The Collegians

A romantic melodrama set in rural Ireland in the early 19th century, this complex story of love, rivalry, secrecy, and betrayal, based on a real case of 1829, was one of the most successful thrillers of its day
 
Young Hardress Cregan is a collegian and a rogue, with a wicked, roving eye. Although he is courting his wealthy cousin Anne, he has also embarked on a passionate love affair with the lowly—but very beautiful—Eily O'Connor. Hardress knows that his family would never approve of this match and he should abandon his new fancy, but his lust overwhelms his conscience and he embarks on a fatal deception—secretly marrying Eily, while succumbing to his mother's machinations and becoming engaged to Anne. How will Hardress extricate himself from this dilemma? Together with his hunchback half-brother, Danny Mann, he hatches a deadly conspiracy. Originally published in 1829, and inspired by a celebrated criminal case, this novel was a sensation in its day, making Killarney a tourist attraction, and its thrilling plot—involving love, rivalry, secrecy, and betrayal—inspiring many imitations.