Madisoncanread | Maggie's Grave: A Horror Novel

Maggie's Grave: A Horror Novel

David Sodergren

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The small Scottish town of Auchenmullan is dead, and has been for years. It sits in the shadow of a mountain, forgotten and atrophying in the perpetual gloom. Forty-seven residents are all that remain. There's nothing to do there, nothing to see, except for a solitary grave near the top of the mountain.

MAGGIE WALL BURIED HERE AS A WITCH reads the faded inscription. But sometimes the dead don't stay buried. Especially when they have unfinished business.

“Relentless, atmospheric folk-horror. Enhanced by Sodergren’s gift for eerie settings and relatable characters, Maggie’s Grave is the perfect way to kick off your spooky season reading.”

Laurel Hightower, author of Whispers in the Dark and Crossroads

“ Maggie’s Grave is everything I love about a good horror story; slithery as a snake, with a nasty wee bite that will sting for a while. Compelling, immersive, and unashamedly Scottish.”

Gemma Amor, Bram Stoker Award nominated author of Dear Laura

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Posts about this title from Madisoncanread

Madisoncanread\ \ Madison\ \ • Sep 8 2025

Disturbing books to ruin your day

Don’t say I didn’t warn you 🫣 #horrorbooks #horrorbooktok #disturbingbooks #darkfiction #madisoncanread

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Madisoncanread\ \ Madison\ \ • Aug 15 2025

Alright I have made videos in the past for this but I wanted to really sit down and make you a list that should be required reading for spooky season. Fall vibes that will keep you cozy or terrified? Whatever you're wanting! \ \ WITCHY RECS \ \ Cackle by Rachel Harrison: The ultimate cozy read! Annie is going through a breakup and moves to a small picturesque town where she meets a woman named Sophie and the 2 form a bond. I desperately wish I could read this again for the first time! \ \ Maggies Grave by David Sodergren: A woman named Maggie Wall was murdered for being a witch in the 1600s. Now she's back for revenge. If you want INSANE body horror, pick this one up! \ \ Slewfoot by Brom: This one I may revisit this fall. Abitha's husband died under strange circumstances and now his brother is trying to come after their farm. Abitha teams up with an unlikely friend to keep her home.\ \ The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson: Imanuelle has grown up in a very strict cult. She goes into the forbidden woods and finds power within herself. If you read and loved Slewfoot, you have to pick this book up! \ \ Haunted Recs \ \ The Spite House by Johnny Compton: Eric and his 2 daughters live on the run. He accepts a job to stay at a rumored haunted house. This will give him and and his daughters more stability than a life on the run. He'll find out quickly that there's definitely some fact behind these rumors.\ \ The September House by Carissa Orlando: A woman moves into her dream home and refuses to leave even though it's very haunted, the walls bleed every September, and her husband has gone missing.\ \ Mexican Gothic by Sylvia Moreno Garcia: Noemi receives strange letters from her newly married cousin. She goes to check on her and can tell somethings off with her cousins husband's family. \ \ The Reformatory by Tananarive Due: Set in 1950's Florida where a young Black boy named Robbie gets sent to a reformatory school for defending his sister. This place is haunted by it's horrific past.\ \ CREATURE FEATURE \ \ When The Wolf Comes Home by Nat Cassidy: Jess goes home after a shift a the diner she works at and finds a child who has clearly run away and is terrified. Once his dad shows up it is CLEAR why he's so scared. At this point, this is my favorite book of the year! \ \ Eynhallow by Tim McGregor: Agnes lives on an island with her husband and 4 children. She knows that there has to be more to life than what she has been given and she may have found that in the stranger who shows up in her tiny village \ \ Such Sharp Teeth by Rachel Harrison: Rory moves back to her hometown. She goes to a bar one night and is on her way home when she's attacked by a large animal. She somehow survives and now she's seeing some changes within herself.\ \ The Shuddering by Ania Ahlborn: A group of friends go on a cabin vacation where there is something in the woods waiting for them.\ \ VAMPIRES \ \ So Thirsy by Rachel Harrison: Rachel Harrison is a Vampire Diaries fan, I just know it! If you love Elijah from The Originals, READ THIS.\ \ A Dowry of Blood by ST Gibson: Letters from Draculas first wife. This is stunning and atmospheric. \ \ The Southern Bookclubs Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix: A group of suburban women start a book club where they read crime novels. They team up when a stranger shows up captivating their town.\ \ THRILLERS SET IN FALL \ \ Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson: Halloween night Jett is brutally attacked leaving her with a head wound that she won't survive. She can get a risky surgery with a small chance to live or she can live for the next week before she dies of aneurysm. She's decided she'll take her last week and solve her own murder. \ \ None of This is True by Lisa Jewell: Alix is a successful podcaster who interviews incredible women. Josie approaches her letting her know she hasn't done anything great, but she's about to. Alix agrees and then Josie has turned her podcast into a true crime podcast. \ \ Jackal by Erin Adams: Liz returns to her small hometown for her best friends wedding. She's tasked with watching her best friends daughter at the wedding and she goes missing. Now Liz is on hunt to find out who took her and who is responsible for young Black girls going missing in this town year after year. \ \ ON MY TBR \ \ The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia\ \ The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones\ \ We Live Here Now by Sarah Pinbrough\ \ The Good House by Tananarive Due

