Best Halloween reads

Forget Mary Shelly's Frankenstein, Bram Stoker's Dracula and the stories of M.R. James. Often the most terrifying tales are about those things that go bump in the head, rather than the night. So read on for our shortlist of pyschological horror and realistic violence that should leave you suitably unsettled for All Hallow's Eve.

1. The Collector (1963)

John Fowles' first published novel is a brilliant achievement. The tale of a kidnapping, it's narrated in two parts, first by the kidnapper, Frederick, and then by his captive, a young art student called Miranda. The treatment of the clash between Frederick's withdrawn, reclusive, obsessive nature, and Miranda's free-spirited, self-indulgent joie de vivre is spare and thrilling. This novel wastes no words. The Collector disturbs and unsettles, plays with our sympathies and maintains a level of suspense that is worthy of Hitchcock. www.amazon.co.uk

2. The Trial (1925)

Ever work up in the morning and wondered what you did wrong? Joseph K certainly does when two men appear at his flat, accuse him of committing a crime they will not name and subsequently arrest him. Joseph K's attempt to discover the content of the accusation and to clear his name leads him into an absurd and increasingly nonsensical world. Kafka's genius is to provide no explanation. Satire on office work, comic fable about the lack of meaning in human life, or exploration of the possibilities of a superficially clear yet opaque narrative style, The Trial, whatever it is, helped invent modern life. www.amazon.co.uk

3. A Clockwork Orange (1962)

Anthony Burgess may have considered this one of his minor books, but he is wrong. Despite the pat ending, which Kubrick improved upon by leaving it out of his excellent screen version, A Clockwork Orange is a thrilling tale of feral youths terrorising people in a dystopian near future and a study in social conditioning. But above all it's an exercise in language. Burgess' Nadast, a mix of transliterated Russian, English slang and juvenile arrogance, is a gothic urban street poetry that testifies to the author's supreme gift for neologism. www.amazon.co.uk

4. Affinity (1999)

Perhaps the least celebrated of Sarah Waters' novels, Affinity is, nevertheless, a superb read. It may take its time, but once you have entered into Waters' world you won't be able to get back out again. This is a creepy tale of spiritualism, prison life, betrayal and the illusory nature of love. Waters is one of the finest storytellers now working, and her evocation of a Victorian jail and its dark, cold spaces is outstanding. And the twist, as ever, is magnificent. All hail Queen Sarah. www.amazon.co.uk

5. Felicia's Journey (1994)

When Felicia leaves Ireland for England, in search of the boy who made her pregnant, she meets Mr Hilditch, the owner of a catering business. But Felicia soon discovers that he is as not as kind and friendly as he first appears. William Trevor is an excellent writer and his storytelling is subtle and sensitive, his economical prose touched with moments of lyricism. www.amazon.co.uk

6. The Wasp Factory (1984)

Ah, let's remember the days when Iain Banks was good. His twisted and macabre debut is the story of the murderous Frank, a teenager who ritually does away with wasp by means of a baroque contraption he has made and who is having to deal with the fact that his older brother has just escaped from a mental hospital.www.amazon.co.uk