Robert Hugh Benson (1871-1914) was the youngest son of Edward White Benson, Archbishop of Canterbury, and brother to the writer, E F Benson. After his father’s death he converted to Catholicism, was ordained as a priest, later becoming a monsignor.

This novel (first published 1909) is a cautionary tale of the dangers of spiritualism. It also contains an interesting account of grief and bereavement. Some people have read it as a horror story.