Finishing the sample of a new book on my Kindle, I happily logged into my account to purchase the mystery. It was based on a famous cemetery in England and took place in Victorian times. As an Anglophile, the setting and time period were both something I looked forward to diving into.
All was well . . . until it wasn’t.
Soon, the graphic details about a murder victim’s demise were spelled out for the reader. It seemed she’d also been violated by more than one man, as well. And that had to be described.
I snapped the book cover shut and requested a refund.
I can’t tell you how many times this has happened to me. I bet, if you’re also a highly sensitive person, it’s happened many times in your life, too. Unlike movies, there is rarely a rating scale or content warnings to let you know if the content of a book is going to be too much for you.
“Regular” readers are often not bothered by gore/torture/dismemberment or very detailed descriptions of violence against women. And this isn’t a morality issue where HSPs are secretly judging those readers.
But don’t you find it frustrating when you think you’ve found a great new author or novel, only to find out a quarter, half, or when you’re nearly finished, that it’s way too gross or gore-filled for you?
Isn’t it irritating to invest the time and often, money, in a new book only to be disappointed?
But what’s the alternative?
Yes!
Thankfully, we live with digital tools at our fingertips that can help us find books that are creepy, unnerving, and full of atmospheric tension without crossing the line into nightmare territory.
One excellent resource is the Trigger Warning Database. Using this free platform, you can search by the trigger itself or by the author or title of the book. There’s also a cool Resources section that lists the different people/companies that have contributed to the database.
Another option is StoryGraph. I’ve used this quite a lot while researching books for my (then) adolescent/young teen to read. This one is reader-supported, so anyone is able to weigh in on the books listed and give their honest feedback. I didn’t include the link because it wants you to create an account to use it. But if you don’t feel like it, try googling the book you’re interested in, plus “StoryGraph content warnings”. I believe there’s an app, too.
Which brings up tactic #3. Google can be a good friend here. Like the example above, you can try typing in a book title along with the term trigger warning or content warning and see what comes up.
Another option is to check the book reviews on Goodreads, Amazon, or any other platform, but these sometimes give spoilers, so beware.
HSPs who love suspense books DO have options. It might just take a little more effort to find a good fit for you.
This isn’t an exhaustive list, but I wanted to include some great authors whose books are creepy, unnerving, or just downright frightening, but are also pretty clean. Most wouldn’t be rated higher than a PG-13 in my opinion.
Of course, you could start with moi. I keep sensitive readers in mind when writing my suspense novels. This is because I’m an HSP, and I know the challenge of finding great suspense and mystery books that won’t traumatize me.
London Clarke (The Meadows in particular)
Lisa Unger (most would fall under PG-13, careful with serial killer themes)
Daphne du Maurier (Rebecca, My Cousin Rachel)
Please share your suggestions in the comments so we can add to this list.
J.P. Choquette is the author of atmospheric, gothic-inspired novels. The themes of art, nature, and psychology are frequently found in her 11 novels, which have been downloaded nearly 25,000 times across multiple platforms. Buy her books on Amazon or learn more by visiting the author’s website.
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