{"product_id":"miss-mephistopheles-9781513278353","title":"Miss Mephistopheles","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eMiss Mephistopheles\u003c\/i\u003e (1890) is a mystery novel by Fergus Hume. Although not as successful as \u003ci\u003eThe Mystery of a Hansom Cab\u003c\/i\u003e (1886), an immediate bestseller for Hume, \u003ci\u003eMiss Mephistopheles\u003c\/i\u003e is a gripping novel with forbidden romance and a tightly wound mystery worthy of the best of Victorian fiction. A sequel to \u003ci\u003eMadame Midas\u003c\/i\u003e (1888), a story of fortune and loss set in the shadow of Australia’s nineteenth century gold rush, \u003ci\u003eMiss Mephistopheles\u003c\/i\u003e examines the solidarity between women abused and abandoned by men.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHaving lost her family fortune to a deceitful husband, Mrs. Villiers flees to Ballarat, where she turns her attention to managing her father’s mine. Known to the local people as Madame Midas, she maintains a hard exterior in order not only to hide the truth of her past, but to guard herself from the cruelty of men. There, she rescues a young girl named Kitty Marchurst, a preacher’s daughter misled by a wicked ex-convict. Raising her daughter Meg, Marchurst becomes a star in the Melbourne burlesque scene, acquiring wealth and fame beyond her wildest dreams. When her beloved diamonds are stolen, however, her world—and the city itself—threaten to come crashing down. Enmeshed in this mystery are an American insurance agent and Mrs. Villiers’ estranged husband, shadowy figures who move in and out of respectable society looking for vulnerable marks. \u003ci\u003eMiss Mephistopheles\u003c\/i\u003e is a tale of violence and greed set in a country built on wealth gathered too quickly to last.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis edition of Fergus Hume’s \u003ci\u003eMiss Mephistopheles\u003c\/i\u003e is a classic of Australian mystery and detective fiction reimagined for modern readers.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSince our inception in 2020, \u003cb\u003eMint Editions\u003c\/b\u003e has kept sustainability and innovation at the forefront of our mission. Each and every Mint Edition title gets a fresh, professionally typeset manuscript and a dazzling new cover, all while maintaining the integrity of the original book.\u003c\/p\u003e\n \n\u003cp\u003eWith thousands of titles in our collection, we aim to spotlight diverse public domain works to help them find modern audiences. Mint Editions celebrates a breadth of literary works, curated from both canonical and overlooked classics from writers around the globe.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Fergus Hume","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48286147379451,"sku":"9781513278353","price":6.49,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0779\/3917\/9771\/files\/9781513278353_31840ef3-b47b-4504-9e8a-ce6a7b6eb811.jpg?v=1772484325","url":"https:\/\/indiepubs.com\/products\/miss-mephistopheles-9781513278353","provider":"IndiePubs","version":"1.0","type":"link"}