Mystery Reads

Daniel Dravot and Peachey Carnehan are two scruffy adventurers who are planning to conquer Kafiristan - a remote part of Afghanistan. The two men pretend to have signed a contract that neither of them will touch alcohol or women. However, disguised as a priest and his assistant, Dravot and Carnehan depart for Kafiristan, secretly carrying twenty riffles. Why do they want to conquer Kafiristan? Will the make it across the border alive? Find all the answers in Rudyard Kipling’s adventure story "The Man Who Would Be King" from 1888. B. J.

If you like scary stories, you've come to the right place. Over 15 tales of terror told in a true story style that will curdle your blood and send shivers down your spine!

Labor Day Weekend, an empty office building down in sleepy Point Loma: basically a sitting-duck target for any second-story man worth a nickel. Especially one with a lifetime of skills to draw upon—not to mention all the magic passcodes tucked comfortably away in his back pocket. Nothing could go wrong, or that was how it seemed… but in the end, he couldn’t honestly blame anyone but himself for not seeing it coming.

As head of the FBI’s Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement Squad, Agent Lucy Guardino has a reputation for bringing the lowest of lowlifes to justice. But today is different. Because the man who has taken her prisoner has promised Lucy three things: that before this day is over, she will be dead; that someone in her family will also die; and that he always wins.

This loner teen is haunted by a secret. One that forces her to continuously be on the move. As Penny settles into a new town, she realizes something much darker is afoot. The Raven, her nemesis, has tracked her down once again. She finds herself in a race against time to vanquish the darkness and save those around her.

A young couple's fabulously orderly life is disrupted when the husband begins having prophetic dreams. The good news is that acting on these dreams averts disaster. The bad news? It soon involves a mysterious stranger in a cardigan, skeptical colleagues, and the FBI.

In the 1990s, middle school was a treacherous time for young Susan, where her lifelong friendship with Maddie is put to the test. Determined to win back her friend from the clutches of the school bully, she is willing to do anything. When she stumbles upon a chilling discovery in the woods—the enigmatic "Book of Fear," she is torn by the sinister promise of one wish granted if she is willing to face one night of all her fears.

After leaving the FBI, Lucy Guardino still feels like the new kid on the block with her team at Beacon Falls. But then, a new case involving a young woman with amnesia searching for her lost memories shines a spotlight on a past case involving one of Lucy's team members. Dr. Tommy Worth left his job as a pediatric ER physician to join the Beacon Group after his wife went missing, leaving him to raise their five-year-old daughter alone. Now, the press is hounding him on the anniversary of his wife’s disappearance.

Stand-up comic Beau Maxwell is accused of killing the owner of a Boston comedy club and the evidence looks damning. His only option: escape from jail and prove he’s innocent. With Detective Bookton hot on his trail, can Beau chase down the killers before he gets caught or killed? It’s time to drop the mic…and run!

John Hanna is hired by Senator Barry Sands to extricate him from a murderous blackmail scheme designed by terrorist Fierro. When the Senator’s wife is kidnapped, John and Barry find themselves on the trail of the MS-13 terrorist group and discover a sinister plan to assassinate both the American and Russian presidents. As the clock ticks down, can they stop the attack, or will they fall short and witness their worst fears?

A smalltown librarian finds himself trapped in a high-stakes game between eccentric, ultra-rich businessmen. A ghost from the past appears in the middle of a contented marriage. A Russian clockmaker crafts an illicit piece that travels over continents and centuries.

Ein spannender Krimi über Mordfälle, die wie Illustrationen in einem Märchen inszeniert werden: Madeline Dare ist Journalistin bei der Lokalzeitung in der Kleinstadt Syracuse und vermisst ihre Heimat New York. Als sie zufällig von einem 20 Jahre zurückliegenden Mord an zwei Mädchen erfährt, wittert sie ihre Chance, eine gute Story daraus zu machen. Bei ihren Nachforschungen deuten ausgerechnet alle Indizien auf ihren Lieblingscousin hin. Als kurz darauf noch ein Mord geschieht, ist klar, dass der Mörder sich an Märchen orientiert.

The narrator is under the spell of Ellis - a female vampire - who takes him on series of flights to different places, such as Paris, St. Petersburg and the Isle of Wight. At these places, he becomes a witness to various incidents and becomes involves in different situations. Why was the narrator cursed by Ellis? Why did she take him to those places and what did she wanted to show him? What will the narrator learn from their journey? How will the story end? Find all the answers in Turgenev’s story "Phantoms" from 1863. B. J.

Glaswegian forklift truck driver Jack is quietly enjoying his tea break when a friend shows him something on the internet. Outrage follows, quickly spreading through social media, and within hours an angry mob has formed to put the world to rights. Modern justice is soft, as Jack knows, so perhaps it's time things were done like they were in the good old days...

Anodos is a young boy who finds a large and mystical castle with a big and impressive library. The library hides the secret story of the poor Cosmo who was a student at the university of Prague. Cosmo’s life changed forever because of a mirror. But it was no usual mirror; it was an enchanted and a beautiful girl’s soul was kept inside of it. Cosmo was determined to free the girl but was he able to? Read this short story and find out. B. J. Harrison started his Classic Tales Podcast back in 2007, wanting to breathe new life into classic stories.

"I will not suffer thee, ungrateful girl, to rule my people according to thine own capricious will!" The king of Denmark is extremely frustrated with his daughter. Not only does she reject every suitor who asks for her hand - she does it so rudely that her reputation has become horrible in the neighboring countries. When the King orders her to marry one of her cousins, she does so only begrudgingly, and instantly starts planning her father's murder with her new husband.

Can you imagine traveling back to the past? What would you find there? Would you like it? Would you find that everything you do has some consequences in the future? Do you want to join the man in our story? Because he is about to "trap" himself in a backwards time warp. If you are not brave enough to come along, but you still want to find out what happened next, just grab "The Man Who Lived Backwards" by Charles F. Hall. B. J. Harrison started his Classic Tales Podcast back in 2007, wanting to breathe new life into classic stories.

Can you imagine that a big white elephant could disappeared into thin air? It may sound impossible or ridiculous but it actually happened. An elephant got sent to Great Britain as a gift to the Queen but it was lost on the way and nobody seems to have a clue how it came to happen. Can chief inspector Blunt solve the case? Find out in Mark Twain’s short story "The Stolen White Elephant". B. J. Harrison started his Classic Tales Podcast back in 2007, wanting to breathe new life into classic stories.

"When the World Was Young" introduces us to a thief named Dave Slotter, who intends to steal from James Ward - a famous and wealthy businessman. However, while Slotter walks through Ward’s property, he encounters a wild barbarian and is forced to fight for his life. Will Slotter escape from the wild man who wants to kill him? Who is the barbarian and what is he doing on Ward’s lands? Will the thief succeed in his plan? "Moon-Face" introduces us to John Claverhouse, a man who is unreasonably despised.

A father and his son visit a magic shop. This is not just any magic shop, but the "genuine" one, as the shop owner points out to the father. The father is not impressed but the boy is mesmerized by what he sees and hears. Yet when one trick turns out to be too real and the father is gripped by something he will not easily forget. H. G.