Listed as one of Jane Austen's horrid novels in Northanger Abbey, The Castle of Wolfenbach is a classic Gothic novel first published in 1793. The story follows the young Matilda Weimar, who is fleeing her incestuous uncle, and finds refuge in the eerie and supposedly haunted Castle of Wolfenbach. There she discovers a prisoner, the Countess of Wolfenbach, who has been locked away by her vengeful husband. While within the castle, she learns terrible secrets while navigating treachery, romance, mystery, suspense and danger.

The novel follows a damsel in distress, scandalous family histories, and details the fight between good and evil.