What do you think?
Rate this book
Oscar Wilde Murder Mysteries #4
Oscar Wilde and the Nest of Vipers
. John Murray, bright clean copy, SIGNED AUTHOR, no markings, with unclipped dustjacket, Professional booksellers since 1981
421 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2010
56 people are currently reading
874 people want to read
About the author
Gyles Brandreth
441 books383 followersFull name: Gyles Daubeney Brandreth.
A former Oxford Scholar, President of the Oxford Union and MP for the City of Chester, Gyles Brandreth’s career has ranged from being a Whip and Lord Commissioner of the Treasury in John Major’s government to starring in his own award-winning musical revue in London’s West End. A prolific broadcaster (in programmes ranging from Just a Minute to Have I Got News for You), an acclaimed interviewer (principally for the Sunday Telegraph), a novelist, children’s author and biographer, his best-selling diary, Breaking the Code, was described as ‘By far the best political diary of recent years, far more perceptive and revealing than Alan Clark’s’ (The Times) and ‘Searingly honest, wildly indiscreet, and incredibly funny’ (Daily Mail). He is the author of two acclaimed royal biographies: Philip Elizabeth: Portrait of a Marriage and Charles Camilla: Portrait of a Love Affair. In 2007/2008, John Murray in the UK and Simon & Schuster in the US began publishing The Oscar Wilde Murder Mysteries, his series of Victorian murder mysteries featuring Oscar Wilde as the detective.
As a performer, Gyles Brandreth has been seen most recently in ZIPP! ONE HUNDRED MUSICALS FOR LESS THAN THE PRICE OF ONE at the Duchess Theatre and on tour throughout the UK, and as Malvolio and the Sea Captain in TWELFTH NIGHT THE MUSICAL at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Gyles Brandreth is one of Britain’s busiest after-dinner speakers and award ceremony hosts. He has won awards himself, and been nominated for awards, as a public speaker, novelist, children’s writer, broadcaster (Sony), political diarist (Channel Four), journalist (British Press Awards), theatre producer (Olivier), and businessman (British Tourist Authority Come to Britain Trophy).
He is married to writer and publisher Michèle Brown, with whom he co-curated the exhibition of twentieth century children’s authors at the National Portrait Gallery and founded the award-winning Teddy Bear Museum now based at the Polka Theatre in Wimbledon. He is a trustee of the British Forces Foundation, and a former chairman and now vice-president of the National Playing Fields Association.
Gyles Brandreth’s forebears include George R. Sims (the highest-paid journalist of his day, who wrote the ballad Christmas Day in the Workhouse) and Jeremiah Brandreth (the last man in England to be beheaded for treason). His great-great-grandfather, Benjamin Brandreth, promoted ‘Brandreth’s Pills’ (a medicine that cured everything!) and was a pioneer of modern advertising and a New York state senator. Today, Gyles Brandreth has family living in New York, Maryland, South Carolina and California. He has been London correspondent for “Up to the Minute” on CBS News and his books published in the United States include the New York Times best-seller, The Joy of Lex and, most recently, Philip Elizabeth: Portrait of a Royal Marriage.
A former Oxford Scholar, President of the Oxford Union and MP for the City of Chester, Gyles Brandreth’s career has ranged from being a Whip and Lord Commissioner of the Treasury in John Major’s government to starring in his own award-winning musical revue in London’s West End. A prolific broadcaster (in programmes ranging from Just a Minute to Have I Got News for You), an acclaimed interviewer (principally for the Sunday Telegraph), a novelist, children’s author and biographer, his best-selling diary, Breaking the Code, was described as ‘By far the best political diary of recent years, far more perceptive and revealing than Alan Clark’s’ (The Times) and ‘Searingly honest, wildly indiscreet, and incredibly funny’ (Daily Mail). He is the author of two acclaimed royal biographies: Philip Elizabeth: Portrait of a Marriage and Charles Camilla: Portrait of a Love Affair. In 2007/2008, John Murray in the UK and Simon & Schuster in the US began publishing The Oscar Wilde Murder Mysteries, his series of Victorian murder mysteries featuring Oscar Wilde as the detective.
As a performer, Gyles Brandreth has been seen most recently in ZIPP! ONE HUNDRED MUSICALS FOR LESS THAN THE PRICE OF ONE at the Duchess Theatre and on tour throughout the UK, and as Malvolio and the Sea Captain in TWELFTH NIGHT THE MUSICAL at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Gyles Brandreth is one of Britain’s busiest after-dinner speakers and award ceremony hosts. He has won awards himself, and been nominated for awards, as a public speaker, novelist, children’s writer, broadcaster (Sony), political diarist (Channel Four), journalist (British Press Awards), theatre producer (Olivier), and businessman (British Tourist Authority Come to Britain Trophy).
