Hometown Horror Stories
Every Town Has a Secret.
50 states. 50 true-to-life legends. One book of hometown horror waiting to give you chills — starting with yours.
Explore the flagship 50-state Educator Corner
New Book Two: Pennsylvania — Ten Terrifying Tales from the Keystone State. Explore Pennsylvania
A Ghost Story From Every Corner of the Map
Somewhere near you, there's a story nobody talks about. A dark lake. An old road. A house that's stood empty a little too long. Hometown Horror Stories collects one spine-tingling legend from all 50 states — real folklore, real history, and just enough truth to make you check the window one more time before bed. Grab a flashlight. This is the kind of scary you don't want to read alone.
- A rusty swing set that creaks — even when there's no wind
- Flickering lantern light deep inside an abandoned mine, right where no one should be walking
- A warrior spirit that's been guarding the same stretch of forest for two hundred years
Hear Your First Ghost Story — Free, Right Now
You don't have to wait to get spooked. Drop your name and email below and we'll send you a free audio story right away, then a new one every month. Hometown horror read out loud, ready whenever you want a chill. No waiting. No cost. Just press play.
Some Stories Are Better Heard in the Dark
Turn off the lights, put in your earbuds, and let the stories come to you. The Hometown Horror Stories audiobook brings every legend to life with eerie sound and a voice that knows exactly when to slow down — right before the scary part. Perfect for car rides, sleepovers, or anytime you want a story that gets under your skin.
Listen to AudiobookReaders Are Already Getting Spooked — 4.6 Stars and Counting
“An absolute home run of a horror anthology! Hometown Horror Stories cuts straight through the noise to deliver a clean, fast-paced, and genuinely scary collection of urban legends. The state-by-state layout makes it ridiculously fun to read—you can jump straight to your home state or pick a random region to explore before bed.”
Nicoleta, Amazon reviewer
“This is a scary, but fun to read book! It is one of the best books on urban legends I have ever read. I especially enjoy how it highlights stories from each particular state.”
LB, Amazon reviewer
“I picked this up for my nephew who likes ghost stories, and we both ended up enjoying the creepy atmosphere. The short stories are perfect for a quick scare before bed, especially with those illustrations that really bring the legends to life.”
DD, Amazon reviewer
Book Two — Now Available
Hometown Horror Stories: Pennsylvania
Ten Terrifying Tales from the Keystone State
Every Pennsylvania town has a story it doesn't like to tell out loud. A hex-cursed book hidden in a farmhouse wall. A faceless shape that walks an old country road. A mine fire that's been burning under Centralia for decades. Ten kids, ten real towns, and ten legends that are still waiting.
A resource for the grown-ups
Helping Young Readers Enjoy a Good Scare
Parents, caregivers, teachers, and librarians can use practical guidance for choosing scary stories, discussing suspense, separating folklore from evidence, and adapting activities for different readers.
Explore Educator and Parent Resources
Behind the Shadows
M. E. Sutherland has been collecting creepy stories since long before it was cool — swapping ghost stories at sleepovers, digging through small-town newspaper archives, and asking grandparents "wait, tell me that story again." Hometown Horror Stories is what happens when all those years of collecting finally spill out onto the page: fifty towns, fifty legends, and one simple belief — every place has a story, if you're brave enough to go looking for it.
Want to know when the next batch of legends drops? Sign up above and you'll get a free audio story every month, plus first word on what's coming next.
Get the Free Audio Stories