Lady Audley's Secret

By Mary Elizabeth Braddon and Flynn Berry

Graceful and lovely Lady Audley may not be all that she seems in this Victorian-era equivalent of Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl—with an introduction by Flynn Berry, the Edgar Award–winning author of Under the Harrow and A Double Life

Lady Audley is young, beautiful, and universally adored. Everyone comments on her sweet nature and her perfect marriage to the wealthy and aristocratic Sir Michael Audley. Sir Michael’s nephew Robert is equally struck by his new aunt’s angelic ways—until he notices the strange, terrifying effect Lady Audley has on his friend George Talboys. When George mysteriously vanishes, Robert is convinced that Lady Audley is neither as innocent nor as helpless as she appears, and he sets out to discover what secrets lie in Lady Audley’s past.

A bestseller when it was first published in 1862, Lady Audley’s Secret shocked readers because it dared to suggest that beneath a perfect surface a woman might be willing to lie, con, and even kill for the life she wanted.

The Modern Library Torchbearers series features women who wrote on their own terms, with boldness, creativity, and a spirit of resistance.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Jun 18, 2019
• ISBN: 9781984854391

Mary Elizabeth Braddon

Mary Elizabeth Braddon (1835–1915) was an English novelist and actress during the Victorian era. Although raised by a single mother, Braddon was educated at private institutions where she honed her creative skills. As a young woman, she worked as a theater actress to support herself and her family. When interest faded, she shifted to writing and produced her most notable work Lady Audley's Secret. It was one of more than 80 novels Braddon wrote of the course of an expansive career.

Reviews for Lady Audley's Secret

[creyola_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I bought this through a recommendation from amazon because of it's likeness to Wilkie Collins' novels. I did enjoy Lady Audley's Secrets, but I found it a bit stiff in the beginning. The secrets were pretty obvious and M. Braddon really paints her main character with a black heart. It was a good read and I recommend it to anyone who likes a Victorian style suspense novel.

[veracite · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Engaging read.

[etxgardener · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Yikes! What a book! Who said the Victorians led prim and proper lives? This romance/thriller has everything: bigamy, attempted murder, arson,theft and madness. What's not to like?The novel opens with the marriage of beautiful Lucy Graham to Sir Michael Audley, a middle-aged, rich widower. Lucy, n orphan, has been a governess for the local doctor, Mr. Dawson prior to her marriage. At the aame time, Sir Michael's nephew, Robert Audley, welcomes his old friend George Talboys back to England, after striking it rich in the gold fields of Ausatralia.George is anxious to get news of his wife, Helen, whom he left with their infant son, Georgy, when their financial situation became desperate, to seek gold in Australia. However, he reads in the newspaper that she has died, and, after visiting her home to confirm this, he becomes despondent. Robert Audley cares for his friend, and, hoping to distract him, offers to take him to his wealthy uncle's country manor. While at Audley Court, the new Lady Audley avoids meeting with George. She makes many excuses to avoid their visit, but he and Robert are shown a portrait of her by Alicia Audley, Robert's cousin, and George appears greatly struck by the portrait. Shortly thereafter, George disappears during a visit to Audley Court. Unwilling to believe that George has simply left suddenly and without notice, Robert begins to look into the circumstances around the strange disappearance.Robert begins to take notes of the events as they unfold. His notes indicate the involvement of Lady Audley, much to his chagrin, and he slowly begins to collect evidence against her. He traces her life back to the time when George leaves for Australia And builds a damning case against his uncle's wife. Finally, while interviewing her employers before she became governess, Robert obtains a travel box that used to belong to Lucy, and upon examining stickers on the box, Robert discovers both the name Lucy Graham and the name Helen Talboys.When Robert confronts Lucy, she tells him that he has no proof, and he leaves to find more evidence, heading to Castle Inn, which is run by the husband of Lucy's former maid. During the night Lucy sets the place on fire, with the intention of killing Robert. However, Robert survives and returns to Audley Court and again confronts Lucy. This time, she says she is insane and confesses her life's story to Robert and Sir Michael, along with the fact that she killed George by pushing him down a dry well in the garden.Sir Michael embarrassed as well as heartbroken, leaves Audley for Europe while Robert instally Lucy in a French sanitarium where she will be out of the way. And like any good soap opera, George isn't dead after all. He just broke his arm in the fall into the well & was rescued by the proprietor of the Castle Inn, so smiles all around.Published in 1862, this book has never been out of print and I can see why. Even with its somewhat florid 19th Century language (and the fact that the reader will figure out "the secret" almost immediately), this is a page turner & still is a great beach read.

