Step right up—and into the shadows.

Behind the curtain of a traveling sideshow, three performers plot a life beyond the spotlight-one of deception, disguise, and deadly ambition. In The Unholy Three, ventriloquist Professor Echo, strongman Hercules, and the cunning dwarf Tweedledee trade the stage for the streets, reinventing themselves as a bizarre family of criminals hiding in plain sight.

Their intricate scheme originates from a parrot shop and spirals into a chilling spree of jewel thefts and betrayal. But even the best illusions can't hold forever. As tensions rise and loyalties unravel, the unholy trio find themselves trapped in a deadly game of their own making.

First published in 1917, Tod Robbins' macabre crime tale thrilled readers with its twisted blend of carnival grotesquerie and psychological suspense. The story went on to inspire two landmark films by Tod Browning, both starring the legendary Lon Chaney, and helped lay the foundation for the dark circus horrors that followed.

This Curious Publications edition also includes original reviews from 1917 and a gallery of images from the 1925 and 1930 film adaptations by Tod Browning.