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50 True Stories That Will Scare You to Death: True Crime, Hauntings, Aliens, and More
Not yet published
Expected 28 Jul 26Terrifying true tales to keep you up at night—from TikTok sensation Sebastian Krahl
This deeply horrifying collection of 50 chilling stories is not for the faint of heart. Collected and told by viral true crime storyteller Sebastian Krahl, these true tales dive into the unexplained, the unsettling, and the unimaginable, with frightening and gruesome real-life accounts of murder, mystery, abduction, hauntings, and so much more.
From popular creator Sebastian Krahl—With over 9.5 million total followers, Sebastian Krahl (@Sebastiank22) is known for his well-researched and detailed recountings of true crime, paranormal encounters, unsolved mysteries, and more.
True, and truly scary—These stories don’t shy away from the darkest corners of reality—read them with the lights on.
Discover stories
A set of haunted bunk beds who turned a family's dreams into a nightmare. A woman whose ghost solved her own murder. A kidnapping victim who was kept in a box for years. An alien encounter from one of the real-life men in black. A murderer who lived in his victims' home for days. A set of creepy reincarnated twins.
Are you scared yet?
This deeply horrifying collection of 50 chilling stories is not for the faint of heart. Collected and told by viral true crime storyteller Sebastian Krahl, these true tales dive into the unexplained, the unsettling, and the unimaginable, with frightening and gruesome real-life accounts of murder, mystery, abduction, hauntings, and so much more.
From popular creator Sebastian Krahl—With over 9.5 million total followers, Sebastian Krahl (@Sebastiank22) is known for his well-researched and detailed recountings of true crime, paranormal encounters, unsolved mysteries, and more.
True, and truly scary—These stories don’t shy away from the darkest corners of reality—read them with the lights on.
Discover stories
A set of haunted bunk beds who turned a family's dreams into a nightmare. A woman whose ghost solved her own murder. A kidnapping victim who was kept in a box for years. An alien encounter from one of the real-life men in black. A murderer who lived in his victims' home for days. A set of creepy reincarnated twins.
Are you scared yet?
304 pages, Paperback
Expected publication July 28, 2026
4347 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
for me, the illustrations are what make it work so incredibly. Fábio Lyra’s art adds an immediate sense of unease that elevates the short horror pieces.
reading this book unexpectedly brought back a strong sense of nostalgia. it reminded me of being a child, waiting for my piano teacher at music cram school, flipping through short horror story collections just to pass the time. that same feeling of quick, bite-sized dread is very much present here.
these true stories are brief and easy to dip into, making this a good pick for readers who enjoy horror in small doses rather than fully immersive narratives. while not every story left a lasting impression, the combination of eerie subject matter, hauntings, unexplained phenomena, and striking visuals creates a consistently spooky reading experience.
for readers who enjoy illustrated horror anthologies or who feel nostalgic about short-form scary stories, this one delivers exactly what it promises.
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to-read:
some drawings are indeed quite spooky.
*thank you to Callisto for the ARC*
reading this book unexpectedly brought back a strong sense of nostalgia. it reminded me of being a child, waiting for my piano teacher at music cram school, flipping through short horror story collections just to pass the time. that same feeling of quick, bite-sized dread is very much present here.
these true stories are brief and easy to dip into, making this a good pick for readers who enjoy horror in small doses rather than fully immersive narratives. while not every story left a lasting impression, the combination of eerie subject matter, hauntings, unexplained phenomena, and striking visuals creates a consistently spooky reading experience.
for readers who enjoy illustrated horror anthologies or who feel nostalgic about short-form scary stories, this one delivers exactly what it promises.
-------
to-read:
some drawings are indeed quite spooky.
*thank you to Callisto for the ARC*
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This collection is a fun, fast read that leans more into eerie curiosity than outright terror, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. What I enjoyed most is the global scope of the book. Pulling stories from multiple countries adds a refreshing variety, and it gives the collection a kind of campfire story feel, like you are passing around tales from all over the world.
Some of the stories have definitely been told before, particularly if you are already interested in true crime or urban legends. That said, they are still enjoyable to revisit in this format, especially all in one place. The Men in Black stories were particularly intriguing and added a nice layer of mystery.