[keristars_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really liked this novel! It's an example of sensationalism in Victorian literature, and it's a fun, quick read, unlike certain bricks-masquerading-as-books that Charles Dickens or George Eliot are known to have written. (I am a bit biased, I suppose.)There is a lot that could be said with regards to literary criticism or historical context for Lady Audley's Secret, but I don't think that knowledge is necessary to enjoy this novel. Like other sensationalist novels, this one has a mystery and a terrible crime and it's based loosely (or not so loosely) on actual headlines from the time. In this case, Robert Audley takes it upon himself to uncover his aunt Lady Audley's secrets - why did his friend George Talboys disappear after being with her (did she kill him?), who was she before she was Lucy Audley (was she really Helen Talboys?), and why, if she was Helen Talboys, did she fake her death and abandon her and George Talboys's infant son?

[zmrzlina_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A heroine we don't like too very much. Some may find the treatment of women in this book to be a bit too callous, but I love this book because it is not at all expected of a late 19th century writer.

[lindawwilson · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This should have been a better book than it was; tried to copy the really good authors like Trollope or Hardy, but it was not up to par with these despite the fact that the story line was good. Read in Maui around 2005 or so.

[thatotter-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Recommended only if you're into Victorian sensation novels. Some lovely descriptions (especially of Audley Court in the first chapter), and the protagonist is amusing in his haplessness. However, overall...OMG, I found this an annoying hot mess.

[laurie.schultz · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I thought I had this book all figured out before I even started it. It surprised me from start to finish with twists and turns. The author does a wonderful job of detailing the conflicts and relationships among the characters. I would recommend this to my friends.

[michellech_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I've read my fill of mystery/suspense stories and I must say that this was one of the better ones, in my opinion. Although it was published in the mid 1800's, the story line still felt fresh. Lots of build- up and even midway through I was not knowing where we would go next. I don't want to say too much, as to what happens, as "the secret" is the primary focus of the novel.

What I can say is that I was kept guessing throughout. There was one point in the book where I thought something was going to happen and I had to hold my breath and keep turning pages. My guess was wrong, which I was happy to see.

The main characters were diverse and Lady Audley was portrayed perfectly; I would loved to see a photo of her. She is described as being incredibly beautiful, childish and doll-like, Robert Audley who plays the detective reminded me of a young Bruce Willis, laid-back, witty and forever the bachelor.

This was a very enjoyable, quick read and I will be checking out more of Braddon's work. I can imagine that this novel made her hugely popular at the time of it's release.

[26kathryn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this book. It seemed a bit slow going in places, but the story is worth sticking with. There are lots of twists and turns in the plot, and even though I guessed a few things correctly there were still some other surprises along the way. Lots of atmospheric descriptions and good characterisation. Excellent story and to be honest, a bit of an emotional rollercoaster ride!

[zumbanista · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Although a contemporary of both Dickens and Trollope, I found M.E. Braddon’s “sensation novel” an easy read compared to those two authors, whose works I also enjoy.The book is full of vivid descriptions, hidden identities, secrets and conspiracies hinted at. Young Robert Audley is a laconic and highly unlikely detective.With its gothic foreboding, the plot is telegraphed, and possibly, readers may find the novel too slow for our era of fast-paced mysteries.I enjoyed the book, but felt things might have been wound up a little faster towards the end. Recommended for all lovers of Victorian literature.

[bnewcomer-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I liked this rather more than I expected when I first picked it up. The pacing is generally good (with only one or two stumbles), and the mystery(/ies) continue to build throughout the story, even as there seem to be resolutions in sight. Many of the characters are as they seem, but not what they seem... A rollicking good read, with at times curiously good turns of phrase.

