The night crossing
(Book)

It begins among the Carpathian peaks, when an intrepid explorer discovers a mysterious golden box. She brings it back with her to the foggy streets of Victorian London; unaware of its dangerous power ... or that an evil beyond imagining has already taken root in the city. Stoker, a successful theater manager but frustrated writer, is drawn into a deadly web spun by the wealthy founders of a mission house for the poor. Far from a safe haven, the mission harbors a dark and terrifying secret. To save the souls of thousands, Stoker--aided by the explorer and a match girl grieving the loss of her child--must pursue an enemy as ancient as the Saharan sands where it originated. Their journey will take them through the city's overgrown graveyards and rat-infested tunnels and even onto the maiden voyage of the world's first "unsinkable" ship.