The Law and the Lady

By: Wilkie Collins

Narrated by: Lucy Scott

Length: 14 hrs and 51 mins

Publisher's summary

Incorrectly signing her name in the marriage registry leads Valeria Woodville to discover further disturbing information about her husband, Eustace Macallan. Each revelation leads to further questions as Valeria’s journey prompts her to defy him, taking the law into her own hands as she endeavours to navigate her way through a series of false clues and obstructions.

Published in 1875, The Law and the Lady is one of Collins’s later novels and is a remarkable early illustration of a female investigator as a main character. In the course of its narrative it questions Victorian society’s perspectives of both law and lady.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

Public Domain (P)2023 Naxos AudioBooks UK Ltd.

Entertaining melodrama

(Spoiler as to the first chapters of the book:) Valeria, the protagonist of this first-person novel, learns that her husband, Eustace, has married her under a false surname. He had attempted to conceal his true identity, convinced that their marriage could not survive the knowledge that he had been tried for the murder of his first wife. Though the jury found the charge “not proven,” this verdict was something less than a finding of innocence, and left a stain on his reputation. Despite Valeria’s assertions that she has complete faith in him, he leaves her. She sets out to restore their marriage by seeking evidence that will prove him innocent.
Yes, the plot is implausible and melodramatic. Nevertheless, Collins’s narrative skill and Lucy Scott’s excellent reading made this an enjoyable listen. Not on quite the same level as Woman in White or The Moonstone, but if you liked those books you will probably like this one, too.

Escapist Victorian melodrama

I've been somewhat obssessed with Wilkie Collins recenly, though I can't really say why. It's probably that his novels serve as perfect escape from real life. They are a wonderful blend of mystery, romance and gothic. You get complicated webs of intrigue, lots of suspense, misleading clues, ineresting characters, and usually several different POVs (not in case of this book, though. It's a first-person narrative.) There's also dry humor, social commentary and descriptive writing style (some people complain it's quite repetitive and verbose, but I like it) What's there not to like?

"The Law and the Lady" is not my favourite story by Wilkie Collins, but I still enjoyed it immensly. I wish Miserrimus Dexter had beed given his happy ending. Despite his obvoius flaws, he deserved much better. He was definitely the most interesting, complex and intriguing character in the book.

Finally, the narration was exceptionally good. Ms. Scott is one of my favourite female narrators. She has a very clear and soothing voice; perfect for classics and she did a great job here.

Suspense and mystery until the end

Wilkie Collins is one of my favorite authors. Vivid depictions of characters and even though a long book, it's easy to pick back up at each reading. It's hard to imagine how incomplete the law was in past times, to establish innocence or guilt.