[cbl_tn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Upon his return from the gold fields of Australia,, George Talboys runs into his old friend, Robert Audley. Talboys can think of nothing but his reunion with the wife and child he left behind, and he is devastated to learn of his wife's death just days before his arrival. Audley takes his grieving friend under his wing, and he invites Talboys to go with him to visit the family estate. Robert's widowed uncle has recently married a much younger woman, and Robert has yet to meet his new aunt, who seems strangely reluctant to meet him. Then his friend George disappears, and Robert feels compelled to solve the mystery.This book is similar to many of the recently-written historical mysteries I've read, and in some ways it seems fresher. I particularly enjoyed spotting Braddon's references to contemporary culture and events like the U.S. Civil War. I was surprised by the book's religious content. Biblical language and allusions are sprinkled throughout the novel. I liked the way Braddon built suspense as Robert became more and more suspicious of Lady Audley's behavior. I was slightly disappointed by the ending, and I wish that Braddon had resolved things a little differently. Lady Audley's Secret reads a lot like a Wilkie Collins novel, and it's a book that every fan of historical mysteries needs to read at some point.

[obsidianpeach · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I actually really enjoyed this novel, despite the stinky label of 'sensation fiction' that this book has been given. So, what? Sometimes it's good to read just for pleasure.

[littlebookworm_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Quite a predictable detective tale, but with some surprising twists at the end that make it worth it. It's an enjoyable little book. It highlights very well the plight of the typical woman in Victorian society, although I sincerely hope (and believe) Lady Audley is an extreme and not a reality.

[wyvernfriend · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Lady Audley has a mysterious past and this is all about how she's willing to keep it from coming out. It's an interesting read and I really did enjoy how George Talboys uncovers the evidence. It does look at the roles women play in the rigid victorian society and how hard sometimes it must have been to be successful.I'm really not surprised it's regularly reprinted, it's a very interesting read.

[amerynth · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Both of my book sites recommended I read Mary Elizabeth Braddon's "Lady Audley's Secret" -- and I can totally see why. Victorian mystery literature, billed as being in the vein of Wilkie Collins -- clearly right up my alley. I wasn't disappointed, I enjoyed this book a lot.In this novel, Lucy Graham, is a governess who marries up and improves her circumstances to become Lady Audley. Her nephew by marriage, Robert Audley, visits the area with a new friend, who promptly disappears. Robert is determined to find out what happened to his friend, which brings him digging to determine what secrets is new aunt is hiding.The mystery itself isn't really all that interesting -- there aren't a ton of twists and turns here. But the characters are interesting and it's enjoyable enough to see where desperate circumstances take them. This was a pretty fun read overall.

[kaitanya64 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a great Victorian "sensation" novel, with a mystery involving a beautiful, evil heroine, an amateur detective, romance, palatial mansion setting etc. It is a shorter and faster read than is typical of Victorian novels (really it's moving out of the Victorian genre in style even if not in time period). I loved it.

[meldridge_18 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Really enjoyed this book. It is a typical classic, and the "sensational" matter described is tame by our standards, but still enjoyable.

[travis1259 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Lady Audley's Secret provided me hours of enjoyment. I only wonder why I haven't read this Victorian novel before. After wading through Wuthering Heights, my choice was not to read another novel of that period right now. That's one of the reasons I was so pleasantly surprised. The novel charms on several dimensions. Mary Braddon uses her powers of description to place you squarely in the middle of Audley Court and the rambling house built and added onto over many generations with its massive and, at times frightening gardens. In addition, she keeps the novel moving with a full gamut of characters from good to bad and in-between. All of this results in a book that's bound to keep you turning pages.Although the mystery of the book is not up to that of Wilkie's best, it still does allow you to ponder exactly what did transpire and how. For anyone a fan of this genre , this book is a must. I still can't believe that I was not lead to read this book years ago. It's a winner by far.

[wealhtheowwylfing · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A Victorian gothic novel. I love the detailed descriptions of each character, and how cleverly Lady Audley has managed everything so far. She's a very sly young lady, and I wish she'd win, as opposed to being the object lesson in a morality tale. Le sigh.

