Alcott wrote passionate, fiery novels and sensational stories under the nom de plume A. M. Barnard. Among these are 'Behind a Mask,' 'Pauline's Passion and Punishment,' and 'A Long Fatal Love Chase.' Her protagonists for these tales are willful and relentless in their pursuit of their own aims, which often include revenge on those who have humiliated or thwarted them. Of all her stories of femme fatales, 'Behind a Mask' is considered Alcott's masterpiece in the genre of sensation fiction.