威尔基·柯林斯(Wilkie Collins)，于1824年1月8日生于伦敦，1889年9月23日死在伦敦。父亲是个风景画家。他12岁时随父母迁居意大利，三年后回国，就读于海伯里私立寄宿学校，曾在茶叶公司工作，后改学法律，在伦敦林肯法学协会当过律师。1847年，父亲死后，他才开始以写作为生。第一部作品是《威廉·柯林斯》传，不久就从事小说创作。一开始成绩平平，后来他结识了当代文豪狄更斯，成为莫逆之交，并为狄更斯主编的，当时最风行的杂志经常撰稿。他的长篇小说往往在这本杂志上先发表，然后出单行本。这期间他写了不少小说，大都以侦破犯罪事件为题材，柯林斯即以此种小说蜚声社会，享誉30余年，但他作品虽多，而得以流传后世并得到肯定的仅有《月亮宝石》和成名作《白衣女人》两部。

在线阅读本书

ENDURING LITERATURE ILLUMINATED BY PRACTICAL SCHOLARSHIP One woman's journey through madness, murder, and mistaken identity -- a classic work of Victorian sensationalism. THIS ENRICHED CLASSIC EDITION INCLUDES: A concise introduction that gives readers important background information A chronology of the author's life and work A timeline of significant events that provides the book's historical context An outline of the key themes and plot points to help readers form their own interpretations Detailed explanatory notes Critical analysis including contemporary and modern perspectives on the work Discussion questions to promote lively classroom and book group interaction A list of recommended related books and films to broaden the reader's experience Enriched Classics offer readers affordable editions of great works of literature enhanced by helpful notes and insightful commentary. the scholarship provided in Enriched Classics enables readers to appreciate, understand, and enjoy the world's finest books to their full potential.