He is married to writer and publisher Michèle Brown, with whom he co-curated the exhibition of twentieth century children’s authors at the National Portrait Gallery and founded the award-winning Teddy Bear Museum now based at the Polka Theatre in Wimbledon. He is a trustee of the British Forces Foundation, and a former chairman and now vice-president of the National Playing Fields Association.
Gyles Brandreth’s forebears include George R. Sims (the highest-paid journalist of his day, who wrote the ballad Christmas Day in the Workhouse) and Jeremiah Brandreth (the last man in England to be beheaded for treason). His great-great-grandfather, Benjamin Brandreth, promoted ‘Brandreth’s Pills’ (a medicine that cured everything!) and was a pioneer of modern advertising and a New York state senator. Today, Gyles Brandreth has family living in New York, Maryland, South Carolina and California. He has been London correspondent for “Up to the Minute” on CBS News and his books published in the United States include the New York Times best-seller, The Joy of Lex and, most recently, Philip Elizabeth: Portrait of a Royal Marriage.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 129 reviews
November 19, 2012
If I could choose one word to describe this book, it would be wicked. I love the Oscar Wilde murder mysteries. If it helps put this in perspective, I did my thesis on Oscar Wilde and the representation of sexuality in his plays, specifically "A Woman of No Importance," "Lady Windermere's Fan," and "The Importance of Being Earnest." This is one of those historical novels I can approach with an understanding of the characters and time period involved.
The book opens with Sherard visiting Oscar in Paris after Oscar has been released from prison. They talk about the vampire murders, and how Sherard thinks publishing the story will help Oscar get back on his feet. What follows is a bunch of telegrams, letters, and journal entries from the principal parties involved at the time of the scandal. So, what does the opening have to do with the rest of the novel? Everything. If you have read up on Oscar Wilde, or even if you decide to do some reading after this book, you will soon learn the story of Bosie Douglas, the blinding infatuation that led Oscar to prison. Sidenote: I had a fish named Bosie. Lasted nearly four years, driving back and forth to college for every break. He was the best fish anyone could have asked for until he died tragically my junior year of college. I don't know if the fish's death had anything to do with my fated path towards a Wilde thesis, but it might have. At any rate, the story of Bosie Douglas is well known, so there's really no need to write a fictional account of it. However, the story of the fictional Rex LaSalle, that one you don't know. View it as a precursor to the Bosie Douglas, if you will, that same sort of infatuation with an admittedly dangerous relationship.
While it may seem at first like the novel is hopping on the recent vampire trend, it is actually a lovely satire of said trend. Much of the subject matter deals with Bram Stoker's Dracula, which of course, started the original vampire trend. The vampire, is a symbol of freed sexuality, so I fully expect the vampire trend to continue every so many years or so. For some reason, it seems to be the human tendency to sexually repress itself. On the vampire trend, I have seen several complaints about the format of the book, the whole newspaper clipping and various journal entries. The style is clearly chosen to emulate the original Dracula, and is decidedly brilliant.
I never know how much to talk about the plot when I review mysteries, because I never want to give too much away. I will say this: you will not be disappointed. To the astute reader, the murderer will give himself away fairly early, although the motivation will be hazy until the end. What truly is fascinating is watching these men perceived by history as brilliant being utterly blindsided by what they want to believe to be true.
This book is definitely a bubble bath read.
The book opens with Sherard visiting Oscar in Paris after Oscar has been released from prison. They talk about the vampire murders, and how Sherard thinks publishing the story will help Oscar get back on his feet. What follows is a bunch of telegrams, letters, and journal entries from the principal parties involved at the time of the scandal. So, what does the opening have to do with the rest of the novel? Everything. If you have read up on Oscar Wilde, or even if you decide to do some reading after this book, you will soon learn the story of Bosie Douglas, the blinding infatuation that led Oscar to prison. Sidenote: I had a fish named Bosie. Lasted nearly four years, driving back and forth to college for every break. He was the best fish anyone could have asked for until he died tragically my junior year of college. I don't know if the fish's death had anything to do with my fated path towards a Wilde thesis, but it might have. At any rate, the story of Bosie Douglas is well known, so there's really no need to write a fictional account of it. However, the story of the fictional Rex LaSalle, that one you don't know. View it as a precursor to the Bosie Douglas, if you will, that same sort of infatuation with an admittedly dangerous relationship.
