Braddon (Mary Elizabeth) Lady Audley's Secret, vol.1 first edition, vol.2 & 3 fourth edition, half-titles, occasional light finger-soiling, the odd spot, vol.3 with one gathering becoming loose, 4pp. advertisements at end of vol.2 & 3, bookplate of Thomas Lalor, Gregg to pastedowns, original blind-stamped cloth, spines gilt, spines darkened, spine ends and corners a little bumped, covers rubbed and a little marked, [Sadleir 302; Wolff 660c], 8vo, Tinsley Bros., 1862.

⁂ Rare partial first edition of one of the great sensation novels. The majority of early sets are mixed editions with first editions of any of the volumes especially rare. Wolff had no edition earlier than the fifth, and Sadleir had the first edition of vol.3 only, listing the fourth edition as 'Not located'. Braddon's tale of bigamy, murder and duplicity was an enormous success, allowing the author financial independence for the remainder of her life and launching William Tinsley as a major publisher.