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.