Brandon Castle is full of mysteries and terrors
Lonely candles give feeble light to the eerie chill of the castle's endless hallways. Winding staircases descend into damp crypts of discarded skeletons while rat-infested secret passages lead to satanic altars. Towering over the castle's dank moat is the mysterious Grey Turret. Filled with legends of shadowy ghosts and terrifying demons, its only door has been locked for centuries.
Until now.
Someone has discovered the key and wants the terrifying power locked away in the Grey Turret.
"Who dares to defy the legend of the Grey Turret?"
Agatha? Hungry for power, nothing can stand in her way
Eldred? Her nervous brother, the perfect foil for a murderous plan?
Sir Rupert? The brave knight suffering from a heartbreaking loss?
Nemoni? The mysterious wild-man of the woods?
The Black Monk? Aided by Satan's black magic, can he be stopped?
Serialized in British newspapers throughout 1844, "The Black Monk" is an excellent example of the Victorian penny dreadful. Each week, eager readers would await the next penny's installment and "The Black Monk" delivered so many thrills and terrors that it became the mid-century's publishing phenomenon.
This edition includes the unabridged text of the 1844 edition along with all 54 original illustrations and features a new introduction by Curt Herr, Ph.D.
James Malcolm Rymer (1814-1884) was a major contributor to Victorian literature, yet remains largely unknown today. He wrote the first vampire novel in English, "Varney the Vampire; or, The Feast of Blood," and the original Sweeney Todd novel, "The String of Pearls." One of the most popular penny dreadful writers of the 1840s, his serialized novels are being rediscovered as excellent examples of mid-Victorian pop culture.
Curt Herr, Ph.D. has prepared the critical editions of several Victorian Sensation novels, such as "Ziska, Vendetta, Dene Hollow," and the notorious penny dreadful "Varney the Vampire, or, The Feast of Blood." He teaches Gothic and Victorian Sensation fiction at Pennsylvania's Kutztown University.

Ellen Wood's supernatural 1871 best-seller follows three generations of the Clanwaring family, their sprawling estate, Beechhurst Dene, and the cursed road it resides on, the haunted Dene Hollow. Her tale is a rich tapestry of Victorian characters from wealthy estate owners in their pampered parlors, to the servants whispering secrets below the stairs. Inn keepers and thieves, landowners and liars, Generals and drunks, cross class lovers and a ghost-seeing servant--all who travel through the dark glen of Dene Hollow will find their lives forever changed. Before there was J.K. Rowling, before there was Anne Rice, there was Mrs. Henry Wood, the queen of Victorian best-sellers. Between 1860 and 1887, Ellen Wood wrote over forty full-length novels which made her one of the most successful and talked about writers of the Victorian era. Her novels of mystery, suspense and the supernatural kept thousands of Victorians reading far into the night and thankfully, her novels are once again available for insomniacs, book addicts and academics alike. Curt Herr, Ph.D., teaches Victorian Sensation fiction at Kutztown University. He specializes in overlooked, best-selling Victorian novelists and has written critical editions of the works of Mrs. Henry Wood, Marie Corelli, and Elizabeth Bonhote.

Armand Gervase has it all. He is a famous artist, his paintings are hung in national galleries, and he is celebrated worldwide. His best-known painting, depicting an alluring Egyptian woman about to murder her lover, is known for its minute, historic detail, yet Armand has no experience with Egypt's ancient past . . . or does he?

Rejecting the idea of heaven and hell, soul and spirit, Armand embraces a life of decadence which allows him the freedom to act as he pleases - until he meets the seductive and hypnotic Princess Ziska. Haunted by strange and distant memories of her, Armand attempts to unravel her mystery, only to discover his memories of her are centuries old - and she looks terrifying similar to the female in his celebrated painting. How can this be? Has he fallen in love with a ghost, or is there something more sinister lurking behind Ziska's hypnotic eyes?

A supernatural tale of reincarnation, seduction, and revenge, "Ziska" was a bestseller upon its publication in 1897. In the new introduction to this edition, Curt Herr examines the novel in relation to the other two great Gothic bestsellers of 1897, Bram Stoker's "Dracula" and Richard Marsh's "The Beetle," and calls for a reconsideration of Corelli as a major figure in Victorian popular culture.

