Checkmate

Checkmate (1871) is a novel by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu. Although less well-known than his more popular works of Gothic horror and mystery, including the vampire novella Carmilla (1872) and the novel The House by the Church-Yard (1863), Checkmate remains central to Le Fanu’s legacy as an innovator whose literary works inspired Bram Stoker and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Walter Longcluse is a mysterious gentleman, a drifter and self-made man whose travels throughout France, Austria, and England resulted in his accumulation of an immense personal fortune. With his calm demeanor and general friendliness, he is quickly accepted into the inner circle of the Arden family, a clan of aristocrats whose once luxuriant star has lately dimmed due to unpaid debts and the murder of one of their number. As Longcluse courts the lovely Alice, her brother Richard enjoys the older man’s company, and the two become fast friends. One night, however, a visit to a gambling club brings them face to face with Monsieur Lebas, a brutish figure who seems to recognize Longcluse and, later that evening, is discovered to have been murdered. As the story unfolds, clues planted discreetly throughout the plot lead to Le Fanu’s thrilling conclusion, which contains a well-designed plot twist too sinister to imagine. Checkmate is a tale of wealth and betrayal, a novel that raises more questions than answers for the reader held under its spell.

With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu’s Checkmate is a classic of Irish literature reimagined for modern readers.