This early work by Fergus Hume was originally published in 1908 and we are now republishing it with a brand new introductory biography. 'The Amethyst Cross' is a mystery novel by this popular author. Fergusson Wright Hume was born on 8th July 1859 in England. Hume had ambitions of writing for the stage but to attract the interest of theatre managers he decided to pen a novel first. Taking influence from the style and works of Emile Gaboriau he wrote his first full-length work of fiction 'The Mystery of the Hansom Cab' (1886). After the success of 'The Mystery of the Hansom Cab' and the Publication of his second novel 'Professor Brankel's Secret' (c.1886), Hume returned to England in 1888 where he resided in London for a few years until moving to the Essex countryside. There he published over 100 novels, mainly in the mystery fiction genre, though none had the success of his début work.