But when his true love, the beauteous Emma, is kidnapped and imprisoned in the haunted Black Tower, Leonard must save her. Aided by his loyal but cowardly squire Owen, Leonard will face a series of adventures along the way. Finally, he will have to face an old nemesis in a duel to the death and escape a troop of robbers before he can rescue Emma and learn the secret of his own birth!
Influenced by Don Quixote and Clara Reeve's The Old English Baron, The Mystery of the Black Tower was popular with the Gothic reading public upon its release in 1796. Critically acclaimed in its own time, and influential on later writers such as Scott and Ainsworth, it ranks among the finest historical Gothic novels. This edition includes a new introduction for modern readers, as well as the text of contemporary reviews.