gothic fiction

Victor Frankenstein discovers the secret of creating life and fashions an eight-foot monster, only to bring danger and destruction to the lives of those he loves.

"When Cora Seaborne's domineering husband dies, she steps into her new life as a widow with as much relief as sadness. Seeking refuge, Cora leaves London for a visit to coastal Essex, accompanied by her son, Francis, and the boy's nanny, Martha, her fiercely protective friend. Cora learns of a fearsome creature said to roam the marshes claiming human lives. After nearly 300 years, the mythical Essex Serpent is said to have taken the life of a young man on New Year's Eve. Certain that the 'sea beast' may be a previously undiscovered species, Cora joins local vicar William Ransome in investigating the rumors"--OCLC.

Soon after Louisa's arrival at boarding school, she is offered a position as a maid, but as she begins to see the distortion and lies coming from inside the house, she's not quite sure whom to trust.

Young Catherine Morland's entry into nineteenth-century English society is attended by the collapse of many romantic illusions.

The final battle for domination is underway but, as the civilian population of London dwindles, it is still not clear who among the combatants will be triumphant.