The Thirteenth Guest - Inscribed - Fergus Hume 1913 - Ward, London - First Edition Inscribed to the cousin of Fergus Hume, ‘To Mabel, wishing her all the luck of the year from her cousin, Fergus Hume, Thundesrby, Essex, 25-IX-31’.

First edition, illustrated with colour frontispiece by L. M. Hunter.
  Fergus Wright Hume (1859-1932), was born in England, but emigrated to New-Zealand for much of his young-adult life. After studying to become a barrister in Otago, Hume left for Melbourne where he unsuccessfully attempted to launch himself as a playwright. After the success of his first detective work ‘The Mystery of a Hansom Cab’ Hume went on to write a further 130 popular novels and stories. He became known as somewhat of a recluse, and seldom revealed his literary identity to others.

References: Herbert,
‘Oxford Companion to Crime & Mystery Writing’, 213. ‘Book and Magazine Collector’, September 2008, Issue No. 272. Reilly, ’Twentieth-Century Crime and Mystery Writers’ (1980), 830.

Octavo (book size 19.2x13.1cm), pp. 320. In publishers black cloth with ribbed pattern stampe to spine and front panel, gilt letteering and small red patern to spine and front panel, all edgdes trimmed.
  Condition: Near fine, wear to corner tips and spine ends, light sporadic foxing slightly heavier to first and last pages.   Ref: 110334   Price: HK$ 5,000