Blockbuster! Fergus Hume and the Mystery of a Hansom Cab

“Fergus whom?” one might well ask before meeting this prolific author in Sussex’s capacious account, set at the birth of a genre that still entertains and engages readers today: the crime novel. Hume produced more than 130 books between 1886 and 1906, the first of which, The Mystery of a Hansom Cab, was the 19th century’s bestselling thriller. However, having sold the international rights for £50, he derived little financial benefit from the book’s success. Sussex follows Hume from his birth in England in 1859 through his childhood in New Zealand, where his father was a mental institution superintendent; his move to Australia in 1885; and his return, in 1888, to England, where he died in 1932. She provides a rich picture of Victorian life and a revealing account of late 19th-century publishing practices. She also captures a snapshot of the mystery genre as it existed before Hume’s contemporary competitor, Arthur Conan Doyle, completely eclipsed him and inspired legions of imitators. Who now cares about Fergus Hume? Sussex’s fascinating book reveals why all crime fiction readers should. (June)