Ingeniously conceived and brilliantly rendered, and set against the backdrop of the California Gold Rush, "The Wreck of the Golden Mary" is a masterpiece of Victorian storytelling. En route to making their fortunes, the passengers of the Golden Mary suffer a terrifying ordeal when their vessel collides with an iceberg. Now the helpless victims of a shipwreck, they turn to the restorative powers of storytelling in a desperate attempt to raise morale. As each takes their turn, from the captain to the first mate, the Dickensian figures of miser and murderer, orphan and ghost, are brought onboard...

Based on a 1858 play called "Red Vial," Collins' "Jezebel's Daughter" is a tale of mystery, betrayal, and misguided trust revolving around Mrs. Fontaine, a nefarious widow who employs her late husband's poisons and remedies to manipulate those around her. A thrilling and engaging novel with obvious parallels to modern detective fiction, this book is recommended for fans of such literature, and it constitutes a must-have for collectors of Collins' work. Many antiquarian books like this are becoming increasingly rare and expensive, and it is with this in mind that we are republishing "Jezebel's...

Wilkie Collins (1824-1889) is best known as the innovator of the detective novel. He was a prolific writer, with 30 novels, more than 60 short stories, 14 plays, and more than 100 non-fiction pieces to his name. He was a close friend of Charles Dickens and one of the best known and loved Victorian Fiction writers. After his death, his popularity diminished as Dickens's grew. Now, Collins is once again becoming popular with most of his books in print and film, television and radio adaptations being made. There is much still to be discovered about this great author and this volume contains his...

Wilkie Collins' novel 'Basil' is regarded as the inspiration for the later 'sensation novel' and ultimately today's 'detective genre'. The book produced a furore when first published in 1852, Shocked by this frank tale of secret marriage, betrayal, madness and mortality, the critics and self-appointed upholders of Victorian values tore into the work, describing the book as 'a tale of criminality, almost revolting from its domestic horrors. The vicious atmosphere ... weighs on us like a nightmare'. Seen from today's perspective 'Basil' is a perceptive exploration of nineteenth-century...

The Moonstone (1868) is generally considered to be the first detective novel in the English language and also one of the best detective stories of all time. Rachel Verinder, a young woman, inherits a large Indian diamond on her eighteenth birthday. It is a legacy from her uncle, a corrupt army officer who served in India. The diamond is of great religious significance as well as being extremely valuable and three Hindu priests have dedicated their lives to recovering it. Rachel's birthday is celebrated with a large party, whose guests include her cousin Franklin Blake. She wears the Moonstone...