[2][3] Elements of the novel mirror themes of the real-life Constance Kent case of June 1860 which gripped the nation for years.

It was published as a three-volume novel, and it became a success, allowing Braddon to be financially independent for the rest of her life.

When it became public that Maxwell and Braddon had been living in an "irregular" arrangement all those years, it caused a minor scandal during which all their servants gave notice.

[2] In 1997 a Wordsworth Limited edition was released with an Introduction by Keith Carabine from the University of Kent in which he states, "In the latter half of the nineteenth century, everyone knew Lady Audley’s Secret.

Prior to marrying Sir Michael she had served as governess for the children of the local doctor, Mr. Dawson, and before that she was in service with Mrs. Vincent.

Shortly after the marriage Sir Michael's nephew, the barrister Robert Audley, welcomes his old friend George Talboys back to England.

Robert Audley cares for his friend, and, hoping to distract him, offers to take him to his wealthy uncle's country manor.

One night, he reveals his notes to Lady Audley, including that George was in possession of many letters of his former wife.

One possession, however, remains – a book with a note written by George's wife that matches Lady Audley's handwriting.

Suspecting the worst of Lady Audley and being afraid for little Georgey's life, Robert travels to Lieutenant Maldon's house and demands possession of the boy.

Lucy, under the name of Madame Taylor, enters a mental institution located somewhere in Belgium along the route between Brussels and Paris.

While being committed, Lucy confesses to Robert that she killed George by pushing him down a deserted well in the garden of Audley Court.

Before succumbing to injuries he suffered in the fire, Luke tells Robert that George survived Lady Audley's attempted murder.

The narrative ends with the death of Lucy abroad, and Clara and Robert happily married and living in a country cottage with George and his son.

Robert's formerly infatuated cousin Alicia marries her once-spurned suitor, Sir Harry Towers, and Audley Court is left abandoned along with all of its unhappy memories.

In addition, anxieties about the increasing urbanization of Britain abound; the city gives Lady Audley the power to change her identity because it renders its citizens effectively anonymous.

In fact, many critics view Lady Audley's deception as a feminist act in which a woman takes control of the direction of her own life.

[4] The novel, like the real-life case, featured a stepmother and former governess, a mysterious and brutal murder in a country manor house, a body thrown down a well, and characters fascinated by madness.

[4] Lady Audley's Secret is involved in a subplot of Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown, the fourth book in the Betsy-Tacy series by Maud Hart Lovelace.