7-23-2026 Latham's Last Words: The Devil In A Domino by Chas L'Epine
- Donna Latham
- Jul 23
- 1 min read
Welcome to Latham's Last Words, where I give you my last words on vintage horror books I've enjoyed. Let's look at The Devil In A Domino from 1897.
One of the earliest books to take inspiration from Jack the Ripper, published in 1897, I thought it was an intriguing read. As the story progresses you can see influences also from Jekyll and Hyde, Frankenstein and The Picture of Dorian Gray.
As with most Victorian era horror, a modern reader might find the horror aspect understated or completely missing from this book. I had to read this thinking about how a reader from that era could be horrified by mentions of murder, mutilation and people behaving oddly. Not to mention the barely described abomination at the end.
I detested the main character Aleck, even before finding out about his evilness. But the way he tricked the women into a false sense of happiness was deplorable.
His wife Marianne was a bit annoying, but she was a typical Victorian genteel lady.
The character of Jem Pate broke my heart. Loyal to his master, but in the end his loyalty was to Aleck's final victim.
One thing that makes this book an interesting read is that no one even knows or has been able to determine who the author actually is. A mystery that will likely never be solved.
Get it here!
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