Joseph Thomas Sheridan Le Fanu (1814 -1873) was an Irish writer of Gothic novels, one of the most influential ghost story writers of the nineteenth century. Combining detective with gothic romance, "Checkmate" tells the story of a rich man Walter Longcluse, who, through a relationship with Alice Wynderbroke and her family, falls into a whirlpool of terrible events, including murder. This book is an excellent example of the well-written sensation novel.