after 48 hours, Annie showed up miraculously. She doesn’t speak about what had happened to her. Annie was never the same after the incident. The story then takes a different turn when Annie’s brother is pulled into the hometown. The story is a must-listen for all thriller lovers.
Pros:
The Taking of Annie Thorne is the most intriguing thriller audiobook available today.
- Bird Box
Josh Malerman’s Bird Box doesn’t need an introduction. The live-action adaptation of Bird Box gave Sandra Bullock the prominence she was missing for years. Given that the novel is a debut by Josh Malerman, the psychological thriller has one of the most compelling plots. The film features invisible beings that kill people if people lay their eyes on them. Suppose you want something to disturb your sanity and make you scared of leaving the house, ever. Then you must listen to the audiobook version of Bird Box.
Pros:
If you want to try something completely fresh and new, Bird Box is something you must hear.
- White Out A Thriller
The bestselling author Danielle Girard comes with one more horrifying novel. The audiobook is available on various platforms. The story starts with a woman who has forgotten the past and lives in town with dark secrets. She survived the car accident at the cost of her memory. After that car accident, she doesn’t know where she is.
The whispers of bible verses and the image of a man in a blood pool haunt her mind. Meanwhile, a young woman was murdered on the same night as the accident. Detective kylie Milliard couldn’t find the victim immediately. Still, she discovered the connection between the dark past of lily and the Dead Woman.
But the exact details about the past still unknowns. Lily and Kylie look for the haunted past and meet some unusual circumstances. This horror audiobook is full of suspense and horror, and some secrets may give you goosebumps also.
- The Shining
In a cold icy winter landscape, Jack is frustrated about his son’s unsolved accidental injuries. Stephen King precisely described Jack’s character as an alcoholic man with anger issues due to unresolved circumstances. Authority dismissed him from his position as a teacher. However, soon he finds a job as an off-season caretaker at a historic hotel in the countryside of Colorado.
To give a meaningful purpose to his life and recover from alcoholism, he accepts the job. When Jack and his family live in this Overlook Hotel, Jack find out that Danny is not an ordinary child. He has a gift of sight beyond the mortal world, and he can see the things that we can’t, like ghosts and spirits in the hotel’s peaceful halls.
After that, the ghost takes control of Jack’s mind. He got motivated to go to a cabin every night, and he couldn’t control himself from doing the same. Impressive character building and writing skills of Stephen king make this novel one of the best horror audiobooks.
- The Woman in the Black
A junior solicitor named Arthur Kipps works in a law firm in London. One day, he has to go to England’s north-east coast to settle a late widow’s will. Arthur was curious to discover the countryside’s beauty and wants to rejuvenate himself by visiting town away from the crowd and city noise.
He went to a small countryside town, Crythin Gifford, to attend to the farewell of Mrs. Alice Drablow. When he tied to ask others about the last widow, people feel reluctant and uneasy to tell Arthur everything. The awkward behavior of people motivates Arthur to find out about the late widow. He lived in Eel Marsh House.
The confrontations by the Woman in black is very unsettling for Arthur. The frightening and detailed description of the plot makes this novel more horrifying. Susan Hill’s book is tainted by the ghostly superstitions of the people from the Victorian Era.
- Dark Halls
After the blockbuster novels, Bad Games and Wildlife series, Jeff Menapace bounce back with a chilling supernatural suspense and horror story. This story revolves around a teacher named Ryan Herb. He wanted to start a school in the building of another old school.
The name of the old school was Highland Elementary, and it has a dark and cold past. So, local people burned Highland Elementary to the ground. But Ryan is a well-educated and realistic man who doesn’t believe in ghost stories. Locals told him that the rebuilding and changing names of the school are not enough. The devil of Highland still resides in the new school.
When Ryan begins to experience the confrontations of the horrifying past of that school, he questions this own belief. He felt that something from the school is pleading him to help. To reveal the truth about evil and how to make this school normal; are became the aims of Ryan.
