Checkmate

"The match is over, and you may rise now and say Checkmate."

Walter Longcluse is a mysterious figure, a drifter and self-made man whose travels throughout France, Austria, and England resulted in a large personal fortune. Being personable, he is quickly accepted into the Arden family, former aristocrats whose once ascendant star has lately waned with unpaid debts and the shadow of a murder. As Longcluse courts Alice Arden, brother Richard becomes fast friends with Longcluse. A visit to a gambling club one night brings them face to face with Monsieur Lebas, a brute who seems to recognize Longcluse but is almost immediately found murdered. The story unfolds, to thrilling conclusion, with a surprising plot twist right at the end.

Checkmate is a chillingly atmospheric tale of betrayal as only Le Fanu could create.