Books by Wilkie Collins

Old-timey horror is often a hard sell to a modern, visually-oriented audience whose palettes have long been cleansed, and numbed, by jumpscares, the gorefests of SAW-movies and the now common trope of evil children. Thus pampered by excess, it can be hard to ignore the old works' ghost strings, cheap rubber masks and the fact that the world and its horrors back then was simply... simpler. And when Wilkie Collins, on top of all that, graces this story with what sounds like the working title of Frasier Crane's disastrous classic radio drama "Nightmare Inn" from season 4 of the eponymous sitcom, the hill suddenly seems all the steeper. Fear not, however – well, not yet at least, as "The Haunted Hotel" is classified as "unusually horrific for Collins" by collinseurs. Breaking off his engagement to Agnes Lockwood, Lord Montbarry moves into an old dilapidated palace in Venice with his new wife and her brother. But when the lord suddenly ends up dead, his brother Henry and Agnes suspect an insurance fraud on part of Montbarry's new family. As the palace is refurbished into a hotel, the pair opts to stay there in search of the truth and even with Collins' normal flair for the supernatural in mind, the story veers in almost tangible spookiness. For the time, at any rate."The Haunted Hotel" was originally published in book form with "My Lady's Money" (1877) and dedicated to his friends Mr. and Mrs. Sebastian Schlesinger.Novelist, playwright, genre pioneer, opium addict, mentee of Charles Dickens, magnificently bearded individual – Englishman Wilkie Collins (1824-1889) has many titles to his name. Having a knack for mystery and unconventional characters, Collins' biggest contribution to world literature comes in the forms of "A Women in White" (1859) and "The Moonstone" (1868), with the former being mentioned on his headstone while the latter is widely considered the first modern detective novel.

Surprisingly, not the true story about what happened to the other two after Beyoncé disbanded Destiny's Child to pursue a solo career, "The Two Destinies" is a manageable little number about George and Mary – star-crossed lovers from different social classes. The setting is mid-19th Century England – a convenient Collins favourite.But before you glance at your copy of Pride & Prejudice, groan about this novel being yet another installment of a tired old trope and unpause "Bootylicious", keep reading because there's more! Old fortune-telling crones, transatlantic voyages, fat inheritances, malicious scandals, starving children, attempted suicides, spectres and disabled people – the story is a hotpot of explosive adjectives and colourful nouns. For the period at least. A classic story with many twists and turns, some even of the supernatural variety, "The Two Destinies" is a short and sweet exploration of kindred spirits vs. societal hierarchies – short enough that it can be finished during one sitting of Titanic (1997). And you already know how that one ends. In fact, you've known since 1912.Novelist, playwright, genre pioneer, opium addict, magnificently bearded individual – dead Englishman Wilkie Collins (1824-1889) has many titles to his name. Having a knack for mystery and unconventional characters, Collins' biggest contribution to world literature comes in the forms of "A Women in White" (1859) and "The Moonstone" (1868), with the former being mentioned on his headstone while the latter is widely considered the first modern detective novel.

Enticed by a large sum of money, Jessie, a spunky young girl of 20 summers, moves into a grand house inhabited by three older men. Now, if you think you already know where "Queen of Hearts" is heading, you should get your mind out of the gutter, because the year is 1859 and the style is chaste romance... but with a twist. The titular Queen of Hearts, Jessie, is a sensation with the three brothers, but her stay is numbered to only six full weeks (a calamity in itself) yet to top it off, one of the brothers' sons is in love with Jessie and wants to get home in time to propose. Thus, it falls to her hosts to delay Jessie's departure and so they devise a plan to compose and tell stories to enthrall and captivate her.Suddenly, one novel has split into 10 short stories and you feel like you're sitting at the bus stop next to Forrest Gump, engulfed by personal tales of everything from ping-pong to New Year's Eve with Lieutenant Dan before the main story picks up again. Just set yourself up for a happier ending.Novelist, playwright, genre pioneer, opium addict, mentee of Charles Dickens, magnificently bearded individual – dead Englishman Wilkie Collins (1824-1889) has many titles to his name. Having a knack for mystery and unconventional characters, Collins' biggest contribution to world literature comes in the forms of "A Women in White" (1859) and "The Moonstone" (1868), with the former being mentioned on his headstone while the latter is widely considered the first modern detective novel.

