Mulock's early success began with the novel "Cola Monti" (1849). In the same year she produced her first three-volume novel, "The Ogilvies," to great success. It was followed in 1850 by "Olive", then by "The Head of the Family" in 1851 and "Agatha's Husband" in 1853, in which the author used her recollections of East Dorset. Mulock published the fairy story "Alice Learmont" in 1852, and collected numerous short stories from periodicals under the title of "Avillion and other Tales" in 1853. A similar collection appeared in 1857 under the title "Nothing New".