The White Room by Fergus Hume (1894)

The story revolves around a mysterious murder that takes place in a white-painted room at the St. Kilda mansion of wealthy businessman Mark Frettlby. The victim is identified as James Clarke, a former employee of Frettlby's who had been blackmailing him. As the investigation unfolds, it becomes clear that several individuals had motives to kill Clarke, including Frettlby himself, his wife, and his nephew.

By Fergus Hume · First published 1894 · Genre: Mystery, Crime, Detective Fiction · 22 chapters · 100,365 words

First lines

"Eleven o'clock and a windy night! " might have been the cry of a medieval watchman at that hour on the 24th July 19. Constable Mulligan was more reticent, as it formed no part of his duties to intimate publicly the time or the state of the weather. Nevertheless the bells of the Anglican Church, Troy, London, S. W., chimed the hour through the clamour of a high wind; and those people who were not in bed must have decided to retire. Not that any one appeared to be stirring. The lights were extinguished in all windows within the range of Mulligan's vision, and the flashing of his lantern on the doors and gates in Achilles Avenue showed that they were discreetly closed. Not even a tramp or a cat enlivened the roadway. Mulligan was apparently the sole waking person in a sleeping world.

What this Textopian page supports

The White Room is listed on Textopian as a novel by Fergus Hume, dated 1894 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: 1894 CE
• Language: English
• Genres: Mystery, Crime, Detective Fiction, Thriller, Literary Fiction
• Length: 100,365 words
• Structure: 22 chapters, 2,487 paragraphs
• Reading fit: Very Easy (5th Grade or below)

Good citation fit

• Work identity for The White Room 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 White Room?
• 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

• The Purple Fern by Fergus Hume
• The Secret Passage by Fergus Hume
• The Rainbow Feather by Fergus Hume
• Monsieur Lecoq Volume I by Emile Gaboriau
• The Lady From Nowhere by Fergus Hume
• The Red Window by Fergus Hume

Genres

• Mystery — The plot revolves around a murder investigation, with elements of suspense and the unknown.
• Crime — The narrative includes a murder and the subsequent investigation, focusing on criminal actions and their consequences.
• Detective Fiction — The story features a policeman who uncovers clues and seeks to solve a crime, typical of detective narratives.
• Thriller — The tension and suspense surrounding the murder and the characters' interactions create a thrilling atmosphere.

Tags

Mystery · Thriller · Suspense · Detective Fiction · Crime · Murder · Investigation · London · Victorian Era · Gothic · Dark · Atmospheric

Contents

• The Policeman's Discovery
• Another Mystery
• The Baldwins
• The Missing Motor-Car
• Public Opinion
• A Strange Discovery
• The other White Room
• Professor Bocaros
• Mrs. Brand's Will
• What the Cook Found
• The Inquiry-Agent
• Arnold and Laura
• On the Track
• The New Tenant
• The Professor's Courting
• A Surprise
• The Professor's Trump Card
• A Story of the Past
• Still a Mystery
• The House in the Fields
• The Truth
• The Wind-Up

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