Amidst the turbulent backdrop of post-Napoleonic France, Richard Beckett, an Englishman, finds himself embroiled in the affairs of a mysterious countess and her enigmatic chambermaid. Drawn to the allure of forbidden love and hidden secrets, Beckett's journey leads him to the foreboding Dragon Volant inn, where he discovers that nothing is as it seems and that even the walls hold dark and sinister secrets. JOSEPH SHERIDAN LE FANU [1814-1873] was an Irish mystery and horror author. He had an enormous influence on the horror genre in the 19th and 20th century, especially through his championing of tone and effect rather than shock factor. Among his most noted work is the lesbian vampire novella Carmilla [1872] and mystery Uncle Silas [1864].