Playwright and raconteur Oscar Wilde embarks on another adventure as he sets sail for America in the 1880s on a roller coaster of a lecture tour. But the adventure doesn't truly begin until Oscar boards an ocean liner headed back across the Atlantic and joins a motley crew led by French impresario Edmond La Grange. As Oscar becomes entangled with the La Grange acting dynasty, he suspects that all is not as it seems. What begins with a curious death at sea soon escalates to a series of increasingly macabre tragedies once the troupe arrives in Paris to perform Hamlet. A strange air of indifference surrounds these seemingly random events, inciting Oscar to dig deeper, aided by his friends Robert Sherard and the divine Sarah Bernhardt. What he discovers is a horrifying secret -- one that may bring him closer to his own last chapter than anyone could have imagined. As intelligent as it is beguiling, this third installment in the richly historical mystery series is sure to captivate and entertain.

Sometimes something happens that gives your life definition. You meet somebody and everything in your life suddenly makes sense. Everything youve ever accomplished, Every mistake you ever made, And every bad thing thats ever happened to you was so you'd be prepared to meet this person. So youd earn the priviledge of their presence. This happened to Bishop. Except he is only 99% ready. Because, unfortunately, Bishop is a dog.

In this new installment in the engaging mystery series Booklist called “pitch-perfect” and “enthralling”—currently in development as a BBC television series—the incomparable playwright, novelist, raconteur, and now ex-convict Oscar Wilde faces his most fiendishly puzzling case yet. Oscar Wilde has fled to France after his release from Reading Gaol. Tonight he is sharing a drink and the story of his cruel imprisonment with a mysterious stranger. Oscar has endured the treadmill, solitary confinement, censored letters, no writing materials. Yet even in the midst of such deprivation, his astonishing detective powers remain undiminished—and when first a brutal warder and then the prison chaplain are found murdered, who else should the governor turn to for help other than Reading Gaol’s most celebrated inmate?

The fourth of Gyles Brandreth's acclaimed series of Victorian murder mysteries, Oscar Wilde and the Nest of Vipers opens in the spring of 1890 at a glamorous reception hosted by the Duke and Duchess of Albemarle. All of London is there, including the Prince of Wales, who counts the Albemarles as close friends. Although it is the first time Oscar and Bertie have met, Oscar seems far more interested in Rex LaSalle, a young actor, who disarmingly claims to be a vampire...However, what begins as a diverting evening ends in tragedy. As the guests are leaving, the Duchess is found murdered, two tiny puncture marks in her throat. No one has entered the house; no one has left. Desperate to avoid another scandal, the Prince of Wales asks Oscar to investigate the crime.What he discovers threatens to destroy the very heart of the Royal Family...

Originally published: Oscar Wilde and the candlelight murders. London : John Murray, 2007.

'As good as Sherlock!!' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Just so entertaining to read!' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'What joy! What a mystery! What a tale!' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ As his eyes adjusted to the gloom of the attic, he saw by the light of guttering candles, stretched out on the floor before him, the body of a young man, his throat cut from ear to ear . . . London, 1889: Famous writer Oscar Wilde is the toast of London town. But when the body of a young man of his acquaintance is found in a dark attic room, surrounded by candles, he knows he can't rest until the killer is behind bars. Appealing to fellow author Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of the great Sherlock Holmes, the pair set out to solve the crime. But unravelling a real-life plot is very different to writing one. Can Wilde and Doyle outsmart the murderer hiding in the shadows, before it's too late? A wonderfully witty and gripping cosy historical mystery to transport you to the grand drawing rooms and back alleys of London. Perfect for fans of Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie and Richard Osman. Readers love The Candlelight Murders: 'I devoured this book in mere days and immediately moved on to the second in the series' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Exciting, fast paced, at times humorous and with a dramatic denouement at the finish just like any good murder mystery . . . A great read' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Entertaining, charming and evocative' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'This series is just what I needed; immersive, funny, clever, educational, and easy to read in the best of ways' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'If you are a fan of Sherlock Holmes and of Oscar Wilde, this is the book for you . . . Wonderful . . . The mystery itself is intriguing and the answer is shocking' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