Before You Begin

Before you begin.

A letter brings Adam Salton from Australia to the English home of his grand-uncle, Richard. The welcome at Lesser Hill opens a new life in rural Cheshire, where old family ties, neighboring estates, and the ancient grove near Castra Regis give the countryside a history of its own. Then the return of the Caswall heir and a series of strange disturbances unsettle the quiet farms around them.

Bram Stoker published The Lair of the White Worm in 1911. The novel joins the Gothic tradition to the Edwardian age, setting modern houses, travel, and experiments beside legends and traces buried in the landscape. Its suspense grows through the people who share this corner of England and the questions they cannot yet answer.

This illustrated edition follows the story through its 28 chapters. The maps, character portraits, relationships, scenes, and Story Medallions help keep the places and people in view; recaps and passage cards unlock as you read, so each one stays with the story up to that moment. Begin with Adam's arrival, and let the mystery gather at its own pace.