Donovan, Dick: A Detective's Triumphs (1891), v1
 

Dick Donovan is the pseudonym of British author James Edward Preston Muddock (28 May 1843 – 23 January 1934) who created a private detective, also named Dick Donovan, in the 1890s.

This collection of short stories dates from 1891, and is I think the first.

1: The Mystery Of Surgeon-Major Palmer
2: In A Smuggler's Den
3: Tracked By A Footprint
4: The Story Of A Daring Deed
5: The Great Ruby Robbery
6: Breaking Up A Gang Of Desperadoes
7: Trapping A Thief-Trainer
8: A Precious Pair Of Scoundrels
9: The Shadower Shadowed
10: Caught In A Trap
11: The Abduction