_THE RETURN OF THE RITUAL_ IS AN ENTHRALLING SHORT STORY THAT FOLLOWS THE SAVVY SHERLOCK HOLMES-TYPE CHARACTER DR TAVERNER AND HIS UNASSUMING ASSISTANT AS THEY HUNT FOR A STOLEN MANUSCRIPT – THE TYPE OF WHICH, IF FOUND IN THE WRONG HANDS, COULD HAVE CATASTROPHIC CONSEQUENCES FOR HUMANITY. After Dr Taverner receives a telepathic lead on the misuse of the ancient ritual, he and his assistant Dr Rhodes set out on an adventure to track down the stolen manuscript and save the world from ruin. But will they track down the missing ritual and prevail? First published in 1926, this story by Dion Fortune forms part of a more extensive collection of scary detective stories based around the eccentric character, Dr Taverner. Taverner runs a nursing home where the occupants are far from ordinary, with vampires, shapeshifters, telepaths and bloodhounds as residents. With her fiction deeply rooted in the esoteric sciences, Dion Fortune has created a world unlike no other, directly influenced by her personal beliefs and experiences with occultism. Republished by Fantasy and Horror Classics as a short story in its own right, this fantasy and horror classic is a must-read for lovers of occultist literature, and those interested in classic mysteries and crime fiction.