Audiobooks by Wilbur Daniel Steele

Murder, Masks, and Motives: Dark Designs and Dangerous Crimes from the American Past

"Behind respectable faces and polite manners, darker intentions wait. This gripping anthology gathers classic American short fiction where deception is an art, truth is perilous, and crime often wears a human smile. From a real-life axe murder on a lonely New England island to calculated impostures, whispered rumors, political terror, and crimes born of obsession, these stories explore the dangerous motives that surface when masks begin to slip. Edgar Allan Poe dissects illusion with cold logic, Nathaniel Hawthorne reveals the havoc of rumor, Anna Katharine Green exposes crimes hidden within love and marriage, and O. Henry complicates deception with conscience and compassion. Atmospheric tales of storm-lashed lighthouses, midnight betrayals, false identities, and uncanny revelations build toward moments of shocking clarity—and irreversible consequence. By turns suspenseful, unsettling, and psychologically sharp, Murder, Masks, and Motives invites listeners into a past where justice is uncertain, appearances deceive, and every crime leaves a human cost. Once begun, these stories refuse to let go. Featuring the work of renowned authors and hidden gems of classic American fiction, including: Mr. Higginbotham’s Catastrophe, by Nathaniel Hawthorne Maelzel’s Chess-Player, by Edgar Allan Poe Shall He Wed Her? by Anna Katharine Green A Double-dyed Deceiver, by O. Henry The Only Girl at Overlook, by Franklin Fyles Midnight in Beauchamp Row, by Anna Katharine Green A Memorable Night, by Anna Katharine Green The Picture Puzzle, by Edward Lucas White The Woman at Seven Brothers, by Wilbur Daniel Steele A Memorable Murder, by Celia Thaxter"

Anna Katharine Green, Celia Thaxter, Edgar Allan Poe, Edward Lucas White, Franklin Fyles, Nathaniel Hawthorne, O. Henry, RF Media LLC, Wilbur Daniel Steele (Author), Deborah Balm, Jerry Harris, John Hopkinson, Josh Innerst, Laura English, Leah Daniels, Nancy Peterson (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Woman at Seven Brothers

"Alone on an offshore lighthouse known as the Seven Brothers, a young assistant keeper recounts the events that destroyed his life—and his certainty of what is real. Raised in strict innocence and untested by the world, he arrives at the light expecting solitude, routine, and honest work. What he finds instead is confinement: the ceaseless pounding of the sea, the narrow rituals of duty, and a household sealed off from time and society. In that isolation, attention sharpens. Silence grows heavy. Ordinary glances begin to feel charged. The keeper’s wife—quiet, watchful, and restless—slowly becomes the center of his thoughts. Her presence is unsettling, her desires unspoken yet unmistakable. As fog thickens and storms gather, the line between loneliness and obsession begins to erode. The sea listens. The light must be kept burning. And somewhere between faith, fear, and desire, a terrible choice waits to be made. The Woman at Seven Brothers is a masterwork of maritime psychological horror—a tense, confessional descent into madness where guilt, devotion, and the elemental force of the ocean conspire against the fragile defenses of the human mind. Spare, relentless, and quietly devastating, Wilbur Daniel Steele’s classic tale remains as unnerving today as when it was first written."

Wilbur Daniel Steele (Author), Ann Fritz (Narrator)

Audiobook

A Devil of a Fellow

"When Tony Va Di—known up and down the Cape as “a devil of a fellow”—returns home after being presumed lost at sea, he arrives not as a ghost, but as a man unchanged: handsome, confident, and certain the world still belongs to him. In a working-class coastal town bound by rumor, desire, and tradition, Va Di’s return reawakens old longings and unsettles lives that have painfully moved on without him. His charm draws people close, but beneath the swagger lies a dangerous emotional recklessness—one that collides with love, responsibility, and the irreversible consequences of human passion. As night falls and private reckonings unfold, Va Di is forced into a confrontation he has never known before: the cost of his own selfishness. What begins as a triumphant homecoming becomes a quiet, devastating reckoning with life, birth, and moral consequence. Written with stark realism and psychological depth, A Devil of a Fellow is a powerful portrait of masculinity, desire, and accountability in early-20th-century coastal New England—where charm can wound as deeply as cruelty, and redemption comes at a price. Narrated by Ken Kowalik, this literary drama brings Wilbur Daniel Steele’s haunting, human story vividly to life."

Wilbur Daniel Steele (Author), Ken Kowalik (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Yellow Cat

"When a seemingly abandoned schooner drifts into port with no crew aboard, seasoned seamen whisper of another “mystery of the sea.” Everything on the vessel appears orderly—sails set, dishes washed, papers missing—save for one unsettling detail: a silent yellow cat moving freely through the empty ship. As Stewart McCord, a practical and experienced engineer, takes command of the vessel for its return voyage, unease begins to creep in. A missing sailor. Strange sounds in the night. Shadows that don’t behave as they should. And always the cat—watching, listening, appearing where no living thing should be. Told with the restraint and precision of early 20th-century maritime fiction, The Yellow Cat blurs the line between superstition and reason, fear and fact. Wilbur Daniel Steele crafts a haunting psychological sea tale where isolation, exhaustion, and imagination conspire to turn an ordinary voyage into something profoundly unsettling. Is the ship haunted—or is the true terror what men bring with them into the vast, indifferent sea? Narrated with measured tension and atmospheric control by Gid Newell, this classic short story delivers quiet dread, mounting suspense, and a final revelation that lingers long after the last wave fades."

Wilbur Daniel Steele (Author), Gid Newell (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Monkey's Paw: and Other Stories

"Step into a realm of suspense, mystery, and chilling tales with our captivating audiobook compilation featuring timeless classics crafted by master storytellers. Dive deep into the dark corners of literature with narratives that will keep you on the edge of your seat, leaving you enthralled and eager for more. Here's why 'The Monkey's Paw - and Other Stories' is a must-have for every audiobook enthusiast: The Monkey's Paw by W. W. Jacobs: Brace yourself for a spine-tingling journey as you explore the consequences of tempting fate with the infamous monkey's paw. This classic tale of supernatural horror will send shivers down your spine and leave you questioning the limits of human desire. Dig Me No Grave by Robert E. Howard: Immerse yourself in the gripping world of mystery and intrigue with this masterfully crafted narrative from the legendary Robert E. Howard. Unravel the secrets buried in the shadows as you follow the protagonist on a quest that will keep you guessing until the very end. The Woman at Seven Brothers by Wilbur Daniel Steele: Prepare to be captivated by the intricate web of deception and suspense woven by Wilbur Daniel Steele in this riveting story. Follow the twists and turns of the plot as a mysterious woman's arrival at Seven Brothers sets off a chain of events that will leave you spellbound. The Tale of the Mysterious Mirror by Sir Walter Scott: Enter a world of enchantment and mystery with this timeless tale by Sir Walter Scott. Lose yourself in the allure of the unknown as you journey through a narrative filled with magic, intrigue, and unexpected revelations."

Robert E. Howard, W.W. Jacobs, Walter Scott, Wilbur Daniel Steele (Author), Various (Narrator)

Audiobook

Audiobooks by Wilbur Daniel Steele

Join Our Community