The Lady of the Shroud

Business magnate Roger Melton has passed on, leaving behind one of the grandest fortunes of his time. To the family's astonishment, Roger has bequeathed his vast estate to the black sheep of the family, his young nephew Rupert Sent Leger. But Rupert's inheritance involves the most extraordinary conditions, including one stating that he must reside in the ancient castle of Vissarion in the Land of the Blue Mountains. Rupert travels to Vissarion with his Aunt Janet, who possesses the occult power of Second Sight. But despite all the precautions Rupert is visited by a mysterious woman veiled in a burial shroud. Beguiled by her otherworldly and ethereal beauty, Rupert ponders whether she is a vampire, a ghost, or another sort of mystic creature altogether. Determined to find out for himself, but has no idea of what dangers he has to face. A rare find published in 1909, 'The Lady of The Shroud' ranks among Stoker's best known horror novels, overshadowed by 'Dracula' alone. 'Dracula' has been adapted into several noteworthy film adaptations, the best known of which is the 1931 rendition starring Bela Lugosi. 'The Lady of The Shroud' is recommended for Bram Stoker aficionados as well as fans of H.P.Lovecraft, H.G.Wells and Edgar Allan Poe. Abraham "Bram" Stoker was born in Dublin in 1847. Turning to fiction in his later years, Stoker published his first short story 'The Crystal Cup' (1872) in London Society magazine. In the 1880s and 1890s, he published 'Under the Sunset' (1882) and an adventure novel titled 'The Snake’s Pass' (1890). It was the publication of 'Dracula' in 1897 which launched Stoker into literary stardom.