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=About the Author= Martin was born in Missouri, she was raised and educated in New Orleans, Louisiana. She graduated from the MFA Program for Poets & Writers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Valerie Martin is the author of ten novels, including Trespass, Mary Reilly, Italian Fever, and Property, three collections of short fiction, and a biography of St. Francis of Assisi, titled Salvation. She has been awarded a grant from the national Endowment for the Arts and a John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship, as well as the Kafka Prize (for Mary Reilly) and Britain’s Orange Prize (for Property). Martin’s last novel, The Confessions of Edward Day was a New York Times notable book for 2009.

=Summary=

Book 1
Mary Reilly is a novel based off the diary of which Dr. Jekyll's maid, Mary Reilly, wrote during her time of service. The first entry made by Mary Reilly was about the scars on her body which she recieved from a rat. She also describes how her father abused her throughout her childhood. Mary Rielly is now older and writing about her experiences within the house of Dr. Henry Jekyll. The doctor first notices Mary when he takes interest in the scars that are presented on her hands and neck. Mary is quite surprised by this abrupt engagement between her and her master. To not be an embarrasment, Mary scrubs away at the dirt on her to be as clean as possible when the doctor is to examine her scars. Dr. Jekyll then encourages her to write him a book describing how she got her scars; after that encounter Dr. Jekyll and Marry begin to develop a liking for one another. Soon the once quiet household is disrupted by the doctors odd work hours in his laboratory, which is located right beside the house. Dr. Jekyll starts to become ill from being overworked, and the doctor has a new assistant named Edward Hyde.

Book 2
The doctors servants are told that they are to treat Edward Hyde the same way they treat their master. Mr. Hyde is given the rules of the house and laboratory and Mary and the other servants are upset by the new young assistant's bad temper and rude manner. Mary is told by Dr.Jekyll to run some errands to the home of Mrs.Farraday, whose house in Soho is also used to house Edward Hyde. On the second errand run Mary carries a letter and a check to Mrs. Farraday. Once there Mrs. Farraday shows Mary a bedroom in her house where the bed is covered in blood, and bloody hand prints are upon the walls. Mrs. Farraday gives Mary a blood soaked handkerchief embroider with Dr.Jekyll's initials and she tells Mary that the check sent by Dr.Jekyll insures her silence. Mrs.Farraday refers to Edward Hyde as "his bloody favorite he has set loose among us here like a mad dog. Mary's strength and loyalty to Dr. Jekyll are put to the test as she tries to guard him from Edward Hyde, who is accused of the murder of a partner of Dr. Jekyll, and the other household servants now try to deal with the doctors rapidly deteriorating health.

Book 3
Edward Hyde flees after police link him to the murder of Danvers Carew and for a short while Doctor Jekyll's household returns to normal. However, Dr. Jekyll returns to his experimental drug use and obsession with the good and evil sides of his personality and Edward Hyde reappears, bringing the story to a disastrous end.

=Characters= Mary- Main character of the book, Maid of Dr. Jekyll, narrator of the book

Dr. Jekyll- The good looking master of the house and works in the laboratory most of the time.

Mr. Hyde- Dr. Jekyll's alter ego who is hairy, short in stature, and unappealing to the workers.

Annie- A young girl who sleeps a lot and seems very sickly

Mr. Poole- Main person in charge of the workers and very protective of his master. Fires anyone who defies the rules and really doesn't like Mary getting the attention she is getting from the Master.

Cook- Main cook of the house who is very chipper and caring. Starts a herb and flower garden with Mary which was a great success. She is like the caretaker who watches over Mary and Annie.

Ms. Farraday- An evil old lady that Dr. Jekyll has Mary run errands to and reply back to him. The owner who lets Mr. Hyde stay in one of the rooms.

Mr. Bradshaw- Long time worker of Dr. Jekyll who helps around the house and helps out with the up keep of the house.

Mr. Utterson- Lawyer and very close friend of Dr. Jekyll's. He writes the will of Dr.Jekyll.

Dr. Lanyon- Dr. Jekyll's colleague

=Reviews=

The New York Times
“Mary Reilly is an achievement - creativity skating exhilarating on thin ice.”

USA Today
"Mary is a remarkable character....A marvelous performance."

=References= Martin, Valerie. Mary Reilly. New York, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1990. Print.