The Black Abbot haunts Fossaway Manor, a spectral figure in a black hood reported wandering the abbey grounds for centuries, guarding a lost treasure that has eluded treasure hunters for generations. When Harry Alford arrives at the estate, he finds himself entangled in more than just the legend: Lord Chelford's impending marriage, the mysterious Leslie Gwyn, and the disgruntled former secretary Miss Wenner all harbor secrets that may be more dangerous than any ghost. As Harry digs deeper into the mystery of the Black Abbot, he discovers the line between the supernatural and human scheming is far thinner than the countryside legends suggest. Edgar Wallace masterfully weaves together Gothic atmosphere, romantic intrigue, and a cracking good puzzle in this 1926 mystery that keeps its cards close to the chest until the final revelation. The novel proved so potent that Wallace himself adapted it into the play The Terror, which spawned multiple film adaptations. For readers who love their mysteries with a dash of the uncanny and a treasure hunt to boot.
