A tale of entangled loves and thwarted desires,THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD(1870) has at its heart an ill-starred engagement and a suspected murder,the victim of which has disappeared.Dickens's last novel is the natural culmination of his life's work.It is populated by memorable characters such as the fatuous Mr Sapsea and the bullying ' philanthropist'Mr Honeythunder,and it exhibits Dickens's dazzling talent for atmosphere and social observation.Various attempts have been madeby authors such as Leon Garfield(1980) and C.Forsyte(1980) to resolve the mystery at the heart of this,Dickens's intriguing unfinished masterpiece.