The Dead Secret by Wilkie Collins

The Dead Secret by Wilkie Collins explores the consequences of a dying woman's revelation to her maid, which sets off a complex tale of deception, guilt, and the conflict between duty and personal desire. As the characters navigate this web of secrets, they confront the moral dilemmas that arise from their choices.

By Wilkie Collins · First published 1857 · Genre: Mystery, Gothic Fiction, Victorian Literature · 29 chapters · 166,876 words

First lines

"Will she last out the night, I wonder?"

"Look at the clock, Mathew."

• Open reader

What this Textopian page supports

The Dead Secret is listed on Textopian as a novel by Wilkie Collins, dated 1857 CE.

This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.

• Work type: Novel
• Author: Wilkie Collins
• Date: 1857 CE
• Language: English
• Genres: Mystery, Gothic Fiction, Victorian Literature, Thriller, Drama
• Length: 166,876 words
• Structure: 29 chapters, 2,032 paragraphs
• Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)

Good citation fit

• Work identity for The Dead Secret by Wilkie Collins
• Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
• Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
• Readability and classroom-planning context
• Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph

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• Lady Audleys Secret by M. E. Braddon
• Home Coming by Egerton Castle
• The Circular Staircase by Mary Roberts Rinehart
• The Man In Lower Ten by Mary Roberts Rinehart
• My Merry Rockhurst by Egerton Castle

Genres

• Mystery — The plot revolves around a hidden secret and the investigation surrounding it.
• Gothic Fiction — The novel features dark themes, a sense of foreboding, and elements of the supernatural.
• Victorian Literature — It reflects the social issues and moral dilemmas of the Victorian era.
• Thriller — The suspenseful narrative and tension create a thrilling reading experience.

Tags

Mystery · Thriller · Suspense · Crime · Drama · Family · Secrets · Deception · Plot Twist · Psychological Thriller · Gothic Fiction · Victorian Era

Contents

• The Twenty-Third of August, 1829
• The Child
• The Hiding of the Secret
• Fifteen Years After
• The Sale of Porthgenna Tower
• The Bride and Bridegroom
• Timon of London
• Will they Come?
• Mrs. Jazeph
• The New Nurse
• A Council of Three
• Another Surprise
• A Plot against the Secret
• Outside the House
• Inside the House
• Mr. Munder on the Seat of Judgment
• Mozart Plays Farewell
• An Old Friend and a New Scheme
• The Beginning of the End
• Approaching the Precipice
• Standing on the Brink
• The Myrtle Room
• The Telling of the Secret
• Uncle Joseph
• Waiting and Hoping
• The Story of the Past
• The Close of Day
• Forty Thousand Pounds
• The Dawn of a New Life

More by Wilkie Collins

• The Dream Woman (1909)
• The Woman in White (1859)
• Man and Wife (1870)
• No Name (1862)
• The Moonstone (1868)
• The Haunted Hotel (1878)
• The Lazy Tour of Two Idle Apprentices (1857)
• A Rogue's Life (1852)
• All works by Wilkie Collins