If you're born in the Western world or have played a lot of video games, chances are the title "The Legacy of Cain" will make you think of either polygon vampires or take you straight back to the lazy sunlit classrooms of primary school Bible studies. Fortunately, Wilkie Collins' 1888 novel avoids the oppressive embrace of both of these constructs yet still manages to mix in both faith and horrific murder.Against both his wife's and doctor's wishes, a minister decides to adopt the baby daughter of a prisoner facing execution, arguing that the mother's evil can't possibly have been passed down. The hitherto childless couple suddenly has a baby girl of their own and the two girls are raised ignorant of the truth. Yet as ghosts of the past creep into the girls' lives, the question becomes how long the secret can be kept – and what the consequences its uncovering will be.An exploration of nature vs. nurture with a pinch of the supernatural, "The Legacy of Cain" isn't about anybody named Cain at all – but we'll wager you'll like it all the same.Novelist, playwright, genre pioneer, opium addict, mentee of Charles Dickens, magnificently bearded individual – dead Englishman Wilkie Collins (1824-1889) has many titles to his name. Having a knack for mystery and unconventional characters, Collins' biggest contribution to world literature comes in the forms of "A Women in White" (1859) and "The Moonstone" (1868), with the former being mentioned on his headstone while the latter is widely considered the first modern detective novel.

Perhaps Wilkie Collins' editor thought "John Jago's Ghost" sounded too much like an exciting tale of cursed, swashbuckling pirates for the alternate title of this novella to end up on the cover and instead settled for "The Dead Alive" – arguably the most balderdash title for a piece of fiction until the Sean Penn movie "Dead Man Walking" (1995). In the end though, the current title is somehow the more appropriate for this piece based on the infamous 1819 "Boorn Brothers" murder trial. An Englishman's fictional account of the first case of wrongful convictions in the history of The United States, the story centers around two brothers sentenced to death and life in prison respectively, for murdering their brother-in-law. However, the evidence is circumstantial, no body is found and how much does one brother's fiancée really know? The first legal thriller according to author and foreword writer Scott Turow, "The Dead Alive" serves you up a digestible platter of courtroom drama seasoned with that most delicious of spices: Based on true events. Novelist, playwright, genre pioneer, opium addict, mentee of Charles Dickens, magnificently bearded individual – dead Englishman Wilkie Collins (1824-1889) has many titles to his name. Having a knack for mystery and unconventional characters, Collins' biggest contribution to world literature comes in the forms of "A Women in White" (1859) and "The Moonstone" (1868), with the former being mentioned on his headstone while the latter is widely considered the first modern detective novel.

It usually takes somebody already familiar with the piece or its author, or perhaps a bride-to-be who went a little too deep down the Google rabbit hole, to whip up much attention for a title like "The Woman in White". Yet that's not to say that those that let themselves be spirited away to the hot summer nights of 1850s Cumberland, North West England, aren't in for a treat. A young artist has secured a position as a private teacher for a pair of fair ladies in the countryside, but on the night of his departure from London, a secretive and distressed woman clad all in white(!) crosses his path. He later discovers that she's an escaped mental patient and thus a gothic mystery of love, marriage, murder and greed unfolds.But don't just take our word for it – a lot of people thought this book was the proverbial bomb, including the author himself, who figured he'd never write anything better. Hence "The Woman in White" has been adapted for radio twice, for theatre a total of 5 times, for film and television 13 times and even became a computer game in 2010. Novelist, playwright, genre pioneer, opium addict, magnificently bearded individual – dead Englishman Wilkie Collins (1824-1889) has many titles to his name. Having a knack for mystery and unconventional characters, Collins' biggest contribution to world literature comes in the forms of "A Women in White" (1859) and "The Moonstone" (1868), with the former being mentioned on his headstone while the latter is widely considered the first modern detective novel.

