Lady Audley's Secret
Report an issue
Tell us what's wrong and we'll take a look.
Thanks – we got it. We'll review and follow up if needed.
A barrister becomes a detective when his friend disappears at an English manor in this classic Victorian novel. Beautiful Lucy Graham charms every man she meets, including wealthy widower Sir Michael Audley. After they marry, he refurbishes his mansion to create a little palace for his new wife, where her future seems bright. Her past, however, is shrouded in darkness, and she'll do whatever it takes to keep it hidden. Then Sir Michael's nephew, Robert, a London barrister, comes for a visit with his good friend George Talboys for a week of fishing. But when George mysteriously vanishes, there's no time to relax. Increasingly suspicious of his new aunt, Robert searches for clues, determined to find his friend and discover exactly who Lady Audley really is. One of the most popular examples of the "sensation novel" craze that swept England during the nineteenth century, Lady Audley's Secret is said to reflect themes from a real-life crime of the era, the notorious Constance Kent case.
Mary Elizabeth Braddon
Mary Elizabeth Braddon was born in London in 1837 into the unhappy family of a Cornish solicitor who left when she was five. Her brother Edward left for Tasmania five years later, eventually becoming its prime minister in 1894. Mary helped support herself and her mother by working as an actress and writing fiction. Lady Audley's Secret (1862) was her fourth published novel and first success. It was widely reviled by critics as 'sensation fiction' but made her rich. Seventy more novels followed, many in a similarly racy vein, and remarkable for their inventiveness and readability. She died in 1915.
More by Mary Elizabeth Braddon
Why Readwise Books?
Readwise Books is an ebook & audiobook platform that automatically logs how much you and your friends read, making it fun and easy to read more. Learn more →