Where to Start with Dawn Kurtagich
For readers looking to dive into Dawn Kurtagich's eerie bibliography, the absolute best starting point is her acclaimed debut novel, The Dead House (2015). This book perfectly showcases her unique narrative style, utilizing diary entries, psychiatric reports, and video transcripts to construct a gripping, puzzle-like psychological horror. If you prefer high-stakes gothic fantasy with complex history and folklore, starting with Teeth in the Mist (2019) is highly recommended. For readers who enjoy adult horror with classic gothic ties, her feminist Dracula reimagining, The Madness (2024), serves as a phenomenal entryway.
The Dead House Series
This series centers around the mystery of a tragic high school fire and a girl with dual personalities who is accused of a crime she may not have committed.
- The Dead House (2015): The core novel following Kaitlyn and Carly, two distinct personalities sharing one body. When a fire destroys Elmbridge High, Carly disappears and Kaitlyn is left locked in a psychiatric facility. The story is told through transcripts, diary entries, and police files.
- The Naida Tapes (2016): A digital companion novella that serves as a sequel/tie-in. It picks up after the events of the first book, delving deeper into the recordings and files of Naida, one of the central figures linked to the mystery of the Dead House.
The Conjures Series
A genre-bending, multi-era gothic horror series heavily inspired by the Faustian legend and the eerie landscape of Wales.
- Teeth in the Mist (2019): The first book introduces Medwyn Mill House, told across three distinct timelines—1583 (featuring an alchemist's daughter), 1851 (featuring a young woman sold into service), and the modern day (following teenagers Zoey and her friend Lucy). They all confront the dark, ancient entity bound to the mill.
- Blood on the Wind (2024): The long-awaited sequel that follows the immediate aftermath of the harrowing events at Medwyn Mill House, continuing the journey of Zoey, Len, and Poulton as they face the escalating supernatural consequences of the bargain.
Standalone Young Adult Horror Novels
Kurtagich's standalone YA stories are dark, isolated tales of survival, isolation, and mind-bending psychological threats.
- And the Trees Crept In (2016) / The Creeper Man (UK Title): A claustrophobic forest horror about two sisters who seek refuge at their aunt's rotting manor, only to find themselves trapped by a malevolent forest and a terrifying figure known as the Creeper Man.
- The Seventh Sister (2026): A dark folk horror novel following seven sisters who relocate to a remote, forested island where they become entangled with a mysterious ancient deity.
Adult Thrillers and Horror
Marking her transition into adult horror, these novels feature more mature themes of trauma, survival, and reimagined classic gothic tropes.
- The Madness (2024): Kurtagich's adult debut. A dark, feminist reimagining of Dracula's lore set in a isolated Welsh village, where psychiatrist Mina Murray must confront her own past and a plague of secrets.
- The Thorns (2025) / Devil’s Thorn: A tense psychological thriller following a bestselling horror author who is forced to confront a toxic, dangerous friendship from her boarding school days.
- The Wellness Retreat (2026): A suspenseful thriller blending the atmosphere of The Picture of Dorian Gray with the medical dread of A Cure for Wellness, set in an elite, isolationist wellness clinic.
Anthologies and Short Stories
- A Taste of Darkness (2023): Kurtagich contributed the gothic short story "And the Water Crept In" to this horror anthology curated by Amy McCaw and Mia Kuzniar. The story is set in a decaying Welsh manor where a new maid named Áine encounters a mysterious, fae-like entity.
What to Know Before You Start
Kurtagich is celebrated for her innovative formatting. Many of her books rely heavily on epistolary storytelling—using mixed media like video transcripts, letters, clinical notes, and diary entries rather than standard prose. Additionally, readers in the UK and US should note that And the Trees Crept In and The Creeper Man are the exact same novel published under different regional titles. While her YA books deal with dark subjects like trauma, grief, and mental illness, they remain highly accessible for teenage horror fans while maintaining a level of psychological complexity that appeals equally to adult readers.