Hard Pressed by Fred M. White (1896)

Name: Hard Pressed
Author: Fred M. White

Hard Pressed is a novel by Fred M. White that follows the story of a young man named Jack who becomes involved in a dangerous plot involving stolen diamonds and a criminal mastermind known as The Spider. Along the way, he must navigate treacherous waters and outwit his enemies to come out on top.

By Fred M. White · First published 1896 · Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Crime · 42 chapters · 83,216 words

First lines

It was a gala night at the National Opera House, and the theatre was crammed from floor to roof, for Melba was sustaining a new part, and all London had gathered to listen. It was rarely indeed that so fashionable an audience assembled in February. The boxes were ablaze with diamonds. On the grand tier, however, there was one box which was not filled with gaily garbed women and which attracted attention by the fact that its sole occupants were a girl and two men. Though she was quietly dressed and wore no ornaments except flowers, nevertheless a good many women envied May Haredale; for the box belonged to Raymond Copley, who was quite the last thing in the way of South African millionaires. He was a youngish, smart-looking Englishman of the florid type, was becoming known as a sportsman and, according to all accounts, was fabulously rich.

What this Textopian page supports

Hard Pressed is listed on Textopian as a novel by Fred M. White, dated 1896 CE.

This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.

Work type: Novel
Author: Fred M. White
Date: 1896 CE
Language: English
Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Crime, Adventure, Drama
Length: 83,216 words
Structure: 42 chapters, 1,165 paragraphs
Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)

Good citation fit

Work identity for Hard Pressed by Fred M. White
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 Hard Pressed?
How does this novel by Fred M. White fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
Where does Mystery first become important in the reading?

Similar titles

Genres

Mystery — The plot revolves around solving a central enigma.
Thriller — The narrative maintains high tension and suspense.
Crime — The story involves criminal activities and their investigation.
Adventure — The characters undergo a series of exciting and risky experiences.