This is a frustrating novel to read, because I am so utterly in sympathy with Lady Audley. Just think: to grow up in poverty, with no means to escape it, then to marry yet more poverty; to have your husband abandon you with no money nor occcupation, to raise your child alone; to recieve no news of your husband and sole support for years, and finally, to resolve to better your station. To then earn your living, and marry very well, only to be abruptly confronted with your first stupid husband's return. What else *could* one do, but kill him and hide the body? She had so few resources, and was judged so severely for making use of them, that I really hate George Talboys and Robert Audley. In any other setting I think I'd be half in love with Robert Audley, a character in the same vein as the much-beloved Sidney Carton. But in this one I'm just impatient with him and his investigations, which take up the majority of the novel. (Do we really need to read about Audley racing about the country discovering what we already know?)

When each of Lady Audley’s husbands discovers her Secret, they are heartbroken. They feel completely and utterly betrayed by the fact that her lovely face and girlish giggle hide a thinking, planning mind and that she has actually lived a life, independent of them. Whether or not she killed anyone seems beside the point—how dare she not be a blank slate? And then, of course, as soon as they realize that she can make plans of her own, they send her to the madhouse. What else could a clever woman be, but mad? I am disappointed that her husbands, who were apparently wounded to the quick, broken men due to her cursed perfidy, lived long, happy lives after discovering her Secret, whereas she, supposedly without natural human feeling, died a mere year later of melancholy.

ETA: Robert Audley is totally in love with George Talboys, y/y?
'"Who would have thought that I could have grown so fond of the fellow," he muttered, "or feel so lonely without him? I've a comfortable little fortune in the three per cents.; I'm heir presumptive to my uncle's title; and I know of a certain dear little girl who, as I think, would do her best to make me happy; but I declare that I would freely give up
all, and stand penniless in the world to-morrow, if this mystery could be satisfactorily cleared away, and George Talboys could stand by my side."'

[andrewcottingham · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

One of the better books I have read

[joririchardson · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

For some reason, I wasn't expecting much out of this classic novel, and it sat on my shelves for more than just a few months. However, once I started reading, I couldn't put "Lady Audley's Secret" down.The plot line is this: A beautiful young woman named Lucy has recently married Sir Michael Audley, a rich older man, and comes to stay at the prestigious Audley Court manor. Sir Audley's daughter is jealous of her newfound rival, but everyone else seems fascinated and delighted at the new little mistress.But when Sir Michael's nephew Robert and his friend George Talboys come to stay, strange things begin to happen. Talboys mysteriously disappears one day, and no one seems to have the slightest idea where he has gone.Robert sets out to find him, but the trail that the mystery leads him down becomes increasingly darker and shocking.Written in 1862, this book was much more lightly written and easy to get through than other contemporary books of that time, such as the works of the Bronte sisters. I noticed this at once, and I found it very entertaining. The characters of this book are quite well drawn, and it is, not surprisingly, Lady Audley who is most memorable. She is a perfectly beautiful and charming young woman who would have been, in her time, the ideal lady. That is, from an outsider's point of view. As the story progresses, we see that behind her mask of sweetness, she hides a much darker, terrible nature. Braddon gives us clues of this early on, which are not all that difficult to catch. For example, the unfinished painting of her, in which she is depicted as a "beautiful fiend." It seems that the artist who painted Lucy saw beyond her pretty smile and further into her true nature. It is also mentioned that Lucy does not like happy tunes, but rather "somber and melancholy" music. Despite being extremely interesting, however, I left the story still wanting to see a bit more into Lady Audley's darker side. She is not the main character, but rather the villain, so we do not spend so many scenes with her as the title may suggest. We are able to assume her maliciousness and twisted thoughts, because we learn of her actions. However, I never really 'felt' these crimes enough.I loved the character of Robert Audley, who is a smooth and normally quite lazy barrister. He seemed quite arrogant and irritating in the beginning, and I couldn't help but picture him as Malfoy (from the Harry Potter books - their characters follow me no matter what I read!). However, by the end of the book, he had become a very likable character. If a book must have a main character, it would certainly be Robert, and most of the book follows his actions as he searches for his friend. His relentless loyalty to George Talboys was admirable, and the manner in which he deals with his discoveries is thoughful to his uncle while still seeking justice. The pacing of this book was well done and made it easy to continue reading. Short chapters were normally left off in cliff-hangers, since the story was first published in serial form. I loved the chilly Gothic elements to this book, described just as Gothic passages should be - dark, foreboding, mysterious, with just a touch of strange beauty. The descriptions of the Audley manor were my favorite, and I really got a sense of the setting. What better house for this mystery than a very old, oddly built mansion with secret passageways?If you are one of those people who loves trying to figure out the outcome of a mystery before the detective does - look no further. You will definitely be able to quickly realize the culprit here, as the author makes it quite obvious. However, for this particular story, it worked, and never affected my interest in the plot.Though it is obvious who is responsible for George's disappearance, and why, we are still left wondering about how.In a way, knowing before George knows makes the story even more engaging. I felt as if I had seen the end of a movie and now decided to watch the rest of it. I knew what would happen, but I wanted to see how the characters would make the discovery.This book certainly exceeded my expectations, and I am looking forward to discovering more of Braddon's work.Recommended!

