The Meaning of Night: A Confession
by Michael Cox
List Price:
Our Price: $6.41
You Save: $8.54 (57%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $3.00 (click here)
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions
Book Summary Information
Author: Michael CoxEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2007-10-01
ISBN: 0393330346
Number of pages: 704
Publisher: W. W. Norton
Book Reviews of The Meaning of Night: A Confession
Book Review: This Book Has Everything
Summary: 5 Stars
"After killing the red-haired man, I took myself off to Quinn's for an oyster supper..." If the opening sentence of this book does not demand the attention of the reader, I don't know what will. If you never pick up another book, you must read this one.Historical novels are food and drink for me and this particular one is a terrific read. Even if you are not a history buff, don't be put off.
This book has everything. Murder, mystery, love, betrayal, revenge. Have I missed anything out? Oh yes the backdrop to the book is Victorian England. Dramatically depicted by the author, almost as if he has experienced it first hand. You can almost hear the iron shod carriage wheels rumbling on the cobbled streets, the horses snorting, desperate to blow the damp air from their nostrils. The pale yellow light from the faintly hissing gas lamps, trying, but failing to penetrate the sulphurous fog and death stalking the streets. Not a good night for dying, was there ever a night that was? But a very good night for killing. Oh yes, a very good night.
The book tells the story of Edward Glyver, a man of fine intelligence, a lover of good books, but with one fatal flaw in the make-up of his character, he has an urge to kill and when this urge arises, he has no compunction about doing so. After all it is so easy, almost too easy.When he was young and living in Dorset the son of a Dragoon soldier, always known as 'the captain' and a mother from good farming stock, Edward always dreamed of being rich and famous, but even then he was level headed enough to know that this could never be. That is until his circumstances take a sharp turn, that convince him that power and influence are his for the taking.All men of wealth and influence attract enemies and rivals and Edward Glyver is no exception. He has one enemy, more deadly than all the others combined a poet, turned criminal, Phoebus Rainsford Daunt. At every turn Daunt is trying to forestall the ambitious Edward, who is determined not to let anyone stand in his way, or delve into his past life.
Edward has risen from the dark, sombre, disease infested slums of Victorian London, where human life comes cheap and the odd person is very rarely missed. Now, fate has drawn him along a path to one of England's great houses. Edward has finally arrived in polite society, but he is always looking over his shoulder into his past. However Edward Glyver is a very resourceful man and not the type to let anyone or anything get in the way of his rise to fame, fortune and the enormous influence that wealth always brings with it. If he has to kill again to protect all of this, no matter. It is has never been an unpleasant experience for him, perhaps the victim would say otherwise . . . if they could.
The book is a rich tapestry for the reader to gaze upon. The colours and patterns weave together so well. Dynamically written by a first time author. Where has he been all my life? This book could quite easily become a classic. It does not have a boring sentence, never mind a boring chapter. Whoever reads it cannot help but be entertained by it. It is one of the few that I will keep in my bookcase and read again. It's becoming a bit of clich? to say 'I couldn't put it down,' but in this case it was true.
Literature & Fiction Books
Book Subjects
- Arts & Photography
- Audiobooks on Cassette
- Audiobooks on CD
- Biographies & Memoirs
- Business & Investing
- Children's Books
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Computers & Internet
- Cooking, Food & Wine
- e-Books
- Engineering
- Entertainment
- Gay & Lesbian
- Health, Mind & Body
- History
- Home & Garden
- Horror
- Law
- Literature & Fiction
- Medicine
- Mystery & Thrillers
- Nonfiction
- Outdoors & Nature
- Parenting & Families
- Professional & Technical
- Reference
- Religion & Spirituality
- Romance
- Science
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Sports
- Teens
- Travel
Most talked about in My 2008 Mystery-Thriller Favorites - Some Old, Some New, All Good
The Thirteenth Tale: A Novelby Diane Setterfield
Washington Square Press; Published: 2007-10-09; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.84
Price in other shops:
A Deadly Dozenby Phil Mann, Kris Neri, Jamie Wallace, Cory Newman, Nathan Walpow, Kate Thornton, Goy Toltl Kinman
Uglytown Productions; Published: 2000-05-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.00
Price in other shops:
Ripley's Gameby Patricia Highsmith
W. W. Norton; Published: 2008-06-02; Paperback; Book
Best price: $5.70
Price in other shops:
A Moment on the Edge: 100 Years of Crime Stories by Womenby Elizabeth George
Harper Paperbacks; Published: 2005-06-28; Paperback; Book
Best price: $0.86
Price in other shops:
The Meaning of Night: A Confessionby Michael Cox
W. W. Norton; Published: 2007-10-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.41
Price in other shops:
What Was She Thinking?: Notes on a Scandal: A Novelby Zoe Heller
Picador; Published: 2003-06-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $2.25
Price in other shops:
The Sixth Lamentationby William Brodrick
Penguin (Non-Classics); Published: 2004-07-27; Paperback; Book
Best price: $0.42
Price in other shops:
Death at La Fenice: A Commissario Guido Brunetti Mysteryby Donna Leon
Harper Paperbacks; Published: 2004-08-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.47
Price in other shops:
The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennoxby Maggie O'Farrell
Harcourt; Published: 2007-10-24; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $3.08
Price in other shops:
The Sculptress: A Novelby Minette Walters
Picador; Published: 2007-10-02; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.65
Price in other shops:
Similar books summaries and other product reviews
Christine Falls: A Novelby Benjamin Black, John Banville
Henry Holt and Co.; Published: 2007-03-06; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $8.51
Price in other shops:
The Pale Blue Eye: A Novelby Louis Bayard
HarperCollins; Published: 2006-06-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $10.23
Price in other shops:
The Interpretation of Murder: A Novelby Jed Rubenfeld
Henry Holt and Co.; Published: 2006-09-05; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $4.34
Price in other shops:
In the Woodsby Tana French
Penguin (Non-Classics); Published: 2008-05-27; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.15
Price in other shops:
Ghostwalkby Rebecca Stott
Spiegel & Grau; Published: 2008-06-03; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.14
Price in other shops:
The Book of Air and Shadowsby Michael Gruber
William Morrow; Published: 2007-04-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $8.61
Price in other shops:
Silent In The Graveby Deanna Raybourn
Mira; Published: 2007-12-01; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.23
Price in other shops:
Mistress of the Art of Deathby Ariana Franklin
Berkley Trade; Published: 2008-01-29; Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.93
Price in other shops:
The Savage Gardenby Mark Mills
Berkley Trade; Published: 2008-05-06; Paperback; Book
Best price: $5.92
Price in other shops:
The Thirteenth Tale: A Novelby Diane Setterfield
Washington Square Press; Published: 2007-10-09; Paperback; Book
Best price: $5.76
Price in other shops: