On a stretch of 15th Avenue that’s seen many reincarnations, a new bookstore has emerged from the shadows. Haunted Burrow Books, which opened in June near the former QFC-turned-Punk Rock Flea Market, has already made its presence known—not with shrieks in the night, but with a book selection that leans deliciously dark. 

Though “moody books” are the store’s specialty, owner Roxanne Guiney is quick to note that it’s not all blood and terror. “It’s a bit of a misconception that HBB sells only or mostly horror,” she says. The shelves also feature dark fantasy, sci-fi, occult tomes, and what she calls her “island of lost books,” a corner reserved for general fiction. Cozy reads appear too, tucked among the more sinister titles. But make no mistake: Haunted Burrow is proud to dwell in darkness.

The shop’s beginnings were, improbably, a joke. Guiney, an editor by trade, found herself in a lull at the start of the year. She joked about opening a bookstore, then began selling books at vendor fairs. “I quickly learned that almost as much as I love reading books, I love talking about books,” she says. “Seeing people walk away with books that I enjoyed brought a wonderful feeling, and I wanted to keep having those interactions.”

The joke crystallized into an idea, then into an actual shop, after Guiney saw an ad for a space that seemed “almost too good to be true” on Capitol Hill, an area she didn’t think she could afford. It took three days—using a ladder borrowed from the Punk Rock Flea Market—to paint the walls black, and Haunted Burrow was born. 

As for the name: Guiney says she’s always identified with rabbits, those “bossy, anxiety-driven creatures,” as she puts it. She is the shop’s original rabbit, though her mascot, Poe, has made himself at home (alas, he is only a cartoon). The bookstore itself is conceived as a rabbit’s burrow, and indeed, it’s tempting to want to crawl in among the shelves and stay there. 

Inside, the offerings extend well beyond books, both new and used. Zines, tarot decks, and stickers from local artists also line the shelves. Near the cash register, beside a bowl of black roses, sits the “Blind Date with a Monster” display—mystery titles wrapped in black paper and bundled with stickers, teas, pens, and other objects that echo the spirit of the story inside. In the back, a black velvet couch waits for readings, “silent-ish” write-ins, and two book clubs—one devoted to Stephen King, the other to dark fiction more broadly (this month featuring Sister, Maiden, Monster by Lucy A. Snyder). Author events and signings are frequent, and later this month, a Halloween party with a costume contest will cap the season.

The store also doubles as a gallery. Guiney hadn’t planned on filling the walls with prints, photographs, and even a many-eyed beetle sculpture, but now the space hums—writhes, really—with work from creators including Jess Ray, Barnacles and Moss, Shelby Graffics, Alex Aulum, and Gloomy Grove. “All of the art is local and spooky,” Guiney says.

And the response from the community? No pitchforks here: People have been “incredibly welcoming and supportive,” Guiney explains. Locals are pleased to have another bookstore on the block, especially after Nook & Cranny—once a few blocks south—moved to University Heights soon before Haunted Burrow opened. Across the street, Ada’s Technical Books continues to serve a more science-minded crowd, but Haunted Burrow has already carved out its own niche. Even visitors who aren’t drawn to horror often leave with bookmarks for friends who are more macabre-minded, Guiney says.

Seattle has no shortage of independent bookstores, of course, but few have committed so fully to the darker side of literature. “Seattle is a city of readers,” Guiney says. “Though what makes Seattle the right spot for Haunted Burrow is in the values of the store, mainly inclusion.” That ethos is evident in her curation: among the 400-plus horror titles, she stocks a wide range of LGBTQ+ and BIPOC horror, along with other works that “have something important to say.”

For now, Guiney’s lease runs only through the end of the year, after which she’ll shift to a month-to-month contract. Like many of the books she sells, the store’s long-term future hangs in suspense (the block is eventually slated for demolition and redevelopment). She’d like to stay on 15th as long as she can—but if Haunted Burrow has to find another warren, Guiney seems ready. After all, rabbits are quick on their feet.

Until then, Seattle readers can count themselves lucky. Haunted Burrow offers not just books, but a gathering place for those who find themselves most at home in the dark.

Haunted Burrow Books is open Tuesday-Wednesday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., and Thursday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.