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The Marble Faun: Or, The Romance of Monte Beni
by Nathaniel HawthorneFrom the author of The Scarlet Letter: The thrilling tale of three American artists whose search for artistic inspiration leads to romance and murder. The sculpture galleries and classical architecture of nineteenth-century Rome set the stage for Nathaniel Hawthorne’s gothic romance The Marble Faun. While touring the Eternal City in search of inspiration and authentic beauty, American artists Miriam, Hilda, and Kenyon soon discover that their Italian companion, Donatello—charming and in love with Miriam—bears a striking resemblance to the marble Faun of Praxiteles. But for Miriam, their carefree pursuit is also an escape from a dark past. And when a mysterious man appears, trailing the friends’ path and tormenting Miriam, the group’s travels take a sinister turn. The first novel to explore the effects of European sensibilities on American values, The Marble Faun anticipated the genre of travel novels later exemplified by The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James and The Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain. Vividly evoking the great works of art and architecture in Rome, it also found favor as an unlikely guidebook for many Victorian tourists. James Russell Lowell said: “The nineteenth century has produced no more purely original writer than Mr. Hawthorne.” Here, the author of The House of the Seven Gables offers an unforgettable and suspenseful tale. This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
by Victor HugoOne of the most beloved gothic romances ever written, and a poignant evocation of life in medieval Paris and the grand towers of the Notre Dame Cathedral. Hated by the people of Paris for his deformity, bell ringer Quasimodo lives in Notre Dame Cathedral by the good graces of his guardian, Archdeacon Claude Frollo. But Frollo’s commitment to Christian charity is giving way to his obsession with a young gypsy girl named Esmerelda. Driven to win her over at any cost, Frollo turns from his faith to practice alchemy. When Quasimodo is tortured and publicly humiliated for his part in Frollo’s scheme, Esmerelda alone shows him pity. And when she is wrongly accused of a crime, only Quasimodo can provide the sanctuary she needs. Originally published under the title Notre-Dame de Paris, Victor Hugo’s tragic story of love and persecution has been adapted into numerous films, stage plays, and other mediums. Famous for its epic depiction of Paris and people of all walks of life, this classic tale inspired the works of novelists Honoré de Balzac, Gustave Flaubert, and Charles Dickens, among others. This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.
Fifty-One Tales
by Lord DunsanyA classic collection of short stories from one of the twentieth century’s most influential fantasy authors. Irish author Lord Dunsany majorly influenced generations of writers, including J. R. R. Tolkien, H. P. Lovecraft, and many more, and his Fifty-One Tales, a collection of short stories first published in 1915, has delighted readers for more than a century. These vignettes—some no more than a few paragraphs long—offer brief glimpses into worlds of sparkling wit and imagination. By turns whimsical, satirical, and melancholic, this collection (also published under the title The Food of Death) touches on timeless themes and remains a wellspring of inspiration and pleasure. This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices. “[Dunsany’s] rich language, his cosmic point of view, his remote dream-world, and his exquisite sense of the fantastic all appeal to me more than anything else in modern literature.” —H. P. Lovecraft
Uncle Silas
by J. Sheridan Le FanuFamily secrets and sinister plots abound in this beautifully atmospheric Victorian gothic thriller from a celebrated Irish author. For Maud Ruthyn, life is lonely in a mansion with no family besides her melancholic father. But when Madame de la Rougierre is hired to be her governess, Maud finds herself in the clutches of a mysterious and malevolent woman. When her caregiver is eventually dismissed, Maud is relieved to have the woman out of her life. But it isn’t long before she encounters the madame again. With the passing of her father, Maud is sent to live with her Uncle Silas at Bartram-Haugh until she can inherit the family estate. Feeling increasingly trapped in her uncle’s home, Maud is shocked to learn that Madame de la Rougierre is at her uncle’s service. And when Madame is instructed to escort Maud to London, the young girl begins to see through the shadows of deceit: No one intends for her to leave Bartram-Haugh alive. J. Sheridan Le Fanu’s most famous novel, Uncle Silas is an eerie psychological thriller and has been translated into several languages as well as adapted for film. This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.
