The Meaning of Night - Hardcover

'It has been hard to ignore the proliferation of pseudo-Victorian novels following the success of Sarah Waters. Many have been of indifferent quality, but Michael Cox's debut is an excellent addition to the genre. It is a tale of obsession, love and revenge, played out amid London's swirling smog ... Glyver is an outstanding creation ... Cox lovingly recreates the atmosphere of the period, from grand dinner parties to assignation with ladies of the night ... Yet he never allows period detail to swamp the human drama at the novel's heart' (Daily Mail)

'Murray will present its biggest marketing and publicity campaign for what it calls "the most extraordinary novel of 2006"' (Publishing News)

'The novel has many attractions including its nicely twisted narrator and some of that gothic mystery appeal that helped to make The Shadow of the Wind such a hit.' (The Bookseller, Benedicte Page, Ones to watch)

'An absolute treat from start to finish.' (The Bookseller: Rodney Troubridge)

'Cox evokes the Victorian era effortlessly.' (The Bookseller: Liz Taylor)

'Spellbinding Victorian mystery . . .Dark atmospheric storytelling with wicked twists and turns' (Good Housekeeping)

'An enthralling journey into the depths of Victorian London and the psyche of a man obsessed, Michael Cox's The Meaning of Night will have you hooked from [the] stunning opening line to the thrilling final revelation' (InStyle)

'Cox creates a strong sense of place, a complex narrative full of unexpectedly wicked twists, and a well-drawn cast of supporting characters. His language is mesmerizing, and his themes of betrayal, revenge, social stratification, sexual repression, and moral hypocrisy echo those of the great 19th-century novelists. Written in the tradition of Michel Faber's The Crimson Petal and the White and Sarah Waters's Fingersmith, Cox's masterpiece is highly recommended for all fiction collections' (Library Journal)

'Resonant with echoes of Wilkie Collins and Charles Dickens, Cox's richly imagined thriller features an unreliable narrator, Edward Glyver, who opens his chilling 'confession'; with a cold-blooded account of an anonymous murder that he commits one night on the streets of l854 London...Cox's tale abounds with startling surprises that are made credible by its scrupulously researched background and details of everyday Victorian life. Its exemplary blend of intrigue, history and romance mark a stand-out literary debut' (Publishers Weekly)

'A remarkably entertaining treat which begs comparison with the world of Patricia Highsmith' (Kirkus)

An extraordinary story of murder, deceit, love and revenge in Victorian England -- set to be the publishing sensation of 2006.