[lahochstetler · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a delightful Victorian Gothic novel, full of suspense and intrigue. Braddon's book has all of the elements of a good Victorian suspense tale: a country estate inhabited by the landed gentry, a pining lover, and a Victorian lady who is not what she seems. George Talboys arrives home from Australia to discover his wife has died. Robert Audley, seeing his friend mad with grief, brings George to Audley Court, his uncle's country estate. It is at Audley Court that Talboys mysteriously vanishes. As Robert investigates his friend's disappearance, it becomes clear that the prime suspect is the lady of the court, Robert's new aunt, Lady Audley. Beautiful and child-like, the fact that Lady Audley may be a cold-blooded murderer adds a particularly horrifying twist for a Victorian readership. Anyone who thinks that the Victorians couldn't produce a page-turner should have a look at this book. Braddon effectively creates a dark and suspenseful atmosphere. While she relies on particularly Victorian conventions to do this, such as stressing Lady Audley's hyper-femininity, the result is still sufficiently gripping, even for the modern reader.

[atimco-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Lady Audley's Secret, first published in 1862, is a sensationalist Victorian thriller and Mary Elizabeth Braddon's most famous novel. Braddon was a contemporary of Wilkie Collins and Charles Dickens, and while Lady Audley's Secret is not quite up to the standard of Collins' best work, it is a respectable addition to the genre of Victorian potboilers. Despite — or perhaps because of — its scandalous content, it was extremely popular when it was published and remains a favorite with many readers today.Robert Audley is a lethargic barrister whose wealthy uncle Sir Michael Audley has recently married a young governess named Lucy Graham. Robert has heard much of the new Lady Audley's beauty and winning ways, and decides to pay his uncle and adult cousin Alicia a visit. He brings his friend George Talboys, who has lately returned from Australia's gold fields only to learn that his wife Helen just died. While they are at Audley Court, George mysteriously disappears. Robert is certain that George was murdered, but why would anyone want to kill the disconsolate widower? Though naturally of an indolent temperament, Robert finds himself spurred into action on behalf of his friend. But as he digs into the past of his new aunt, Robert realizes that there can be no happy ending, even if justice is served.The mystery isn't really what you think... the culprit and the crime are pretty clear from the start, and Braddon takes only the most basic and obligatory precautions to shield the identity of the criminal from the reader as the story unfolds. But there is a twist that I wasn't expecting. I'll just say that the scene in which it is revealed is reminiscent of Collins in a particularly melodramatic mood.Lady Audley is a fairly well-written character, though she lacks the menace of Austen's Lady Susan Vernon. At the end the doctor describes her as having the cunning of madness with the intelligence of sanity, a dangerous combination. I found Braddon's view of women to be somewhat obscure. Several of her female characters in this story are inveterate plotters; some are clever with the luck of impulse and emotion; some are honest and true; some are passionate and compelling. I was struck with Braddon's description of the bitter quarrels between women; at one point Robert muses "how eager these women are to betray one another!" I can see why some critics read a feminist subtext into the story, but it's hard to believe that Braddon herself would condone Lady Audley's actions in the name of women's liberation. And some of the other feminist ideas, that the book is all about caged female sexuality and such, seem a bit eisegetical to me.What is a Victorian novel without its digressions? Braddon is very conscious of hers and adds them in with a flourish. For the most part they were well written in themselves, but somehow didn't mesh seamlessly with the story. They could have been excised from the story with no disruption to the flow of the narrative, and I don't think the same could be said of the digressive flights of similar authors. I'm not advocating their omission, just noting how noticeable they were in the pattern of the story.Lady Audley's Secret is sensational not just for the suspense but also for its inversion of so many Victorian ideals about the angelically beautiful mistress of the home. While I did not love it, I found it fairly enjoyable. I'll probably look for more of Braddon's many novels.

