The Black Cat

The Three Eyes is a novel by French author Maurice Leblanc, first published in 1919. A science fiction book with plenty of mystery, that tells of a series of strange images that appear, projected on a wall. The author is best known for his creation of the detective Arsène Lupin.

Without, a midwinter twilight, where wandering snowflakes eddied in the bitter wind between a leaden sky and frost-bound earth. Within, a garret; gloomy, bare, and cold as the bleak night coming down. A haggard youth knelt before a little furnace, kindling a fire, with an expression of quiet desperation on his face, which made the simple operation strange and solemn. A pile of manuscript lay beside him, and in the hollow eyes that watched the white leaves burn was a tragic shadow, terrible to see,—for he was offering the first-born of heart and brain as sacrifice to a hard fate. Slowly the charcoal caught and kindled, while a light smoke filled the room. Slowly the youth staggered up, and, gathering the torn sheets, thrust them into his bosom, muttering bitterly, “Of all my hopes and dreams, my weary work and patient waiting, nothing is left but this. Poor little book, we’ll go together, and leave no trace behind.”

The Riddle of the Sands: A Record of Secret Service enjoyed immense popularity in the years before World War I. It is an early example of the espionage novel and was extremely influential in the genre of spy fiction.

THE LEATHER FUNNEL My friend, Lionel Dacre, lived in the Avenue de Wagram, Paris. His house was that small one, with the iron railings and grass plot in front of it, on the left-hand side as you pass down from the Arc de Triomphe. I fancy that it had been there long before the avenue was constructed, for the grey tiles were stained with lichens, and the walls were mildewed and discoloured with age. It looked a small house from the street, five windows in front, if I remember right, but it deepened into a single long chamber at the back. It was here that Dacre had that singular library of occult literature, and the fantastic curiosities which served as a hobby for himself, and an amusement for his friends.

The Vampire is a fascinating Gothic tale that unravels the mysteries of seduction and the dark allure of vampires.Exploring themes of disbelief and the power of attraction, The Vampire immerses the reader in a world of suspense and intense emotions.

The Secret of Sarek, also known as The Island of Thirty Coffins, is the tenth novel in the Arsène Lupin series of books by Maurice Leblanc. First published in 1919, it is the story of Véronique Degremont. Fourteen years previously, her own father had kidnapped her baby in an act of revenge for Veronique’s marriage, and both her father and her child drowned at sea. While watching a film, she spots her childhood signature on the side of a hut in the background of a scene, and after visiting the place where the film was shot, she becomes trapped in a mystery of prophecies, sinister forces, long lost relations, and ancient secrets.