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Birds of Prey
Hardcover
Publisher: Bibliotech Press
Published: Nov 13 2025
Pages: 296
Weight: 1.16
Height: 0.88 Width: 6.00 Depth: 9.00
Language: English
Mary Elizabeth Braddon's Birds of Prey (1867) is a sensation novel that explores themes of deception, greed, and social hypocrisy in Victorian England. The story revolves around a web of crime and manipulation orchestrated by a group of morally corrupt characters-birds of prey-who exploit the innocence and vulnerability of others for personal gain.
At the center of the narrative is the charming yet unscrupulous figure of Philip Sheldon, a man who climbs the social ladder through cunning and fraud. His ruthless ambition contrasts sharply with the honesty and moral virtue of the novel's victims, creating a sharp critique of a society that often rewards deceit over integrity. Braddon weaves together elements of mystery, suspense, and domestic drama, revealing how criminality can lurk beneath the surface of respectable middle-class life.
Through her vivid characterization and intricate plotting, Braddon exposes the dark undercurrents of ambition and greed that drive human behavior. Birds of Prey not only entertains through its sensational twists but also challenges readers to question the moral stability of a society obsessed with wealth and status. The novel stands as a powerful example of Victorian sensation fiction, blending social commentary with thrilling narrative energy.
About the Author
Mary Elizabeth Braddon (1835-1915) was one of the most successful and influential novelists of the Victorian age, best known for her pioneering work in the sensation novel-a genre that blended mystery, crime, and domestic drama. Born in London, she was raised primarily by her mother after her parents separated, an experience that may have informed her interest in the hidden conflicts and moral ambiguities of family life.
Before becoming a writer, Braddon briefly worked as an actress under the name Mary Seyton, but she soon turned to fiction, publishing serialized stories that captured popular taste. Her major success came with Lady Audley's Secret (1862), a sensational tale of deceit, bigamy, and madness that both scandalized and fascinated Victorian readers. The novel's complex portrayal of a woman defying social expectations helped establish Braddon as a major literary figure and defined the era's fascination with crime and female transgression.
Throughout her career, Braddon remained remarkably prolific, producing more than eighty novels. Among her best-known works are Aurora Floyd (1863), John Marchmont's Legacy (1863), and The Doctor's Wife (1864). Her fiction often explored the limitations placed on women and the instability beneath the surface of respectable domestic life. In addition to writing, Braddon founded and edited Belgravia magazine, which published fiction, essays, and poetry, and helped shape the literary culture of her time.
Her personal life was unconventional: she lived with the publisher John Maxwell for many years and married him after his first wife's death in 1874. Despite social criticism, she managed to balance a large family with an extraordinarily productive writing career.
Mary Elizabeth Braddon died in Richmond, Surrey, in 1915. Today, she is recognized as a defining voice of Victorian popular fiction, whose vivid plots and daring heroines continue to influence modern interpretations of gender, identity, and morality in literature.
13 different editions
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Braddon, Mary Elizabeth
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The Valancourt Book of Horror Stories: Volume Two
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The Collected Supernatural and Weird Fiction of Mary Elizabeth Braddon: Volume 3-Including One Novel 'Gerard, or the World, the Flesh, and the Devil'
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Lady Audley's Secret (Royal Collector's Edition) (Case Laminate Hardcover with Jacket)
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Lady Audley's Secret - A Drama in Two Acts: A Drama in Two Acts
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Milly Darrell, and Other Tales. by the Author of Lady Audley's Secret [I.E. Mary Elizabeth Braddon], Etc. Vol. III
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The doctor's wife, a NOVEL By: the author of "Lady Audley's secret". / Mary Elizabeth Braddon /
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The doctor's wife, a novel by the author of "Lady Audley's secret". By: Mary Elizabeth Braddon: Mary Elizabeth Braddon (4 October 1835 - 4 February 19
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Weavers and Weft, and Other Tales. by the Author of 'Lady Audley's Secret, ' Etc. [M. E. Braddon.]
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Braddon, Mary Elizabeth
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Eleanor's victory: a novel By: Mary Elizabeth Braddon: Mary Elizabeth Braddon was a British Victorian era popular novelist.
