csweetman88's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
sammy_'s review against another edition
4.0
I love classic mysteries and came across the tale of this story. Published by a new Australian writer in 1886, it was one of the first global word-of-mouth bestsellers, selling over 1 million copies worldwide and outselling Sherlock Holmes at the time, though now largely forgotten. Unfortunately the author Fergus Hume sold the rights for £50 not anticipating how big the book would become, and never profited from its success.
I sent it from Project Gutenberg to my Kindle and found it a well-written and enjoyable mystery, a little in the vein of Wilkie Collins. Plus the Australian setting was interesting being a place I didn’t know a lot about in this era.
I sent it from Project Gutenberg to my Kindle and found it a well-written and enjoyable mystery, a little in the vein of Wilkie Collins. Plus the Australian setting was interesting being a place I didn’t know a lot about in this era.
miki_fourinterests's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
maplessence's review against another edition
3.0
3.5★
I wanted to read this novel as soon as I found out that;
☞ Although Hume was born & died in England and wrote his most famous work (this one) while living in Australia, his time in NZ obviously meant a lot to him and he identified as a Kiwi for the rest of his life.
I can relate to that. I am still a Canadian citizen but I always feel 100% like a New Zealander. Home is where your heart is. ♥
☞ This book supposedly inspired [a:Arthur Conan Doyle|2448|Arthur Conan Doyle|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1495008883p2/2448.jpg] to write his first Sherlock Holmes book.
And I really enjoyed the start. Hume's style was initially fast paced and far more fresh and lively than most Victorian authors. I really engaged with the characters.
But I have to go on my own reading experience and for me the pace fell off and I had to read the ending twice to figure out the killer's motivation.
3.5★ is a good rating from me - it does mean I want to read more by this author. And I am tougher on the murder mystery genre as I read so many of them
I wanted to read this novel as soon as I found out that;
☞ Although Hume was born & died in England and wrote his most famous work (this one) while living in Australia, his time in NZ obviously meant a lot to him and he identified as a Kiwi for the rest of his life.
I can relate to that. I am still a Canadian citizen but I always feel 100% like a New Zealander. Home is where your heart is. ♥
☞ This book supposedly inspired [a:Arthur Conan Doyle|2448|Arthur Conan Doyle|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1495008883p2/2448.jpg] to write his first Sherlock Holmes book.
And I really enjoyed the start. Hume's style was initially fast paced and far more fresh and lively than most Victorian authors. I really engaged with the characters.
But I have to go on my own reading experience and for me the pace fell off and I had to read the ending twice to figure out the killer's motivation.
3.5★ is a good rating from me - it does mean I want to read more by this author. And I am tougher on the murder mystery genre as I read so many of them
textpublishing's review against another edition
5.0
‘One of the hundred best crime novels of all time.’
Sunday Telegraph
‘Well written and immensely readable.’
Daily Telegraph
‘An absolute ripper. A plot full of astonishing twists and turns, and brilliant evocation of 19th-Century Melbourne that captures its charm, bustle and rawness.’
Inside Melbourne
‘A splendidly romantic melodrama, full of period charm, and Victorian sentiment…The Mystery of a Hansom Cab is not only a classic but hugely enjoyable as well.’
West Australian
‘Fiendishly cunning.’
Shane Maloney
‘A highly readable and clever mystery, as well as a fascinating description of the minutiae of life in Victorian Melbourne. Hume wanted to write a book, “containing a mystery, a murder, and a description of low life in Melbourne.” He did pay tribute to the works of the French mystery writer Emile Gaboriau and his earlier Monsieur Lecoq novels, but many would argue that Hume’s plotting is tighter than his French counterpart and his mystery a tougher one to solve.’
Literary Hub
Sunday Telegraph
‘Well written and immensely readable.’
Daily Telegraph
‘An absolute ripper. A plot full of astonishing twists and turns, and brilliant evocation of 19th-Century Melbourne that captures its charm, bustle and rawness.’
Inside Melbourne
‘A splendidly romantic melodrama, full of period charm, and Victorian sentiment…The Mystery of a Hansom Cab is not only a classic but hugely enjoyable as well.’
