The Mysteries of London was a best-selling novel in mid-Victorian England. The first series was published in weekly instalments from 1844-46, priced at a penny each. Serialised novels sold in this way were known as Penny Dreadfuls … without any claim to literary greatness, they sought to provide ongoing entertainment for the popular audience. This book has it all -- vice, poverty, wealth, virtue, in every combination. Consider it a Victorian soap opera.
Chapters
1 Prologue 9 min 2 The Old House in Smithfield 13 min 3 The Mysteries of the Old House 12 min 4 The Trap-door 11 min 5 The Two Trees 22 min 6 Eligible Acquaintances 20 min 7 Mrs Arlington 18 min 8 The Boudoir 17 min 9 The Conversation 10 min 10 A City Man. Smithfield Scenes 28 min 11 The Frail One's Story 14 min 12 The Servants' Arms 21 min 13 Bank Notes 13 min 14 The Hell 15 min 15 The Station-house 14 min 16 The Police-Office 16 min 17 The Beginning of Misfortunes 21 min 18 A Den of Horrors 22 min 19 The Boozing-Ken 26 min 20 Morning 16 min 21 The Villa 17 min 22 Atrocity 13 min 23 A Woman's Mind 15 min 24 The Old House in Smithfield's Again 21 min 25 Circumstantial Evidence 17 min 26 The Enchantress 22 min 27 Newgate 17 min 28 The Republican and the Resurrexction Man 14 min 29 The Dungeon 31 min 30 The Black Chamber 18 min 31 The 26th of November 36 min 32 Explanations 15 min 33 The Old Bailey 28 min 34 Another Day at the Old Bailey 14 min 35 The Lesson Interrupted 10 min 36 Whitecross Street Prison 24 min 37 The Execution 26 min 38 The Lapse of Two Years 23 min 39 The Visit 23 min 40 The Dream 14 min 41 The Speculation. An Unwelcome Meeting 25 min 42 Mr Greenwood 22 min 43 The Dark House 32 min 44 The Mummy 20 min 45 The Body-Snatchers 17 min 46 The Fruitless Search 19 min 47 Richard and Isabella part 1 27 min 48 Richard and Isabella part 2 22 min 49 Eliza Sydney 17 min 50 Mr Greenwood's Visitors part 1 25 min 51 Mr Greenwood's Visitors part 2 22 min 52 The Document 26 min 53 The Drugged Wine-Glass 19 min 54 Diana and Eliza 14 min 55 The Bed of Sickness 13 min 56 Accusations and Explanations 31 min 57 The Banker 30 min 58 Miserimma! 27 min 59 The Road to Ruin 35 min 60 The Last Resource 14 min 61 New Year's Day 25 min 62 The Royal Lovers 17 min 63 Revelations 14 min 64 The Boozing Ken Once More 20 min 65 The Resurrection Man's History 31 min 66 The Plot 8 min 67 The Counterplot 21 min 68 The Wrongs and Crimes of the Poor 21 min 69 The Result of Markham's Enterprise 13 min
