The Mysteries of London is a "penny blood" novel begun by George W. M. Reynolds in 1844. There are many plots in the story, but the overarching purpose is to reveal different facets of life in London, from its seedy underbelly to its over-indulgent and corrupt aristocrats. Reynolds wrote the first two series of this long-running narrative. The original text was published serially in 52 weekly parts. Installments were published weekly and contained a single illustration and eight pages of text printed in double columns. Upon its conclusion in 1845 all the parts were bound together in volume form and sold as a book by George Vickers of London. The closest the stories have to a hero is the character Richard Markham, and the most villainous of the cast of villains is the Resurrection Man, a serial killer.