Criminal Mischief: The Monkey's Paw

Some stories entertain.

Some stories linger.

And a very rare few change the course of horror forever.

This week on Criminal Mischief, Carolyn Ossorio narrates one of the most influential horror stories ever written: The Monkey's Paw by W. W. Jacobs.

First published in 1902, The Monkey's Paw introduced generations of readers to one of literature's most terrifying ideas—that every wish comes with a price. What begins as a simple family gathering around the fireplace slowly transforms into an unforgettable meditation on fate, grief, and the dangerous temptation to change what should never be changed.

Its influence stretches across more than a century of popular culture, inspiring countless novels, films, television episodes, and perhaps most famously, Stephen King's Pet Sematary.

Join Carolyn as she brings this timeless Gothic classic to life in a dramatic reading that reminds us why some stories never grow old... because the fears they explore never disappear.

Sometimes the greatest horror isn't receiving exactly what you wished for.

It's realizing the cost after it's too late.

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