West Australian
‘Fiendishly cunning.’
Shane Maloney
‘A highly readable and clever mystery, as well as a fascinating description of the minutiae of life in Victorian Melbourne. Hume wanted to write a book, “containing a mystery, a murder, and a description of low life in Melbourne.” He did pay tribute to the works of the French mystery writer Emile Gaboriau and his earlier Monsieur Lecoq novels, but many would argue that Hume’s plotting is tighter than his French counterpart and his mystery a tougher one to solve.’
Literary Hub
theknittingritual's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
nachtvlucht's review
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
mariatsichrini's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
beccybee95's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
justmevictoria's review against another edition
4.0
As someone who doesn't really read crime mysteries, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, especially since it was required university reading for my Australian Literature course.
A body is found murdered in a Hansom Cab, and police soon discover that it's a man named Oliver Whyte. But now the real question is, who on earth is the killer and why was he killed? Through some investigation, detective Mr. Gorby believes it to be Brian Fitzgerald, a man who is said to have despised Whyte for wanting to marry his lover, Madge Frettlby. After a lengthy investigation into the evidence, both for and against, it is determined that Brian is innocent, and that someone is trying to frame him - but who did want Whyte dead, and what secret do the papers stolen from Whyte's pocket reveal?
This was a very enjoyable read, even though I did end up listening to a majority of it via audiobook. I really enjoyed the two opening chapters, the first of which is the newspaper article regarding the event, and the second the evidence report. It was a creative way to introduce the main event of the story, enabling the rest of the book to focus on the mystery of the murderer. By using this way of storytelling, Hume was able to persuade the reader to believe that each of the suspects were the murderer, which I really enjoyed. I definitely didn't see the final result coming, but it all fitted into the story.
The story gave such a great insight into Australian and Melbournian life during the late 1800s, and I could picture the events unfolding in the city. During the few chapters, it felt like the story was based off a true crime, even though no such event had occurred. Hume did an excellent job at pulling the reader into 19th century Melbourne, showing the wealth of the upper-class and the poverty of the back-alley slums.
It's really interesting to see that this book was the bestselling crime novel of the nineteenth century, and not Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes. I hadn't heard of this book prior to having to study it for university and I'm really glad that I have read it. It's a great piece of Australian literature.
Overall, I highly recommend this book, especially to those who enjoy crime fiction and novels set in Australia. It's such a great mystery novel and you'll be unsure as to who the murderer was for the majority of the story.
A body is found murdered in a Hansom Cab, and police soon discover that it's a man named Oliver Whyte. But now the real question is, who on earth is the killer and why was he killed? Through some investigation, detective Mr. Gorby believes it to be Brian Fitzgerald, a man who is said to have despised Whyte for wanting to marry his lover, Madge Frettlby. After a lengthy investigation into the evidence, both for and against, it is determined that Brian is innocent, and that someone is trying to frame him - but who did want Whyte dead, and what secret do the papers stolen from Whyte's pocket reveal?
This was a very enjoyable read, even though I did end up listening to a majority of it via audiobook. I really enjoyed the two opening chapters, the first of which is the newspaper article regarding the event, and the second the evidence report. It was a creative way to introduce the main event of the story, enabling the rest of the book to focus on the mystery of the murderer. By using this way of storytelling, Hume was able to persuade the reader to believe that each of the suspects were the murderer, which I really enjoyed. I definitely didn't see the final result coming, but it all fitted into the story.
The story gave such a great insight into Australian and Melbournian life during the late 1800s, and I could picture the events unfolding in the city. During the few chapters, it felt like the story was based off a true crime, even though no such event had occurred. Hume did an excellent job at pulling the reader into 19th century Melbourne, showing the wealth of the upper-class and the poverty of the back-alley slums.
It's really interesting to see that this book was the bestselling crime novel of the nineteenth century, and not Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes. I hadn't heard of this book prior to having to study it for university and I'm really glad that I have read it. It's a great piece of Australian literature.
Overall, I highly recommend this book, especially to those who enjoy crime fiction and novels set in Australia. It's such a great mystery novel and you'll be unsure as to who the murderer was for the majority of the story.