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.
