John Jasper’s Secret: A Sequel to Charles Dickens’ Unfinished Novel, the Mystery of Edwin Drood

John Jasper’s Secret is a completion of Charles Dickens’ unfinished novel The Mystery of Edwin Drood. This version, published anonymously, continues the tale of choirmaster John Jasper and his obsessive love for his nephew’s fiancée, Rosa Bud. When Edwin Drood mysteriously disappears, suspicion falls on Jasper. This intriguing completion offers a resolution to the dark mystery left by Dickens, with added suspense and psychological depth.

The novel was published anonymously in 1871, shortly after Charles Dickens’ death, and various theories have surfaced over the years regarding its authorship. Some early suggestions linked Wilkie Collins, a close friend and collaborator of Dickens, to the book. However, there is no verifiable proof to back this claim.

Collins was known for his own distinct style, particularly in sensation novels like The Woman in White, and John Jasper’s Secret does not convincingly match his signature narrative techniques. The attribution may have arisen because Collins and Dickens worked together on other projects, such as No Thoroughfare. Today, most literary scholars agree that Collins did not have a hand in completing The Mystery of Edwin Drood and that the authorship of John Jasper’s Secret remains anonymous.