Scan barcode
thereadingritual'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.
avrilhj's review against another edition
5.0
This is a fabulous book, not merely a good mystery but a wonderful portrayal of Marvellous Melbourne of the late nineteenth century. All Melburnians should read it to get a glimpse of our city's history.
polyhy_14's review against another edition
4.0
While there are times when the language of the era was rather flowery it was still a rattling good mystery and plenty of delightful gems of wit thrown in as well.
shuchipt's review against another edition
3.0
Said to be the novel that inspired Sir Doyle’s Sherlock and outsold him, this is a mystery novel rich in references and witty quips. While spoon feeding the mystery and revealing almost everything but the identity of the murderer in the first few chapters was a bold move, it seems to have paid off as we get time to delve into complex interpersonal relationships, the social culture of Melbourne in the 19th cen., and form ties to the people the murder affects rather than the detective.