- Psycho
Psycho is a horrifying and thriller story novel. Normal Bates and his mother run a small hotel, and it was their family business. Norman’s mother has a dark and wicked side. When the government started to build the highway through that area, the number of guests in Norman’s hotel also reduces.
One day, a woman named Mary Crane came to his hotel; she seems lost. Norman gave her a room, but he was unbeknownst from the fact that May was a wanted thief, and she recently steals thousands of dollars. Norman invited her for dinner.
When Mary joined Norman and his mother for dinner, Norman’s mother acted violently, and Norman also seems awkward. So, she immediately runs away to her room. But she was unaware of the horrifying circumstance that she is going to face in that hotel. The plot of this story is unique and thrilling.
- I am Legend
Richard Matheson comes with a horrifying story in the Zombie genre. It is a horror sci-fi story. After the worldwide pandemic, people turn into zombies. And only one man left on the earth. Robert Neville somehow stayed as a man, and everyone turned in to zombies. He is in solitude because he lost his wife and a sweet daughter.
Although he is the only one on the earth, the willpower of living isn’t decreased in him. He tried to find the answers to the question of why he didn’t turn into zombies. Robert researches days and nights to find solutions. He went out to find the supplies, and he killed every zombie who came across his way.
And He continually fights with the zombies for survival. This story includes some horrifying and dark experiences of Robert Neville’s survival on the earth. He is the only hope of humanity, and he doesn’t want to let others down. So, he experiments a lot on the zombies to make them human again.
- Metro 2033
Metro 2033 is another science fiction and horror audiobook on this list. It is the bestselling post-apocalyptic novel that surfaces the consequences of atomic war and the survival of humankind.
After the 20 years of the Global nuclear holocaust, the earth’s surface became uninhabitable and radiated. The remaining survivors live under the surface across various cities, and they use the metro network for connection and commuting. They have their politics and ideologies for ruling. A few metro stations are notoriously known for war and few for helping other stations.
One metro station named “VDNKh” confronted the mutant creatures that creep into Metro lines’ depths. These creatures slaughtered few metro stations, and it’s on the way to VDNKh. A young man named Artyom takes the responsibility to send word for help to the Polis, which is a kind of capital metro station. The horrifying journey of Artyom with adventures is well cited in this book.
- IT
This is another novel by Stephen King that never gets old. It is one of the scariest books that has ever been written. This story revolves around a group of seven children and an evil monster. The plot of this movie is worth listening to one time as its audiobook is available.
In summer 1958, a child was mysteriously missing from a town named Derry Maine. After that, a shape-shifting monster started to prey on seven children. The missing child’s brother is in these seven children. He confronted this monster first with the body of his brother.
Adults from this town were unaware of this monster, and they didn’t trust these seven children. So, the responsibility of saving the children from Derry is on these seven children. They stayed strong and together to kill this nightmarish creature. However, these kids faced many horrifying visions and circumstances while fighting to kill this shape-shifting monster.
- The Haunting of Hill House
This novel is one of the best-haunted house stories in history. Shirley Jackson deliberately described the events in this novel to rip your Ass. This story inspired many famous authors like Stephen King and Neil Gaiman.
A young boy named Luke Sanderson inherited a Hill House Mansion. People told him about the ghost entity that resides in the halls of this hill house. To capture this evil, Luke invited some unusual guests. Among them is Dr. John Montague, obsessed with paranormal phenomena and knows a lot about ghosts.
The other two girls, named Eleanor and Theodora, are supposedly susceptible to the ghost and supernatural spirits. John has a plan to capture the evidence of ghosts and clear the rumors about hill house. Then they all face some horrifying circumstances, and the unpredicted twist will blow your mind.
- American Elsewhere
It is a psychological thriller with horror in the plot. Bennet wrote this novel to pressurize the reader to imagine beyond the world of realism. It is the story about loss and closure. It has some thrilling twist and some horrifying circumstances.
