Victorian Mystery Classics

Late one moonlit night, Walter Hartright encounters a solitary and terrified woman dressed all in white. He saves her from capture by her pursuers and determines to solve the mystery of her distress and terror. Inspired by an actual criminal case, this gripping tale of murder, intrigue, madness and mistaken identity has never been out of print since its publication and brought Collins great fame and success.

Exclusively from Audible. The Secret Agent is based on an actual attempt made in 1894 to blow up the Greenwich Observatory. A labyrinth of greed, corruption, and betrayal, it is the most darkly humorous of all Conrad's tales. It follows a European secret agent, Adolf Verloc, 'a London shop owner' with anarchist leanings who becomes reluctantly involved in a plot to blow up the Greenwich Observatory. Full of great characters, melodramatic irony and psychological intrigue the tale is far from simple....

he game is afoot. When Dr. John Watson, a wounded veteran newly returned from Afghanistan, meets the brilliant and eccentric Sherlock Holmes, he has no idea he is about to witness the birth of a legend. Sharing rooms at 221B Baker Street, the unlikely pair soon find themselves drawn into a...

The Secret Agent was one of the first espionage novels ever written, and it is certainly one of the finest in the oeuvre of Joseph Conrad. The story concerns the attempt by a group of back-alley revolutionaries to destroy one of London's most famous landmarks and thereby set off a revolution.

A Study in Scarlet was the very first Sherlock Holmes novel. Here, in the most remarkably precise manner, Doyle produced two of the most well-known characters in English fiction. Their individual traits and their relationships, their ambitions and foibles are introduced against the backdrop of an exciting story of revenge and persistence, which starts in Victorian England but moves to the American West, and the environment of the early Mormon communities.

A murdered man. A blind witness. A broken clock that may expose the truth. When respected New York resident Mr. Hasbrouck is found shot to death inside his home, Detective Ebenezer Gryce confronts a case with no clear suspect, no reliable witness, and almost no physical evidence. The only people...

Immerse yourself in the rural charm and romance of Wessex as you listen to 'Under the Greenwood Tree', a delightful tale of love, music, and community. Thomas Hardy's vivid descriptions of country life and his tender portrayal of the budding romance between the young schoolmistress Fancy Day and the handsome church musician Dick Dewy will captivate your heart and transport you to another time and place. With its lively cast of characters, humorous anecdotes, and beautiful melodies, this audiobook is a true gem of English literature.

Pride and Prejudice is a romantic novel by Jane Austen, first published in 1813. The story charts the emotional development of the protagonist, Elizabeth Bennet, who learns the error of making hasty judgments and comes to appreciate the difference between the superficial and the essential. The comedy of the writing lies in the depiction of manners, education, marriage, and money during the British Regency period.

The Dead Witness gathers the finest adventures among private and police detectives from the 19th century and into the early 20th - including a wide range of overlooked gems creating the finest ever anthology of Victorian detective stories. "The Dead Witness", the 1866 title story by Australian writer Mary Fortune, is the first known detective story by a woman, a suspenseful clue-strewn manhunt in the Outback. This forgotten treasure sets the tone for the whole anthology....

What if the most terrifying discovery in the universe isn't hidden among the stars, but trapped in the room with you? Isolated on a remote Bornean mountain, astronomer Woodhouse begins a solitary night watch inside the claustrophobic Avu Observatory. The telescope is locked onto the void, and...

Last Christmas, Ebenezer Scrooge was visited by three festive spirits, and the bleak vision of his future has haunted him ever since. He wants to be a good man, and he never wants to see another ghost as long as he lives. But changing your ways for a day is easy. Changing your ways for ever is a...

When Walter Hartright encounters the "solitary figure of a woman, dressed from head to foot in white garments" on a lonely road, he is haunted by her. He falls in love with his employer's niece, Laura, because she resembles the mysterious woman. Laura, however, is betrothed to the evil Sir Percival, who wishes to marry her for her money. The woman in white, it turns out, is Anne Catherick, who was confined in an asylum by the evil Sir Percival because she knew a devastating secret about him.

During the last part of the nineteenth century, the detective story took off as a popular genre as literary magazines vied with each other to draw in readers with gripping page-turners by the likes of Arthur Conan Doyle, G. K. Chesterton, Guy Boothby and Wilkie Collins. This collection brings together some of the great detectives of the Victorian era, from the master sleuth himself, Sherlock Holmes, to the mild mannered Father Brown, to the feisty J. G. Reeder.

A beautiful woman. A perfect marriage. A secret worth killing for. When the enchanting Lucy Graham marries the wealthy Sir Michael Audley, she appears to have secured a fairy-tale future. Charming, graceful, and seemingly innocent, Lady Audley quickly becomes the jewel of Audley Court. But...

Mysterious socialite Dorian Gray is at the centre of Sherlock Holmes’ latest investigation in this astonishing, uncanny mash-up of Victorian mystery and horror 1903 Sherlock Holmes and Dr John Watson have tickets to the newly arrived Egyptian Circus. Holmes is puzzled by his brother...

A thrilling tale of murder and intrigue in Victorian London, featuring Detective Harry Pilgrim. Perfect for fans of S. J. PARIS and C. J. SANSOM. Previously published as A KILLING KINDNESS. London 1850. A city of contrasts. Of scientific marvels, poverty, disease and death. When Detective...

"Clifford Samuel's low, melodious voice sounds like it was made for this atmospheric queer retelling of the Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde story." - AudioFile Magazine A teen boy tries to discover the reason behind his best friend's disappearance—and the arrival of a mysterious and magnetic...

BBC Radio dramatisations and readings of Browning’s most famous poems, performed by stars including Anton Lesser, Roger Allam and David Tennant, plus two bonus plays Victorian poet Robert Browning was renowned for his evocative dramatic monologues peopled with vivid, morally ambiguous...