The Skeleton Count: Or, The Vampire Mistress

The Skeleton Count, or The Vampire Mistress (1828) is a penny dreadful by Elizabeth Caroline Grey. Although the novel’s authorship is frequently disputed, The Skeleton Count, or The Vampire Mistress is likely the first vampire tale to be written and published by a woman. Like most penny dreadfuls, the novel makes up for a lack in style with an abundance of horror and romance. “When he had concluded the impious formula, an awful silence reigned in the turret, and he perceived the sheet gentl...