Oscar Wilde and the Ring of Death
Oscar Wilde and the Ring of Death by Gyles Brandreth.
Hardcover: 416 pages
Publisher: John Murray (2008)
ISBN-10: 0719569508
Review/ Paul Anchetta
In the book, Mr Wilde is the toast of London's high society. His "Lady Windermere's Fan" is a critical and box-office success, and his popularity is unmatched amongst the cognoscenti. One evening, at an exclusive "Sunday Supper Club" dinner with such friends as Arthur Conan Doyle, Bram Stoker, and Robert Sherard (who also narrates the story), Wilde introduces a parlor game involving a list of people that his guests would secretly like to kill. From the next day onward, each person on the "hit list" dies mysteriously, in the very order with which his or her name showed up during the dinner. Wilde, Conan Doyle, and Sherard begin to investigate independently, especially after failing to enlist the help of Scotland Yard . . . and especially since Wilde's name itself appears on the "hit list!" Their ensuing adventures are as jolly as they are thrilling.
Well Gyles Brandreth has done it again! I have to admit that the books seem to have the same type outline for each book but he has a way in his writing that makes the books very readable, very interesting, and quite the page turner! This one was no exception!
I really enjoy that he uses known people in the mysteries. Conan Doyle keeps popping up as does Bram Stoker. In the books Oscar Wilde is friends with these and many others and Gyles manages to keep many facts about each accurate and informative. Though they are slipped in very nicely among the fiction parts of the story!
I have enjoyed each and every one of the Oscar Wilde mysteries that I’ve read so far, and have yet one more sitting on one of my many shelves to be read! I can’t thank Cath enough for getting me into this series of books.. they give me a lift. Simple, basic reading but a good mystery to be solved. Of course you never really figure them out until Oscar tells all in the last two chapters !!!
If you’ve read any of the Gyles Brandreth Oscar Wilde books feel free to add this one to your own collection!
4 Comments:
Glad you're liking these so much, Pat. Gyles Brandreth is on TV quite a lot and I'm a big fan.
Decided to leave a comment here instead of lj, since not certain if you get them all or not. The book does sound very interesting. I always like good mysteries especially if the characters are well developed. Sounds like you enjoy these a lot. Glad to hear that. Vala3
cath:I am enjoying them Cath.. all because you sent me that book! lol
hi sher.. i really enjoy when they use characters you "sorta" know already like Conan Doyle and Oscar Wilde if they tell a good story using them it seems a touch more real for some reason.
Hi Pat. I've been reading some of your posts. I love that signed book. Very cool. Not sure about this Oscar Wilde one though. I'll look it up at the library. Wow, I haven't been to blogger in a quite a while! :)
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