The Guilty River is a sensation novel that was written by Wilkie Collins. The action centers around a young man who returns to England to collect his inheritance after the death of his father. While on an evening walk he meets an old childhood friend which sets off a bizarre chain of events. Wilkie Collins was a prominent English writer in the 19th century. Collins was a close friend of Charles Dickens and his books were often featured in Dickens' journals All the Year Round and Household Words. Collins' books still enjoy wide popularity, especially mystery and detective novels such as The Woman in White, The Moonstone, and Armadale.