Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

Today, critics point to the work of Victorian-era horror author J. Sheridan Le Fanu as the pinnacle of suspense writing in the period. With a few subtle turns of phrase, Le Fanu can provoke a response of sheer terror in the minds of readers, working in the same vein that his American contemporary Edgar Allan Poe was able to master. The Evil Guest highlights all of Le Fanu's strengths as a writer, and it's sure to speed the heart of even the most seasoned...

When Maud Ruthyn is orphaned, she is sent to live with her Uncle Silas, her father's mysterious brother and a man with a scandalous-- even murderous-- past. There she encounters Madame de la Rougierre, a former governess, who left her father's employ because she was a liar, bully, and spy. Now Maud is the only thing standing between the money she will inherit from her father, and Silas' considerable debt. As the November winds wail in ivied chimneys,...

In a Glass Darkly collects together five short stories from gothic horror and mystery writer Sheridan Le Fanu. The book, published in 1872 a year before Le Fanu's death, is named from a passage in Corinthians which speaks of humankind perceiving the world "through a glass darkly." The stories are told from the posthumous writings of an occult detective named Dr Martin Hesselius. In Green Tea a clergyman is being driven mad by an evil demon that takes...

"Deep in the forgotten hills of Massachusetts stands Saint Perpetua's College. Isolated and ancient, it is not a place for timid girls. Here, secrets are currency, ambition is lifeblood, and strange ceremonies welcome students into the fold. On her first day of class, Laura Sheridan is thrust into an intense academic rivalry with the beautiful and enigmatic Carmilla. Together, they are drawn into the confidence of their demanding poetry professor,...

Sherlock Holmes and Doctor John Watson are returning to London from Bucharest after the great detective has interceded in a delicate matter relating to the Rumanian Royal House. As they depart from Bucharest they receive their mail forwarded from London. Doctor Watson opens a distressing letter from his niece, Mina, now living in Budapest with her young husband, Janos, a newly qualified lawyer. It seems that the young man has not returned from a business...

"Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu is widely considered as one of the greatest writers of ghost stories to ever have lived. While today he may be overshadowed by his American contemporary, Edgar Allan Poe, in his time he was generally spolen of in the same breath. His influemce upon later authors of gothic literature cannot be understated..." -- Page 4 of cover.

Isolated from the outside world, fifteen-year-old Lara (Hannah Rae) lives in seclusion on a vast country estate with her father and strict governess Miss Fontaine (Jessica Raine). Late one evening, a mysterious carriage crash brings a young girl into their home to recuperate. Lara immediately becomes enchanted by this strange visitor who arouses her curiosity and awakens her burgeoning desires. Inspired by the 1872 Gothic vampire novella by Joseph...

There is something alive within the gloomy walls of Carwell Grange and it is not quite human. This spine-chilling, Victorian-era thriller pits bone-chilling fear against hot-blooded passion. As an orphaned child, Alice Maybell was taken in by Squire Fairfields. Now that she has grown into a beautiful young woman, his intentions have turned sinister. When she secretly marries his son, Charles, the Squire's wrath explodes and the desperate couple flee...