22 Scary Christmas Horror Books to Read This Holiday Season

If you love Halloween but wish the creepy season lasted until December, this list of scary Christmas horror books to read is for you. 

I get very excited about spooky books, and these 22 picks cover Christmas horror novels, novellas, anthologies, and even a graphic novel.

Some lean funny, with horror comedy and zombie elves. 

Others are Christmas horror short stories, Krampus books, or Victorian Christmas ghost stories that bring back an old holiday tradition. 

A few mix in mystery, romance, or small-town dread.

Secret Santa by Andrew Shaffer

Secret Santa drops a horror-comedy into the publishing world of the 1980s, and I am already curious.

Luci has been tasked with finding the next Stephen King, which sounds like plenty of pressure.

Her coworkers prank her relentlessly, and the office gift exchange goes wrong when an anonymous present turns out to be cursed.

Bodies begin piling up, and I love that it plays out as a whodunit.

I want to see how Luci untangles the mystery.

Sharp, witty writing has me ready to add this to my TBR.

NOS4A2

NOS4A2 has one of the creepiest premises on my list.

Victoria McQueen rides her bike to a rickety covered bridge that carries her wherever she needs to go to find lost things.

Charles Talent Manx drives a 1938 Rolls Royce Wraith that leads to a place he calls Christmasland.

Vic was the only child to escape him, and she badly wants to forget.

Manx remembers her, though, and now he has a new passenger: her son.

That setup makes me want to pick it up this December.

Dead of Winter by Kealan Patrick Burke

Dead of Winter gathers seven winter horror stories that feel like a mug of hot chocolate with a shiver in it.

Several of the tales center on Christmas, though snowy terror blankets every one.

I’m curious about “Doomsday Father Christmas,” which follows a depressed Santa Claus.

“Visitation Rights” has a father trying to reconnect with his daughters on Christmas Eve.

“Snowmen” follows a child who sees figures appear on a snowy lawn, and that image already gives me chills.

Twisty plotting and sharp prose are promised, so this one is going on my list.

Snowball

Snowball turns the elf-on-a-shelf tradition into something much creepier.

Brandon and Erin start the tradition to bring cheer to their family.

Over the weeks before Christmas, strange incidents begin happening around the house, some more innocent than others.

Brandon begins to suspect an evil spirit is haunting them.

Then he notices a pair of gray plastic eyes that always seem to be watching.

I will be side-eyeing my own holiday decorations after this one.

Las Posadas by V. Castro

Las Posadas mixes steamy romance with holiday gore, and I’m intrigued.

Nola writes telenovelas and is working on a script with funeral scenes when she meets Henry, the handsome new town mortician.

They meet during Las Posadas, and she quickly feels the chemistry.

Henry invites her to his puzzle club gatherings, and things heat up on Christmas.

Then an unexpected guest shows up, and mayhem follows.

I want to know who that guest is!

Hark! The Herald Angels Scream by Christopher Golden

Hark! The Herald Angels Scream is a multi-author anthology packed with chilling holiday tales.

Eighteen stories from bestselling authors make this a big, spooky stack to work through.

The opening story, “Absinthe & Angels,” is billed as especially terrifying, so I’m starting there.

Josh Malerman, Seanan McGuire, Joe R. Lansdale, and Sarah Langan all contribute stories.

It is a non-traditional Christmas read with no romance in sight, which suits me fine.

I can’t wait to sample a few authors I haven’t tried yet.

Young Scrooge

Young Scrooge follows Rick Scroogeman, who hates everything about Christmas.

Watching A Christmas Carol at school every year does not help.

Classmates have nicknamed him Scrooge, and he hates that too.

When three ghosts visit, he assumes it’s a dream.

Soon he realizes it’s a nightmare that might become real.

That mix of school-year grumbling and ghostly visitors makes me want to read it.

I’m curious how a Dickens-inspired haunting plays out for a kid.

