[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/gentlemen_of_the_night.jpg]]

Written in 1844 by Creator/PaulFeval. Originally titled ''Les Mysteries de Londres'' which translated in English to ''The Mysteries of London'', but that is also the name of the Penny Dreadful saga by George Reynolds. So for its [[http://blackcoatpress.com/mysterieslondon.htm stage play adaptation]] it was given the alternate name ''The Gentlemen of the Night'' after its feature [[TheSyndicate criminal origination]].

In 1830s London, the ''Marquis of Rio Santo'', leader of the criminal empire known as the ''Gentlemen of the Night'', schemes to free Ireland by plunging England into chaos.

In 1847 a pirated abridged English translation was made, it's very rare however [[http://archive.org/details/mysteriesoflondo00step but can be read online]].

It was latter made retroactively in continuity with ''Literature/TheBlackCoats'' and ''Literature/JohnDevil''.

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!!Provides examples of the following tropes:
* AdaptationDistillation: The Stage Version which condenses and simplifies much of the story. It completely lacks the story of the third volume and [[spoiler: contrives a happier ending for Rio Santo]]
* AntiVillain: The Marquis of Rio Santo, could also be viewed as an Unscrupleous AntiHero.
* BigBad: The Marquis of Rio Santo
* ByronicHero: The Marquis of Rio Santo
* GreaterScopeVillain: UsefulNotes/NapoleonBonaparte as well as in another Féval story ''Literature/JohnDevil''. The BigBad of each claims to have met Napoleon on St.Helena in about 1815-1816. Both have their own reasons for the wars against England, however, and only Henri Belcamp in ''John Devil'' could have actually benefited Napoleon (Since the other's main narrative is set after Napoleon died), and Henri even more so is really about his own ambition, he really wants to be the next Napoleon, freeing the first is merely for a PassingTheTorch moment. O'Breane in ''Gentlemen of the Night'' is motivated by liberating and avenging Ireland. Both are made in continuity with each other via ''Literature/TheBlackCoats''.
* GreedyJew: Ishmael Spencer; his character is by far the most dated aspect of the story.
* RightBehindMe: "Oh Lord! if that rascal Tyrrel to know this..."
* TheSyndicate: ''The Gentlemen of the Night'', the prototype for Féval's latter ''[[Literature/TheBlackCoats Les Habits Noirs]]''