Following the death of his only son during the Great War, American Delapore becomes the last remaining descendant of the De La Poer family and decides to relocate to his English ancestral estate, Exham Priory. Once there, he starts hearing the sound of rats through the walls and having strange dreams that lead him to the discovery of his family's despicable secret. "The Rats in the Walls" is a 1923 short story by American author H. P. Lovecraft. A chilling tale of a horrific family secret that will not disappoint fans of Lovecraft's seminal literature. Howard Phillips Lovecraft (18901937) was an American writer of supernatural horror fiction. Though his works remained largely unknown and did not furnish him with a decent living, Lovecraft is today considered to be among the most significant writers of supernatural horror fiction of the twentieth century. Other notable works by this author include: At The Mountains of Madness, The Dunwich Horror, and The Shadow Over Innsmouth. Read & Co. is publishing this classic short story now as part of our Fantasy and Horror Classicsimprint in a new edition with a dedication by George Henry Weiss.