Laura lives a lonely life in Austrian castle with her father, nursemaid and governess. When she meets Carmilla they become close friends, but Laura doesn't realise that Carmilla is a vampire and falling in love with her new friend. The torrid relationship between the two make for a disturbing Gothic tale. Beautifully written with haunting imagery, Le Fanu's book pre-dates Bram Stoker's 'Dracula' by a quarter of a century.