ULTIMATE SPOOKY SEASON TBR

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Madisoncanread\ \ Madison\ \ • Jun 20 2025

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Recommending horror books with a yes no or maybe! #madisoncanread #bookyesnomaybe #yesnomaybebooks #horrorbook #horrorbooks #Inverted

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Madisoncanread\ \ Madison\ \ • Jun 17 2025

[Poll:\ \ What's your favorite book setting?\ \ One of my favorite settings in a horror or thriller novel is a small town filled with secrets. Here's an ultimate list to get your small town horror fix.\ \

Something In The Walls by Daisy Pearce - Mina is a child psychologist and still grieving the loss of her brother. She joins a support group where she meets a journalist named Sam. The two go to investigate what is happening to a teenager living in a remote village, who claims a witch is haunting her.\ \
The Remaking by Clay Mcleod Chapman - Starting in the 1930s where Ella Louise and her daughter Jessica were killed accused of using witchcraft. Now, in the 70s a film crew is creating a horror movie based on these events. Child star Amber Pendleton is cast as Jessica and some disturbing things happen on set. For the rest of her life, Amber isn't able to shake that roll and has now been cast as Ella Louise in the remake of that movie in the 90s. Again, more disturbing things happen on this set. \ \
All The Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby - Titus, a Black sheriff in a predominately white town gets called to a mass shooting at the high school. That day ends in tragedy when the alleged shooter takes the life of a well loved teacher. This leads Titus to uncover a string of truly horrific crimes that have been plaguing this small town. \ \
Mary: An Awakening of Terror by Nat Cassidy - Mary is a middle aged woman who is struggling with the changes happening to her body. Hot flashes, unable to look in the mirror, and disturbing voices in her head that she can't quite shake. She moves back to her small home town to help her sick aunt when these voices only get stronger and now she's seeing these horrifying ghosts. \ \
Jackal by Erin Adams - Liz, a Black woman is going back home to her predominately white small town for her best friends wedding. She's in charge of looking after her best friends daughter, Caroline during the wedding and she ends up vanishing. In this town, young Black girls go missing year after year and no one seems to be doing anything about it so Liz decides to take matters into her own hands. \ \
Maggies Grave by David Sodergren - In a tiny Scottish town, it's rumored that Maggie Wall who was buried as a witch with her unborn baby in the 1600s has been haunting the residents here. When a new visitor comes to town, it seems like Maggie has been awoken and is here for revenge. \ \
Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn - A reporter goes back to her small home town to investigate the murder and disappearance of 2 teenage girls. She having to deal with the very toxic relationship with her mother as well.\ \
The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson - Madison Washington is an outcast at her small Georgia high school. The school is finally having their first integrated prom and she's asked to go by the very popular quarterback. Prom night is here and it's gone horribly wrong leaving the majority of her classmates dead. Now we listen to a podcast where the few survivors recount their experience. ** AMAZING AUDIOBOOK\ \
The Bird Eater by Ania Ahlborn - When Aaron was a child being raised by his aunt, she mysteriously died leaving him an orphan. Now 20 years later, he's dealing with the grief of losing his son and is back in the house he grew up in. Almost instantly he starts seeing a little boy who follows him everywhere and is plagued by horrible dreams. \ \
We Have Always Lived In The Castle by Shirley Jackson - 2 strange sisters living in this house on the outskirts of town, its rumored that one of them is responsible for killing the rest of their family. \ \
I Was a Teenage Slasher by Stephen Graham Jones - Tolly Driver attends a high school party which goes horribly wrong, and he starts taking out his classmates.](https://madisoncanread.binderybooks.com/item/LzaCRd2Lk1iRxn4ok0kN/)

