Edwin Drood is contracted to marry Orphan Rosa, but they break the engagement off-and soon afterwards Edwin disappears. Is it murder? And is his jealous uncle-a sinister choirmaster with a double life and designs on Rosa-the killer? Dickens died before completing the story, leaving the mystery unsolved and encouraging successive generations of readers to turn detective. In addition to its tantalizing crime, the novel also offers a characteristically Dickensian mix of the fantastical world of the imagination and a vibrantly journalistic depiction of gritty reality.

This edition features a new critical introduction that assesses the evidence to show whether the mystery can truly be solved, as well as a chronology, illustrations, appendixes (including one on opium use in the nineteenth century).

Edited with an introduction and notes by David Paroissien.

查尔斯·狄更斯（Charles Dickens）（1812-1870），19世纪英国现实主义文学巨匠，继莎士比亚之后对世界文学产生巨大影响的小说家，为英国批判现实主义文学的开拓发展做出卓越的贡献，其作品至今依然盛行。主要代表作有《双城记》、《大卫·科波菲尔》、《雾都孤儿》、《艰难时世》、《远大前程》、《匹克威克外传》等。

《德鲁德疑案》是狄更斯一生中的最后一部著作，在去世前不久开始动笔并分卷发表，一问世便获得巨大成功。狄更斯不止一次提到写作过程中的精心构思，他曾向上帝恳求让他在有生之年完成这部小说，直到去世前仍不知疲倦地醉心写作，但还是在小说未完稿前突然辞世。这部未竟遗作也引发后人无数的揣测猜想。