 Her second novel, "A Woman in Grey" (1898) established her reputation as the successor to Wilkie Collins.A third, "The Newspaper Girl" (1899), exploited Elizabeth Banks's notorious "stunt" journalism, turning some of the same stratagems to humorous effect.Humor would become one of her most striking characteristics as an author, beginning with "The Lightning Conductor" (1902), the novel that catapulted her overnight to international fame, selling more than a million copies in America.