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The Bishop's Secret by Fergus Hume

There is a particular kind of tension that lives in the walls of a cathedral, where the weight of history presses against the fragility of human reputation.…

The Bishop's Secret by Fergus Hume
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Runtime: 12 hr 42 min · Watch the full audiobook on YouTube · Subscribe to Ion Books

There is a particular kind of tension that lives in the walls of a cathedral, where the weight of history presses against the fragility of human reputation. Fergus Hume, the New Zealand-born novelist whose debut work helped ignite the Victorian detective craze, channelled this tension into *Bishop’s Secret*. Published in the late nineteenth century, the novel sits comfortably in the tradition of Anthony Trollope’s clerical realism, yet it pulses with the sensational energy of the penny dreadful era. It is a study of how a single hidden truth can unravel the careful social fabric of a provincial community. The book invites you to inhabit the insular world of Beorminster, where gossip travels faster than scripture and every secret feels like a skeleton in the cupboard. As you read alongside the recording, you will encounter a cast of characters defined by their contradictions: the ambitious chaplain, the mysterious detective, and the prelate whose untroubled life is suddenly shattered by a shadow from his past. Hume’s prose relies heavily on dialogue and atmosphere, allowing the characters to reveal themselves through speech and action rather than authorial description.

Summary generated by AI model Qwen 3

Public domain & narration

The edition shown here comes from Project Gutenberg, which publishes only books that are in the US public domain.

The narration is the LibriVox recording read by David Wales. LibriVox volunteers dedicate their recordings to the public domain.

Ion Books adds the synchronized scrolling text and video, so you can read along while you listen, for free.

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Chapters

  1. Chapter 1: Publisher's Preface (2:55) · watch
  2. Chapter 01 "Enter Mrs. Pansey As Chorus" (19:35) · watch
  3. Chapter 02 The Bishop Is Wanted (21:09) · watch
  4. Chapter 03 The Unforeseen Happens (20:27) · watch
  5. Chapter 04 The Curiosity Of Mr. Cargrim (20:36) · watch
  6. Chapter 05 The Derby Winner (17:42) · watch
  7. Chapter 06 The Man With The Scar (16:30) · watch
  8. Chapter 07 An Interesting Conversation (19:37) · watch
  9. Chapter 08 On Saturday Night (17:50) · watch
  10. Chapter 09 An Exciting Adventure (18:00) · watch
  11. Chapter 10 Morning Service In The Minster (18:02) · watch
  12. Chapter 11 Miss Whichello's Luncheon-party (18:33) · watch
  13. Chapter 12 Bell Mosk Pays A Visit (16:35) · watch
  14. Chapter 13 A Stormy Night (19:09) · watch
  15. Chapter 14 "Rumour full Of Tongues" (17:42) · watch
  16. Chapter 15 The Gipsy Ring (19:33) · watch
  17. Chapter 16 The Zeal Of Inspector Tinkler (18:10) · watch
  18. Chapter 17 A Clerical Detective (20:16) · watch
  19. Chapter 18 The Chaplain On The Warpath (17:34) · watch
  20. Chapter 19 The Bishop's Request (18:24) · watch
  21. Chapter 20 Mother Jael (19:53) · watch
  22. Chapter 21 Mrs. Pansey's Festival (21:50) · watch
  23. Chapter 22 Mr. Mosk Is Indiscreet (17:31) · watch
  24. Chapter 23 In The Library (21:39) · watch
  25. Chapter 24 The Bishop Asserts Himself (18:44) · watch
  26. Chapter 25 Mr. Baltic, Missionary (18:48) · watch
  27. Chapter 26 The Amazement Of Sir Harry Brace (19:19) · watch
  28. Chapter 27 What Mother Jael Saw (18:22) · watch
  29. Chapter 28 The Return Of Gabriel (19:29) · watch
  30. Chapter 29 The Confession Of Bishop Pendle (18:32) · watch
  31. Chapter 30 Blackmail (17:28) · watch
  32. Chapter 31 Mr. Baltic On The Trail (18:50) · watch
  33. Chapter 32 The Initials (18:09) · watch
  34. Chapter 33 Mr. Baltic Explains Himself (22:20)
  35. Chapter 34 The Wages Of Sin (20:56)
  36. Chapter 35 The Honour Of Gabriel (23:04)
  37. Chapter 36 The Rebellion Of Mrs. Pendle (20:12)
  38. Chapter 37 Deo Ex Machina (21:40)
  39. Chapter 38 Exit Mr. Cargrim (23:09)
  40. Chapter 39 All's Well That Ends Well (23:32)

Full text

This work is too long to show on one page. Read it on Project Gutenberg · download ebook.txt

Sources

Raw pipeline data (admin)