Wilkie Collins is better known as a writer of sensational fiction: supernatural suspense, terrifying drama, and intricate mysteries. “The Evil Genius,” one of the author’s later works, doesn’t fall under that category by today’s standards—but for Victorians, the theme of the novel was both sensational and taboo. “The Evil Genius” is a story about marital infidelity and Divorce (yes, with a capital “D!”). It’s about scandal and injustice—issues that, in those times, often surrounded these problems. Sidney, a young governess raised without parents to guide her along the right path, discovers that her gratitude toward her employer gradually turns into infatuation. And he makes an unfortunate mistake—one he regrets immediately… The story may seem simple and understandable, but it’s tense; the characters and their emotions keep you from losing interest in the narrative and hold the listener’s attention (a classic Wilkie Collins!). The reader’s view of the characters keeps shifting, and as one review of the novel puts it: “Throughout the whole story I kept wondering who was called the evil genius. At least three characters halfway through I wanted to strangle!”