While it may seem at first like the novel is hopping on the recent vampire trend, it is actually a lovely satire of said trend. Much of the subject matter deals with Bram Stoker's Dracula, which of course, started the original vampire trend. The vampire, is a symbol of freed sexuality, so I fully expect the vampire trend to continue every so many years or so. For some reason, it seems to be the human tendency to sexually repress itself. On the vampire trend, I have seen several complaints about the format of the book, the whole newspaper clipping and various journal entries. The style is clearly chosen to emulate the original Dracula, and is decidedly brilliant.
I never know how much to talk about the plot when I review mysteries, because I never want to give too much away. I will say this: you will not be disappointed. To the astute reader, the murderer will give himself away fairly early, although the motivation will be hazy until the end. What truly is fascinating is watching these men perceived by history as brilliant being utterly blindsided by what they want to believe to be true.
This book is definitely a bubble bath read.
August 15, 2011
It’s easily discernible by its title that Oscar Wilde and the Vampire Murders provides mere cheap entertainment and little substance. Gyles Brandreth has written a whole series centered on Oscar Wilde solving mysteries, and judging from this one, the series has little to offer besides the fun of characterized famous figures.
The novel opens in 1890, where the Duke and Duchess of Albemarle are hosting a glamorous party. Among the guests are Oscar Wilde and journalist Robert Sherard, and they encounter Rex LaSalle, a man claiming to be a vampire. He openly declares he will kill the Duchess, yet later, when the Duchess is found dead with puncture marks on her throat, somehow it doesn’t occur to them that Rex is the culprit. Wilde and Sherard enlist the help of Sherlock Holmes creator Arthur Conan Doyle and Dracula author Bram Stoker in their convoluted journey to solve the case—yet they never even consider the glaringly obvious truths standing right in front of them. I spent a majority of the book wondering how these allegedly brilliant men can be so oblivious.
The prologue starts off intriguing enough, when Wilde, having just been released from prison (he was jailed for homosexual acts), sits down for an interview with his old friend Sherard and begins to tell the story of the vampire murders; and so begins the flashback to the party where the murder of the Duchess took place. However, this frame story does not pick up at the novel’s end, and we are left with no conclusion to the post-prison meeting between the two men. Furthermore, had Wilde’s imprisonment had something to do with the vampire murders—indeed, he was seduced by the charming Rex LaSalle—the prologue would have served some purpose to the story. As is, I found this beginning to be quite pointless, as it is not incorporated within the main plot.
The story is told through telegrams, letters, newspaper clippings and—oddly—diary entries. Apparently keeping diaries was the “it” thing in that time and place, since almost every major character keeps one and writes with painstaking detail and verbatim dialogue. Speaking of which, Wilde’s dialogue is as contrived as the action sequences of Walker, Texas Ranger. Brandreth basically put in a bunch of his famous quotes and called it dialogue. Wilde himself is characterized as so painfully cartoonish that I could barely take him seriously.
Basically, you take some historical figures—royalty, famous writers, classic stage actors here and there—add a few grisly murders, some plot holes, a handsome vampire and you’ve got Oscar Wilde and the Vampire Murders in a nutshell. If you were to read it, don’t set your standards too high. I’d recommend it for a light read at most.
The novel opens in 1890, where the Duke and Duchess of Albemarle are hosting a glamorous party. Among the guests are Oscar Wilde and journalist Robert Sherard, and they encounter Rex LaSalle, a man claiming to be a vampire. He openly declares he will kill the Duchess, yet later, when the Duchess is found dead with puncture marks on her throat, somehow it doesn’t occur to them that Rex is the culprit. Wilde and Sherard enlist the help of Sherlock Holmes creator Arthur Conan Doyle and Dracula author Bram Stoker in their convoluted journey to solve the case—yet they never even consider the glaringly obvious truths standing right in front of them. I spent a majority of the book wondering how these allegedly brilliant men can be so oblivious.
The prologue starts off intriguing enough, when Wilde, having just been released from prison (he was jailed for homosexual acts), sits down for an interview with his old friend Sherard and begins to tell the story of the vampire murders; and so begins the flashback to the party where the murder of the Duchess took place. However, this frame story does not pick up at the novel’s end, and we are left with no conclusion to the post-prison meeting between the two men. Furthermore, had Wilde’s imprisonment had something to do with the vampire murders—indeed, he was seduced by the charming Rex LaSalle—the prologue would have served some purpose to the story. As is, I found this beginning to be quite pointless, as it is not incorporated within the main plot.
