Fergus Hume

Biography

Fergusson Wright Hume (1859–1932) was a New Zealand-born English author whose first novel, The Mystery of a Hansom Cab (1886), became one of the best-selling mystery novels of the nineteenth century, outselling even Arthur Conan Doyle's early Sherlock Holmes stories. Set in Melbourne, Australia, the novel was an international sensation that helped establish the detective fiction genre. Hume sold the rights for a pittance and spent the rest of his career in London, writing over 130 novels, none of which matched the success of his debut. Despite his prolific output, Hume is remembered primarily for that extraordinary first novel.