Mary, the Maid of the Inn
Author: Unknown; Publication: 1822
Featuring themes of superstition, mental illness, and moral dilemmas, this chapbook—adapted from a Robert Southey poem—follows Mary as she uncovers her betrothed’s crimes goes mad.
Angelina
Author: Thomas Peckett Prest; Publication: 1841
A tale of murder, mystery, and forbidden love, this serialized novel of haunted ruins was published by Edward Lloyd.
Roxalana
Author: Unknown; Publication: 1806
In this chapbook—one of multiple versions of this tale—set in the Ottoman era, a tragic story unfolds involving family disputes and an undying jealousy leading to a family’s demise.
The Castle of Montabino
Author: Sarah Wilkinson; Publication: 1810
A tale of murder, treachery and greed set in the heart of Italy, this chapbook narrates two sisters’ daring escape from the clutches of their cruel uncle.
The Unfortunate Daughter
Author: John Corry; Publication: 1803
In this novella set in England, a nobleman uses an all-female boarding school to seduce and subsequently elope a young woman, only to abandon her in France.
The Magician, or the Mystical Adventures of Seraphina
Author: Unknown; Publication: 1804
Sometimes published with “Arabian Lovers,” this chapbook centers on a girl who must resist a man who claims to be her promised husband.
Arabian Lovers
Author: Claude Savary; Publication: 1804
This chapbook, sometimes published with “The Magician, or the Mystical Adventures of Seraphina,” was originally in Arabic and describes a story of heartbreak and reunion.
Statira
Author: Mrs. Showes; Publication: 1798
Published by Minerva Press and featuring an interpolated tale, this novel examines the strength of marital versus motherly love in the face of jealousy and deception.
Falkner
Author: Mary Shelley; Publication: 1837
In this three-volume novel, set in multiple countries across Europe, Mary Shelley grapples with one man’s guilt and his attempt to resolve it by adopting a young orphan girl.
The Convent Spectre
Author: Unknown; Publication: 1808
In this chapbook, two characters meet in a convent and realize, through a tale of mystery and suspense, that they have more in common than they thought.