The story is told through telegrams, letters, newspaper clippings and—oddly—diary entries. Apparently keeping diaries was the “it” thing in that time and place, since almost every major character keeps one and writes with painstaking detail and verbatim dialogue. Speaking of which, Wilde’s dialogue is as contrived as the action sequences of Walker, Texas Ranger. Brandreth basically put in a bunch of his famous quotes and called it dialogue. Wilde himself is characterized as so painfully cartoonish that I could barely take him seriously.
Basically, you take some historical figures—royalty, famous writers, classic stage actors here and there—add a few grisly murders, some plot holes, a handsome vampire and you’ve got Oscar Wilde and the Vampire Murders in a nutshell. If you were to read it, don’t set your standards too high. I’d recommend it for a light read at most.
August 28, 2018
This book works best if you approach it not as a murder mystery but a very elaborate character study of Oscar Wilde. The depiction of Oscar and all the other historical figures is spot-on but the mystery itself meanders A LOT and the final reveal was kind of a letdown (also the character in question was..... really boring).
Also there weren't nearly enough vampires.
Also there weren't nearly enough vampires.
August 21, 2025
A very decent murder mystery overall. Sadly no actual vampires. I happened on this book in one of my favorite bookstores and couldn’t not buy it! It’s essentially Oscar Wilde vaguely historically accurate fanfiction where he’s somewhat of a Sherlock Holmes. I did enjoy the writing style and format of short documents and snippets, but at times I found the portrayal of Wilde a little excessively overbearing. The mystery was constructed well, and I couldn’t even guess the murderer until the very end which is a mark of decent plotting. My one complaint would be to reduce the amount of raw quoting of Oscar Wilde-isms in the dialogue. Handful of times was fun, every page is too much!!
Read
July 1, 2019No tää oli jännä. Ja hassu. Saatan kirjottaa lisää, kun ollaan keskusteltu lukupiirissä.
May 1, 2011
To all of those who ever wondered what would happen if you were to lock Arthur Conan Doyle and Oscar Wilde in a room, well, now we have one of several hilarious answers.
That said, this was a really fun read – mixing some of my favourite genres (and authors – I LOVE me some Wilde and Doyle – my IRL bookshelf has both omnibuses of their work). And you know what? It all worked, and worked well. There have been some mashups with similar uses of authors (the Austen genre is a huge example of this) with not-so-great (or downright awful) results.
I have to give it to Brandreth – and I think this is because of not only the fact he can write in the Victorian genre well, but because his style of using letters, articles, and diary entries really fits everyone within the novel. You feel as if you’re really there, smack in the middle of getting these letters, reading these articles, or writing these diary entries. This technique has been used by other authors in other genres, and more times than not it brings an immediacy to the audience that can’t be matched by any other way. A great example of another genre book using this technique is Mira Grant’s “Feed” – this one uses both POV AND blog posts, and I literally could NOT put that one down, either.
I also must applaud that he kept true to Oscar Wilde’s notorious character of not being able to keep it in his pants – whether or not his target was male or female. This really endeared me to the author because he stayed true to history, and to what we know of Wilde thanks to “De Profundis” and his other diary/letter writings from when he was in jail. Some authors would have shied away from the fact that Wilde was blatantly pansexual. But because we have this accurate history used, we feel as if we are right there with Wilde and Doyle and the rest of their friends (and enemies) during their adventures.
And then there’s the paranormal aspect – Brandreth makes it seem completely plausible that there were vampires conspiring against the aristocracy/royal circle during that time period. And his vampires aren’t stereotypical (though I couldn’t stop laughing when he brought in Bram Stoker, not yet published yet an expert in vampires), though they do have many of the usual traits that later appear in Stoker’s “Dracula”. Brandreth hinting that this (fictional) case was the one to help finish and publish “Dracula” was very slyly slipped in, only realized very late in the book.
All around, maybe not the deepest of books, but definitely one of the better genre mashups I’ve read in a long time. Want a fun, literary geek-filled break from life? Pick up this book. You’ll be believing that vampires are chasing after the Queen Mum to this very day.
(crossposted to librarything, shelfari, and witchoftheatregoing.wordpress.com)
That said, this was a really fun read – mixing some of my favourite genres (and authors – I LOVE me some Wilde and Doyle – my IRL bookshelf has both omnibuses of their work). And you know what? It all worked, and worked well. There have been some mashups with similar uses of authors (the Austen genre is a huge example of this) with not-so-great (or downright awful) results.
I have to give it to Brandreth – and I think this is because of not only the fact he can write in the Victorian genre well, but because his style of using letters, articles, and diary entries really fits everyone within the novel. You feel as if you’re really there, smack in the middle of getting these letters, reading these articles, or writing these diary entries. This technique has been used by other authors in other genres, and more times than not it brings an immediacy to the audience that can’t be matched by any other way. A great example of another genre book using this technique is Mira Grant’s “Feed” – this one uses both POV AND blog posts, and I literally could NOT put that one down, either.
