The Mystery Queen

Fergusson Wright Hume (1859 - 1932) was aprolific English novelist.Finding that the novels of Emile Gaboriau were very popular,Hume obtained and read a set of them and determined to writea novel of the same kind. The result was The Mystery of a Hansom Cab,set in Melbourne, with descriptions of poor urban life based on hisknowledge of Little Bourke Street. It was self-published in 1886 andbecame a great success. Because he sold the British and American rightsfor 50 pounds,...
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Fergusson Wright Hume (1859 - 1932) was aprolific English novelist.Finding that the novels of Emile Gaboriau were very popular,Hume obtained and read a set of them and determined to writea novel of the same kind. The result was The Mystery of a Hansom Cab,set in Melbourne, with descriptions of poor urban life based on hisknowledge of Little Bourke Street. It was self-published in 1886 andbecame a great success. Because he sold the British and American rightsfor 50 pounds, however, he reaped little of the potential financialbenefit. It became the best-selling mystery novel of the Victorian era.This novel inspired ArthurConan Doyle to write A Study in Scarlet, which introduced the fictionalconsulting detective Sherlock Holmes. Doyle remarked, "Hansom Cab was aslight tale, mostly sold by 'puffing'."Hume did not seek publicity and little is known of his personal life. He died at in 1932, shortly after completing his last book, The Last Straw.