Wilkie Collins is a master of mystery, and “The Woman in White” is his first excursion into the genre. When the hero, Walter Hartright, on a moonlit night in north London, encounters a solitary, terrified, and beautiful woman dressed in white, he feels impelled to solve the mystery of her distress.

The intricate plot is peopled with a finely characterized cast, from the peevish invalid Mr. Fairlie to the corpulent villain Count Fosco and the enigmatic woman herself.