Madame Midas (1888) is a mystery novel by Fergus Hume. Although not as successful as The Mystery of a Hansom Cab (1886), an immediate bestseller for Hume, Madame Midas is a gripping novel with forbidden romance and a tightly wound mystery worthy of the best of Victorian fiction. From an author whose work inspired Arthur Conan Doyle, Madame Midas is a story of fortune and loss set in the shadow of Australia's nineteenth century gold rush.
In the mid-nineteenth century, Robert Curtis-along with countless other desperate and adventurous men-journeyed to Australia in search of fortune. Having established a successful mine in Ballarat, Curtis settled in Melbourne, where he married and had a daughter. In her youth, Miss Curtis was the talk of the town, and though she could have chosen any man for her husband, she found herself attracted to Mr. Villiers, a charming-yet-suspicious gentleman. Not long after their wedding, his intentions become all too clear, and soon his gambling threatens to erase the Curtis fortune. Outraged and disgraced, Mrs. Villiers flees to Ballarat, where she turns her attention to managing her father's mine. Known to the local people as Madame Midas, she maintains a hard exterior in order not only to hide the truth of her past, but to guard herself from the cruelty of men. When a pair of escaped prisoners lands on the nearby shore, however, her newfound security faces a formidable threat. Madame Midas is a tale of love lost and found, of violence and greed in a country built on shallow, unstable foundations.
With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Fergus Hume's Madame Midas is a classic of Australian mystery and detective fiction reimagined for modern readers.
Reihe
Sprache
Verlagsort
Produkt-Hinweis
Illustrationen
Maße
Höhe: 203 mm
Breite: 127 mm
Dicke: 17 mm
Gewicht
ISBN-13
978-1-5132-7836-0 (9781513278360)
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Schweitzer Klassifikation
Fergus Hume was a British author renowned for his detective fiction, particularly in the late 19th century. Born in 1859, he became a prominent literary figure after returning to England. Hume's most famous work, "The Mystery of a Hansom Cab," published in 1886, gained immense popularity and is considered one of the pioneering detective novels.
He also wrote "The Scarlet Bat," another notable addition to his oeuvre, showcasing his talent for crafting intricate plots and suspenseful narratives. Hume's writing features vivid characters and often blends mystery with social commentary. Throughout his career, he published numerous novels and short stories, significantly contributing to the genre. Hume's work has had a lasting impact on detective fiction, influencing future writers and shaping the genre's development. Throughout his career, Hume published over 30 novels and numerous short stories, showcasing his talent for crafting intricate plots filled with suspense and complex characters. He remains an important figure in the history of crime literature, with a style that continues to resonate with readers today.