Something is wrong in Danesbury House. Its walls are sturdy, its interior is well appointed, yet the ground it is built upon is soaked in alcohol. This 1860 award-winning novel traces forty years of addictions, insanity, forgery, and death--hardly the typical Victorian fare. Yet this is no typical novel. A best seller upon its publication, Danesbury House became the Valley of the Dolls for Victorian readers. Its sensational subject and description of addictions made it one of the most popular temperance novels of all time.

Imagine friends and family believed you were dead from the Cholera- Imagine being buried alive and awakening in your coffin - Now, imagine a frantic escape from the rotting crypt only to discover something worse waiting in store.... Thus begins Marie Corelli's 1886 Victorian suspense-thriller, Vendetta. Awakening to find he has been prematurely buried, Fabio narrowly escapes from his decrepit family mausoleum in order to seek revenge upon those who have wronged him. Disfigured from the Cholera, Fabio assumes a new identity and name, and re-introduces himself to his family who are unaware of his true character. The plan he sets in motion is gruesomely terrifying - and deliciously perverse. More than a novel of revenge, Vendetta is a finely tuned character study of madness, obsession, decadence, and a celebration of Gothic settings unrivaled by even Edgar Allan Poe. Impossible to put down, it is easy to see why Marie Corelli was called the Queen of Victorian best-sellers, for Vendetta remains as spellbinding today as it was over a century ago.

Oakendale Abbey: Urban myth? Rural legend? ...or do the dead really walk behind the dusty shuttered windows of the old Abbey? Looming above skeletal trees, the decayed Abbey's immense size makes it a constant presence in the lives of those who live in its shadows. Horrifying legends are passed down from family to family keeping it a constant presence in their lives. Tales speak of ghastly crimes and terrifying visions: a ghostly woman with a bloodied throat peers through the Abbey's broken windows, spectral voices whisper in the shadowed hallways where walls drip with blood, and a recent visitor got as far as the front door of the Abbey... and was never seen again. This is to be Laura's home. Sent to live in the deserted Abbey with her servant, Laura begins to uncover unspeakable secrets which lead her on a terrifying journey of self discovery. Combining the best of 18th century sentimentality with a violently horrifying tale, Carver accentuates terrifying events and grotesque imagery in a manner rare for even the most extreme Gothic writers of her era. Written in 1797 and out of print for almost 200 years, Mrs Carver's classic Gothic novel accentuates horror with a vice like grip. Once it grasps you- it does not let go. What is the secret of the abbey? Those who know are as silent as the grave...

Life at Bungay Castle seems ideal for the De Morney family. Nestled in the abundant countryside of Norfolk, Bungay Castle's massive towers reach for blue skies and its solid stone walls are firmly planted in the earth - but all that's about to change. Strong winds from a violent storm bring the sound of chilling, ghostly cries located far below the castle's floors. The young De Morneys, Roseline and Edwin, begin a frightening search through the ancient subterranean passageways to discover the cause. Among the dark haunted dungeons, they discover a secret from their family's past that will forever change their lives. Cob-webbed passageways lit by a single candle, rotting caskets, ghostly sightings, and a mysterious mournful cry are just a few of the abundant gothic surprises in store for all who dare to wonder beyond the castle's locked doors. Firmly rooted in the Domestic Gothic tradition, Elizabeth Bonhote's rediscovered 1796 classic is a treasure chest of gothic elements. Combining romance, mystery, seduction, and betrayal, Bungay Castle revises and reinvents the tradition of the trapped female heroine. As we follow Roseline's journey, we become aware of one of the novel's most unique aspects: it is a surprisingly feminist novel- a rare achievement in the eighteenth century gothic genre. Rather than waiting to be rescued by men, the young women of Bungay castle achieve agency over their lives, refuse patriarchal orders, and become the rescuing heroines. An exemplary blend of sentiment, romance and the gothic, this reprint is a welcome and long overdue addition to the bookshelves of academics, subway riders, goths, and anyone longing to rediscover the joy of a great read.