Books published by Valancourt Books

Mary Blyth is fired from her job for tardiness after being robbed and nearly murdered. But her luck seems to change for the better when a solicitor informs her that her distant uncle Benjamin Batters has died, naming her his sole heiress! He bequeaths to her a dilapidated old house, where impenetrable iron doors may guard terrible secrets.But the rats that infest the house, and the spirits that seem to haunt it, are not her only concerns. A trio of grotesque and ruthless thugs will stop at nothing to gain entrance to the house and the secrets it conceals. As the mystery deepens, a more frightening question arises: Is Benjamin Batters playing a murderous game from beyond the grave, or is he still alive? The novel''s relentless action builds in a crescendo until the horrifying truth of Batters''s fate is finally revealed!Richard Marsh''s The Joss (1901) can be read as a companion volume to his most famous novel, The Beetle (1897), which in its time outsold even Bram Stoker''s Dracula (1897). Like The Beetle, The Joss features a thrilling tale told from multiple points of view and a hideous, subhuman monster from the East. The Valancourt Books edition reprints the rare 1901 first edition, which survives in only a handful of copies worldwide, complete with a facsimile of its cover.

Clermont is the story of Madeline, a porcelain doll of a Gothic heroine, who lives in seclusion from society with her father, Clermont, whose past is shrouded in mystery. One stormy night, their solitude is interrupted by a benighted traveller, a Countess who turns out to be a friend from Clermont''s past.Madeline goes to live with the Countess to receive her education, but her new idyllic life soon turns into a shocking nightmare. Ruffians attack the gentle Countess, and Madeline is assaulted in a gloomy crypt. And to make matters worse, a sinister stranger appears, threatening to reveal the bloody truth of Clermont''s past unless Madeline marries him. Can she avoid the snares of her wily pursuers, solve the mystery of her father''s past, and win the love of her dear De Sevignie?This edition of Clermont includes the unabridged text of the novel, based on the first edition of 1798, as well as a new introduction and other supplementary materials.About the EditorNatalie Schroeder is Associate Professor of English at the University of Mississippi. She teaches courses in Victorian Literature, Dickens, and women''s literature.