The Vesuvius Club

Infobox Book |
name = The Vesuvius Club
title_orig =
translator =


image_caption = Graphic novel cover
author = Mark Gatiss
illustrator =
cover_artist =
country = United Kingdom
language = English
series = Lucifer Box #1
genre = Historical, Spy novel
publisher = Simon & Schuster Ltd
release_date = 1997
media_type = Print (HardcoverHardback, Paperback), Audio (Audio CD, Cassette)
pages = 256 pp (Hardback, 2004)
isbn = ISBN 0-7432-5705-7(Hardback, 2004)
ISBN 0-7434-8379-0 (Paperback, 2005)
preceded_by = -
followed_by = The Devil in Amber

"The Vesuvius Club" is a historical spy story by Mark Gatiss. It is the first novel in a series featuring the spy, Lucifer Box. The second novel, "The Devil in Amber", was initially published in October 2006 and became more widely available from 6 November 2006.

Plot introduction

Lucifer Box, portrait painter, wit, dandy, rake and occasional assassin for His Majesty's Government, no sooner closes one case when the murder of a British diplomat and suspicious deaths of several brilliant scientists demand his attention. The trail leads to Naples and a decadent secret society – the Vesuvius Club.

Plot summary

Joshua Reynolds, of the British Secret Service, briefs Lucifer Box to pick up the threads of an investigation started by the recently murdered Jocelyn Utterson Poop of the Diplomatic Service. The only surviving clues were the names of two scientists who died with in a day of each other.

The investigation leads to the "Superior Funerals" undertakers run by Tom Bowler. Mr Bowler seems more interested in shipping boxes to and from Naples than burying the dead. An attempt on Box's life soon follows.

A painter and friend of Box supplies a new lead into the deaths of the scientist, which leads to the curious Mrs. Midsomer Knight, who has been replaced by a soon to be murdered maidservant. Lucifer's friend, Christopher Miracle, is implicated in the murder.

In Naples Lucifer interviews one of the survivors of the "Cambridge four" group of scientists and fears for his life. Soon after he meets Charlie Jackpot, who invites him to a house of ill-repute and offers a way into the Vesuvius Club. At that point, we learn that Lucifer is bisexual, as Charlie is gay, and has sex with him.

There, Lucifer meets the alluring Venus, who is not what she seems, and succumbs to a sleeping gas. He awakens in a cell and learns from a fellow prisoner that relics are being sold from excavation sites to finance a larger operation and that the "Superior Funerals" undertakers are part of a smuggling racket.

Lucifer escapes and discovers Charlie in a death trap, from which Box rescues him before being discovered. Lucifer and Charlie escape via the sewer system.

The following morning, Lucifer discovers that the professor he interviewed has disappeared. Examining the scene, Lucifer discovers a detailed schematic of Mount Vesuvius.

Box's investigation then leads him to an opium den, then to a supposedly haunted house where he discovers all four of the missing and dead professors in a drugged stupor. The house leads to a passageway into the ancient ruin of Pompeii and the villain's base. Box confronts Venus and Unman, a traitor who has been assisting the enemy. Box attempts to do a deal for testimony against Victor. Unfortunately Venus turns out to in fact be Victor.

Victor seeks revenge against those who wronged his father. Victor has completed the work of his father, as scientist who was driven mad and died some time ago. His intent is to trigger a massive volcanic eruption, which will spark a chain reaction that will ultimately destroy Italy.

Lucifer's companions are imprisoned in the volcano. The intent is for them to be incinerated in the eruption. Lucifer himself is taken to a volcanic vent and to be steamed to death but escapes and manages to rescue his companions after capturing Bowler.

Venus/Victor has no intention of leaving the volcano before the eruption. When Box reveals this to Bowler, Bowler turns against Venus/Victor and attempts to prevent the device being detonated. This fails and the device is released. The device is only stopped when Bowler uses the steam vent to prevent the bomb being delivered to the right part of the volcano, but the detonation triggers a minor eruption and everyone must flee for their lives.

Unman tries to prevent the heroes escaping, killing Bowler and wounding Lucifer, before he himself is killed. Lucifer and the others escape and the remaining unclear points of the mystery are cleared up while Lucifer convalesces under the care of Charlie.

Lucifer's heterosexual love interest, Bella, appears and reveals she is the daughter of a man he killed in the early chapters of the book as part of a routine assignment. Charlie intercedes at the last moment to save Lucifer and Bella is killed.

Characters

Lucifer Box: A decadent Edwardian gentleman, resident and owner of No. 9 Downing Street. In addition to being a portrait painter, wit, dandy and indiscriminate rake, Lucifer Box is an agent of His Majesty's Secret Service, reporting to Sir Joshua Reynolds. He is young, handsome, charming with a pronouncedly sardonic sense of humour.

Delilah (No last name): Indispensable domestic servant of His Majesty's Secret Service. She is physically strong and very discreet. Delilah has an unseen daughter, Ida, and overuses the letter "H" in her speech, indicating a Cockney accent.

Christopher Miracle: Fellow painter and friend of Lucifer Box who assists his investigation and later becomes a murder suspect.

Charlie Jackpot : Handsome gay youth who provides useful information, access to the Vesuvius Club and valet services and sexual distraction for Lucifer Box. Entered the service of Lucifer after his previous servant, Poplar, was shot in the back on a Serbian railway station.

Venus/Victor: Sinister but alluring leader of the Vesuvius Club, who has a secret.

Major themes

The central theme in this pastiche of Edwardian adventure stories seems to be one of decadence and depravity behind a façade of respectability. It can also be seen as a spoof of serious historical adventures, adhering to many of the conventions of such stories while including elements of the absurd - e.g. Lucifer Box's briefing takes place in a gents lavatory and many of the characters have risible names such as Midsomers Knight and Tom Bowler. Many of the illustrations within the book appear to heavily influenced by the works of Aubrey Beardsley

Allusions/references to other works

The character name Midsomer Knight is a reference to Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare.

The character Bella Pok is a reference to "belle epoch" a term meaning "happy era" and commonly used to describe the turn of the 19th century.

Allusions/references to actual history, geography and current science

The name of the eponymous club and the final chapters of the book refer to the active volcano, Mount Vesuvius. Its title may also be a reference to the similarly decadent eighteenth century Hellfire Club.

Adaptations

Audio play

An audio play has been produced by the BBC in 2004.

Graphic novel

It was adapted into a graphic novel in 2005, with art by Ian Bass. It is officially named "The Vesuvius Club: Graphic Edition".

Television

"The Guardian" reports that the BBC will be adapting the book for television. [ [http://media.guardian.co.uk/broadcast/story/0,,2066494,00.html BBC adapting Mark Gatiss book for TV | Media | MediaGuardian ] ] [ [http://www.twitchfilm.net/archives/009825.html Twitch - Mark Gatiss' "Vesuvius Club" Headed To The Small Screen! ] ]

Release details

*2004, United Kingdom, Simon & Schuster, ISBN 0739463462, Pub date November 1 2004, Hardback
*2004, United Kingdom, BBC Audio Books, ISBN 0-563-52751-X, Pub date November 1 2004 Audio play
*2005, United Kingdom, Pocket Books, ISBN 0743483790, Pub date July 21 2005, Paperback
*2005, United Kingdom, Simon & Schuster, ISBN 0-7432-7600-0, Pub date November 7 2005, Graphic Novel

References

External links

* [http://www.vesuviusclub.com/index.html Vesuvius Club Fan Site] Link to review: [http://www.shvoong.com/books/comedy/1618380-vesuvius-club]