Wilkie Collins, the master of the Victorian 'sensation novel,' serves up another page-turner with Jezebel's Daughter. Set in a bustling Frankfurt, it moves away from the English countryside to give us a tale of business, medicine, and cold-blooded ambition.

The Story

The plot kicks off with two deaths. First, a wealthy merchant dies, leaving his business to his principled nephew, David Glenney. Then, the merchant's widow—the formidable Madame Fontaine—is left nearly penniless, with only a hidden fortune and a mysterious medicine chest to her name. Her sole hope is her daughter, Minna, who is in love with the lawyer's clerk, Fritz Keller. If they marry, Minna inherits a fortune from Fritz's family.

There's one massive problem: Fritz's father, the stern Mr. Keller, despises Madame Fontaine and forbids the match. So, Madame Fontaine sets her brilliant, calculating mind to work. Using her knowledge of poisons and antidotes from her locked medicine chest, she weaves a web of manipulation. She needs to win over Mr. Keller, control the ailing widow who holds Minna's inheritance, and eliminate anyone in her way. The story becomes a tense waiting game: will her chilling plan succeed, or will justice catch up to her?

Why You Should Read It

Forget the passive Victorian heroine. Madame Fontaine is the engine of this story, and she's spectacular. She's a businesswoman, a scientist, and a strategist, all in an era that gave women little power. Reading her plot unfold is like watching a chess master at work, even as her moves become more terrifying. Collins also does something clever here: the 'good' characters are often naive or bound by honor, making them frustratingly vulnerable to her schemes. It creates this amazing tension where you're almost impressed by her cunning while desperately hoping she's stopped.

The Frankfurt setting, with its merchant houses and asylum subplot, feels fresh and adds a layer of social observation about money and madness.

Final Verdict

This book is perfect for readers who love a villain you love to hate, and for anyone who thinks Victorian fiction is all about manners and tea parties. It's a psychological thriller in period costume. If you enjoyed the suspense of The Woman in White but wished the villain had more stage time, Madame Fontaine is your woman. Just be prepared—you might find yourself rooting for the 'bad guy' more than you expect.