March is Women in Horror Month, and the ladies are leading us to the dark side with a full slate of incredible new books. From searing dystopian tales to haunted yarns of ghostly revenge, hungry historical gothics to romcoms-gone-wrong and neighborhoods that transform into grisly crime scenes, March is a testament to the variety and volume of some of the genre’s fiercest female voices.
The Unworthy by Agustina Bazterrica (trans. by Sarah Moses)
(Scribner, March 4)
From her cell in a mysterious convent, a woman writes the story of her life in whatever she can find while the outside world is plagued by catastrophe and cruelty. Bazterrica (Tender Is the Flesh) is back with this searing tale about the climate crisis, ideological extremism and the tidal pull of our most violent, exploitative instincts.
Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave by Elle Cosimano
(Minotaur, March 4)
Finlay Donovan and her partner-in-crime, Vero, have not always gotten along with Finlay’s elderly neighbor. But when a body is found right across the street and the focus of the investigation widens to include Finlay’s ex, more than the skeletons in Finlay’s own closet come out to play in the latest installment of Cosimano’s fan-favorite series.
Cynthia Pelayo by Vanishing Daughters
(Thomas & Mercer, March 11)
A haunted woman stalked by a serial killer confronts the horrors of fairy tales and the nightmares of real life in Pelayo’s latest: a grim, breathtaking, lyrical novel of suspense about the ghosts of Chicago and the tangible terrors that lurk on its streets.
Aggie Blum Thompson by You Deserve to Know
(Forge, March 11)
Neighbor mom-friends are for more than playdates and coffees: they’re for confiding secrets, navigating motherhood, and providing a support system — until a murder shatters the peaceful quiet of their cul-de-sac. The seemingly idyllic world of three friends becomes a web of deception, betrayal, and revenge in this crackling tale.
The Haunting of Room 904 by Erica T. Wurth
(Flatiron, March 18)
Communing with the dead was Olivia’s sister’s specialty, but when Naiche dies unexpectedly and under strange circumstances, Olivia can’t stop hearing from spirits — and this is before she arrives at the Brown Palace, Room 904. From the author of White Horse, a resonant, edgy paranormal thriller about a woman who uses her unique gift to learn the truth.
Blood on Her Tongue by Johanna van Veen
(Poisoned Pen, March 25)
Lucy’s twin sister is unwell: Sarah refuses to eat, mumbles, and is increasingly obsessed with a centuries-old corpse discovered on her husband’s estate. To protect her twin from a terrible fate in a lunatic asylum, Lucy must unravel the mystery surrounding her sister’s condition, but it’s clear Sarah is hiding something in this devouring historical gothic.
When Sally Killed Harry by Lucy Roth
(Avon, March 27)
Everything that happened last night is a blur when Sally wakes up with the world’s worst hangover, an empty bank account, and the feeling that her life just nosedived — and then there’s Harry. This “whip-smart revenge thriller” is everything a romcom gone wrong should be.
The Chill Quill is a monthly roundup of thriller, horror, mystery, and dark fantasy titles released each month by Lindy Ryan. Read previous editions here.
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