Krampus: The Yule Lord by Brom

Brom’s Krampus novel is set in West Virginia and ties into Norse mythology.

On Christmas Eve in Boone County, Jesse, a failed musician, sees devilish figures chase a man in a red suit.

A magical sack drops to the ground and pulls him into a rivalry between Krampus and Santa Claus.

Krampus is described as charismatic as well as evil, which I’m excited to see.

Brom’s original illustrations are included, which is a bonus for me.

I’m eager to learn what secrets Santa has been hiding.

Murder for Christmas

Murder for Christmas is a cozy locked-room mystery, and I think it will balance this list nicely.

Mordecai Tremain arrives at Benedict Grame’s country retreat while festivities are in full swing.

Tension is already running high among the guests.

At midnight, presents appear under the tree, along with a body that strongly resembles Father Christmas.

Now Mordecai must find the culprit before anyone else is murdered.

I’m keen to try a gentler kind of Christmas chill.

Return of the Living Elves by Brian Asman

Return of the Living Elves is a horror comedy novella about an elfish zombie apocalypse.

It opens on Christmas Eve, when a 19-year-old Juggalo starts a new job at a holiday supply warehouse.

He wants to impress his girlfriend, Landfill, who loves Christmas.

A snow globe incident releases an undead elf, and blood-soaked chaos follows.

The book also includes a bonus story by Shelly Lyons, “The Murderous Eejit.”

Christmas warehouse chaos with humor sounds like my kind of fun.

Horror Stories to Ruin Christmas: Serenity Falls Forever

This Christmas horror collection centers on one place: Serenity Falls, Wisconsin.

I like the sound of a book that reveals its story one day at a time.

The truth builds toward a dark secret bigger than anyone could imagine.

Hope and despair are handed out unequally as townspeople discover the painful truth.

Spending the season in one troubled town sounds unsettling in the best way.

I’m drawn to connected stories in a small town, so this one earns a spot on my TBR.

Where the Dead Go to Die by Aaron Dries and Mark Allan Gunnells

Where the Dead Go to Die gives zombie horror a Christmas setting in Chicago.

Emily works in a hospice facility for people infected with a slow-moving zombie virus.

The infected are made comfortable and humanely killed before they develop a taste for human bones and marrow.

Protestors gather outside the facility.

Emily is haunted by her past and just wants to be the best mother she can.

It’s described as heart-wrenching and emotional, which sounds like a fresh take on zombies.

The Valancourt Book of Victorian Christmas Ghost Stories by Tara Moore

This five-volume series collects Christmas ghost stories first printed in newspapers and magazines.

Victorians once made it a tradition to read ghost stories at Christmas, and I love that idea.

The volumes feature well-known authors like Margaret Oliphant and Arthur Conan Doyle, along with lesser-known and anonymous writers.

Ghostly tales from so many different voices make it feel like a treasure hunt.

I’m tempted to read one story each night in December.

Reviving that old tradition sounds like a treat to me.

You Better Watch Out

You Better Watch Out mixes holiday romance with a serial killer dressed as a reindeer, which is wonderfully unexpected.

Mary Classen is the single CEO of a booming tinsel company in Tinselvania, Maine.

Bright Harmon, a rising star from a New York City Christmas conglomerate, arrives to discuss a partnership.

Meanwhile, a bloodthirsty killer in a reindeer costume terrorizes the town.

I’m curious how a blossoming romance and a murder hunt share the same story.

Quirky townspeople and a tinsel empire make the setup even more fun.

Lucky Girl, How I Became A Horror Writer, A Krampus Tale by M. Rickert

Rickert’s holiday horror novella stretches across several Christmases.

Ro is a struggling horror writer who spends Christmas Eve with four strangers.

They swap ghost stories, including a creepy one about Krampus.

Those stories reveal the horrors of Ro’s past and change the course of her future.

Lyrical prose that evokes unreality and mounting dread has me intrigued.

