Jude the Obscure, the semi-autobiographical final novel from Thomas Hardy explores notions of surprising candor; within the eponymous protagonist lies the tragic truth of failed ambitions and relationships. In a fierce exploration of the darkness of love and the intellect, this is one of the great tragic novels of English literature. Jude Fawley, an earnest boy from a rural English village, dreams of a life of academia despite his working-class background....

"When Wicked Comes Calling . . .When a mysterious stranger finds his way into her bedchamber and offers his help in landing a duke, Lady Felicity Faircloth agrees--on one condition. She's seen enough of the world to believe in passion, and won't accept a marriage without it. The Wallflower Makes a Dangerous Bargain . . .Bastard son of a duke and king of London's dark streets, Devil has spent a lifetime wielding power and seizing opportunity, and...

Benjamin Disraeli asks Liberty Lane, a young gentlewoman who supplements her meager means with some discreet private sleuthing, to investigate Lady Sophia Brinkburn, who is spreading word that her elder son is illegitimate as her mad husband nears death. With the succession of the family title in question and a major scandal brewing, murder soon becomes a family affair. Set in 1830's Victorian England.