ONE LIFE, ONE LOVE. A Novel. In Three Volumes by [Braddon, Mary Elizabeth] - 1890

1890. By the Author of "Lady Audley's Secret," "Vixen," "Ishmael," "The Day Will Come," etc. London: Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent & Co., 1890. Original dark green cloth with spines lettered in gilt.

First Edition of this novel by the founder of the intricately plotted sensation novel, particularly known for her transgressive heroines. By 1890 her books were no longer being published by John Maxwell, whom she had met and moved in with in 1860, and had the first of six children the following year -- even though he was already married with five older children (his wife was in an Irish asylum; the couple waited to marry until she died, in 1876). This tale is part lurid sensationalism, part mystery... Clara and Robert Hatrell lead an ideal life with their young daughter Daisy in a beautiful old fashioned cottage on the banks of the Thames. When his son Cyril goes away to school their friend and neighbor Ambrose Arden who is a notable scholar offers to tutor Daisy. Some time later Robert carrying a large amount in banknotes is found stabbed to death in a London rooming house supposedly lured there by the mention of someone called Toinette. The murderer is not found and the money trail implicates a Frenchwoman exchanging the notes in Cannes, Nice and Paris. As the story progresses we are taken to Paris where new characters are introduced. Will one of them lead us to the actual villain??? [LibriVox]. This title was published without half-titles. Condition is near-fine, with very little wear other than some cracking of the original pale-yellow endpapers. Sadleir 316 ("a poor copy" -- seldom did Sadleir have to "settle" like this!); Wolff 674 ("first published serially in the newspapers owned by Sir William Leng of Sheffield, the third of MEB's six Leng novels").