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The Mystic Sepulchre
“Vengeance flashed from his inflamed eye-balls: he drew a poniard from his bosom, and stabbed me to the heart; then, with a horrid shout of exultation, that made the vaulted roof resound, he hurled me headlong down the yawning chasm!”
Set in 15th-century Spain during the reign of Ferdinand and Isabella, the novel opens on a stormy night, when a traveller, Carlos, finds an abandoned infant on the side of the road. Seeking refuge for himself and the child, he takes shelter at the nearby Castle of Henares, where Rodorigo, the villainous son of the noble Count Henares, is preparing his evil schemes. Carlos’s arrival sets in motion a sequence of events involving intrigue, mistaken identity, murder, and the horrors of the Inquisition!
Filled with the usual trappings of classic Gothic fiction – a ruined and haunted priory, a hero confined to a dank dungeon, a pack of banditti in a subterranean cavern, and numerous bloody murders – The Mystic Sepulchre, or, Such Things Have Been (1806) is extremely rare, with only two known surviving copies. This new edition features an introduction by Dr. Joel T. Terranova.
Set in 15th-century Spain during the reign of Ferdinand and Isabella, the novel opens on a stormy night, when a traveller, Carlos, finds an abandoned infant on the side of the road. Seeking refuge for himself and the child, he takes shelter at the nearby Castle of Henares, where Rodorigo, the villainous son of the noble Count Henares, is preparing his evil schemes. Carlos’s arrival sets in motion a sequence of events involving intrigue, mistaken identity, murder, and the horrors of the Inquisition!
Filled with the usual trappings of classic Gothic fiction – a ruined and haunted priory, a hero confined to a dank dungeon, a pack of banditti in a subterranean cavern, and numerous bloody murders – The Mystic Sepulchre, or, Such Things Have Been (1806) is extremely rare, with only two known surviving copies. This new edition features an introduction by Dr. Joel T. Terranova.
188 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1806
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About the author
John Palmer Jr.
9 books1 followerJohn Palmer Junior (born in 1776), son of stage actor John Palmer (1744-1798). English stage actor and author.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
February 20, 2020
Only 2 copies of this novel were existence, and thank goodness they survived! This is a slim novel, full of odd side tangents with random characters and melodramatic coincidences, and super-enjoyable. The last few chapters alone make it worthwhile, with a crazy rollercoaster of WHAM! Last-minute plot reveal that changes everything! Whoops, no, here's another, even more unlikely! (Don't want to ruin anyone's surprise, so no detail). Just breathlessly. Kudos to Valancourt Books for publishing this, especially in such a lovely edition.
February 17, 2022
What a wild fucking ride. Throwing in new plot points and elements down to the final pages. Yes, it's trope-y with all its banditti, crumbling castles, evil monk, etc but it is a lot of fun. Like a lot
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews