Audible presents an original production of the aptly named The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Charles Dickens’ final, unfinished novel. Following his untimely death at the age of 58, Dickens managed to publish only six of the 12 planned instalments of the story.

Though it has gone on to be one of his more popular titles and the source of inspiration for various television, stage and theatre adaptations, no one knows exactly how Dickens planned to end the mystery. This has lent to development of many different theories, but it now relies on you to provide the answers; can you solve The Mystery of Edwin Drood?

This editions features an exclusive afterword written and narrated by Lucinda Hawksley, who holds the unique position of being one of the world’s leading experts on Dickens, and also his great-great-great granddaughter.

About the book

Upon his coming of age, Edwin Drood is contracted to marry Rosa Bud and thus fulfil his father’s greatest wish: that his son be wed to his best friend’s daughter.

Unbeknownst to his jealous and malicious uncle, John Jasper, who desperately longs for young Rosa, the couple are not romantically inclined and soon decide to break off their engagement. When Edwin suspiciously disappears on a stormy night, he leaves behind him a trail of evidence which looks to incriminate the very people closest to him.

Alone and vulnerable, Rosa fears John Jasper’s looming presence and turns to the high-spirited but hot-tempered Neville Landless, and his kindly twin sister, Helena, for protection.

In this classic whodunit, set in the sinister town of Cloisterham, Dickens paints a disturbing picture of the popular vices of the day, including the many opium dens that John Jasper frequents to live out his drug-fuelled fantasy of marrying Rosa. Would such a man be capable of murdering his own nephew, or could it be Edwin’s closest friends that betrayed his trust?

You tell us....

About the author

With his father incarcerated, Charles Dickens had to abandon his studies at a young age and set to work in a factory so as to support himself. Despite his short-lived education, Dickens went on to write 15 novels, various articles, novellas and short stories. These include Hard Times, Bleak House, Oliver Twist, Barnaby Rudge, Little Dorrit and A Tale of Two Cities. He lectured and led campaigns for children's rights and education and arguably became the ultimate self-made man.

Dickens passed away on 9 June 1870 and was laid to rest at the Poet’s Corner in Westminster Abbey.