It can be hard to find new ways to keep us busy while in the confines of our own homes, especially with so many of us stuck indoors. So why not crack open a classic mystery—in both book and audio format? Audiobooks provide a great way to experience an engrossing tale. And a wealth of free mystery audiobooks are available now on Youtube for your thrilling listening pleasure!
We rounded up the best of the best. From the Queen of Crime Agatha Christie to the clerical mysteries of G.K Chesterton, there's a free mystery audiobook for every kind of reader! Check out our roundup of the best listens—and reads—below.
The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins
A large yellow diamond called the Moonstone sits as the centerpiece of a sacred Hindu statue, guarded by three Brahmin priests. But the value of this religious relic is far too tempting for British colonel John Herncastle, who steals the diamond away after murdering its protectors. Herncastle knows that danger hangs over the mysterious jewel, yet he still bequeaths the Moonstone to his niece, Rachel. But when the diamond mysteriously vanishes on Rachel's 18th birthday, a complex and heart-pounding mystery begins to unfold.
Related: 9 Classic Detective Fiction Novels Every Mystery Fan Needs to Read
The Mysterious Affair At Styles by Agatha Christie
A war injury sends Arthur Hastings back home to the English countryside; the wounded soldier is hoping for a bit of relaxation after his violent ordeal. Unfortunately, his sliver of peace is disrupted when the mistress of the manor, Emily Inglethorp, is murdered by way of poison. The only stroke of luck Hastings seems to find is that top detective Hercule Poirot is on the case. Follow the careful investigation through motive and means with Poirot's first case!
Related: 100 Years of Agatha Christie: Celebrating the Larger-Than-Life Mystery Author
The Murders in the Rue Morgue by Edgar Allan Poe
This short story—recognized by many as the first modern detective story—is featured in The Complete Short Stories by Edgar Allan Poe. In this tale, C. Auguste Dupin is called upon to solve the violent murders of two young women in Paris. Despite their being multiple witnesses, they can't agree on the language the suspect spoke. But when Dupin discovers a strange hair at the murder scene, the case begins to unfold.
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
Featuring a dozen Sherlock Holmes classics, this collection introduces readers to London's best private detective. These well-known cases include "A Scandal in Bohemia," in which Holmes investigates an alluring American opera singer—Irene Adler—who outwits him at every turn. In "The Adventure of the Speckled Band" Holmes and his investigating partner, Dr. Watson, find a deadly intruder while paying a visit to a wealthy heiress's bedroom. This collection also includes such greats as "The Five Orange Pips" and "The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle."
Related: 40 Best Sherlock Holmes Quotes Every Sleuth Should Live By
The Confessions of Arsene Lupin by Maurice Leblanc
Arsène Lupin is the best criminal mind in all of Europe. However, this top of the line thief is known to do a few good deeds on occasion—especially if there's money in it for him. In this collection of stories, Lupin takes a look back at his wild exploits playing both sides of the law. Using his cunning to stay one step ahead of both criminals and law enforcement, Lupin defines himself as the very best.
Whose Body? by Dorothy Sayers
A mysterious and unidentified body is found in the bathtub of an architect, with no clothes and no pulse. While the police jump to the conclusion that the architect must be John Doe's murderer, Detective Peter Wimsey cracks open a case that is far more complicated and bizarre than anyone else suspected. With the trauma from the Great War testing Wimsey's nerves, can he prove that he's still London's greatest sleuth and solve one of the strangest cases of his career?
Related: Dorothy L. Sayers: Meet the Doyen of Crime Fiction Who Created Lord Peter Wimsey
The Wisdom of Father Brown by G.K. Chesterton
In this collection of short stories, readers follow devout and educated clergyman Father Brown. This Catholic priest takes on cases and seems to solve them with divine intuition rather than through classic deduction. Despite his deep religious ties, Father Brown always tackles his cases with rationality and reason, getting to the absolute truth of an honest explanation. From "The Paradise of Thieves" to "The Strange Crime of John Boulnois," this detective fiction is like no other.
Related: What Is a Clerical Mystery?
The Silent Bullet by Arthur B. Reeve
This collection of detective fiction follows "America's Sherlock Holmes", Craig Kennedy. This Columbia University chemistry professor moonlights as a top-notch New York sleuth, partnered with his newspaper reporter roommate, Walter Jameson. In the story "The Deadly Tube", Kennedy investigates a murder involving an X-Ray machine. In "The Terror in the Air" the scientific method is used to sort out a case involving airplane accidents and gyroscopes.
The Red House Mystery by A.A. Milne
Vain and wealthy artist Mark Ablett owns the Red House country estate, playing host and keeping company with other creatives. But when he receives word that his wayward brother Robert is planning a visit, those around him are shocked to discover he even has such a sibling. Yet the shocks keep coming when Robert is shot dead shortly after arrival, and Mark and the murder weapon mysteriously vanish. It's up to Tony Gillingham and Bill Beverly to solve this enigmatic and dastardly crime.
Related: 12 Must-Read Murder Mystery Books for Fans of Knives Out
The Leavenworth Case by Anna Katherine Green
In this Victorian-era mystery, Everett Raymond—a junior partner at the Veeley, Carr, & Raymond law firm—is in the middle of a murder investigation when a wealthy old client is found dead. Though Mr. Leavenworth was found shot dead in his locked and secured home, suicide is quickly discarded as a theory. But did the murderer come from inside the house? Teaming up with brilliant New York Metropolitan Police Detective Ebenezer Gryce, Everett is determined to get to the bottom of this mystery full of secrets and twists.
The Circular Staircase by Mary Roberts Rinehart
Spinster Rachel Innes rents the expansive Sunnyside mansion for the summer, but a peaceful vacation soon turns sour. On the second day the entire staff resigns, followed by strange figures and ominous crashing on the third day. The fourth day brings a dead body. But that's hardly the worst of it.
Related: 15 Forgotten Female Mystery Writers From the Golden Age and Beyond
The corpse turns out to be the son of Sunnyside's owner. And while Rachel may never have met him, her niece and nephew know him all too well. When the investigating detective suspects her family, it's up to Rachel to clear their names and solve the murder herself.
