No processo de tentar encontrar detalhes, encontrei a resposta em uma lista de " Dresden Clones ". Número um é a série "Alex Verus" de Benedict Jacka. Alex dirige uma loja de magia e é realmente escolhido para encontrar um artefato antigo no primeiro livro, Fated , que acaba por ser uma varinha de marfim:
Alex Verus is part of a world hidden in plain sight, running a magic shop in London. And while Alex's own powers aren't as showy as some mages, he does have the advantage of foreseeing the possible future--allowing him to pull off operations that have a million-to-one-chance of success.
But when Alex is approached by multiple factions to crack open a relic from a long-ago mage war, he knows that whatever's inside must be beyond powerful. And thanks to his abilities, Alex can predict that by taking the job, his odds of survival are about to go from slim to none...
E parece que o enredo da mansão é, na verdade, o terceiro livro, tirado :
Alex Verus, our friend with an eye on the future, is on the job once again. He is hired to look into the unexplained disappearances of mage apprentices. Apprentices are disappearing and no witness come forward and no clues are left behind. Mages walk into a building and never come out. In the midst of the disappearances, the apprentices are gathering for dueling tournament. The gathering is occurring a Fountain Reach, an old and mysterious house with secrets that Verus must expose.