I would have to say Robert McCammon's "Swan Song"
I agree, Swan Song is a must. Stephen King’s the Green Mile is excellent, too. Hmm . . . Jack Ketchum’s work would fit the bill: The Girl Next Door, Off Season. And Richard Laymon has put out some unbeatable titles: Island, The Traveling Vampire Show, One Rainy Night, In the Dark . . . Midnight’s Lair.
Okay, I’ll say Richard Laymon’s Midnight’s Lair. Everyone should read that. It’s the only horror book that has given me true shivers, and that’s hard to do.