An unscrupulous dentist will stop at nothing to acquire the fortune of a vulnerable heiress.
For Braddon, see Novels 004, 061, 115, and 170. The sequel of this shocking tale will be recommended next week!
I was unable to find a good review of this novel, so here are some bad ones:
It “excites unsatisfied curiosity at the commencement, weariness in the middle, and indignation at the end.” Athenaeum, October 12, 1867
“The book, we cheerfully concede, has one merit. It is in Miss Braddon’s power, and the power is very rare indeed, to create by her pen a sort of mental atmosphere, to tinge the air of her tales so that you must see the characters under the false colour she pleases to throw over them.” Spectator, October 26, 1867
v.1 https://archive.org/details/birdsofpreynovel01bradd