
Murder mask
A darkly atmospheric tale unfolds in a crumbling family estate, where a bitter heir returns after years abroad, driven by jealousy and a hidden grudge. He discovers a strange, ancient mask inscribed with a chilling warning: whoever dons it is doomed to kill the one they love before dawn. The mask’s eerie presence awakens something sinister in him, turning his charm into a cold, predatory menace that seems to drain the very light from the rooms he moves through.
As the household prepares for an elaborate masquerade, the returning cousin must navigate tense reunions with the woman he once courted and her new husband, both oblivious to the malice bubbling beneath his polished façade. The story balances gothic suspense with psychological tension, inviting listeners to feel the creeping dread of a man caught between a cursed relic and his own corrosive desire for revenge.
Language
en
Duration
~18 minutes (17K characters)
Release date
Jul 30, 2025
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
1887–1966
A Baltimore-born poet, teacher, and magazine writer, he published widely in newspapers and periodicals, moving easily between verse and short fiction. Today he is especially remembered for "Murder mask," a strange crime tale that still finds new readers in the public domain.
View all books
by Maria Edgeworth

by Abraham Cahan

by Charles Brockden Brown

by Hugo Gernsback

by J. P. (Jens Peter) Jacobsen

by Mildred A. (Mildred Augustine) Wirt

by Edward Bellamy

by Juliana Horatia Ewing