The Mystery of a Hansom Cab
London edition (1888)
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| Author | Fergus Hume |
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| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
| Subject | Mystery |
| Genre | Fiction |
| Publisher | Fergus Hume |
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Publication date
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1886 |
| Pages | 164 |
| ISBN | |
| OCLC | 8476357 |
| LC Class | ca 08000675 |
| Followed by | Professor Brankel's Secret |
The Mystery of a Hansom Cab is a mystery fiction novel by English writer Fergus Hume. The book was first published in Australia, in 1886. Set in Melbourne, the story focuses on the investigation of a homicide involving a body discovered in a hansom cab, as well as an exploration into the social class divide in the city. The book was successful in Australia, selling 100,000 copies in the first two print runs. It was then published in Britain and the United States, and went on to sell over 500,000 copies worldwide, outselling the first of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes novels, A Study in Scarlet (1887).
Reception of The Mystery of a Hansom Cab was positive; it received praise in works including A Companion to Crime Fiction,A History of the Book in Australia 1891–1945, and A History of Victoria, and was featured in the book Vintage Mystery and Detective Stories. A parody version was published in 1888, and film adaptations were produced in 1911, 1915, and 1925. The story was adapted into a BBC Radio serial in 1958, a stage play in 1990, a radio promotion in 1991, and a telemovie in 2012.
Originally from Britain, Fergus Hume worked as a barrister's clerk in Melbourne, Australia at the time of the book's first publication. Hume went on to become a prolific author, and wrote more than 130 novels in fiction subjects including adventure and science fiction.
The Mystery of a Hansom Cab takes place in Melbourne, Australia and involves an investigation into a homicide, after a corpse is discovered in the evening, in a hansom cab. The city of Melbourne plays a significant role in the plot and, as the author describes: "Over all the great city hung a cloud of smoke like a pall." The killer's identity is not as significant a revelation in the story as are the roles of the influential and secretive Frettlby family, and their secret: they have an illegitimate daughter living on the streets. The class divide between Melbourne's wealthy and less fortunate is addressed throughout the plot.
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