Victorian Literature: Lady Audley's Secret

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Lady Audley's Secret, by Mary Elizabeth Braddon

One of the nice things about having an e-reader is that you can get lots of Victorian melodrama--for free! My reader is now packed full of weird old books that are not in any local libraries.

Lady Audley is a beautiful young woman, the belle of the county. She was a penniless governess, but is so lovely and amiable that Lord Audley (an older widower) fell deeply in love with her and raised her to a life of luxury and wealth. But! Lady Audley has a secret! That secret is completely obvious after the third chapter; most of the story is about how the young hero collects his evidence, so it's mainly a mystery story. However, there is more to Lady Audley's secret than we think, and there's another twist at the end.

It's pretty typical Victorian melodrama; mind candy, but fun. And it's not badly written.

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