Armadale

Armadale is a mystery novel by Wilkie Collins, first published in 1864-66. It is the third of his four 'great novels' of the 1860s, after "The Woman in White" and "No Name", and before "The Moonstone". The story starts with a deathbed confession by the murderer in the form of a letter to be given to his baby son when he grows up. Armadale is Collins's longest novel and combines several of his favorite themes, including the supernatural, identity, murder, and detection.Wilkie Collins (1824-1889) was an English writer and early master of the mystery story, known for his sensational novels and plays. He is considered the grandfather of the English detective novel and a pioneer of detective fiction. Collins explored the effects of mysterious, shocking, and criminal happenings within Victorian middle-class families in his works, including "The Woman in White", "No Name",  "Armadale", and "The Moonstone".