British Murder Mysteries - The Mary Elizabeth Braddon Collection (ePub)

Mary Elizabeth Braddon (1835-1915) was a leading figure of Victorian sensation fiction, famed for intertwining elements of gothic horror with the domestic realism of her day to explore the complexities of Victorian society. She was born in London and began her writing career in the theater, but it was through her prolific novel-writing that she achieved lasting fame. Her best-known work, 'Lady Audley's Secret' (1862), is a paradigm of the sensation genre, as it featured bigamy, insanity, and deception, drawing readers with its scandalous subject matter and suspenseful plot. As a female author in a male-dominated literary world, Braddon's works often contained subtle critiques of the gender inequalities and social expectations of her time. Her writing style was characterized by a sophisticated use of narrative tension and a masterful handling of plot devices, which she employed across her vast bibliography of over 80 novels, including 'Aurora Floyd' and 'The Doctor's Wife.' 'British Murder Mysteries - The Mary Elizabeth Braddon Collection' gathers some of her notable works in the genre, offering a glimpse into the darker corners of Victorian life and the anxieties that lurked beneath its polished surface. Braddon's influence extended beyond her own era, shaping the development of detective and crime fiction in the twentieth century. Her works remain a touchstone for scholars interested in the intersections of gender, genre, and social criticism in nineteenth-century literature.