#OTD in 1856.
Wilkie Collins' "Anne Rodway", a story in diary form about a needlewoman and her fiancé investigating the murder of a friend, appears in Household Words (first chapter), as the first English story to feature a woman as the main detective character.
The story is set in mid-19th century London, depicting the harsh realities of life for the working poor.
Edited 63d ago