The Queen of Hearts

The Queen of Hearts by Wilkie Collins (1875 edition)

This work is a frame narrative featuring three retired Welsh brothers at Glen Tower: Owen, a former London clergyman; Morgan, a physician; and Griffith, a lawyer. After establishing their isolated household in South Wales, the narrative introduces a "lively, handsome young woman"—the titular Queen of Hearts—whose mysterious arrival prompts the brothers to recount ten stories across as many days to understand and address their situation.

The enclosed tales span multiple genres: gothic horror ("The Dream-Woman," "The Dead Hand"), crime narratives ("A Plot in Private Life"), supernatural narratives ("Fauntleroy"), and mysteries ("The Black Cottage," "The Family Secret," "The River Bit," "Anne Rodway"). Each story is attributed to one of the three brothers as narrator. The collection demonstrates Collins's experimentation with short-form narrative technique, as noted in the dedication to French critic Émile Forgues.