
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."
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: Standard (8th-9th 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
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Dead Secret?
- How does this novel by Wilkie Collins fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Mystery first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
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
- Fifteen Years After
- Timon of London
- A Plot against the Secret
- An Old Friend and a New Scheme
- Uncle Joseph
- The Child
- The Sale of Porthgenna Tower
- Will they Come?
- Outside the House
- The Beginning of the End
- Waiting and Hoping
- The Hiding of the Secret
- The Bride and Bridegroom
- Mrs. Jazeph
- Inside the House
- Approaching the Precipice
- The Story of the Past
- The New Nurse
- Mr. Munder on the Seat of Judgment
- Standing on the Brink
- The Close of Day
- A Council of Three
- Mozart Plays Farewell
- The Myrtle Room
- Forty Thousand Pounds
- Another Surprise
- The Telling of the Secret
- The Dawn of a New Life
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