The Trail of the Serpent

Set in Victorian England, this chilling tale intertwines murder, betrayal, and friendship while exploring the darker sides of middle- and upper-class life. As the first British detective novel, it combines elements of sensation fiction—family secrets, crime, and adultery—with a groundbreaking narrative that paved the way for future classics. Despite its historical significance and influence on later authors like Wilkie Collins and Arthur Conan Doyle, its role in the evolution of detective fiction has often been overshadowed.