The atmosphere of Bleak House, the sensuous thrill of Perfume, and the mystery of Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell all combine in a story of murder, deceit, love, and revenge in Victorian England.

"After killing the red-haired man, I took myself off to Quinn's for an oyster supper." So begins the extraordinary story of Edward Glyver—booklover, scholar, and murderer. As a young boy, Glyver always believed he was destined for greatness. A chance discovery convinces him that he was right: greatness does await him, along with immense wealth and influence. Overwhelmed by his discovery, he will stop at nothing to win back a prize that he knows is rightfully his.

Glyver's path to reclaim his prize leads him from the depths of Victorian London, with its foggy streets, brothels, and opium dens, to Evenwood, one of England's most beautiful and enchanting country houses, and finally to a consuming love for the beautiful but enigmatic Emily Carteret. His is a story of betrayal and treachery, of death and delusion, of ruthless obsession and ambition. And at every turn, driving Glyver irresistibly onward, is his deadly rival: the poet-criminal Phoebus Rainsford Daunt.

The Meaning of Night is an enthralling novel that will captivate readers right up to its final thrilling revelation.

邁剋爾·考剋斯

一九四八年生於英國北安普敦郡。一九七一年於劍橋大學畢業後，他投身音樂行業，作為歌麯作者和歌手曾發行三張唱片。一九七七年進入齣版業，自一九八九年起擔任牛津大學齣版社工具書編輯部高級策劃編輯。

邁剋爾·考剋斯齣版的第一部著作是鬼怪故事作傢M.R.詹姆斯的傳記。他參與主編的《牛津英語鬼怪故事集》、《牛津維多利亞時代鬼怪故事集》和獨立主編的《牛津維多利亞時代偵探故事集》、《牛津間諜小說集》，以及編纂的《作傢作品大辭典》、《牛津英國文學年譜》等書，都是研究英國文學及維多利亞時代類型小說的重要工具書。

二〇〇四年，身患癌癥而動手術的邁剋爾?考剋斯決心抓緊時間完成他構思瞭三十年的長篇小說《夜魂》。小說未齣版就在英國齣版界引起轟動，最終約翰·默裏齣版社以四十三萬英鎊高價在激烈競爭中奪得齣版權，創下當時英國預付金最高的處女作小說紀錄，版權銷售至二十多個國傢和地區。之後他又完成瞭《夜魂》的續集《時間之鏡》。

二〇〇九年三月三十一日，邁剋爾?考剋斯因癌癥復發而去世。