Braddon, Mary Elizabeth
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The Collected Supernatural and Weird Fiction of Mary Elizabeth Braddon: Volume 1-Including One Novel 'The White Phantom' and Three Short Stories of Th
Braddon, Mary Elizabeth
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The Collected Supernatural and Weird Fiction of Mary Elizabeth Braddon: Volume 2-Including One Novel 'The Conflict, ' Two Novelettes and One Short Sto
Braddon, Mary Elizabeth
Paperback
The Collected Supernatural and Weird Fiction of Mary Elizabeth Braddon: Volume 2-Including One Novel 'The Conflict, ' Two Novelettes and One Short Sto
Braddon, Mary Elizabeth
Hardcover
The Collected Supernatural and Weird Fiction of Mary Elizabeth Braddon: Volume 3-Including One Novel 'Gerard, or the World, the Flesh, and the Devil'
Braddon, Mary Elizabeth
Hardcover
The Collected Supernatural and Weird Fiction of Mary Elizabeth Braddon: Volume 4-Including Three Novelettes 'His Secret, ' 'Herself' and 'The Ghost's
Braddon, Mary Elizabeth
Hardcover
Asphodel. a Novel. by the Author of "Lady Audley's Secret" [I.E. M. E. Braddon], Etc.
Anonymous
Braddon, Mary Elizabeth
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Lucius Davoren; Or, Publicans and Sinners. a Novel. by the Author of 'Lady Audley's Secret' [I.E. Mary E. Braddon, Afterwards Maxwell], Etc.
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Braddon, Mary Elizabeth
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One Life, One Love: A Novel. by the Author of "Lady Audley's Secret," Etc. [M. E. Braddon].
Braddon, Mary Elizabeth
Anonymous
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Asphodel. a Novel. by the Author of Lady Audley's Secret [I.E. M. E. Braddon], Etc. Vol. I.
Braddon, Mary Elizabeth
Braddon, M. E.
Anonymous
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Dead-Sea Fruit. a Novel. by the Author of "Lady Audley's Secret," Etc., Etc., Etc. [I.E. Mary E. Braddon.]
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Joshua Haggard's Daughter. a Novel. by the Author of "Lady Audley's Secret," Etc., Etc. [Miss M. E. Braddon.] Vol. II
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Braddon, Mary Elizabeth
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An Open Verdict. a Novel, by the Author of 'Lady Audley's Secret' [M. E. Braddon].
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The D.'s Wife. by the Author of Lady Audley's Secret, Etc. [Miss M. E. Braddon.]
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Braddon, Mary Elizabeth
Braddon, M. E.
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The Story of Barbara: Her Splendid Misery and Her Gilded Cage. Vol. 3
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Charlotte's Inheritance. a Novel. by the Author of Lady Audley's Secret [I.E. Mary Elizabeth Braddon] ... Fifth Edition. Vol. I.
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Braddon, Mary Elizabeth
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To the Bitter End ... by the Author of "Lady Audley's Secret" (Miss Braddon), Etc. Vol. II.
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Asphodel. a Novel. by the Author of "Lady Audley's Secret" [I.E. M. E. Braddon], Etc.
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The Cloven Foot. a Novel. by the Author of "Lady Audley's Secret" [M. E. Braddon, Afterwards Maxwell].
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Birds of Prey. a Novel. by the Author of Lady Audley's Secret [I.E. Mary Elizabeth Braddon, Afterwards Maxwell].
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Maxwell
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Milly Darrell, and Other Tales. by the Author of Lady Audley's Secret [i.E. Mary Elizabeth Braddon], Etc.
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Robert Ainsleigh. by the Author of 'Lady Audley's Secret, ' Etc. Vol. II
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Braddon, Mary Elizabeth
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Gerard: Or, the World, the Flesh, and the Devil. a Novel. by the Author of "Lady Audley's Secret," Etc. [M. E. Braddon].
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Braddon, Mary Elizabeth
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Taken at the Flood. a Novel. by the Author of Lady Audley's Secret [M. E. Braddon]. ... Stereotyped Edition. Vol. III
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Braddon, M. E.
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The Story of Barbara; Her Splendid Misery, and Her Gilded Cage. a Novel. by the Author of "Lady Audley's Secret" [I.E. Mary E. Braddon].
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Only a Clod. by the Author of Lady Audley's Secret [I.E. Mary E. Braddon] ... Fourth Edition.
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