Miss or Mrs? and other Stories in Outline

by Wilkie Collins

Includes: Miss or Mrs?
'Blow up with the Brig!'
The Fatal Cradle

Natalie Graybrooke is the only and much-loved daughter of Sir Joseph Graybrooke, a wealthy industrialist. Advised to take her on a sea voyage to restore her health, he turns to his old friend Richard Turlington, a trader of the Levant, who immediately places his schooner at Sir Joseph's disposal. Thus it is that the warm and beautiful Natalie, on the brink of womanhood, finds herself regarded by two men: Richard Turlington, to whom her dowry would be an important source of finance, and who seems to have a respectable trade and income; and Launcelot Linzie, her cousin, on board as surgeon, with whom she shares a mutual and strong attraction. As the ship makes for home, the tension between the two men heightens, and then Turlington finds that his business is facing financial collapse.

'Miss or Mrs?', the title story, is a typical tale of suspense by a master of the genre. The book is completed by two shorter sea stories, described by the author as being among his friend Charles Dickens's favourites.

Genres: Victorian, Fiction, Classics, British Literature

126 pages, Paperback

First published January 17, 1873

About the author

Wilkie Collins was an English novelist and playwright, best known for The Woman in White (1860), an early sensation novel, and The Moonstone (1868), a pioneering work of detective fiction. Born to landscape painter William Collins and Harriet Geddes, he spent part of his childhood in Italy and France, learning both languages. Initially working as a tea merchant, he later studied law, though he never practiced. His literary career began with Antonina (1850), and a meeting with Charles Dickens in 1851 proved pivotal. The two became close friends and collaborators, with Collins contributing to Dickens' journals and co-writing dramatic works.
Collins' success peaked in the 1860s with novels that combined suspense with social critique, including No Name (1862), Armadale (1864), and The Moonstone, which established key elements of the modern detective story. His personal life was unconventional—he openly opposed marriage and lived with Caroline Graves and her daughter for much of his life, while also maintaining a separate relationship with Martha Rudd, with whom he had three children.
Plagued by gout, Collins became addicted to laudanum, which affected both his health and later works. Despite declining quality in his writing, he remained a respected figure, mentoring younger authors and advocating for writers' rights. He died in 1889 and was buried in Kensal Green Cemetery. His legacy endures through his influential novels, which laid the groundwork for both sensation fiction and detective literature.

Reviews

[Dawn · Rating 2 out of 5]

A tad abrupt and lucky at the end