[eleanor_eader · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Robert Audley, not the most highly motivated individual, finds himself investigating the disappearance of his friend, George Talboys, who is somehow linked to Robert’s aunt, the charming and beautiful – not to mention recent - Lady Audley. Almost universally adored, particularly by her doting husband, Lady Audley has a past that she is desperate to keep from her interfering step-nephew. Robert is an unusual romantic hero, in that he is not the least inclined to be romantic, or to move himself to great emotion or action; until, that is, he finds the puzzle of his friend’s disappearance taking on a sinister aspect. I enjoyed him, and Braddon’s other characters, enormously; her writing ranges from slightly preachy, to tongue-in-cheek, to deliciously wry - which vacillating makes it hard to rate this as ‘perfect’, but I was duly entertained and intrigued. The majority of the plot is too projected to be regarded a ‘mystery’, although we await enough important details to keep us hanging on; the real point was, I think, the scandal and, although I didn’t expect to be much moved by it, I discovered that I was actually upset on Lord Audley’s behalf, and therefore more involved in it than I expected.**spoiler warning on*** If there’s a flaw for me, it’s more era-induced than anything else; for all the importance attached to this novel regarding its highlighting of female roles at the time, there’s all this ‘poor Georging’ in the wake of his disappearance, ignoring the conduct that drove his wife to act on her shallow, greedy instincts - he abandoned her and their son on the spur of the moment, to seek his fortune overseas, without discussing it with her first, or staying in contact afterwards, and all the emphasis is on how noble he was for coming home to her. Given Braddon’s (hopefully) ironic narrative on the subject of femininity, I would have expected a shot or two over the bow of the good ship misogynist on this point, too… or perhaps it was just too subtle for me. **spoiler warning off***This is certainly one of the more entertaining classic-fiction mysteries I’ve read recently, though. The moral distress incited by the scandal may be subdued by societal evolution, but there’s definitely remnant enough to propel the reader along with Robert Audley. I’ll probably look out for more of her novels and stories, although reviews seem to indicate that this is Braddon’s defining work.

