[ book tip by Jade Weighell ] Mark Gatiss is probably best known as being one of ‘The League of Gentleman’ and an actor in numerous television programmes. Now he has turned his hand to novel-writing and The Vesuvius Club is the first of a trilogy of novels following the dandyesque secret agent Lucifer Box.

We are introduced to the witty and lustful Lucifer Box who flits between London’s high society and the seedy underbelly of Edwardian England. Lucifer is set the task of finding out why Britain’s top scientists are being killed and begins a treacherous mission that takes him to seedy caverns of Naples and to a secret society…the Vesuvius club. 

Lucifer Box is a fabulously naughty creation. While doing the very serious work of the secret service he has no qualms in finding pleasure wherever and with whoever he can. Gatiss uses his talent for humour to form a character whose words constantly shock, amuse and titillate. 

Anyone who has seen ‘The League of Gentlemen’ will also see similarities in the way that he creates deliciously exaggerated characters. My favourite is that of Delilah his burly, cockney servant whose loyalty to her master is unfailing.

Although this novel is great fun it is also essentially a thrilling detective story with twists, surprises and danger at every turn. Ultimately it is what I would imagine it would be like if Oscar Wilde had written James Bond.

[ Favourite quote ] It was midway between the fish course and the pudding, as Supple opened his mouth to begin another interminable tale, that I did the decent thing and shot him. 

[ book info ] Gatiss, Mark: The Vesuvius Club. (Book language: English) Pocket Books, 2005 (2004). ISBN: 978-0-7434-8379-7.