
PREFACE
CHAPTER I. - WHAT THE ARGUS SAID.
CHAPTER II. - THE EVIDENCE AT THE INQUEST.
CHAPTER III. - ONE HUNDRED POUNDS REWARD.
CHAPTER IV. - MR. GORBY MAKES A START.
CHAPTER V. - MRS. HAMILTON UNBOSOMS HERSELF.
CHAPTER VI. - MR. GORBY MAKES FURTHER DISCOVERIES.
CHAPTER VII. - THE WOOL KING.
CHAPTER VIII. - BRIAN TAKES A WALK AND A DRIVE.
CHAPTER IX. - MR. GORBY IS SATISFIED AT LAST.
Step into the fog‑filled streets of 19th‑century Melbourne, where the clatter of horse‑drawn hansom cabs masks a chilling crime. When a passenger is found dead inside a cab late at night, the city’s underbelly—its bustling docks, crowded slums, and shadowy taverns—suddenly comes under scrutiny. The novel’s vivid descriptions pull listeners into a world of smoky lanterns and whispered rumors, setting the stage for a classic whodunit.
Enter the determined detective, a keen observer who must untangle a web of deceit among the city’s colorful characters—an unscrupulous cab driver, a streetwise matriarch, and a nervous clerk who may be more involved than he appears. Each clue is carefully laid out, inviting the audience to match wits with the investigator as motives clash and alibis crumble. The pace builds steadily, promising a compelling chase through rain‑slicked lanes before the truth can finally be illuminated.
Language
en
Duration
~8 hours (485K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Col Choat. HTML version by Al Haines.
Release date
2003-07-01
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1859–1932
Best known for a Victorian-era bestseller that helped shape early detective fiction, this prolific novelist wrote stories packed with secrets, suspense, and sharp social observation. His life stretched from England to New Zealand and Australia before he returned to Britain and built a remarkably large body of popular fiction.
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