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Posts about this book from across Bindery

ash.reads.horror\ \ ash\ \ • May 24

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\ \ I've been diving deep into some urban legends for research on something special. Most times, urban legends start from a truth before embellishment and fabrication make the tale more sinister than it originated. But let's be real, as horror fans, we live for the scary details that are added in. We chase that thrill of possibly summoning Bloody Mary in front of a mirror, or exploring a supposedly haunted house.\ \ Below, you can find some urban legend horror books that will hopefully scratch that urban legend itch you have. Next week I will feature some Cryptic/Creature Feature Urban Legends :D\ \ \ \ The graphic novels Bad Dreams In The Night and Let Me In Your Window by Adam Ellis both feature beautiful artwork with amazing, scary stories. Many of these stories feature urban legends and tales of folklore.\ \ \ \ Jack O' Dander by Priya Sharma\ \ This short story follows a family are not only impacted by their choices, but also by a mysterious urban legend. \ \ \ \ Killer on The Road/The Babysitter Lives by Stephen Graham Jones\ \ Both of these novels play on common urban legends. Killer on The Road deals with the legend of a serial killer on the road picking up hitchhikers. The Babysitter Lives centers around the babysitter receives a call/knock on the door urban legend. Both are great books and I love that they are featured together. \ \ \ \ Daphne by Josh Malerman\ \ Did you ever play "The Game" back in school. Oops... sorry just made you lose it. This book is very similar to The Game. The urban legend named Daphne comes to life when you think of her. The more you think of her, the higher chance she will come and kill you...better stop thinking of her or else...you may be next.\ \ \ \ Schrader's Chord by Scott Leeds\ \ Ahh the good ole cursed object. Schrader's Chord follows a man who inherits a supposed cursed record from his recently deceased father. Legend has it that all four records are played at the same time, the listener will open a gate to the land of the dead...\ \ \ \ Narcissus by Adam Godfrey\ \ After hearing about a subterranean pool that's rumored to be the one by which Narcissus once wasted away by, a group of college kids learn the hard way that legends can be true.\ \ A few on my tbr\ \ Books Of Blood by Clive Barker\ \ Scanlines by Todd Keisling\ \ Maggie's Grave by David Sodergren\ \ The House On Abigail Lane by Kealan Patrick Burke\ \ What are some of your favorite Urban Legends?\ \ Join for free or login](https://ashreadshorror.binderybooks.com/item/uLibDGZGpxVQ4hhPNGUy/)

Urban Legend Horror

11 books

ash.reads.horror\ \ ash\ \ • Mar 8

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\ \ We are officially a week into our Goosebumps Bookclub! If you haven’t already, come join the Discord to chat about the books!\ \ Today’s post will focus on book recommendations that are similar to the book. If you haven’t already, read the book before continuing on to avoid potential spoilers.\ \ You Can’t Scare Me focuses a lot on pranks to try and scare the fearless girl, Courtney. Near the end, we get to see an urban legend—The Mud Monsters—come to life.\ \ The below books feature urban legends and even a few legend impersonations becoming real!\ \ The Monsters We Made by Peyton June\ \ \ \

