The meaning of night - Michael Cox (The Meaning of Night #1)

This is the extraordinary story of Edward Glyver: book lover, scholar, and murderer. His life’s quest is to overcome his deadly rival, Phoebus Daunt, and reclaim his rightful destiny. His path takes him from Victorian London’s foggy streets, brothels, and opium dens to England’s most enchanting country house, home to both his arch-enemy Daunt and the ravishing Emily Carteret, the object of his obsession. But for each step Glyver takes towards entrapping his rival, the more he seems to become engulfed in fresh layers of mystery.