First published in 1871, Thomas Hardy's Desperate Remedies, is a tale of murder. More than that, it is a tale of blackmail, bigamy and lies. And yet, under the delicate touch of a true poet, it becomes still more than that again. Desperate Remedies is, in the author's own words, a story of 'mystery, entanglement, surprise and moral obliquity' and, as such, it is a fine example of the of the Victorian 'sensation' novel. However, in his perceptive examination of class and his society's attitudes towards women, Hardy's first published work become more than just a 'ripping yarn'; it becomes a true classic.