Famously left unfinished at Dickens' death, this mystery novel centers on the disappearance of the title character, though the story centers on Drood’s romantic rival Neville Landless and his uncle John Jasper. Dickens died after writing only six of a planned 12 installments, and he left behind no clues as to how he intended to finish the story. Numerous writers have published their own continuations of the story.