A chance encounter on a lonely road between a drawing teacher and a mysterious woman in white sets off a complex chain of events involving identity, inheritance, and conspiracy. Walter Hartright, a young drawing master, accepts a position in Cumberland, only to find himself entangled in the secrets of his pupil, Laura Fairlie, and her resemblance to the spectral figure he met earlier. As he attempts to protect Laura from the machinations of the manipulative Sir Percival Glyde and the enigmatic Count Fosco, he must navigate a web of legal traps and psychological manipulation. The narrative unfolds through a series of testimonies and documents, creating a multi-perspective account that challenges the reliability of the information presented to the reader.

Readers frequently highlight the innovative use of multiple perspectives, which serves to build suspense as the truth is slowly revealed through conflicting accounts. Discussion often centers on the effectiveness of the atmospheric tension, which remains a hallmark of the Victorian sensation novel genre. Critics often point to the meticulous pacing, noting how the author balances character development with the unfolding mystery. The work is widely regarded as a foundational text in the development of the modern mystery novel, providing a blueprint for later writers in the genre.