{"product_id":"9781922148940","title":"Blockbuster!: Fergus Hume and the Mystery of a Hansom Cab","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eBefore there was Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes, there was Fergus Hume’s \u003ci\u003eThe Mystery of a Hansom Cab—\u003c\/i\u003ethe biggest, and fastest-selling, detective novel of the 1800s, and Australia’s first literary blockbuster\u003c\/b\u003e. \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e Fergus Hume was an aspiring playwright when he moved from Dunedin to Melbourne in 1885. He wrote \u003ci\u003eThe Mystery of a Hansom Cab\u003c\/i\u003e with the humble hope of bringing his name to the attention of theatre managers. The book sold out its first run almost instantly and it became a runaway word-of-mouth phenomenon—but its author sold the copyright for a mere fifty pounds, missing out on a potential fortune. \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eBlockbuster! \u003c\/i\u003eis the engrossing story of a book that would help define the genre of crime fiction, and a portrait of a great city in full bloom. Rigorously researched and full of arresting detail, this captivating book is a must-read for all fans of true crime, history and crime fiction alike.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eLucy Sussex\u003c\/b\u003e was born in New Zealand. She has edited four anthologies, including \u003ci\u003eShe’s Fantastical\u003c\/i\u003e, shortlisted for the World Fantasy Award. Her award-winning fiction includes books for younger readers and the novel \u003ci\u003eThe Scarlet Rider\u003c\/i\u003e. Lucy has five short-story collections, including \u003ci\u003eMy Lady Tongue\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eA Tour Guide in Utopia\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eAbsolute Uncertainty\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eMatilda Told Such Dreadful Lies\u003c\/i\u003e. Lucy Sussex's latest book is \u003ci\u003eBlockbuster! Fergus Hume and The Mystery of a Hansom Cab\u003c\/i\u003e. She lives in Melbourne.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e‘[Sussex] provides a rich picture of Victorian life and a revealing account of late 19th-century publishing practices…Fascinating.’ \u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e‘An absorbing, at times fascinating companion to \u003ci\u003eThe Mystery of a Hansom Cab\u003c\/i\u003e.’ \u003ci\u003eAge\/SMH\/Brisbane Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e‘Told with wit and lightly worn scholarship…Sussex has written a fine, thoroughly engaging and multifaceted history. Generously, she has shared her fun with the rest of us.’ \u003ci\u003eAustralian\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e‘The book is a must-read for anyone interested in the history of crime fiction or Australian literature, but is highly recommended even if you’re not: Sussex is a superb story-teller and leavens this fascinating account with dry wit. It deserves to be a blockbuster.’ Tara Sharp\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e‘This is a fine book about a novel that defined the burgeoning genre of crime fiction, full of wit, important discoveries and fascinating insights – like its subject, a real page-turner.’ \u003ci\u003eWormwoodiana\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e‘Sussex skillfully assembles the known information about a very private man and his times, and reveals a Victorian world whose machinations and mysteries are equal to those of his most famous fiction.’ \u003ci\u003eStuff NZ\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e‘A very interesting whodunit about a whodunit.’ \u003ci\u003eNorth and South\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e‘\u003ci\u003eBlockbuster!\u003c\/i\u003e is almost too much to take in. It’s a wealth of well­ researched information, but readable and informative just the same. The book is equipped with bibliography, end notes, epitaphs and reviews, enough to keep the curious occupied for hours.’ \u003ci\u003eOtago Daily Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e‘A wealth of well-researched information, readable, informative and enough to keep the curious occupied for hours.’ \u003ci\u003eOtago Daily Times\u003c\/i\u003e, 2015’s Must Read Books\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e‘\u003ci\u003eBlockbuster!\u003c\/i\u003e makes for highly enjoyable and informative reading.’ \u003ci\u003eWashington Post\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Text Publishing Company","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47167790842096,"sku":"9781922148940","price":16.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9781922148940_p0.jpg?v=1763633564","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9781922148940","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}