Interest in the work of Eliza Haywood has increased greatly over the last two decades. Though much scholarship is focused on her 'scandalous' early career, this critical edition of The Invisible Spy (1755) adds to the canon of her later, more sophisticated work.
The eponymous 'invisible spy' is a striking literary persona, allowing Haywood to lead the reader around London, witnessing and exposing hypocrisy, corruption and the suffering of women. The book is also important for demonstrating her continued antagonism towards Henry Fielding – a political dispute – and her engagement with the major political issues of the time.