This brilliantly written novelette goes right for the heart. The creativity and Shakespearean wit are deftly intertwined with the timelessly poignant way Ms. Davis searches for the true essence of the human existence. This is truly the work of a writer who has mastered her craft. Ms. Davis has written a children's book for eternity.

Davis's use of humor intrigues the reader and keeps you wanting more

A very readable Victorian mystery, I guess it would qualify in today's market as a cozy. I understand that Braddon was influenced by Wilke Collins, and therefore it is advantageous to also read The Woman in White, a generally more complex novel.

In any case, the first half of Lady Audley's Secret is compelling in its set-up of the mystery that follows, and I read it very quickly as it kept calling me back to it. The rest of the book, while still interesting, is spent observing the Lady's nephew (through marriage) as he attempts to discover the circumstances of the disappearance of his good friend which he believes is related to the Lady's "secret." The reader easily guesses much of the circumstance of the novel, although it's not quite as simple as it appears. It is also important to note that Braddon plots rather deftly and she savors the development of the novel's progression.

I did have some trouble getting through the last 100 pages of the book, as there was very little left for the reader to do but follow around the nephew's movements as he attempted to prove his theory. And, while Braddon does offer a twist at the end, it is not entirely unexpected, and so is not as effective as it could have been. Still, there is much to like about this book; in contains all the elements of Victorian society and, as such, has several layers within which it serves its audience. Not a must read, but if you're interested in Victorian literature, this is a book which was a sensation during the author's lifetime and may well be worth a look into.

This novel tells the story of a beautiful woman whose secret becomes her undoing.
She uses her beauty, helplessness, and coquettish manner to achieve her end desires, but behind the innocent facade is a woman who is clever, manipulative and ruthless.
Lucy's secret and her extreme desire to keep it ruins the lives of the people around her (as most closely guarded secrets do).
I can't say anymore without giving the plot away.
The secret may be obvious, but the actual path to its discovery, its revelation, and aftermath shape the novel.
I could hardly put this book down and will certainly re-read it to see if I missed something the first time. A marvelous read - you will enjoy it if you like Victorian novels.

...I was suprised at how much I liked this book. I am not one for Victorian "sensationalists" preferring swashbuckling but Miss Braddon (as she was then called) is a great writer who gives explainations for her character's wild behavior. Considered quite a trashy novelist in her day, her stories are much tamer than what is on network television.

Read, enjoy this escapist novel

I truly feel sorry for anyone who is required to read this book. It is by far one of the worst pieces of literature I have ever read, and I read a lot of books.
I found there was no suspense to the writing, since from the beginning, the reader was able to suspect what the outcome was going to be, and was proven right by the time you read the last paragraph. I personally found the book boring to read, because I guessed what the outcome was going to be, and every chapter confirmed my suspicions. I found the plot development to be very poor, with stereotypes imbedded in several characters, especially the main character.
I don't wish to give away the ending of the book completely, but I will say this much-- when you base your whole plot on a madman, is there any plot at all? The author uses his "villian" as a crutch, using the character's lunacy as an escape route for any unbound plot threads.
I personally recommend you don't waste your time on this book, if you're looking for a some good classics, try "Jane Eyre" or "David Copperfield".

As a general rule I rarely enjoy the novels assigned in classical literature classes but I can usually appreciate the work for its merits. I was pleasantly surprised by The Law and the Lady because it is very readable, the first hurdle in making an assigned piece of literature more than just required text.

Though it is tame by today's standards, Collins presents the relatively new concept of the "amateur detective" and even goes so far as to make his protagonist a woman, very unusual (and almost scandalous) by Victorian standards. To make the novel acceptable in the time it was published, Collins is very careful to temper his progressive ideas with plenty of references to Valeria Macallan's feminine weaknesses and multiple uses of the phrase "only a woman" but he constructed a foundation that scores of female writers and characters have built upon. Keep your eye out for parallels to the classic "Oedipus Rex" story and how Collins treats the gender role-reversal of Valeria and Eustace.

All in all, not an unpleasant book to read if required to do so. Experienced readers will recognize that, despite its faults, The Law and the Lady was very provocative when written and really jump-started the genre of female P.I.s that is so common and popular today. Valeria could be considered the great-grandmother of Kinsey Millhone or V.I. Warshawski.

Many fans and critics agree that Wilkie Collins' writing talent declined after the gripping "The Moonstone," and his works in the 1870s and 80s are sometimes dismissed as misfires of once-genius mystery writer. Though part of the low estimation is reasonable (and some of the works in this era testifies to this opinion), many of them are still readable and interesting. And "The Law and the Lady" should be classified among those neglected pieces.

Probably the first full-length novel featuring female detective, the novel follows the story of heroine Valeria, who marries Eustace happily in the opening of the book. However, she discovers behind the happy marriage a terrible secret, which involved an unsolved murder case in her newly-wed husband's past, and soon she realizes that her husband is not exactly what she thought. To clear her tainted (and his) family name, Valeria single-handedly embarks on a job of amateur detective.

To fully relish the story, you have to remember several things: one of them is that the book is partly inspired by the real-life case of Madeline Smith, who, it was alleged, disposed of her lover with arsenic. Collins made use of this well-known, sensational case, changing the sex of the accused, and he deftly challenges many concepts embedded in morally strict Victorians. So, when Valeria appoints herself as a detective, her "job" (in Victorian society in which ladies are supposed not to work, with the possible exception of poorly-paid governess) starts to have another meaning. Collins, on the one hand attacking the insufficient laws of Scotland, which give its unique "Not-Proven" verdict to the accused when the jury cannot decide whether or not he/she is guilty, also challenges the morally rigid Victorian ideas about male/female concept. This is not to say Wilkie Collins is a feminist; but considering he never married (but, it is generally agreed, had two mistresses), his unique ideas about contemporary males and females are reflected in this seemingly starange work.

And as a detective novel, "The Law and The lady" has still power to entertain us. Though its beginning part is a little shaky because of implausible situations, the book gradually gets you into the thrilling adventure of Valeria, who overcomes all the barriars on her way to the truth. Though the fact that Collins' best work(s) is "The Moonstone" or "The Woman in White," this book is enjoyable. shows some version of Victorian ideas about the roles of males and females.

By the way, it is argued that the first fictional female detective (including amateur) is also created by Collins in his short story "The Diary of Anne Rodway." (1856) This short can be found in most of the collection of his short stories. But if you know another contender for the first female PI, let me know.