To save her family’s struggling ranch, 18-year-old Claire fabricates a video of her hometown’s legendary alien cryptid, Old Lucky, that grabs the attention of paranormal vloggers Lenny and Evan. Lenny is plagued with doubts about their channel’s future, so catching Old Lucky might just be her chance at finding something real.\ \ After Evan deserts Lenny, believing the investigation to be a hoax, Claire agrees to “help” Lenny uncover the history of Old Lucky—and preserve her deceit. But the more the girls are drawn together and the more clues they unearth, the more secrets rise to the surface. The cows are being mutilated, the ranch hand has disappeared, and the strange lights in the sky are back. Something inhuman lurks in Scarberry, where danger lives close to home.\ \ Releasing in June, this book reminded me of this one just by the synopsis. A faked urban legend becoming real.\ \ A Misfortune Of Lake Monsters by Nicole M. Wolverton\ \ \ \ Lemon Ziegler wants to escape rural Devil’s Elbow, Pennsylvania to attend college—but that’s impossible now that she’s expected to impersonate the town’s lake monster for the rest of her life. Her family has been secretly keeping the tradition of Old Lucy, the famed (and very fake) monster of Lake Lokakoma, alive for generations, all to keep the tourists coming. Without Lemon, the town dies, and she can’t disappoint her grandparents . . . or tell her best friends about any of it. That includes Troy Ramirez, who has been covertly in love with Lemon for years, afraid to ruin their friendship by confessing his feelings. When a very real, and very hungry monster is discovered in the lake, secrets must fall by the wayside. Determined to stop the monster, Lemon and her best friends are the only thing standing between Devil’s Elbow and the monster out for blood.\ \ Again, a hoax coming to life made me think of the book!\ \ The October Film Haunt by Michael Wehunt\ \ \ \ Ten years ago, Jorie Stroud was the rising star of the October Film Haunt – a trio of horror enthusiasts who camped out at the filming locations of their favorite scary movies, sharing their love through their popular blog. But after a night in the graveyard from Proof of Demons – perhaps the most chilling cult film ever made, directed by the enigmatic Hélène Enriquez – everything unraveled.\ \ Now, Jorie has built an isolated life with her young son in Vermont. In the devastating wake of her viral, truth-stretching Proof of Demons blog entry ― hysteria, internet backlash, and the death of a young woman ― Jorie has put it all, along with her intense love for the horror genre, behind her.\ \ Until a videotape arrives in the mail. Jorie fears someone might be filming her. And the “Rickies” – Enriquez obsessives who would do anything for the reclusive director – begin to cross lines in shocking ways. It seems Hélène Enriquez is making a new kind of sequel…and Jorie is her final girl.\ \ As the dangers grow even more unexpected and strange, Jorie must search for answers before the Proof of the movie’s title finds her and takes everything she loves.\ \ This one feels like a creepypasta come to life when the urban legend surrounding a cult film becomes real...\ \ Maggie's Grave by David Sodergren\ \ \ \ The small Scottish town of Auchenmullan is dead, and has been for years. It sits in the shadow of a mountain, forgotten and atrophying in the perpetual gloom.\ \ Forty-seven residents are all that remain.\ \ There's nothing to do there, nothing to see, except for a solitary grave near the top of the mountain.\ \ MAGGIE WALL BURIED HERE AS A WITCH reads the faded inscription.\ \ But sometimes the dead don't stay buried. Especially when they have unfinished business.\ \ A town's urban legend comes to life and begins causing havok. \ \ And lastly\ \ Jack O Dander by Priya Sharma\ \ \ \ The sister of an abducted child is haunted by a sinister figure who may or may not be real. . .\ \ This one is a quick read that follows a family and the impact an urban legend had on the children. \ \ What book do you think pairs well with You Can't Scare Me?\ \ Upgrade for $5 or login](https://ashreadshorror.binderybooks.com/item/50tTh8UB5Y6vWHe2z3th/)

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Madisoncanread\ \ Madison\ \ • Sep 8 2025

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