The Great God Pan
by Arthur MachenA gothic masterpiece set in Victorian England: “One of the best horror stories ever written. Perhaps the best in the English language” (Stephen King). When Mr. Clarke agrees to visit his friend Dr. Raymond, he is dubious about the proceedings he is to witness. In pursuit of what Raymond calls “transcendental science,” the doctor intends to make a small incision in a woman’s brain, allowing her to see past the world of the senses to a reality beyond imagining—a realm where, Raymond says, one can see the great god Pan. Though the experiment is an apparent failure, it will not be Clarke’s last brush with the sinister beyond. Years later, Clarke hears of a woman named Helen Vaughan, who is said to be at the root of many mysterious and tragic events. From London to the Americas and back, a string of suicides and disappearances lay in the wake of this evil seductress, whom Clarke believes is not entirely of this world. Upon publication in 1890, Arthur Machen’s The Great God Pan was deemed controversial for its depictions of paganism and sexual depravity. It has since been recognized as a masterwork of gothic horror. This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.
The Vampyre
by John William PolidoriThis classic vampire story has inspired generations of authors, from Bram Stoker to Charlaine Harris. A young English gentleman of means, Aubrey is immediately intrigued by Lord Ruthven, the mysterious newcomer among society’s elite. His unknown origin and curious behavior tantalizes Aubrey’s imagination. But the young man soon discovers a sinister character hidden behind his new friend’s glamorous facade. When the two are set upon by bandits while traveling together in Europe, Ruthven is fatally injured. Before drawing his last breath, he makes the odd request that Aubrey keep his death and crimes secret for a year and a day. But when Ruthven resurfaces in London—making overtures toward Aubrey’s sister—Aubrey realizes this immortal fiend is a vampyre. John William Polidori’s The Vampyre is both a classic tale of gothic horror and the progenitor of the modern romantic vampire myth that has been fodder for artists ranging from Anne Rice to Alan Ball to Francis Ford Coppola. Originally published in 1819, many decades before Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and misattributed to Polidori’s friend Lord Byron, The Vampyre has kept readers up at night for nearly two hundred years. This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.
Black Water Sister
by Zen Cho'A sharp and bittersweet story of past and future, ghosts and gods and family, that kept me turning pages into the dark hours of the night' – Naomi NovikThis mischievous Malaysian-set novel is an adventure featuring family, ghosts and local gods - from Hugo Award winning novelist Zen Cho. HER GRANDMOTHER MAY BE DEADBUT SHE’S NOT DONE WITH LIFE . . . YETAs Jessamyn packs for Malaysia, it’s not a good time to start hearing a bossy voice in her head. Broke, jobless and just graduated, she’s abandoning America to return ‘home’. But she last saw Malaysia as a toddler – and is completely unprepared for its ghosts, gods and her eccentric family’s shenanigans.Jess soon learns her ‘voice’ belongs to Ah Ma, her late grandmother. She worshipped the Black Water Sister, a local deity. And when a business magnate dared to offend her goddess, Ah Ma swore revenge. Now she’s decided Jess will help, whether she wants to or not.As Ah Ma blackmails Jess into compliance, Jess fights to retain control. But her irrepressible relative isn’t going to let a little thing like death stop her, when she can simply borrow Jess’s body to make mischief. As Jess is drawn ever deeper into a world of peril and family secrets, getting a job becomes the least of her worries.‘This may be Zen Cho's best work yet’ – Karen Lord‘A compelling and deftly written ghost story' – Kate Elliott
The Awakening of Sunshine Girl (Sunshine Girl #2)
by Alyssa Sheinmel Paige McKenzieThe Awakening of Sunshine Girl is the second in a frighteningly good series based on the popular YouTube sensation The Haunting of Sunshine Girl Network, created by Paige McKenzie.Sunshine's Luiseach powers have been fully awakened. For months now, Sunshine has felt spirits everywhere. She hears their voices; feels their emotions . . . it's intense and sometimes overwhelming. She tries to ignore them, but it's impossible. Hoping to get her powers under control (and hoping for answers to her never-ending questions) she agrees to start training with her Luiseach mentor, leaving her family - and her friend Nolan - behind. But Sunshine's mentor doesn't understand her attachment to the humans in her life; and she can't forgive his abandonment of her so many years ago. The only thing getting Sunshine through the terrifying and creepy training is her new, distractingly attractive, friend - another young Luiseach.Though Sunshine's mentor is reluctant to answer her many questions, she finally learns the truth about her lineage, as well as the rift that threatens the future of Luiseach and the human race . . . and the crucial part she has to play in repairing it.
