Upper-intermediate

Edgar Allan Poe, ‘the father of the detective story’ and a master of horror, is one of the greatest American short story writers. In these stories we meet people struggling with fear, revenge, mental illness and death. Which of them will win – and which will lose – their battles?

Phileas Fogg is living quietly in London. Then he makes a bet that he can travel around the world in eighty days. The result is a crazy, exciting race against time across Europe, Asia and America. There are many dangers along the way – and a detective who wants to arrest him!

After the death of his beautiful wife Rebecca, Maxim de Winter goes to Monte Carlo to forget the past. There he meets and marries a quiet young woman and takes her back to Manderley, his family home in Cornwall. But will the memory of Rebecca destroy the new marriage?

Jane Eyre, a poor girl, leaves her cruel aunt’s house and goes away to school. Later, she becomes a teacher and works for the rich Mr Rochester. She loves him and wants to marry him. He loves her too, but he has a dark secret ...

Patrick Lanigan, a lawyer, dies in a car crash. Later, the partners in his law firm discover that Patrick is not really dead. He is living in Brazil, and he has 90 million dollars of his partners’ money…

This collection brings together some of the best examples of late nineteenthand early twentieth-century short stories. Some are about ordinary people to whom something unexpected happens. Others are about unusual characters or events. Some of the stories are funny and others are more serious. All of them are highly enjoyable.

When her mother dies, Mary Yellan goes to live with her aunt and uncle at Jamaica Inn. Strange things happen there at night, and Mary slowly discovers that she and her aunt are in terrible danger. Can she save herself and her aunt before it is too late?

Jane and Elizabeth Bennet are the oldest of five sisters in need of husbands, but it isn’t easy to find the right man. Are Mr Bingley, Mr Darcy and Mr Wickham all that they seem? Will pride and prejudice ever be defeated in the search for true love?

Sir Charles Baskerville is found dead just outside his home, Baskerville Hall. Many of the Baskerville family have died mysteriously. People say that they were killed by a gigantic devil-like creature – the Hound of the Baskervilles! Can that be true? And can Sherlock Holmes save the new owner of Baskerville Hall from a terrible death?