Are These 12 Macabre Books From My TBR Pile On Yours?

Are These 12 Macabre Books From My TBR Pile On Yours?

If you’re here, chances are you’re curious about my TBR (To Be Read) pile, and I can’t blame you.

It’s a mix of macabre books that have been patiently waiting for their turn to be read – problem is, the pile just keeps getting bigger!

Some books are recent additions, others have been on my shelf for a while, but all of them include something that’s caught my attention. And, to make sure I make some space for next year’s pile, I need to start reading!

I’ve given myself a target of a book a month – I’m a fairly slow reader sometimes (unless I’m gripped, then I’ll whizz through it!) and other times, I’m just too tired to take in the words I’ve read.

So, I’m trying to make myself accountable.

Table of Contents

Want to build your own macabre book pile?

Grab my free PDF download especially created for this blog post!

It includes every book I mention below, as well as a handy tracker to jot down your thoughts and ratings, plus a peek into why each book made it onto my shelf.

Right. Let’s get started.

Macabre Books For Winter – Early Spring

Here are the macabre books that have made it to my list for January to March—one fiction and two non-fiction, including a book from the same author who brought us The Doll Factory (which, yes, you’ve guessed it, is still on my reading list!)

The Burial Plot Elizabeth Macneal

The Burial Plot: Elizabeth Macneal

Rights of Passage Judith Flanders

Rites of Passage: Judith Flanders

Flanders’ book has become a must-read for anyone fascinated by the intricate world of Victorian mourning.


What’s excited me most about this macabre read is the section on criminal death, complete with references to bodysnatchers!

Murders of the Black Museum Gordon Homeycombe

Murders of the Black Museum: Gordon Honeycombe

This gripping collection explores infamous cases like those of Maria Manning and Dr. Crippen, alongside the chillingly lesser-known tales of Charles Peace and Dr. Cream.


If macabre reads are your thing, this one absolutely deserves a spot on your bookshelf!

Macabre Books For Spring – Early Summer

For this next batch of books, those for April, May and June’s reading, I’ve chosen the following from my TBR pile.

One book I’m actually on the fence about – Standford’s How To Read A Graveyard’, but I don’t want to discount it just yet.

I’ve heard good reviews about it, so I’m keeping an open mind and that’s why it’s made my list for spring to early summer.

Same format as before, one fiction, two non-fiction.

A Thief's Justice Douglas Skelton
A Taste For Poison Neil Bradbury

A Taste For Poison: Neil Bradbury

With my historical true crime head on, I snapped this one up without even reading the blurb – haven’t we all done that at some point?

How To Read a Graveyard Peter Stanford

How To Read A Graveyard: Peter Stanford

Visiting 10 different graveyards throughout Europe, Stanford tells us how to read a graveyard and what to look out for to escape the ‘present taboo of acknowledging our mortality’.

A tough read perhaps? Only time will tell.

Macabre Books for Summer – Early Autumn

No surprises for guessing that this period is filled with macabre books too!

Same set up as before, one fiction and two non-fiction, but this period includes an award winner, Rubenhold’s The Five, which, I’m embarrassed to say, I still haven’t read yet!

Hare A Novel Peter Ranscombe
The Five Hallie Rubenhold

The Five: Hallie Rubenhold

A Short Introduction to Witchcraft Malcolm Gaskill

Witchcraft: Malcolm Gaskill

If you’re not familiar with the ‘ Very Short Introduction’ series, then you need to be!

In this macabre read, Gaskill uses court records to dive deep into the witch-hunts of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, challenging some well know myths along the way.

For a tiny macabre book, this promises to pack a punch!

Macabre Books For Autumn – Early Winter

The end of the year is fast approaching and for the three months of autumn to early winter, October, November and December, the macabre reads still keep coming.

From gifted books to macabre books such as Morgan’s ‘Murder, The Biography ‘ – a book that’s been laying unforgotten on my shelves that long, I’ve ended up buying it twice – I hope you find something you fancy reading during the last few months of the year.

The Alewives Elizabeth R Anderson
Vagabonds Oskar Jensen

Vagabonds: Oskar Jensen

Prepare to get swept, quite literally, into the heart of Georgian and Victorian London as Jensen shares ‘street level’ accounts of the men, woman and children who have given this city such a wonderful history.

Praised for his research into this work, this promises to be a page turner!

Murder The Biography Kate Morgan

Murder, The Biography: Kate Morgan

From big corporate killers and vengeful spouses to sloppy doctors and shoddy employers – Morgan’s macabre read has been described as ‘Brisk and fascinating’!

What more could a macabre book lover want?

And there you have it, my current TBR pile of macabre books. PLUS, I’ve managed to limit myself to just ONE Burke and Hare book!

Whether you’re looking for something new, thought-provoking, or just downright unputdownable, I hope this list sparks some inspiration for your next macabre read.

What about you? Have you read any of these macabre books, or do you have a must-read recommendation I should add to my list?

Don’t forget to grab your copy of the free PDF download to keep track of your macabre reads, rate them, and see why each one caught my eye! I’d love to hear your thoughts in a reply message or even share your favorites with me.

Happy reading, and may your TBR pile always bring you pleasure.

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