The recently married Valeria Brinton uncovers an unsettling truth about her new husband, including a false identity and the potential murder of his first wife. Valeria is determined to solve the mystery of her husband's previous marriage and presumed guilt. Shortly after her wedding, Valeria Brinton learns her husband, Eustace Woodville, has been living a lie. His real name is Eustace Macallan and he was previously accused of murdering his first wife. Although he wasn't convicted, the Scottish verdict "not proven" left plenty of room for speculation. Yet, Valeria is committed to her husband and believes he's innocent. Despite the naysayers, she embarks on a journey to find the truth, clearing Eustace's name once and for all.The Law and the Lady is one of Wilkie Collins classic detective novels. It's a timeless tale of perseverance despite the looming judgement of nineteenth century society. The protagonist's unwavering faith and inquisitive nature makes for a compelling read that captivates one's spirit and imagination. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of The Law and the Lady is both modern and readable.

A sharp-witted detective investigates the mystery of a gem, plundered from India and now vanished in England, and discovers shifting motives, unreliable testimony and growing danger in this foundational classic of mystery fiction.The Moonstone justly occupies an exalted position as a groundbreaking novel that opened the way for a great deal of genre fiction, mysteries and thrillers, but it is far more than simply an influence upon later works. This is an epistolary novel with a number of diverse and clearly incised viewpoints, displaying the author's skill with both character and the unveiling of the elements of a mystery plot. One of the characters is the detective charged with finding the thief who stole the Moonstone, a huge diamond with a bloody history, and he is a clear precursor to A.C. Doyle's Sherlock Holmes. Another character, much remarked upon at the novel's original release, suffers from opium addiction, depicted with frightening clarity by Collins, who dealt with that issue firsthand. The plot is sensational but relayed realistically and builds to one of the most unusual plot twists in mystery literature, made all the more remarkable by virtue of appearing in the genre's earliest days. Initially serialized in Charles Dickens magazine All The Year Round, The Moonstone was published in 1868 and has never been out of print since.With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of The Moonstone is both modern and readable.

An embattled inheritance, accusations of madness, scheming villainy and much more tie into the labyrinthine plot of one of the most celebrated and sensational novels of the Victorian era.¿A young man just beginning a new job in London meets with a strange woman on a moonlit road, offers her assistance getting into the city and then finds she may have just escaped an asylum. Hidden connections are unveiled between the family that employs the young man and the mysterious woman, pulling the reader into a suspenseful web of plots within plots, theft, betrayal, mistaken identities and attempted murder. Punctuating his dramatic narrative with sharp suspense and sudden moments of revelation that provide shock and understanding in equal measure, Wilkie Collins was pioneer of the literary thriller. In 1859, when serialized in Charles Dickens magazine, All the Year Round, crowds lined up to buy each installment of The Woman in White. Modern readers will be grateful to have the entire text at hand as the author¿s remarkable storytelling skills retain their power to ensnare, enchant and keep the pages turning toward the unpredictable conclusion.With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of The Woman in White is both modern and readable.

Piirustuksenopettaja Walter Hartight on menettänyt Laura-rakkaansa sir Percival Glydelle. Avioliitto ei kuitenkaan näytä onnelliselta, ja Glyden käytöksessä on jotakin outoa. Mitä Glyde oikein salailee? Ja miten Hartrightin tapaama valkopukuinen, mystinen nainen liittyy Limmeridgen kartanon väkeen ja Lauraan? "Valkopukuinen nainen" on Wilkie Collinsin mestarillinen jännitysromaani vuodelta 1859, joka on inspiroinut monia nykyajan rikosromaaneja. BBC julkaisi romaaniin perustuvan TV-sarjan vuonna 2018. Tämä on kirjan toinen osa.Wilkie Collins (1824–1889) oli englantilainen kirjailija, joka vaikutti merkittävästi modernin rikoskirjallisuuden syntyyn. Collinsin kuuluisin teos "Valkopukuinen nainen" oli valtava myyntimenestys jo julkaisuvuonnaan 1859. Collins kirjoitti romaanien lisäksi myös novelleja ja näytelmiä. Hän oli läheinen ystävä Charles Dickensin kanssa.