The Burning Chambers: the Sunday Times Number One Bestseller (The Burning Chambers #1)
by Kate Mosse* Sunday Times Number One Bestseller *From the multi-million, number one bestselling author of Labyrinth and The Taxidermists Daughter, comes The Burning Chambers: a gripping story of love and betrayal, mysteries and secrets, conspiracies and divided loyalties . . . Carcassonne 1562. Nineteen-year-old Minou Joubert receives an anonymous letter at her father’s bookshop. Sealed with a distinctive family crest, it contains just five words: SHE KNOWS THAT YOU LIVE. But before Minou can decipher the mysterious message, a chance encounter with a young Huguenot convert, Piet Reydon, changes her destiny forever. For Piet has a dangerous mission of his own, and he will need Minou’s help if he is to get out of La Cité alive . . . A thrilling adventure, and a heart-breaking love story, The Burning Chambers is a historical novel of excitement, conspiracy and danger like no other . . .
Pantomime (Micah Grey Trilogy #1)
by Laura LamIn a land of lost wonders, the past is stirring once more . . .Gene's life resembles a debutante's dream. Yet she hides a secret that would see her shunned by the nobility. Gene is both male and female. Then she displays unwanted magical abilities - last seen in mysterious beings from an almost-forgotten age. Matters escalate further when her parents plan a devastating betrayal, so she flees home, dressed as a boy. The city beyond contains glowing glass relics from a lost civilization. They call to her, but she wants freedom not mysteries. So, reinvented as 'Micah Grey', Gene joins the circus. As an aerialist, she discovers the joy of flight - but the circus has a dark side. She's also plagued by visions foretelling danger. A storm is howling in from the past, but will she heed its roar?
Masquerade (Micah Grey Trilogy #3)
by Laura LamMasquerade is the third and final novel in Laura Lam's Micah Grey trilogy, following Pantomime and Shadowplay.The gifted hide their talents, but dare they step into the light?Micah's Chimaera powers are growing, until his dark visions overwhelm him. Drystan is forced to take him to Dr Pozzi, to save his life. But can they really trust the doctor, especially when a close friend is revealed to be his spy?Meanwhile, violent unrest is sweeping the country, as anti-royalist factions fight to be heard. Then three chimaera are attacked, after revealing their existence with the monarchy's blessing - and the struggle becomes personal. A small sect decimated the chimaera in ancient times and nearly destroyed the world. Now they've re-emerged to spread terror once more. Micah will discover a royal secret, which draws him into the heart of the conflict. And he and his friends must risk everything to finally bring peace to their land.
Shadowplay (Micah Grey Trilogy #2)
by Laura LamOld magics are waking. But will the world survive their return?Micah Grey almost died when he fled the circus with Drystan - now he and the ex-clown seek to outrun disaster. Drystan persuades his old friend Jasper Maske, a once-renowned magician, to take them in. But when he agrees to teach them his trade, Maske is challenged to the ultimate high-stakes duel by his embittered arch-nemesis. Micah must perfect his skills of illusion, while navigating a tender new love. An investigator is also hunting the person he once seemed to be - a noble family's runaway daughter. As the duel draws near, Micah increasingly suffers from visions showing him real magic and future terrors. Events that broke the ancient world are being replayed. But can Micah's latent powers influence this deadly pattern?
