This page is a catalog of all of the books I have read which are in the public domain according to US law. These are works where the copyright has expired based on the age of the book or, less commonly, a failure to include a copyright notice or renew the copyright on the title by the author’s estate.
At the time of writing works written before 1928 are deemed out of copyright under US law. That means that some of the earliest Christie and Sayers novels are now in the public domain along with a wealth of lesser known works.
On this page I will be listing the works I have reviewed which I know are in the public domain in the United States based on the year of publication. I will include links to my reviews as well as to places where you can read and download free copies (usually Project Gutenberg).
I am definitely not saying that you shouldn’t buy copies of these public domain works. While a free digitized copy is great to have access to, there are benefits to owning (or borrowing from a public library) a properly, professionally proofread edition. For instance more and more publishers are asking experts in crime fiction to provide introductory essays and materials to enrich your reading experience.
Be aware though that for every publisher treating a book with care there are usually three or four less scrupulous publishers who will just run a book through a digitizing scan or even reformat the Gutenberg text file. I strongly suggest if you are planning to buy that you use the page preview or sample functions in your eBook store of choice to make sure you are getting a professional product. It is usually pretty easy to spot the worst offenders within a few pages.
G. K. Chesterton
The Innocence of Father Brown
Father Brown #1
Originally published in 1911
Collects short stories first published between 1910 and 1911
Available on Project Gutenberg and on audio with Librivox
My review is available here
Agatha Christie
The Mysterious Affair at Styles
Hercule Poirot #1
Originally published 1919
Available on Project Gutenberg
My review is available here
Poirot Investigates
Hercule Poirot #2
Originally published 1924
Available on Project Gutenberg
My review is available here
The Man in the Brown Suit
Originally published 1924
Available on Project Gutenberg
My review is available here
Freeman Wills Crofts
The Cask
Originally published 1920
Available on Project Gutenberg
My review is available here
Arthur Conan Doyle
A Study in Scarlet
Sherlock Holmes #1
Originally published 1887
Available on Project Gutenberg and on audio with Librivox
My review is available here
The Sign of Four
Sherlock Holmes #2
Originally published 1890
Available on Project Gutenberg and on audio with Librivox
My review is available here
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes #3
Originally published 1892
Available on Project Gutenberg and on audio with Librivox
My review is available here
The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes #4
Originally published 1893
Available on Project Gutenberg and on audio with Librivox
My review is available here
Richard Harding Davis
In the Fog
Originally published 1901
Available on Project Gutenberg and on audio with Librivox
My review is available here
A. P. Herbert
The House by the River
Originally published 1921
Available on Project Gutenberg
My review is available here
Marie Bellow Lowndes
The Lodger
Originally published as a short story in 1911 and expanded into a novel in 1913
The short story is available on Wikisource.
The novel is available through Google Books.
My review is available here.
R. Austin Freeman
The Mystery of 31 New Inn
Dr. Thorndyke #4
Originally published 1912
Available on Project Gutenberg and Librivox
My review is available here
The Singing Bone
Dr. Thorndyke #5
Originally published 1912
Available on Wikisource
My review is available here
Anna K. Green
The Leavenworth Case
Ebenezer Gryce #1
Originally published 1878
Available on Project Gutenberg and on audio with Librivox
My review is available here
Auguste Groner
The Man with the Black Cord
Detective Muller #??
Originally published 1908
Available through Hathi Trust
My review is available here
Edgar Allan Poe
The Murders in the Rue Morgue
Dupin #1
Originally published 1841
Available on Project Gutenberg (contained in The Works of Edgar Allan Poe volume one) and on audio with Librivox
My review is available here
The Mystery of Marie Rogêt
Dupin #2
Originally published 1842
Available on Project Gutenberg (contained in The Works of Edgar Allan Poe volume one) and on audio with Librivox
My review is available here
The Purloined Letter
Dupin #3
Originally published 1844
Available on Project Gutenberg (contained in The Works of Edgar Allan Poe volume two) and on audio with Librivox
Dorothy L Sayers
Whose Body?
Lord Peter Wimsey #1
Originally published 1924
Available on Project Gutenberg and on audio with Librivox
My review is available here
Robert Louis Stevenson
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Originally published 1886
Available on Project Gutenberg and on audio with Librivox
My review is available here
Mysteries Ahoy! 