[adonisguilfoyle · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

There are three ways to read this book: directly, as a Victorian sensation novel; historically, as a contemporary account of the language, society and literary tastes of another era; or as a feminist diatribe about the physical and legal oppression of women in the 1850s. I began in the first camp, yet could definitely appreciate the social injustice of the time Mary Braddon was writing about by the end, and thoroughly enjoyed the story!Lady Audley is not a feminist heroine, or even a worthy villainess/black widow figure - compared to Beatrice Lacey in Philippa Gregory's 'Wideacre', or Du Maurier's Rebecca, she's barely even wicked! She is just selfish and cold-hearted, driven not by passion but by greed, and perpetrating the same wrongs that she accuses others of - and even when she raises herself above the poverty she was born into, she is not content. I didn't feel one whit of sympathy for her, or admire her audacity and cunning - perhaps because she was but poorly drawn as an antagonist. I'm sure Braddon was being bitterly ironic in painting the 'poor little woman' as a 'childlike' caricature of the Victorian 'angel in the house', replete with golden hair, wide blue eyes and a laugh like the 'peal of silvery bells', who blames her misdeeds on a fit of womanly hysteria, but not even the contrast of a sociopathic alter ego was enough to hold my interest in her pretty ways and constant rambling soliloquies. I love 'femmes fatales' and bewitching heroines, but Lady Audley is neither.Robert Audley, however, is a gem! He's a delightful if rather slapdash detective, raised out of his normal torpor as a barrister by name and professional flaneur by the disappearance of his friend, George Talboys. Granted, he does become a little wearisome during his monomaniacal quest for justice, and his habit of confiding in Lady Audley as a device to move the action along can be infuriating, but the matching of wits is engrossing to follow, despite the anticlimax of the outcome (I was hoping for a switch of identities, or an escape from punishment, but no - justice is served, and happy endings all round!) Read as it is, 'Lady Audley's Secret' is an entertaining light read (especially when divested of all introductions and footnotes in the attractive and highly readable Pocket Penguin Classics edition), full of the usual tropes of Victorian novels - gothic settings, melodrama, repressed sensuality, madness and death. Robert Audley is a dashing hero, and his cousin Alicia is an ascerbic yet attractive Marian Halcombe foil for his moody obsessions and nice-but-dim personality. There are some lush descriptions of Audley Court and Robert's bachelor pad in the city (stocked with French novels, canaries and stray dogs - make of that what you will), as well as an atmospheric application of storms, dark nights and fire. The social context of the novel is worth considering - wives were basically the possessions of their husbands, with limited respectable alternatives for living independently - but reading the story and not the subtext is much more fun!

[carmelitasita29 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I thoroughly enjoyed this Victorian mystery by Mary Elizabeth Braddon. It has everything one wants in a mystery - murder, secrets, madness, and twists galore. I loved the character of Robert Audley and found him to be quite charming. It was remarkable how much Ms. Braddon harped on the character of women in this novel in contrast to men, but it is a product of the times it was written in. I highly recommend it.

[melydia_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The gorgeous governess Lucy marries the much older and wealthier Sir Michael Audley, much to the dismay of his daughter Alicia. Michael's nephew Robert visits with his recently widowed friend George Talboys, who then mysteriously disappears. I was a little disappointed when I figured out the titular secret in the second chapter, but as I read on I discovered that solving that mystery is not the point of the book. This story is not a whodunit so much as it about the battle of wits between Robert and Lucy, all carefully kept within the bounds of Victorian propriety.I am usually wary of so-called "classics", after so many bleary-eyed attempts in school to discover the symbolism and hidden truths lurking somewhere between the lines, so I was pleasantly surprised to discover Braddon was a writer of thrillers for the general public. The footnotes in this particular edition were especially helpful given the large number of pop culture references. These take away from any timelessness this story might have had, but it was still fun to watch Robert connecting the dots and building up evidence.Robert is an intriguing character as he makes the slow transformation from lazy trust fund kid to passionate mystery solver. Alicia is delightfully obnoxious as well. The ending did not impress me much - it felt too neat, especially the final word on George Talboys's disappearance - but after hundreds of pages of build-up I suppose there wasn't much else to be done. It felt almost as if Braddon had written herself into a corner. All the same, it was a pleasant way to pass the time, if not a terribly memorable story.

[misfit_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Since this is one of those books that to tell too much of the story would ruin it, I'm only giving you the bare bones. Baronet Sir Michael Audley takes himself a young, beautiful (but penniless) wife, but his eighteen year old daughter Alicia is not quite so enthralled with Lucy's charms. Sir Michael's nephew Robert Audley greets his old friend George Talboys on his return from the gold-fields of Australia, but George is anxious to reunite with the wife and child he left behind when he was unable to support them. An unexpected death notice in a local paper sets George's world upside down, although a trip with Robert to Audley Court opens up....... Well I'm not telling more than that, I am not into spoilers. This was a highly entertaining and readable mystery - yes you'll guess some of what's going to happen but trust me the author has a red-herring or two and plenty of twists and turns ahead for the reader. Braddon's style was very light and readable, not as heavy handed as some 19C authors can be and I really enjoyed her descriptions of the settings, particularly the very very old Audley Court and its grounds. This book should appeal to mystery fans as well as those looking for something new in 19C lit and perfect for those days when you're looking for something light, albeit with some substance as well.