Rattle: A Serial Killer Thriller That Will Hook You from the Start (The\collector Ser. #1)
by Fiona CumminsA serial killer to chill your bones.A gripping and heart-pounding thriller that gives a glimpse into the mind of a psychopath even more terrifying than Hannibal Lecter. If you like Mo Hayder and Thomas Harris’s Silence of the Lambs, you’ll love Rattle and The Collector.A SERIAL KILLER TO CHILL YOUR BONES. A FAMILY TO WARM YOUR HEART. A DETECTIVE WHO MUST HUNT HIM DOWN.He has planned well. He leads two lives. In one, he’s just like anyone else. But in the other he’s the caretaker of his family’s macabre museum.Now the time has come to add to his collection. He is ready to feed his obsession, and he is on the hunt.Jakey Frith and Clara Foyle have something in common. They have what he needs.What begins is a terrifying cat and mouse game between the sinister collector, Jakey’s father and DS Etta Fitzroy, a detective investigating a spate of abductions.‘It’s a rare debut that has this much polish. Harrowing and horrifying, head and shoulders above most of the competition’ - Val McDermid
The Collector: The Bone-Chilling Thriller all the Crime Writers are Talking About (The\collector Ser. #2)
by Fiona Cummins'A crime novel of the very first order.' - David Baldacci'Trust me - Cummins is a keeper.' – Lee ChildIf you like Mo Hayder and Thomas Harris, you’ll love Fiona Cummins' psychological thriller The Collector.Jakey escaped with his life and moved to a new town.His rescue was a miracle but his parents know that the Collector is still out there, watching, waiting . . .Clara, the girl he left behind, dreams of being found.Her mother is falling apart but she will not give up hope.The Collector has found an apprentice to take over his family’s legacy.But he can’t forget the one who got away and the detective who destroyed his dreams.DS Etta Fitzroy must hunt him down before his obsession destroys them all.* * * * *What people are saying about The Collector:'If you haven't read Fiona Cummins and you're a Mo Hayder fan, make sure you read her first book and then her second. With the lights on.' – Emma Flint, author of Little Deaths 'I didn't think anything could top Rattle, but The Collector might just have done it. Chilling, heart-breaking and bloody brilliant.' – Tammy Cohen, author of When She Was Bad'This book should come with a health warning: Don't read just before going to bed at night.' – Michelle Frances, author of The Girlfriend'Totally, totally brilliant. Even more twisted than the first one. A whole another level of serial killer awesome.' – Lisa Hall, author of Between You and Me 'Spine-chilling and brilliant, beautifully written, creepily clever and utterly absorbing - just like Rattle.' – Karen Hamilton, author of The Perfect Girlfriend'The Collector is sensational. Fiona Cummins is a twisted genius writing with a silver pen. This is crime at its grisly and glorious best.' – Amanda Jennings, author of In Her Wake
Mr Wrong: Lover, loser or Ladies' Man? The true confessions of
by Elizabeth Jane HowardFrom the bestselling author of the Cazelet Chronicles comes Elizabeth Jane Howard's Mr Wrong, a collection of short stories.In this dazzling short story collection, including Mr Wrong, The Devoted and Three Miles Up, master storyteller, Elizabeth Jane Howard, illustrates her renowned style and delicious wit. From a family Christmas, to a house-party in France, and a haunting journey into the macabre, Howard explores the subtle tensions of relationships; from flat-sharing to adultery. Funny, perceptive and spine-tingling, Howard's stories are sure to delight.
The Secret of Cold Hill: From the Number One Bestselling Author of the DS Roy Grace Series (House On Cold Hill Ser. #2)
by Peter JamesFrom the number one bestselling author, Peter James, comes The Secret of Cold Hill. The spine-chilling follow-up to The House on Cold Hill. Now a smash-hit stage play.Cold Hill House has been razed to the ground by fire, replaced with a development of ultra-modern homes. Gone with the flames are the violent memories of the house’s history, and a new era has begun.Although much of Cold Hill Park is still a construction site, the first two families move into their new houses. For Jason and Emily Danes, this is their forever home, and for Maurice and Claudette Penze-Weedell, it’s the perfect place to live out retirement. Despite the ever present rumble of cement mixers and diggers, Cold Hill Park appears to be the ideal place to live. But looks are deceptive and it’s only a matter of days before both couples start to feel they are not alone in their new homes.There is one thing that never appears in the estate agent brochures: nobody has ever survived beyond forty in Cold Hill House and no one has ever truly left . . .
