Murder in Melbourne: Two Victorian Crime Mysteries

by Fergus Hume (Author), Colin Heston (Introduction)

Before Sherlock Holmes, there was Fergus Hume.

Discover two landmark works of Victorian crime fiction in this beautifully restored collection from one of the founders of the detective novel.

Set against the booming cities, goldfields, and social intrigues of colonial Australia, these classic mysteries transport readers into a world of murder, deception, hidden motives, and carefully concealed secrets.

In The Mystery of a Hansom Cab, a man is found murdered inside a cab on the streets of Melbourne. The victim's identity is unknown, the killer has vanished without a trace, and the investigation leads from fashionable society into the city's darkest corners. First published in 1886, this sensational bestseller became one of the most successful detective novels of the nineteenth century.

In Madame Midas, fortunes made in the Ballarat goldfields attract greed, ambition, and betrayal. As powerful interests collide and dangerous schemes unfold, a web of mystery and crime stretches from rural mining communities to the drawing rooms of Melbourne.

Rich in atmosphere, suspense, and colorful historical detail, these novels capture a rapidly growing Australia where wealth and respectability often concealed corruption and criminal intrigue. Together they showcase the storytelling talent that helped establish detective fiction as one of the world's most enduring literary genres.

This edition includes a new introduction by Colin Heston and presents both novels in a carefully reset and modernized text while preserving Hume's original stories and Victorian character.

Included in this volume:

• The Mystery of a Hansom Cab (1886)

• Madame Midas (1888)

Perfect for readers of classic mysteries, Victorian crime fiction, historical detective novels, Wilkie Collins, Arthur Conan Doyle, and Australian literary classics.

Read-Me.Org Inc. New York-Philadelphia-Australia. 2026. 394p.