A bizarre work whose labyrinthine plot defies summary, "Horrid Mysteries" (1796) recounts the experiences of Don Carlos and his friend, the Marquis of G******, who become entangled in the web of a secret society bent on world domination. As the heroes flee from place to place across Europe, the agents of this dark confederacy, seemingly possessed of supernatural powers, are always at their heels-and death lies around every corner
Unavailable for nearly 50 years, this unabashedly lurid Gothic novel written by an enigmatic German who styled himself the "Marquis of Grosse" and "Marquis of...