I’m excited to see how such a spare story carries so much.

A multi-layered story packed into a novella sounds ideal for a cold night.

He Sees You When He’s Creepin’

This is an anthology devoted to Krampus, with one story for each of the twelve nights of Christmas.

Krampus is the hoofed and horned dark companion of St. Nick.

Sometimes he’s a hero and sometimes a villain, but here he’s never the sidekick.

I love the structure of a story for every night.

I’m picturing reading one each evening over the twelve nights.

I’m curious how many different faces this horned figure can wear.

Christmas Eve on Haunted Hill

Ten years ago, Silas Herzinger wore a Santa suit and took an axe to fifteen members of his extended family.

His youngest son, Luke, was the only survivor.

Now Luke returns home to face the past.

An evil still lingers in the family house on Haunted Hill.

A Santa suit and an axe make for a chilling opening image.

This sounds like one of the bleakest picks here.

I’m curious how Luke confronts what happened.

Halldark Holidays by Gabino Iglesias

Halldark Holidays is a multi-author collection that riffs on cheesy Hallmark movies.

Think mysterious handsome strangers, unexpected puppies, and magical Santa Clauses, each with a blood-soaked twist.

Stories include “The Morbs” by Greg Sisco, “The Bone Fire” by Alan Baxter, and “The Hatching” by Brian Keene.

Cynthia Pelayo and Todd Robinson contribute stories, too.

A wide range of grisly yuletide treats makes this a fun one to dip into.

I’m happy to see Hallmark clichés get twisted.

The Visitor

Five strangers take shelter in a diner during one of the worst snowstorms Indiana has seen.

Snow keeps falling, ice builds up on the roads, and the temperature keeps dropping.

Then a sixth visitor arrives, and that is the worst part of the night.

Soon the diners are fighting for their lives during the Christmas season.

I always love a trapped-in-one-place setup, and a diner in a blizzard sounds perfect.

I’m curious who or what that sixth visitor turns out to be.

Krampus and Friends: Tales of Terrifying Christmas Monsters From Around the World

This collection gathers thirteen tales about Christmas monsters from around the world.

Krampus, Belsnickel, Hans Trapp, Baba Yaga, and Santa Lucia are among the creatures featured.

I love that it widens the usual holiday scares beyond one figure.

Meeting monsters from different traditions sounds like a spooky education.

Thirteen tales means plenty to read through during December.

I can’t wait to learn which creatures are new to me.

Season’s Creepings: Tales of Holiday Horror by Ronald Kelly

Season’s Creepings collects creepy Christmas horror stories that reveal the darkness of the holiday.

Ronald Kelly’s stories span a wide range of styles, characters, and tones.

Titles like “Jingle Bones,” “The Skating Pond,” “Heirlooms,” and “Then Came a Woodsman” have me curious.

“Jingle Bones” makes me wonder what lurks inside.

Variety like that makes it easy to pick up for a quick bit of reading.

Fans of all kinds of horror should find something to enjoy, and I’m one of them.

Wraith

Wraith is a graphic novel and a prequel to NOS4A2.

It takes readers into the terrifying world of Christmasland and its ageless monster.

Readers also see the twisted beginnings of Charlie Manx.

A new cast of Christmasland characters shows up too.

I’m curious how the story visualizes such an unsettling place.

A prequel is a fun way to go deeper into a world I’m already curious about.

---

That’s my list of scary Christmas horror books to read, and I’m excited to work through as many as I can.

Maybe you want a Christmas horror comedy, a few Krampus books, or zombie Christmas horror. Maybe you’d rather curl up with Victorian Christmas ghost stories or a locked-room mystery.

Whichever way you lean, these holiday horror books give you plenty of spooky Christmas reads for the long, dark nights of December.

Pick a couple that sound like your kind of scare, add them to your TBR, and keep an eye out for the ones that catch your attention. I’d love to hear which ones you choose.