A Bulgakov-like cocktail of romance, murder, and mystery are conjured up in this existential thriller set in the Czech capital

This witty, inventive Gothic novel tells the story of Count Arco, a keen fencer and debauched womanizer in 19th century Prague, who makes a lone stand against the destruction of the popular Jewish quarter, with its Bohemian nightlife and whorehouses. Arco buys up a house and refuses to move out, going into battle with the corrupt officials at the Town Hall—but the Quarter is rocked by the appearance of a murderer, and Arco is also distracted from his cause by the appearance of a femme fatale whose heart he must conquer.