The Lady from Nowhere by Fergus Hume
The story revolves around a mysterious woman who appears at a wealthy family's estate, claiming to be the wife of the eldest son, who has been missing for years. As the family tries to uncover her true identity and intentions, they become embroiled in a complex web of deceit, blackmail, and murder.
By Fergus Hume · First published 1900 · Genre: Mystery, Crime, Thriller · 26 chapters · 73,139 words
First lines
On the night of July 24th, in the year 1896, between the hours of eleven and twelve, Grangebury, a little-known suburb of London, was wrapped in slumber, as became a respectable neighbourhood whose inhabitants retired regularly shortly after sunset. Not that they had done so on this particular night, for the unusual excitement of a lecture on Dickens, delivered in the tiny Town Hall, had kept them from their beds later than was customary. At a quarter to eleven, a stream of instructed pleasure-seekers, discussing lecture and lecturer, filled the narrow streets; but gradually the crowd diminished until highways and byways were left deserted, save by watchful policemen and vagrant cats. The lamps were then extinguished by order of an economical municipality, the few lights still twinkling from the upper windows of various houses disappeared, and the little town lay under moon and stars as silent and almost as lonely as the spell-bound cities in eastern fables.
What this Textopian page supports
The Lady from Nowhere is listed on Textopian as a novel by Fergus Hume, dated 1900 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Novel
- Author: Fergus Hume
- Date: 1900 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Mystery, Crime, Thriller, Detective Fiction, Gothic Fiction
- Length: 73,139 words
- Structure: 26 chapters, 1,667 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Lady from Nowhere by Fergus Hume
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Lady from Nowhere?
- How does this novel by Fergus Hume fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Mystery first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
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Genres
- Mystery — The plot revolves around a murder investigation, featuring a detective and the unraveling of clues.
- Crime — The central theme involves a crime, specifically a murder, and the subsequent search for the perpetrator.
- Thriller — The narrative builds suspense and tension as the detective seeks to solve the murder.
- Detective Fiction — The story features a detective character, Absolom Gebb, who investigates the murder case.
Tags
Mystery · Thriller · Suspense · Detective Fiction · Crime · Investigation · Murder · Whodunit · Victorian Era · London Setting · Gothic Atmosphere · Dark Secrets
Contents
- The Tragedy of the Strange Room
- The Death-Card
- A Woman Without a Past
- The Five Landladies
- A Friend in Need
- The Crime of Kirkstone Hall
- Comments on the Crime
- Mr. Prain, Solicitor
- Kirkstone Hall
- Strange Behaviour
- The Mad Gardener
- The Diamond Necklace
- Arthur Ferris
- A Surprising Discovery
- The Revelation of Mr. Prain
- Miss Wedderburn
- An Explanation
- What Mrs. Presk Found
- The Unexpected Occurs
- A Needle in a Haystack
- Found at Last
- A Secret Hoard
- The Convict's Defence
- Proof Positive
- How the Deed was Done
- The End of it All