Blood & Thunder

Before Little Women, Louisa May Alcott wrote what she called her "blood and thunder tales" - dark, pulpy thrillers penned under the pseudonym A.M. Barnard. These lurid tales of forbidden love, manipulation, and murder were lost for nearly a century before being rediscovered in 1942. This collection of Alcott's forgotten stories gives a rare glimpse into the darker side of 19th century women.

In the years before Little Women, Louisa May Alcott anonymously wrote several thrillers in order to make ends meet. Dubbed as her "blood and thunder tales", they reveal a bright, inventive and passionate writer driven to keep the reader riveted to the page. ¶ Behind A Mask is considered the best of these tales. Jean Muir works her will on the Coventry family, who are rich, indolent, and ripe for the picking. While also tackling themes of social status and feminism, Alcott deftly delivers a shocking tale of obsessive intrigue.