Nuori piirustuksenopettaja Walter Hartright on saanut töitä Limmeridgen kartanosta, jossa hänen on määrä opettaa suvun tyttärille taiteita. Ennen kartanoon muuttoa tapahtuu kuitenkin jotakin perin kummallista: Hartright kohtaa pimeällä kadulla mystisen, täysin valkoisiin pukeutuneen naisen, joka kertoo joutuneensa onnettomuuteen. Limmeridgessä Hartright rakastuu yhteen perheen nuorista naisista – ja sotkeutuu samalla perheen salaisuuksiin, joihin liittyy yllättäen valkopukuinen nainen..."Valkopukuinen nainen" on Wilkie Collinsin mestarillinen jännitysromaani vuodelta 1859, joka on inspiroinut monia nykyajan rikosromaaneja. BBC julkaisi romaaniin perustuvan TV-sarjan vuonna 2018.Wilkie Collins (1824–1889) oli englantilainen kirjailija, joka vaikutti merkittävästi modernin rikoskirjallisuuden syntyyn. Collinsin kuuluisin teos "Valkopukuinen nainen" oli valtava myyntimenestys jo julkaisuvuonnaan 1859. Collins kirjoitti romaanien lisäksi myös novelleja ja näytelmiä. Hän oli läheinen ystävä Charles Dickensin kanssa.

"The Moonstone" by Wilkie Collins is one of the forefathers of detective fiction, cementing the foundations of the genre. At the centre of it lays the theft of a diamond, dating in origin from a religious Indian shrine, which prompts detective Sergeant Cuff to take up the case. It is an absolute page-turner of a story and goes through the accounts of the different characters, winding and meandering from fact to fiction and vice versa. A tale of romance, theft, murder, and mystery, "The Moonstone" is a central text for the genre, recommended to all readers of fiction.B. J. Harrison started his Classic Tales Podcast back in 2007, wanting to breathe new life into classic stories. He masterfully plays with a wide array of voices and accents and has since then produced over 500 audiobooks. Now in collaboration with SAGA Egmont, his engaging narration of these famous classics is available to readers everywhere.Wilkie Collins (1824-1889) was an English novelist, one of the most popular and well paid during of his generation. A close friend of Charles Dickens, Collins achieved his fame mostly through his novel "The Woman in White" which many consider the first piece of British detective fiction. His other popular works include "The Moonstone" and "Armadale".

"The Dream Woman" is a novella by Wilkie Collins, telling the story of Francis Raven, a young man who dreams that a strange woman is trying to kill him. Eventually, he marries a woman who looks exactly like the one from his dream. This novella is a cosy mystery that leaves readers with more questions than answers. A lot of guesswork is needed, and the reader is often disturbed by the occurrences, not knowing what or how it came to this. The femme fatale mystery, as well as the supernatural and dream-like episodes turn the story into a compelling read that fans of supernatural crime and mystery fiction will love.B. J. Harrison started his Classic Tales Podcast back in 2007, wanting to breathe new life into classic stories. He masterfully plays with a wide array of voices and accents and has since then produced over 500 audiobooks. Now in collaboration with SAGA Egmont, his engaging narration of these famous classics is available to readers everywhere.Wilkie Collins (1824-1889) was an English novelist, one of the most popular and well paid during of his generation. A close friend of Charles Dickens, Collins achieved his fame mostly through his novel "The Woman in White" which many consider the first piece of British detective fiction. His other popular works include "The Moonstone" and "Armadale".

"The Haunted Hotel" is a suspenseful and captivating story of a family who has been told of their relative''s sudden death whilst on his honeymoon in Italy. Feeling rather suspicious of his new wife, Countess Narona, they decide to set out to Italy themselves to uncover the mystery behind his death. On reaching his palace of residence in Venice which is converted into a hotel after his death each of them starts experiencing something strange and paranormal, and they begin to question whether their relative, Lord Montbarry, really died in the way that have been described to them...