The Halloween Boy

For today's very first proper countdown to Halloween reading suggestion: The Halloween Boy & Other October Horrors, by William P. Simmons. So far my best discovery this year. Because it is also genuinely the scariest book I read in years. October horrors indeed. In that sense, it certainly did not disappoint. Simmons channels parental nightmares and childhood ones, not shying away from tragedy, grief and guilt. Most (all?) stories are set in the town of Harper's Mill. You have ghostly/undead children visiting their loved ones on Halloween, a bona fide witch, a teenage girl who has a spiritual link with the season, an evil demonic clown (well of course), evil demonic children snatchers taking the guise of elderly people accidentally summoned by careless parents and a few other monstrosities. So great book, although I'm not sure if I will ever dare to read it again.