Wilkie Collins

Wilkie Collins (1824–1889) was an English novelist and dramatist. After studying law and briefly working in the legal profession, he became a journalist before pursuing a literary career. His best-known novels include *The Woman in White* (1860) and *The Moonstone* (1868). With their intricate plots and shifting perspectives, both works are regarded as important forerunners of the modern crime and detective novel; *The Moonstone* features Sergeant Cuff, an early literary detective, investigating a stolen diamond. Collins was a close friend of Charles Dickens and collaborated with him, including as a contributor and editor at Dickens’s magazine *Household Words*.