The Mystery of a Hansom Cab Audiobook (Unabridged)

" Nothing awe-inspiring or insanely suspenseful, but it was interesting. It is Sherlock Holmesish but it is easy to see why Doyle's stories went on to become what they did and this ended up just an OK story. There is really no one outstanding character, but rather a group of decent/ok ones. The dinner party banter was obviously from another time, similar to Dickens novels. I think it's sort of hard for modern readers to get too excited about. It was worth the price though-- free on Kindle. "

" Very good! Surprised to find one written in 1886 so compelling--like 3 mysteries in one. It's said to be the precursor of Sherlock Holmes and those that followed. "

" Classic Victorian murder mystery, but set in Melbourne, Australia. I was interested to read in the preface that the author, being a mere colonial, couldn't get published in Britain initially. "

" The ur-detective story, largely responsible for the shoals of Conan Doyles, Agatha Christies et al that were to follow. Set in nineteenth century Australia, those parts of the novel worked best for me that depicted, in great comic style, the Melbourne underclass, hatching schemes and living gothic lives in dark, dank, labyrinthine communities. The structure of the mystery and its unravelling now seem dated and overly drawn out, but at the time must have been a literary thunderbolt. "

" Surprisingly good... Broadens understanding of the literary horizon of the age that preceded Golden Age of Detective Fiction and was overshadowed by Conan-Doyle. Well recommended. "

" I don't normally read crime and mystery books but this one had me turning the pages all night. I loved that it was set in Melbourne and showed a very different side to a city I know well. An absolutely gripping who dunnit! "

" Interesting story for the time and the setting. Small group of suspects and an ending that kept you guessing to the end, but not as much detection as there could have been. The ending was somewhat telegraphed by the character's actions. "

" The plot line only deserves two stars, but the third star is for how entertaining the Victorian melodrama was. "

" Well, that was fun. The most popular mystery novel the year before Sherlock Holmes first appeared in print. Very Melbourne in plot, very Victorian in character, and quite a fun read. I'm looking forward to more Fergus Hume in the near future. "

" The suspense moves along in this book with lots of twists and turns and secret pasts involved. It was easy to read and enjoyable. "

" I enjoyed this story, it's interesting reading a story written so long ago. A lite read with enough mystery to keep the reader turning the page. "

" The book that inspired Conan-Doyle to create Sherlock Holmes - murder & adventure in 19th Centure Melbourne! "

" Great read, especially if you live in or are familiar with Melbourne "

" Nice to read a good Victorian period Australian mystery. "

" Dated. Too long and too much fainting and falling on knees to suit me. "

" Great detective story, marred by an outrageous injustice at the end. "

" Before Sherlock Holmes achieved immortality in the pages of the Strand magazine, this was the biggest-selling detective mystery of its time [1886]. Now in the public domain, a free electronic copy can be found here. "

" An early publication in the crime genre. "

" I really enjoy the Victorian mystery genre, and after reading a few of Mr. Hume's novels I have to say that he's become a new favorite. "

" 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. "

" 19th century Melbourne just rises from the pages. "

" ( O Mistério do Fiacre ) "

" Nice to read a good Victorian period Australian mystery. "

" Great mystery and really worth the read! "

" The book that inspired Conan-Doyle to create Sherlock Holmes - murder & adventure in 19th Centure Melbourne! "