The mystery of a hansom cab

Published in 1886 The mystery of a hansom cab written by Fergus Hume became a best seller in Australia and Britain and also gained a following in other countries. The plot revolves around the death of a passenger in a hansom cab while being driven through the streets of Melbourne. Brian Fitzgerald is originally arrested for the murder of Oliver Whyte but investigations initiated by Madge, his fiancee, and Calton, his lawyer prove his innocence. Why, however, does Fitzgerald refuse to tell the full story to clear his name? Who did kill Whyte and what information was in the papers stolen from the pocket of the victim? Set in Melbourne in the 1880s the book provides a picture of life in the city in the latter part of the nineteenth century as well as being a good crime novel.