Sheridan Le Fanu, who began his journey into Gothic storytelling in the 1830s, would later be lauded by writers such as M. R. James for his innovations in the ghost story and mystery genres and his undeniable influence on the evolution of the Gothic tale. And yet, aside from a few oft-anthologised short stories and novellas, much of the writer's most valuable work remains relatively unknown.In the eight brooding tales within this collection, Sheridan Le Fanu weaves together dark fables and ancient Irish folklore, accounts of cursed castles, shapeshifting noblemen, the vengeful spirits of the dead and the dreadful cries of the banshee. At this crossroads of ghost stories, primal myths and twisted mysteries awaits some of the finest and most unsettling Gothic fiction ever composed.