A traveler’s mistake leads him into a web of resentment and revenge in this chilling novella by the acclaimed author of The Leavenworth Case.

One night in early-twentieth-century Pennsylvania, a wanderer happens upon a well-lit house. Thinking he’s chanced upon a tavern, he begins to inquire about food and lodging, only to become confused when he’s told that he’s the first to arrive.

The explanation becomes clear as others begin to drift in and gather nervously under the gaze of a man’s imposing portrait: this is the reading of a will. The accidental visitor won’t be inheriting anything, of course. But he’ll soon find himself trapped in a tense atmosphere of conflict escalating into terrifying violence . . .

This volume also includes “The Hermit of ___ Street” and “The Ruby and the Caldron,” two more short works from the talented master of suspense.