Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu was written well before the book everyone knows by Bram Stoker. This tale, however, isn't about a male vampire. It's about a young woman who lives on an estate in the country with her father and their servants, she is a little bored and definitely lonely. So when a carriage crashes in front of her and a mother begs them to keep her daughter safe for a few months, she begs her father to let this beautiful young woman stay at their home.
While the local village begins to experience a strange illness, causing the deaths of young women. The young noblewoman is increasingly drawn to and repelled by her houseguest. She has so much longing for what her guest offers and ultimately falls under her spell. How will the story end?
Lucky for us readers, this tale can be read in an afternoon or over a weekend, it's one that is very hard to put down.