Some of the most bone chilling books were written in the last two centuries—just check out this list of creepy classics for proof—so we're bringing you a selection of old school reads. Best of all: You can download them for free.
Note: This article was last updated on 11/2/18. Check back soon for more free books that thrill and chill!
A Book of Remarkable Criminals
This classic study profiles serial killers, gentleman murderers, and every stripe of madman in between, including the case of H.H. Holmes, famously recounted in Erik Larson’s award-winning bestseller, The Devil in the White City.
Carmilla
Before Dracula, there was Carmilla...This disturbing proto-vampire yarn about a girl and her dream-haunted twin has enthralled and frightened generations of readers.
“This haunting tale is surprisingly fresh.” —Publishers Weekly
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
The perfect novel for fall! Read the original American ghost story about Ichabod Crane's fight against the Headless Horseman in the quiet hamlet of Sleepy Hollow, New York.
“Exceptional talent...I am one of his most ardent admirers. I admired Mr. Irving's work so much, in fact, that I gave it the ultimate praise. I 'borrowed it.'” —Edgar Allan Poe
The Valley of Fear
The final Sherlock Holmes novel reflects on an early case involving a murder and a mystery that spans all the way across the Atlantic. While Holmes and Watson set off to uncover the true meaning of the crime, they soon realize that all roads lead back to one man with exponential influence in the criminal underworld—Moriarty.
“Sherlock Holmes is the very foundation stone of the edifice that is crime fiction.” —The Times (London)
Ghost Stories of an Antiquary
This collection features some of M. R. James’s greatest works about the supernatural world crossing over into our own—from a story about an alchemist who changes dimensions in the night to a tale about a painting that reenacts a gruesome event of the past.
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