Five haunted reads

This time of year makes our bookshelf editor quake in her boots as she pores through the frightening writings of Carolina authors. Check out some of her favorite spooky stories from the Carolina Country Bookshelf—if you dare.

Mysterious Tales of the North Carolina Piedmont

Join storyteller Sherman Carmichael as he relates creepy legends of the Piedmont, including places personally visited by the devil, scary sightings of lake monster Normie, and a river banshee whose bloodcurdling screams are heard to this day.

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Ghost Cats of the South

Twenty-two fur-raising tales by a native “ghostlorist,” this collection features a story about a porcelain cat that inspires girls to reveal cherished secrets at a North Carolina summer camp.

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The True Story of Tom Dooley

This mythic mystery, set in Civil War-era Wilkes County, details the life and death of the notorious Casanova and alleged murderer Tom Dooley.

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Myths and Mysteries of North Carolina

From the Lost Colony and Gold Hill ghosts to odd happenings in Old Salem, this book explores 14 Tar Heel tales assembled by travel writer Sara Pitzer.

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The Body at Wrapp’s Mill

In remote western North Carolina, Marcy Dehanne sets forth to restore an old grist mill. Her plans run amuck, however, when she discovers a half-buried corpse behind the water wheel.