dryad
member
Reged: 11/02/2008
Posts: 151
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In 1889 Oscar Wilde, poet and playwright, finds the mutilated corpse of a young boy in a candle lit room of a London back street. With his friend Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of Sherlock Holmes, he returns to the scene of the crime - the corpse has vanished! Scotland Yard has no interest in the case until remains of the body appear so meanwhile Oscar Wilde takes on the role of detective and sets about unravelling the mystery. He is a larger that life character - flamboyant, outrageous and witty. The London of his time is richly atmospheric; the sordid world of vice and violence is as convincing as the luxurious life of champagne and oysters. While other bizarre and brutal murders are uncovered, the plot speeds along to an exciting climax. The solution to the mystery is totally unforeseen and very satisfying. This novel is the first in a series; I hope the others are equally entertaining.
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Chelsea
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Reged: 06/02/2008
Posts: 776
Loc: Essex
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jdm, if you liked this plot you might like a book I read recently called 'the interpretation of murder' by Jed Rubenfeld. It is based on a true situation - when Dr. Freud visited New York in 1909- but then the rest is pure fantasy. A girl is found savagly murdered and Freud and his cronies get invoved in solving the crime.
It's very well written and really twisty turny - I loved it! I will be looking out for this Brandreth book, it looks right up my street too!
C x
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Chelsea x
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dryad
member
Reged: 11/02/2008
Posts: 151
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Thank you for your response, ChelseaMorning. I read The Interpretation of Murder (Jed Rubenfeld) last year and you are right - it's a great book! I have enjoyed detective novels since I was about 12. Agatha Christie started me off. Though I enjoy modern fiction, I also like reading books set in a different period of time. Two of my favourite writers use Ancient Rome as their setting - Steven Saylor (he writes about a sleuth called Gordianus who solves even the most complicated crimes) and Lindsey Davis (her private investigator is less conventional and extremely funny). I also like Dorothy L Sayers (published in the 1930s) because her mysteries are so clever. Her style is a bit quaint (with sayings like 'it don't matter a hill of beans'!?) but this is all part of the quirky humour. And I also like Arthur Conan Doyle's stories about Sherlock Holmes which are set at about the same time as Oscar Wilde and the Candlelight Murders (Gyles Brandreth). If you (or any reader) can suggest other historical detective writers, I shall be pleased to hear from you. jdm
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dryad
member
Reged: 11/02/2008
Posts: 151
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There is an article about Gyles Brandreth in the latest issue of Waterstone’s Books Quarterly. The second story in this murder mystery series is called Oscar Wilde and the Ring of Death. It features Bram Stoker, who married Oscar Wilde’s first sweetheart and later created Dracula. Oscar Wilde and the Ring of Death is published in hardback in May.
Waterstone’s Books Quarterly is free if you spend £20 on books or if you have a loyalty card.
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