Mrs. J. H. Riddell

Born Charlotte Eliza Lawson Cowan in Carrickfergus, Ireland, in 1832, she later became known to readers as Mrs. J. H. Riddell. She built a remarkable literary career in the Victorian period, publishing dozens of novels and stories and earning a reputation as one of the most widely read women writers of her day.

Her work ranged from domestic fiction to sensation and supernatural tales, but she is especially remembered now for her ghost stories and for fiction rooted in the commercial world of London. That blend of eerie atmosphere and practical detail gave her books a character all their own.

Riddell was more than a novelist: she also became part-owner and editor of St. James's Magazine, an important literary journal. She died in 1906, and her writing continues to attract readers who enjoy classic haunted fiction, Victorian settings, and overlooked pioneers of popular literature.