Those of us who are voracious readers can never get our fill. There is always some intriguing new mystery or riveting new thriller to devour and an endless stream of new releases to add to our reading wish lists.
But sometimes you just crave a classic. These are the books that created the scaffolding for the genres we know and love—and they are just darn good.
Every month, we’re bringing you a selection of free ebooks to read that are perfect for all you timeless sleuths out there—lovers of all things mysterious and thrilling.
The Window at the White Cat
A vanished politician, a shadowy social club, and a trail of secrets—Jack Knox never expected his search for a missing man to lead to murder. But when the body turns up in a backstreet den of corruption and his own aunt mysteriously disappears, the case takes a sinister turn.
With a beautiful young woman desperate for answers and a fiancé who may be hiding more than love, this classic whodunit by the “American Agatha Christie” delivers twists, intrigue, and deadly deception.
“[Rinehart’s] literary distinction lies in the combination of love, humor and murder that she wove into her tales. . . . She helped the mystery story grow up.”—The New York Times
The Pursuit of the House-Boat
Not even the afterlife is safe from scandal when the notorious Captain Kidd hijacks the legendary houseboat on the River Styx—along with a few unexpected stowaways.
As history’s greatest minds, from Shakespeare to Socrates, reel from the theft, there’s only one ghostly detective sharp enough to track down the pirate and his ill-gotten vessel: Sherlock Holmes.
But with Kidd facing more trouble than he bargained for, this madcap chase through the underworld is anything but smooth sailing.
Murder in Peking
In 1930s Peking, a lavish house party at an ancient Buddhist temple takes a deadly turn when a guest is found murdered. Hostess Kate Webber has gathered an eclectic mix of friends—artists, writers, scholars, and even a Hollywood director—but one of them is a killer.
As the night’s glamour fades into suspicion, amateur detective Hope Johnson must unravel the tangled web of secrets before the murderer strikes again.
The Riddle of the Sands
When Charles Carruthers escapes London’s stifling heat for a yachting trip with an old friend, he expects adventure—but not espionage. The modest vessel Dulcibella is no luxury cruiser, and Davies’s journey is far from a holiday.
Off the misty Frisian coast, they uncover a shadowy German fleet with secrets far more dangerous than buried treasure.
As the North Sea churns and war looms on the horizon, the two Englishmen must navigate treacherous waters to thwart a sinister plot against Britain.