Not every entry landed the same way. A few stories felt overly familiar, and one in particular, “Porsche Girl,” felt unnecessary compared to the rest of the collection. By the final section, the stories were still fun, but not especially scary, which might be a drawback depending on what you are hoping for.
One thing I really appreciated throughout the book was the artwork. It adds atmosphere and helps elevate the storytelling experience in a way that makes the book feel more immersive.
Overall, this is a solid pick if you enjoy "spooky", true stories from around the world. It is less about being truly terrifying and more about that nostalgic thrill, like the kind of stories you would tell to try and scare your friends when you were younger.
Some of the stories have definitely been told before, particularly if you are already interested in true crime or urban legends. That said, they are still enjoyable to revisit in this format, especially all in one place. The Men in Black stories were particularly intriguing and added a nice layer of mystery.
Not every entry landed the same way. A few stories felt overly familiar, and one in particular, “Porsche Girl,” felt unnecessary compared to the rest of the collection. By the final section, the stories were still fun, but not especially scary, which might be a drawback depending on what you are hoping for.
One thing I really appreciated throughout the book was the artwork. It adds atmosphere and helps elevate the storytelling experience in a way that makes the book feel more immersive.
Overall, this is a solid pick if you enjoy "spooky", true stories from around the world. It is less about being truly terrifying and more about that nostalgic thrill, like the kind of stories you would tell to try and scare your friends when you were younger.
March 16, 2026
I really enjoyed the variety in this collection. It moves from true crime to supernatural hauntings and even alien encounters, so you never quite know what kind of story is coming next. That unpredictability kept it fun and engaging for me.
Sebastian Krahl puts together a solid lineup, and the pacing generally works well. The illustrations by Fábio Lyra are a great touch too, they add an extra layer of creepiness without taking over the stories.
Some stories worked better for me than others, but overall it’s a memorable, atmospheric read. If you like dipping into different kinds of eerie tales, this is definitely worth picking up. **4 stars.**
Sebastian Krahl puts together a solid lineup, and the pacing generally works well. The illustrations by Fábio Lyra are a great touch too, they add an extra layer of creepiness without taking over the stories.
Some stories worked better for me than others, but overall it’s a memorable, atmospheric read. If you like dipping into different kinds of eerie tales, this is definitely worth picking up. **4 stars.**
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Review to be added to Amazon UK and US on 28 July 2026 - publication day!
Well I can honestly say that none of these stories did actually scare me t death or I wouldn't be sat here typing up this review but they did intrigue me.
I liked the variety of different stories and that it wasn't just a book that stuck to one topic.
The book was easy to read and I liked the length of the chapters - nice and punchy and keeping to the main story. If there was to be a sequel I would certainly be grabbing a copy!
It is 4 stars from me for this one - highly recommended!
Well I can honestly say that none of these stories did actually scare me t death or I wouldn't be sat here typing up this review but they did intrigue me.
I liked the variety of different stories and that it wasn't just a book that stuck to one topic.
The book was easy to read and I liked the length of the chapters - nice and punchy and keeping to the main story. If there was to be a sequel I would certainly be grabbing a copy!
It is 4 stars from me for this one - highly recommended!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This was a book I ended up reading in one sitting—I was hooked from start to finish. Sebastian KrahI offers a compelling collection of horror and true crime stories. While I was familiar with a few, many were new to me, and I found myself diving into additional research after each section to learn more about the cases and legends. That curiosity really speaks to how engaging the book is. I was genuinely disappointed to reach the end—I definitely wanted more!
Thank you to NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.
February 6, 2026
This book was fine. Definitely some of the stories were more impactful than others. I did like that the book was divided into different sections - aliens, haunting, etc. the stories are all very quick reads so you could pick the book up and read for a bit and easily take a break. It was a very quick and easy read. I didn’t find the stories that scary, but many were gruesome. Thank you to NetGalley and Callisto publishing for the ARC
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Arc reader with netgalley.
These stories are great for getting a good scare, some I recognised and some were just utterly shocking!!
Great read and hard to put down.
Great writing by the author
These stories are great for getting a good scare, some I recognised and some were just utterly shocking!!
Great read and hard to put down.
Great writing by the author
March 5, 2026
A good collection of horror stories and scary stories for avid lovers of true crime and the unknown, like myself. I throughly enjoyed these and hadn’t heard most of these stories before!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews