The Law and the Lady (1875) refashions sensation fiction as a coolly argued case study in marriage and proof. Newlywed Valeria Woodville learns that her husband, Eustace, once stood trial in Scotland for his first wife's death and was released under the disquieting verdict "Not Proven." Rejecting that limbo, she undertakes her own inquiry, moving from parlors to archives, interrogating witnesses, and weighing medical testimony. Mixing first-person narration with documents and the eerie figure of Miserrimus Dexter, Collins crafts a female-led detective thriller that probes Victorian law and gender. Collins-Dickens's ally and the prime mover of mid-Victorian sensation-drew on legal training at Lincoln's Inn and a taste for forensic puzzles. His unorthodox domestic arrangements and sympathy for women's legal disabilities animate Valeria's agency, while chronic pain and laudanum use sharpen his interest in unreliable memory and testimony. This Thriller Classic deserves readers who relish a pioneering heroine, taut plotting, and lucid debate about evidence and justice. It will satisfy fans of Victorian fiction, legal history, and modern crime alike. Read it for a study in moral resolve-and for a mystery solved by intellect and love. Quickie Classics summarizes timeless works with precision, preserving the author's voice and keeping the prose clear, fast, and readable-distilled, never diluted. Enriched Edition extras: Introduction · Synopsis · Historical Context · Author Biography · Brief Analysis · 4 Reflection Q&As · Editorial Footnotes.