When "The Woman in White" was published in 1862, the literary world of Britain was scandalized by the subversive way Mary Elizabeth Braddon created the central female character. A character who, defying gods and demons, constructs a new identity, builds a new life for herself, and starts over. Some consider Lady Audley to be the first feminist of modern literature.

"The Woman in White" is one of the first sensation novels and serves as a characteristic and excellent example of the genre that flourished during the Victorian era. Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, Georges Simenon, Patricia Highsmith, and contemporary authors like Gillian Flynn are direct descendants of the sensation novel that, as its name suggests, is meant to stimulate the reader's interest, to titillate their senses.

It is truly an exhilarating genre, with an impressive plot and constant twists. It speaks of human nature that does not hesitate in front of anything. It has love and crime, mystery and intrigue, and above all, it hides a secret.