This story revolves around a protagonist named Mona Bright. She was an ex-cop and traveled to the small town of Wink near the government laboratory in Mexico. Mona was the rightful heir of her mother. However, their relationship was not usual. Mona returned to Wink to proclaim what is her.
However, the residents of Wink knew something about her mother’s dark past. Mona tried to reveal the secrets of her mother’s past. She encountered many horrors and dark entity in the quest to find answers about her mother. Finally, Mona found more than she ever imagines. The strong willpower of Mona binds readers to complete this novel to the last page.
- Legion
Another horror audiobook from The Exorcist – William Blatty, is one of the most horrifying novels you ever read or listen to. Legion starts with the murder of a young boy in a mock crucifixion. Lieutenant Kinderman follows this case.
There are four suspects of this murders: An older woman who reported the crime, a neurologist who has endless agony in life, a psychiatrist who acts like he has a guilty secret, and a mysterious mental patient of silent isolation. Kinderman dubious and indulge in this case; meanwhile, a few more murders came to surface. Each victim of murder suffered from dreadful mutilations.
Two priests were also murdered, and the Lieutenant tries to find the connection between the series of murders in the same city 12 years ago. All questions are answered at the end of the story. This horrifying suspense and thriller story is the best to listen when you are alone in the house.
- NOS4A2
This Horror dark fantasy novel revolves around a young girl named Vic McQueen. She has some unique ability to find things, and somehow, she finds a bridge when she returned home from school. This bridge can transport Vic to anywhere she wants.
One time she went to the library, and she met Maggie there. They both became friends. Maggie has some supernatural power also. Meggie warns Vic about the evil, sinister murder Charles Manx “Th Wraith.” Charles Manx was a powerful evil with cunning intelligence. He kidnaps the kids and leaves them somewhere for terrifying death.
Charles knew about the Vic and her power to find anything. Charles haunts Vic, but Vic wanted to take revenge for the kids, and finally, Vic McQueen destroyed Charlie. The exciting and horrifying part is how she killed Charlie, the powerful evil sinister.
- The Call
This dystopian horror story starts with a girl named Nessa. After breaking up with Polio, her life was not much interested, and she doesn’t have the willpower to live. Meanwhile, Ireland’s kids are cursed to snatch into a distant realm for just three minutes and four seconds.
However, the time is different on the Grey land. It is One day for kinds on Grey land. The kids’ survival rates are also low; only one in ten can survive and come back to earth after 3 minutes and 4 seconds.
Nessa doesn’t have any idea what she is going to face in her college life. She got the call from grey land, and she snatched to Grey Land. The story moves forward with the horrific adventure of Nessa. The never give up attitude of Nessa helps her to proclaim her life and come back to earth.
- The Twisted Ones
Melissa’s grandmother was a hoarder, and she kept all things that belong to her and her husband. When she died, Melissa went to North Carolina to clean up her grandmother’s place. Her father gave this instruction, and she can’t say no to him.
She took Bongo, her beloved canine companion, along with her. She found out the Step grandfather journal when she was sorting things to clean the place. Now, from her, the bone tingling and chilling horror story start.
When she read the journal, she thought that her grandfather was mad. However, when she encountered some unusual circumstances, she realized that her grandfather wasn’t the only one with spooky stories to share. This story’s plot is well written, and the reader can imagine even the small details from this horror audiobook.
Final Verdict
The audiobooks mentioned in this list are some of the favorites of our expert team. We found that these are the scariest audiobooks for people who want an immersive listening experience after careful listening sessions.
Here are a few hand-picked guides for you to read next:
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10 Best Zombie Apocalypse Audiobooks You Will Love In 2023
10 Best LitRPG Audiobooks to listen in 2023 (Updated)
George RR Martin’s Game of Thrones Audiobooks [2023!]
Here are a few other websites to find most FRIGHTENING scary audiobooks :
This article was written by 10audioz and published on Tuesday, 19 January 2021. The last update was made on Thursday, 27 January 2023.