Each year, our social media feeds are filled with news of the latest books in horror, true crime, and paranormal.
So many chilling new books come out each year—and our TBRs are often stacked with delectable spooky books by the latest emerging authors. We truly are in a golden age of horror fiction.
But sometimes we're in the mood for something older—books that have stood the test of time.
These are the classics that are the most disturbing. They’re strange and unnerving in uncanny ways—often calling us back to something old and ancient and unsettling.
Every month, we’re bringing you a selection of free ebooks to read that are perfect for lovers of all things spooky, mysterious, gruesome, strange, and macabre.
Emile
Originally banned in France, Émile, according to the author himself, is the “best and most important” of his works. So much so that it served as the basis for a new educational system following the French Revolution.
The book follows a boy named Émile and his tutor as he grows to find his place in the world—alongside Sophie, another character who reflects on a woman’s role in society.
The Queen of Spades
Considered one of the most famous short stories in Russian literature, and later adapted into Tchaikovsky’s The Queen of Spades, the story follows Hermann, an engineer in the Imperial Army.
Hermann never gambles, but after hearing of a countess who won big through the magic of three cards, he decides to locate the woman. Posing as a suitor to her ward, his plan will eventually spiral out of control, driving him to the brink of madness.
Vital Message
Written after the First World War, the beloved creator of Sherlock Holmes presents a new spiritual movement.
Building on his own experiences, Doyle considers how, in the aftermath of turmoil, reform is a crucial means of alleviating the spirit, reaching fulfillment, and targeting the world’s problems.
Inspector French's Greatest Case
Duke and Peabody, the famed diamond seller in Hatton Garden, London, has been the target of a dreadful crime. Mr. Gething has been slain, not before the killer had time to empty out the safe.
With little evidence to go on, Inspector Joseph French of Scotland Yard is called on the case. From London to Spain, he will be pulled on a worldwide chase, not stopping until he can bring the madmen to justice.
