I like to choose scary books each year for the month of Halloween, and this year I’m going with Straub’s classic tale of a haunted past.

Some will tell you this isn’t truly a ghost story (despite the name), but I actually like the fact it’s as much psychological thriller as it is classic horror. One reviewer called it a “spooky tale of supernatural revenge.”

Five older men, calling themselves The Chowder Society, meet each year in the (fictional) town of Milburn, New York where they reminisce about their college years 50 years earlier. But when one of them dies, the stories they tell begin to morph.

It turns out they were all involved in the accidental death of a young woman, a killing that was never reported. Is the ghost of this woman back to haunt their remaining years?

Peter Straub has won numerous awards for his writing, including multiple Bram Stoker awards for horror. He’s teamed with Stephen King a few times (including The Talisman, another fun chiller), and there’s talk they’ll collaborate again soon.

For now, enjoy the creepy story of regret and revenge as my selection for October. Pick it up at any location of The Tattered Cover Book Store. When you mention Dom’s Book Club you’ll receive 20% off the price of this title.

Boo!