Under a Watchful Eye
by Adam NevillUnder a Watchful Eye by Adam Nevill is a supernatural thriller from the award-winning writer of The Ritual and Last Days.Seb Logan is being watched. He just doesn't know by whom. When the sudden appearance of a dark figure shatters his idyllic coastal life, he soon realizes that the murky past he thought he'd left behind has far from forgotten him. What's more unsettling is the strange atmosphere that engulfs him at every sighting, plunging his mind into a terrifying paranoia. To be a victim without knowing the tormentor. To be despised without knowing the offence caused. To be seen by what nobody else can see. These are the thoughts which plague his every waking moment. Imprisoned by despair, Seb fears his stalker is not working alone, but rather is involved in a wider conspiracy that threatens everything he has worked for. For there are doors in this world that open into unknown places. Places used by the worst kind of people to achieve their own ends. And once his investigation leads him to stray across the line and into mortal danger, he risks becoming another fatality in a long line of victims . . .
The Wicker Man
by Robin Hardy Anthony ShafferFirst published in 1978, five years after the release of the classic horror film from which it is adapted, The Wicker Man by director Robin Hardy and screenwriter Anthony Shaffer, is a gripping horror classic. A novelization of the haunting Anthony Shaffer script, which drew from David Pinner's Ritual, it is the tale of Highlands policeman, Police Sergeant Neil Howie, on the trail of a missing girl being lured to the remote Scottish island of Summerisle. As May Day approaches, strange, magical, shamanistic and erotic events erupt around him. He is convinced that the girl has been abducted for human sacrifice. Yet he is soon to find that he may be the revellers' quarry. . .
The Hunchback of Notre-Dame: Classics Illustrated (Macmillan Collector's Library #10)
by Victor HugoRejected by fifteenth-century Parisian society, the hideously deformed bell-ringer Quasimodo believes he is safe under the watchful eye of his master, the Archdeacon Claude Frollo. But after Quasimodo saves the beautiful Romani girl Esmeralda from the gallows and brings her to sanctuary in the cathedral, he and Frollo's mutual desire for her puts them increasingly at odds, before compassion and cruelty clash with tragic results.An emotionally stirring story, Victor Hugo's The Hunchback of Notre-Dame is rightfully considered to be one of the finest novels ever written, and this beautiful edition, featuring an afterword by John Grant, is the perfect way to experience this unforgettable tale.Designed to appeal to the booklover, the Macmillan Collector's Library is a series of beautiful gift editions of much loved classic titles. Macmillan Collector's Library are books to love and treasure.
Dracula: The Final Author's Edit (Macmillan Collector's Library #11)
by Bram StokerWhen Jonathan Harker is summoned to Transylvania to finalize a property deal for the mysterious Count Dracula, he stumbles upon an ancient evil he is unprepared to face. When that evil escapes to England, the entire nation is suddenly under threat and only an aged vampire hunter, Professor Abraham Van Helsing, can put a stop to the bloodshed. Sensual, dark and thrilling, Bram Stoker's Dracula remains the seminal work of Gothic fiction, and in this elegant Macmillan Collector's Library edition, which includes an illuminating afterword by Jonty Claypole, readers can experience the horror and excitement as never before.Designed to appeal to the booklover, the Macmillan Collector's Library is a series of beautiful gift editions of much loved classic titles. Macmillan Collector's Library are books to love and treasure.
Ghost Stories (Macmillan Collector's Library #51)
by Charles DickensThroughout his illustrious writing career, Charles Dickens often turned his hand to fashioning short pieces of ghostly fiction. Even in his first successful work, The Pickwick Papers, you will find five ghost stories, all of which are included in this collection. Dickens began the tradition of 'the ghost story at Christmas', and many of his tales in this genre are presented here, including the brilliant novella 'The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain', which deserves to be as well-known as A Christmas Carol. While all his supernatural tales aim to send a shiver down the spine, they are not without the usual traits of Dickens' flamboyant style: his subtle wit, biting irony, humorous incidents and moral observations. It is a mixture that makes these stories fascinating and entertaining as well as unsettling. To paraphrase the Fat Boy in The Pickwick Papers: Charles Dickens 'wants to make your flesh creep'.This collection brings together all Dickens' ghost stories - twenty in all - including several longer tales. Here are chilling histories of coincidence, insanity and revenge. This Macmillan Collector's Library edition of Ghost Stories is illustrated by various artists, with an afterword by David Stuart Davies.Designed to appeal to the booklover, the Macmillan Collector's Library is a series of beautiful gift editions of much loved classic titles. Macmillan Collector's Library are books to love and treasure.
