Books in order
Wilkie Collins Books in Order
by Wilkie Collins
Start with The Woman in White (1859) for Wilkie Collins's gripping blend of mystery, Gothic atmosphere, and memorable characters. The list below begins with his best-known mysteries, then moves through shorter fiction and earlier suspense before exploring his less familiar later novels.
Updated
The books in order
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In order of publication
Every Wilkie Collins book in our library, numbered by year of first publication; a book without a known year comes last.
| # | First published | Book | Kind | Read |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1852 | Novel | Free to startRead free | |
| 2 | 1857 | The Dead SecretWilkie CollinsMedium level · 5–10 h A maid's broken promise leaves a family secret hidden. | Novel | Free to startRead free |
| 3 | 1859 | The Queen of HeartsWilkie CollinsMedium level · 5–10 h A family shares tales of love, crime and strange events. | Stories | Free to startRead free |
| 4 | 1859 | The Woman in WhiteWilkie CollinsChallenging · 10–20 h A drawing teacher uncovers a plot against a young heiress. | Novel | Free to startRead free |
| 5 | 1868 | The MoonstoneWilkie CollinsChallenging · 10–20 h A stolen diamond disappears from an English country house. | Novel | Free to startRead free |
| 6 | 1875 | The Law and the LadyWilkie CollinsMedium level · 5–10 h A wife investigates the secrets behind her husband's past. | Novel | Free to startRead free |
| 7 | 1877 | My Lady's MoneyWilkie CollinsMedium level · 2–5 h A missing banknote puts a young woman's reputation at risk. | Novella | Free to startRead free |
| 8 | 1878 | The Haunted HotelWilkie CollinsMedium level · 2–5 h A family's suspicions lead to a disturbing mystery in Venice. | Novella | Free to startRead free |
| 9 | 1881 | The Black RobeWilkie CollinsMedium level · 5–10 h A troubled gentleman faces religious persuasion and divided loyalties. | Novel | Free to startRead free |
| 10 | 1883 | Heart and ScienceWilkie CollinsMedium level · 5–10 h A young woman's romance faces the claims of medical science. | Novel | Free to startRead free |
| 11 | 1886 | The Evil GeniusWilkie CollinsMedium level · 5–10 h A marriage breaks down, leaving a child's future in dispute. | Novel | Free to startRead free |
| 12 | 1888 | The Legacy of CainWilkie CollinsMedium level · 5–10 h Two daughters’ lives raise doubts about inherited cruelty. | Novel | Free to startRead free |
| 13 | 1890 | Blind LoveWilkie CollinsMedium level · 5–10 h A woman's trust becomes entangled with conspiracy and money. | Novel | Free to startRead free |
Suggested reading order for a first-time reader
Our advice, not a required order: each line says why the book comes at that step.
| # | First published | Book | Kind | Read |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1859 | The Woman in WhiteWilkie CollinsChallenging · 10–20 h Start with this celebrated suspense novel for memorable characters, Gothic atmosphere, and compelling mystery. | Novel | Free to startRead free |
| 2 | 1868 | The MoonstoneWilkie CollinsChallenging · 10–20 h Follow with another celebrated mystery, where competing accounts make the investigation especially engaging. | Novel | Free to startRead free |
| 3 | 1875 | The Law and the LadyWilkie CollinsMedium level · 5–10 h Next, follow a determined wife whose investigation gives Collins's mysteries a fresh perspective. | Novel | Free to startRead free |
| 4 | 1857 | The Dead SecretWilkie CollinsMedium level · 5–10 h Turn to this earlier mystery for family secrets and a richly atmospheric setting. | Novel | Free to startRead free |
| 5 | 1877 | My Lady's MoneyWilkie CollinsMedium level · 2–5 h Take a shorter detour through a missing banknote mystery with clear emotional stakes. | Novella | Free to startRead free |
| 6 | 1878 | The Haunted HotelWilkie CollinsMedium level · 2–5 h Stay with shorter fiction while exploring a darker blend of mystery and Gothic unease. | Novella | Free to startRead free |
| 7 | 1859 | The Queen of HeartsWilkie CollinsMedium level · 5–10 h Broaden your reading with linked storytelling that ranges across crime, love, and strange events. | Stories | Free to startRead free |
| 8 | 1852 | BasilWilkie CollinsMedium level · 5–10 h Return to early Collins for an intense treatment of secrecy, desire, and betrayal. | Novel | Free to startRead free |
| 9 | 1888 | The Legacy of CainWilkie CollinsMedium level · 5–10 h Move into later fiction with a family drama questioning inherited character and moral responsibility. | Novel | Free to startRead free |
| 10 | 1886 | The Evil GeniusWilkie CollinsMedium level · 5–10 h Explore domestic conflict more directly through a troubled marriage and a child's uncertain future. | Novel | Free to startRead free |
| 11 | 1883 | Heart and ScienceWilkie CollinsMedium level · 5–10 h Continue outward to a more explicitly argumentative novel joining romance with questions about medical ethics. | Novel | Free to startRead free |
| 12 | 1881 | The Black RobeWilkie CollinsMedium level · 5–10 h Read this religious drama once familiar with Collins's interest in pressure, loyalty, and conscience. | Novel | Free to startRead free |
| 13 | 1890 | Blind LoveWilkie CollinsMedium level · 5–10 h Finish this selection with a less familiar combination of romance, financial intrigue, and conspiracy. | Novel | Free to startRead free |
Where to start
Start hereThe Woman in WhiteWilkie CollinsChallenging · 10–20 hThe strongest general starting point for suspense, vivid characters, and Gothic atmosphere.
Read free
Another way inThe MoonstoneWilkie CollinsChallenging · 10–20 hChoose this if a stolen jewel and an intricate investigation sound most appealing.
Read free
Or tryMy Lady's MoneyWilkie CollinsMedium level · 2–5 hA shorter introduction for readers who want a manageable mystery before tackling longer novels.
Read free
Questions
Where should I start with Wilkie Collins?
Start with The Woman in White (1859) for Wilkie Collins's gripping blend of mystery, Gothic atmosphere, and memorable characters. The list below begins with his best-known mysteries, then moves through shorter fiction and earlier suspense before exploring his less familiar later novels.
What order should I read Wilkie Collins's books in?
Read Wilkie Collins by interest rather than strict publication order: begin with The Woman in White, then The Moonstone. These books do not require a sequel sequence, so you can move next to shorter mysteries, stories, or his novels of domestic and social conflict.
Which Wilkie Collins book on this page came out first?
Basil (1852). The table above lists every Wilkie Collins book we hold by year of first publication.
Updated
Read and hear all of them
Every book on this page, and 200,000+ more, as eBook, large-print eBook, audiobook and 15-minute summary, in 25 languages, and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print. 5 accounts for the price of one.
