Oscar Wilde & the Candlelight Murders

Oscar Wilde and the Candlelight Murders by Gyles Brandreth.

Paperback: 347 pages
Publisher: Touchstone; (January 8, 2008)
ISBN-10: 1416534830

Book Description

Lovers of historical mystery will relish this chilling Victorian tale based on real events and cloaked in authenticity. Best of all, it casts British literature's most fascinating and controversial figure as the lead sleuth.

A young artist's model has been murdered, and legendary wit Oscar Wilde enlists his friends Arthur Conan Doyle and Robert Sherard to help him investigate. But when they arrive at the scene of the crime they find no sign of the gruesome killing -- save one small spatter of blood, high on the wall. Set in London, Paris, Oxford, and Edinburgh at the height of Queen Victoria's reign, here is a gripping eyewitness account of Wilde's secret involvement in the curious case of Billy Wood, a young man whose brutal murder served as the inspiration for The Picture of Dorian Gray. Told by Wilde's contemporary -- poet Robert Sherard -- this novel provides a fascinating and evocative portrait of the great playwright and his own "consulting detective," Sherlock Holmes creator, Arthur Conan Doyle.

I can hear my “sis” now… “it’s about time you read this book!”.. and she’d be right!

I think this was the most enjoyable book I’ve read in a long time!  I am not usually one to like a book that reads: someone is murdered and the detective will now solve the murder.  Dull, dull, dull…  But that does NOT describe this book!

I loved it!  I loved that Brandreth used characters I am familiar with. I loved that it was not “current” but set in older England. I loved that historical points were accurate and that writings from Wilde and Doyle were mentioned …. add to that, that it was so fast paced you couldn’t put it down!

If I may use a word I have heard my friend Cath use many times… this book is just *brilliant*!  I can tell you now, that if this sort of books sounds good to you..get it! Because it is far better then any review can do for it.

I also found out that it’s a series.. however.. a very expensive series! In my searches for another in the series I even found the cover I have here and all there was for the color cover I have was used books.. for 139.00!! hello?!  Need I say that this book will NOT leave my apartment? lol.. I did find another in the series, used, in hardback no less, quite cheap and so I have sent for it!

Did I mention that in this book Mr Brandreth has Oscar Wilde “acting as Sherlock Holmes” at times? Gawd, I loved it hahahaha.  This book was a breath of fresh air..and I will say something I rarely say:  I recommend it to anyone who likes a fast pace mystery, likes references to Conan Doyle’s Holmes, and likes reading books with the background of old England. 

This book is a keeper!