A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story of Christmas (Macmillan Collector's Library #53)
by Charles DickensWhen A Christmas Carol was first published in 1843 it was an overnight success. A celebration of Christmas, a tale of redemption, and a critique on Victorian society, Charles Dickens' atmospheric novella follows the miserly, penny-pinching Ebenezer Scrooge who views Christmas as 'humbug'. It is only through a series of eerie, life-changing visits from the ghost of his deceased business partner Marley and the spirits of Christmas past, present and future that he begins to see the error of his ways. With heart-rending characters, rich imagery and evocative language, the hopeful message of A Christmas Carol remains as significant today as when it was first published.Original illustrations by John Leech, with an afterword by Anna South.Designed to appeal to the booklover, the Macmillan Collector's Library is a series of beautiful gift editions of much loved classic titles. Macmillan Collector's Library are books to love and treasure.
Irish Ghost Stories (Macmillan Collector's Library #59)
by David Stuart DaviesBlend the wild and fevered Irish imagination with a wonderful facility for recounting a dark, compelling tale, add a dash of the supernatural, and you have a potent brew of spine-tingling tales. This anthology of the best ghost stories from Ireland and Irish writers includes contributions from such masters as Sheridan Le Fanu, Bram Stoker, Oscar Wilde, W. B. Yeats and Rosa Mulholland. Within these pages you will find strange accounts of haunted houses, death warnings from beyond the grave, and revengeful spirits, all guaranteed to stir the imagination and chill the blood.The haunting tales featured in this beautiful Macmillan Collector's Library edition of Irish Ghost Stories have been selected and introduced by David Stuart Davies.Designed to appeal to the booklover, the Macmillan Collector's Library is a series of beautiful gift editions of much loved classic titles. Macmillan Collector's Library are books to love and treasure.
The Phantom of the Opera: In English Translation (Macmillan Collector's Library #65)
by Gaston LerouxStrange things are going on at the Paris Opera House; a mysterious phantom - a skeleton in dinner dress - is wreaking havoc amongst the singers and backstage staff. But when new managers take over and dismiss the rumours of the Opera Ghost, the terror really begins. Who is the curious figure stalking the stage at night? How can he be in so many places at once, entering and leaving locked rooms at will? And what is his connection to the beautiful and talented young soloist, Christine?The Phantom of the Opera is perhaps best known for its many stage and screen adaptations, but Gaston Leroux's original text surpasses them all for its Gothic tension and haunting horror.This beautiful Macmillan Collector's Library edition features an afterword by dramatist Peter Harness.Designed to appeal to the booklover, the Macmillan Collector's Library is a series of beautiful gift editions of much loved classic titles. Macmillan Collector's Library are books to love and treasure.
Tales and Poems (Macmillan Collector's Library #66)
by Edgar Allan PoeThis mesmerising, macabre collection contains Edgar Allan Poe's best-known poetry, including 'The Raven', 'Annabel Lee' and 'Lenore', and a selection of his very best stories, along with his finest tales from the last decade of his tragically short life. Many of these stories and poems explore the familiar Poe themes of murder, obsession and love, but this volume also contains many overlooked tales of the fantastic, black comedies, parodies and hoaxes, such as 'The Unparalleled Adventure of Hans Pfaall', 'Mesmeric Revolution', 'Hop-Frog', and 'The Imp of the Perverse'.This beautiful Macmillan Collector's Library edition of Tales and Poems features an afterword by David Pinching.Designed to appeal to the booklover, the Macmillan Collector's Library is a series of beautiful gift editions of much loved classic titles. Macmillan Collector's Library are books to love and treasure.