The Red-Headed Man by Fergus Hume

The story revolves around a mysterious red-headed man who is suspected of murdering a wealthy businessman. The protagonist, a young lawyer named Francis, becomes entangled in the case and sets out to uncover the truth behind the murder. As he delves deeper into the mystery, he discovers that the victim was involved in shady dealings and had many enemies.

By Fergus Hume · First published 1899 · Genre: Mystery, Detective Fiction, Crime · 26 chapters · 63,840 words

First lines

Frank Darrel was a young man of twenty-five, with a sufficiency of good looks, and a comfortable income of five hundred a year. Also by way of employing his spare time, he was a realistic novelist of a particularly new school, founded on the axiom that fact invariably poaches on the domain of fiction. He neither conceived nor adopted, but set down actual details of the life around him, with so rigid an adherence to the truth that his published works read like police reports re-written in decent English. In a word, he held the mirror up to nature, and presented the reflection, beautiful or ugly, to the criticism of the British public.

What this Textopian page supports

The Red-Headed Man is listed on Textopian as a novel by Fergus Hume, dated 1899 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: 1899 CE
• Language: English
• Genres: Mystery, Detective Fiction, Crime, Literary Fiction, Thriller
• Length: 63,840 words
• Structure: 26 chapters, 1,735 paragraphs
• Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)

Good citation fit

• Work identity for The Red-Headed Man 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 Red-Headed Man?
• 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

• Monsieur Judas by Fergus Hume
• The Spider by Fergus Hume
• The Clock Struck One by Fergus Hume
• The Peacock Of Jewels by Fergus Hume
• The Silver Bullet by Fergus Hume
• Caught In The Net by Emile Gaboriau

Genres

• Mystery — The plot revolves around a murder investigation, with elements of suspense and the quest for truth.
• Detective Fiction — The protagonist takes on a detective role, collaborating with a professional detective to solve a crime.
• Crime — The narrative centers on criminal activities, including murder and the motives behind them.
• Literary Fiction — The writing style reflects a focus on character development and social commentary, typical of literary fiction.

Tags

Mystery · Crime Fiction · Detective Novel · Suspense · Thriller · Classic Literature · Victorian Era · London Setting · Murder Mystery · Whodunit · Police Procedural · Investigation

Contents

• An Extraordinary Crime
• The Blonde Lady
• Mr. Torry's Theory
• The Dead Man's Name
• "De Mortuis Nil Nisi Bonum"
• The Secretary
• Evidence at the Inquest
• The Robbery
• Captain Manuel
• Donna Maria
• Unexpected Evidence
• A Chance Meeting
• A Soldier of Fortune
• The Secret Society
• A Woman Scorned
• The Turquoise Ring
• More Mysteries
• A Strange Occurrence
• Another Puzzle
• The Unexpected Happens
• Donna Maria Explains
• The Locket
• A Confession
• A Queer Message
• The Meeting in Hyde Park
• Conclusion

More by Fergus Hume

• The Mystery Queen (1912)
• The Caravan Crime (1924)
• The Crowned Skull (1908)
• The Green Mummy (1908)
• The Mystery of a Hansom Cab (1886)
• The Secret Passage (1905)
• Madame Midas (1888)
• Red Money (1892)
• All works by Fergus Hume