This 1930s Gothic classic is an un-put-down-able, curl-up-by-the-fire mystery. Don't be put off by its age: this thrilling novel feels surprisingly current. Suspenseful but not scary, and it holds its tension on a re-reading: a sure sign of a well-crafted thriller.

A novelist deals with heartache. A fiancé has bad news for his beloved. A warship gets rescued by another ship. At face value, these plots don’t sound particularly suspenseful, but fans of Daphne du Maurier's novels know better. Her protagonists are ordinary people who find themselves in extraordinary, even dangerous, situations. The suspense unfolds slowly, building to a crescendo as secrets are revealed. Atmosphere hangs heavy over well-drawn characters. If you enjoyed Rebecca for its quiet, romantic mystery, don't miss out on this short story collection.

If you enjoyed Rebecca for its quiet, romantic mystery, don't miss out on this short story collection. Hitchcock immortalized The Birds in his classic film.

From the publisher: "On a bitter November evening, young Mary Yellan journeys across the rainswept moors to Jamaica Inn in honor of her mother's dying request. When she arrives, the warning of the coachman begins to echo in her memory, for her aunt Patience cowers before hulking Uncle Joss Merlyn. Terrified of the inn's brooding power, Mary gradually finds herself ensnared in the dark schemes being enacted behind its crumbling walls -- and tempted to love a man she dares not trust."

From the publisher: "Based on diaries she kept between 1920 and 1932, du Maurier probes her own past, beginning with her earliest memories and encompassing the publication of her first book and her marriage. Often painfully honest, she recounts her difficult relationship with her father, her education in Paris, her early love affairs, her antipathy towards London life, and her desperate ambition to succeed as a writer. The resulting self-portrait is of a complex, utterly captivating young woman."

Did you know Daphne Du Maurier wrote a time travel novel? Her 1969 novel, while lesser known, progressively explores mind-altering substances as a mode of time travel. The book opens in the middle of Dick Young’s trip to 14th century Cornwall, described in vivid, atmospheric detail. Dick’s friend Professor Magnus Lane loaned him a house, so long as Dick helps the professor with his scientific experiments. After taking the professor’s new drug, Dick finds himself tripping all the way back to medieval times. Time travel proves intoxicating for Dick, who increasingly loathes the modern world—but is he really traveling back in time, or is he imagining his trips due to the drug’s effects? Du Maurier crafts a story that begs us to question the very nature of reality.

From the publisher: "This 'highly personalized adventure, ultra-romantic' story from the author of Rebecca tells the tale of a woman looking for adventure, only to find it in the arms a rebellious criminal (New York Times). Bored and restless in London's Restoration Court, Lady Dona escapes into the British countryside with her restlessness and thirst for adventure as her only guides. Eventually Dona lands in remote Navron, looking for peace of mind in its solitary woods and hidden creeks. She finds the passion her spirit craves in the love of a daring French pirate who is being hunted by all of Cornwall. Together, they embark upon a quest rife with danger and glory, one which bestows upon Dona the ultimate choice: sacrifice her lover to certain death or risk her own life to save him."

There are a few titles in this list where the creepy house feels like a character and Manderley might just be the best example of that Gothic trope! Rebecca is the perfect book to listen to on a blustery fall day, preferably with a cozy blanket and mug of tea. Anna Massey’s masterful narration adds richness and plenty of chills to this classic tale of obsession and secrets. 14 hrs 48 mins