An astonishing debut of epic scope and suspense, The Quick conjures up magic and menace in Victorian London's elegant drawing rooms and its dark, dangerous alleyways. A rich feast for lovers of the novels of Sarah Waters, Anne Rice, The Night Circus , and The Crimson Petal and the White . In 1893 London, James Norbury takes up lodgings with a young man from the upper echelons of society and soon finds love where he least expected it. Then James suddenly disappears.      His sister Charlotte is determined to find out what happened. Charlotte is horrified at what she discovers, but love spurs on her efforts to save her brother from an unthinkable fate. Her quest leads both to the mysterious, centuries-old Aegolius Club, and to slums full of unforgettable characters. With them, readers are caught up in the breathtaking climax to an ancient battle being fought within a secret world hiding in plain sight, in the middle of the great city of London itself.      Winning rave international reviews, The Quick has established Lauren Owen as a dazzling new literary talent.