The Law and the LadyValeria Woodville's first act as a married woman is to sign her name in the marriage register incorrectly, and this slip is followed by the gradual disclosure of a series of secrets about her husband's earlier life, each of which leads on to another set of questions and enigmas. Her discoveries prompt her to defy her husband's authority, to take the law into into a labyrinthine maze of false clues and deceptive identities, in which the exploration of the tangled workings of the mind becomes linked to an investigation into the masquerades of femininity. Probably the first full-length novel with a woman detective as its heroine, The Law and the Lady is a fascinating example of Collins's later fiction. First published in 1875, it employs many of the techniques used in The Moonstone, developing them in bizarre and unexpected ways, and in its Gothic and fantastic elements The Law and the Lady adds a significant dimension to the history of detective fiction. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more. |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
answered appeared Ariel arsenic asked Beauly Beauly's Benjamin chair creature cried Damoride dear death detective fiction Diary Dickens discovered doctor door doubt Edinburgh Eustace Macallan Eustace's evidence eyes face feel felt Gleninch hand happiness head hear heard heart husband idea innocent interest Jury kiss Lady Clarinda lawyer leave letter live London looked Lord Advocate madam Madeleine Smith maid Major Fitz-David marriage married matter mean mind Miserrimus Dexter morning mother mother-in-law never night novel nurse old friend Olympic Theatre once opened passed person Playmore Playmore's poison poor prisoner's question Ramsgate remember round secret silence speak spoke story strange surprise tell thing thought told took Trial turned uncle Valeria Verdict voice volume form waiting wife Wilkie Collins witness woman Woman in White women Woodville words write