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A masterful blend of Gothic drama and romance, Wilkie Collins's mystery novel is an exploration of illegitimacy and inheritance. Set in Cornwall, the plot foreshadows The Woman in White with its themes of doubtful identity and deception, and involves a broad array of characters. The 'secret' of the book's title is the true parentage of the book's heroine, Rosamond Treverton, which has been written down and kept in an unused room at Porthgenna Tower. This is where, 20 years later, much of the novel's action is set.
About the author
Wilkie Collins (1824-1889) studied law and was admitted to the bar but never practiced. Instead, he devoted his time to writing and is best known for his novels
The Woman in White,
No Name, Armadale, and
The Moonstone, which has been called the finest detective story ever written. A number of his works were collaborations with his close friend, Charles Dickens.
The Woman in White so gripped the imagination of the world that Wilkie Collins had his own tombstone inscribed: "Author of
The Woman in White."
