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Cover of The Mystery of a Hansom Cab

Mystery & Crime · Fiction

The Mystery of a Hansom Cab

by Fergus Hume

A murder inside a moving Melbourne cab exposes evidence, secrets and divided city life.

8 hr estimatedB1–B2 Linden levelRead now availability27 chapters
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Overview

About this book

A man is found murdered in a cab moving through nighttime Melbourne, and the investigation reaches across wealthy drawing rooms, streets and hidden family histories. The book is an early urban detective bestseller with some class and ethnic stereotypes of its era.

First published
1886
Language
English
Copyright status
Public domain

English level

B1–B2 · Steady progress

The Mystery of a Hansom Cab is calibrated from 40,147 sampled words across 27 chapters: sentences average 15 words, 18.6% exceed 24 words and 5.3% of words are nine letters or longer.

Explore the B1–B2 level →

Sentence rhythm

What the prose asks

Medium-length sentences averaging 15 words, with 18.6% extending beyond 24 words

Vocabulary

What may slow you down

5.3% of sampled words contain nine or more letters; names and period vocabulary still vary by chapter

Reading rhythm

Medium commitment

Regular chapter-sized stopping points support a steady plan. About 16 calm 30-minute sessions.

Suggested approach

Read with momentum

Use chapter or section breaks to keep context while reading steadily

Best starting point

Begin with chapter one

The full text is ready with speech, lookup and saved progress.

CEFR-aligned Linden estimate · high confidence · sampled full text · Calibrated 2026-09-08 · Provisional, not an exam certification.

Table of contents

27 chapters

  1. 01The Mystery of a Hansom Cab · Part I14 min
  2. 02The Mystery of a Hansom Cab · Part II15 min
  3. 03The Mystery of a Hansom Cab · Part III14 min
  4. 04The Mystery of a Hansom Cab · Part IV15 min
  5. 05The Mystery of a Hansom Cab · Part V14 min
  6. 06The Mystery of a Hansom Cab · Part VI15 min
  7. 07The Mystery of a Hansom Cab · Part VII15 min
  8. 08The Mystery of a Hansom Cab · Part VIII14 min
  9. 09The Mystery of a Hansom Cab · Part IX14 min
  10. 10The Mystery of a Hansom Cab · Part X15 min
  11. 11The Mystery of a Hansom Cab · Part XI15 min
  12. 12The Mystery of a Hansom Cab · Part XII15 min
  13. 13The Mystery of a Hansom Cab · Part XIII14 min
  14. 14The Mystery of a Hansom Cab · Part XIV14 min
  15. 15The Mystery of a Hansom Cab · Part XV15 min
  16. 16The Mystery of a Hansom Cab · Part XVI14 min
  17. 17The Mystery of a Hansom Cab · Part XVII15 min
  18. 18The Mystery of a Hansom Cab · Part XVIII15 min
  19. 19The Mystery of a Hansom Cab · Part XIX22 min
  20. 20The Mystery of a Hansom Cab · Part XX14 min
  21. 21The Mystery of a Hansom Cab · Part XXI14 min
  22. 22The Mystery of a Hansom Cab · Part XXII14 min
  23. 23The Mystery of a Hansom Cab · Part XXIII16 min
  24. 24The Mystery of a Hansom Cab · Part XXIV14 min
  25. 25The Mystery of a Hansom Cab · Part XXV26 min
  26. 26The Mystery of a Hansom Cab · Part XXVI14 min
  27. 27The Mystery of a Hansom Cab · Part XXVII2 min
Portrait of Fergus Hume

Related author

Fergus Hume

A British-born novelist raised in New Zealand whose Melbourne-set detective fiction became a major early international crime bestseller.

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