Cozy small-town America is built into the bedrock of our cultural ethos. The charming vision of provincial life extends well into the modern era. One needs to look no further than The Gilmore Girls to understand that the allure of an entire community embracing, celebrating, supporting, and knowing one another holds a comforting appeal for many.
Except when you’re on the outside. If you’re not one of the lovable, huggable citizens attending every parade, the gaze of a quaint town begins to feel like a scalpel. Being ‘known’ means being seen through a lens that was already in place before you arrived, either by birth or fate.
For better or worse, that’s the version of Small Town, USA I know best. Born a pastor’s kid, I moved with my family from one dot on the map to the next, operating as both insiders and outsiders at the same time. My father used to tell my sister and I that there was nowhere we could get into trouble—the locals would tell him before we even got home. Sure enough, comments on what shops we visited, the length of our skirts, the people we dated two towns over all became a part of routine life. We were welcome in these places as long as we abided by the local rules. Cross those unspoken lines, and we were instantly relegated back to outsider-status.
This was the experience out of which my debut novel Nowhere was born. In Dahlmouth, the Kennan family is initially welcomed given Rachel’s position as police chief. A few stumbles, however, and the town remembers they are, in fact, strangers from a strange land. Suddenly, it’s easy to blame them for tragedies or to condemn them for ‘sins’ that are typically buried in one’s closet.
But it’s lazy to paint small town life as a net negative. Genuine kindness resides within those borders as well. Oddly enough, those who live on the fringes of society are often the ones cementing the ideals of rustic Americana. For me, it came in the form of residents who had long received side-eyes thanks to their vices or heritage, be it an addiction to alcohol or a grandmother who got a little too friendly with the milkman forty years prior. For the Kennans, the same unconditional warmth is found in the wild child whose antics land her on the prayer chain every week or the rugged deputy for whom friendship transcends arbitrary condemnation.
Small towns are paradoxes filled with polite villains, outright renegades, unspoken rules, fearless loyalty, and everything in between. They are tragedies in waiting, supplying us with satisfaction when the lecherous mayor is exposed and crushing our hearts when the courageous rebel is defeated.
The terror that lives in small town horror novels rests in humanity rather than in the unconquerable villain gracing the pages. Will your neighbor love you as they love themselves? Or will they cast you into the flames to save themselves? What will you do to them when pushed to your limits? You’ll never know until the day arrives, a hellish reality that the following novels demonstrate in spades:
A History of Wild Places by Shea Ernshaw
When a famous author of macabre children’s books goes missing, Travis Wren embarks on a journey to locate her using his psychic abilities. Soon, however, he vanishes as well with only his truck left outside the boundaries of a tiny commune cut off from the world, setting off a chain of events that unravels the secrets and safety of its inhabitants. An unnerving slow burn that will leave you looking over your shoulder, A History of Wild Places is a must-read.
Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
A terrifying examination of broken families, Sharp Objects slices through the thin veneer of congeniality that covers a multitude of sins in small-town culture. Journalist Camille Preaker returns to her Missourian hometown to investigate the recent murders of two young girls. Flynn takes readers on a wild ride, evoking a visceral pain as Camille battles horrific memories of her past before crashing into a jaw-dropping ending.
HEX by Thomas Olde Heuvelt
When Katherine van der Wyler was executed by villagers 350 years ago for alleged witchcraft, death transformed her into a walking, whispering nightmare whose evil eye struck down her holy neighbors. With eyes and mouth now stitched closed, Katherine has become an almost mundane fact of modern life in Black Falls, residents deeming her harmless if ignored—until a group of teens decide they’re done playing nice. Terror unfolds quickly in this twisted fairy tale, taking readers on a disturbing roller coaster that dares you to keep your eyes open.
Storm of the Century by Stephen King
When a stranger arrives on the small rock known as Little Tall Island in the midst of an unprecedented winter storm, chaos and terror shatter the bonds between neighbors and friends. Making no apologies, the unwelcomed visitor resurrects the deepest secrets each townsperson holds, unearthing the darkness that resides within their tight-knit village.
While some readers may hesitate to pick up a published screenplay rather than a traditional novel, Storm of the Century is an oft overlooked gem in King’s crown which promises to shatter your visions of small-town tranquility.
A House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher
With an intensely lovable and quirky main character, Kingfisher keeps her readers on the edge of their seats, rooting for a happy outcome. When Samantha Montgomery returns to her small, North Carolinian hometown for a visit, it comes as no surprise that the ghosts of her difficult grandmother continue to plague the family… except Samantha expected a figurative rather than literal haunting. In Kingfisher’s disorienting and wondrous signature style, readers glide through a ghost story laced with rose petals, heartache, and above all, enduring love.
A Step Past Darkness by Vera Kurian
A gripping tale that rivals Stephen King’s It, Kurian’s sophomore novel is impossible to put down. Twenty years after a group of unlikely friends conquered an ancient evil, a mysterious murder draws them back to the tiny town they tried to forget. Evil has many faces, but the one they encounter upon returning is all too familiar. Filled with non-stop twists and shocking revelations, A Step Past Darkness keeps readers on the edge of their seats from cover to cover.
My Darling Girl by Jennifer McMahon
Set in an idyllic small-town ripped from a Hallmark movie, My Darling Girl follows the destruction of author Alison O’Conner’s wholesome life after her estranged, terminally ill mother moves in to live out her final days. A unique take on the well-trod possession trope, My Darling Girl leverages the deceptive beauty of sleepy hollows to slowly tighten the noose around both the main character and the reader, reminding us that darkness lurks in the shadows of Christmas lights and countryside charm.
Compound Fracture by Andrew Joseph White
In Compound Fracture, Andrew Joseph White exposes the uncrushable resilience and class rebellion that still pulses within West Virginia. As Miles Abernathy begins to spread his wings, embracing their transgender identity, the evil pervading his community and family comes to the forefront. Amidst the bloody conflict, an ancestor returns from beyond to assist Miles and heal a legacy of trauma and fear. Equally inspiring and horrifying, Compound Fracture sinks into the reader’s heart and upends common stereotypes of both queer and Appalachian identities.