Armadale

A long and intricate sensation novel. Two unrelated men share the name Allan Armadale, and the shadow of an old family crime and a dark prophecy fall over their lives. One is a good-natured young heir, the other a man haunted by his past. Around them moves the scheming and fascinating Lydia Gwilt, one of Collins's boldest creations. The story travels between country houses, the Isle of Man and London, and raises questions about fate, guilt and free will, with plenty of twists along the way.