Why was The Mystery of Edwin Drood left unfinished?

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Portrait of Charles Dickens seated at a desk, writing with a quill pen, dressed in a suit with a bow tie. — Charles Dickens English novelist Charles Dickens working at his craft. Dickens published some of most beloved novels in English literature, including *A Christmas Carol*, *A Tale of Two Cities*, and *Great Expectations*.

The Mystery of Edwin Drood was left unfinished because of the sudden death of Charles Dickens in 1870 at the age of 58.12

At the time of his death, Dickens had completed only six of the twelve parts he had projected for the novel. Because he left behind very few clues regarding his intended conclusion, the ultimate fate of the title character, Edwin Drood, remains a mystery.13