I also must applaud that he kept true to Oscar Wilde’s notorious character of not being able to keep it in his pants – whether or not his target was male or female. This really endeared me to the author because he stayed true to history, and to what we know of Wilde thanks to “De Profundis” and his other diary/letter writings from when he was in jail. Some authors would have shied away from the fact that Wilde was blatantly pansexual. But because we have this accurate history used, we feel as if we are right there with Wilde and Doyle and the rest of their friends (and enemies) during their adventures.
And then there’s the paranormal aspect – Brandreth makes it seem completely plausible that there were vampires conspiring against the aristocracy/royal circle during that time period. And his vampires aren’t stereotypical (though I couldn’t stop laughing when he brought in Bram Stoker, not yet published yet an expert in vampires), though they do have many of the usual traits that later appear in Stoker’s “Dracula”. Brandreth hinting that this (fictional) case was the one to help finish and publish “Dracula” was very slyly slipped in, only realized very late in the book.
All around, maybe not the deepest of books, but definitely one of the better genre mashups I’ve read in a long time. Want a fun, literary geek-filled break from life? Pick up this book. You’ll be believing that vampires are chasing after the Queen Mum to this very day.
(crossposted to librarything, shelfari, and witchoftheatregoing.wordpress.com)
December 31, 2015
The fourth of Gyles Brandeth's Oscar Wilde mysteries is perhaps, relatively speaking, the weakest yet, mainly because of the vampire element of the tale! However, set in 1890, it redeems itself with the witty dialogue that takes place between Oscar (particularly), Arthur Conan Doyle and Bram Stoker, who features prominently in this tale. One can avoid, or perhaps take little notice of the vampire side of the story for, as the Prince of Wales states at one point, 'Porphyria is a disease of the blood that drives men mad, Mr Wilde. Porphyria is real. Vampires aren't.' I always knew the Prince of Wales had common sense despite any other traits that he possessed.
The story begins quite harmlessly at a glamorous reception hosted by the Duke and Duchess of Albemarle and all London's high society is present, including the Prince of Wales and his son Prince Eddy.
The evening turns sour when, just as the Prince and his entourage are leaving, the Duchess is found murdered in the small telephone room. Not only was she murdered but there were abrasions to her body and two small puncture marks in her neck. The Prince wants to avoid any unwanted publicity so, rather than call in the police, he asks Oscar and Arthur to investigate, which they do with the assistance of Bram Stoker and Oscar's close friend Robert Sherard. And on the fringes of the investigation is a young actor, Rex LaSalle, who claims to be a vampire.
There investigations take many and varied turns and there appears to be any number of suspects, including one close to the royal family and each turn of the wheel more often than not threatens to destroy the integrity of the royal family. But tremendous efforts by Oscar and his men prevent this happening even though later on a dancer, Lulu, is also found dead in mysterious circumstances with the Prince of Wales in the vicinity. And a third death occurs when the deaf and dumb maid to the late Duchess is also found lifeless. Are the deaths connected and are they committed by the same person?
The two later deaths complicate the issue but Oscar sorts the wheat from the chaff and eventually comes up a winner. The ending is quite surprising with the story being told from the journals of Arthur, Rex LaSalle and Robert Sherard, plus Oscar himself and a variety of telegrams and letters exchanged between the main participants. To accompany these, which fit seamlessly together throughout the book, is a classy, witty dialogue that captures the atmosphere of fin de siècle London admirably.
Vampires aside, and thankfully they only play a small part, the book is a jolly good tale, well told with the nest of vipers incident being an entertaining interlude.
The story begins quite harmlessly at a glamorous reception hosted by the Duke and Duchess of Albemarle and all London's high society is present, including the Prince of Wales and his son Prince Eddy.
The evening turns sour when, just as the Prince and his entourage are leaving, the Duchess is found murdered in the small telephone room. Not only was she murdered but there were abrasions to her body and two small puncture marks in her neck. The Prince wants to avoid any unwanted publicity so, rather than call in the police, he asks Oscar and Arthur to investigate, which they do with the assistance of Bram Stoker and Oscar's close friend Robert Sherard. And on the fringes of the investigation is a young actor, Rex LaSalle, who claims to be a vampire.
There investigations take many and varied turns and there appears to be any number of suspects, including one close to the royal family and each turn of the wheel more often than not threatens to destroy the integrity of the royal family. But tremendous efforts by Oscar and his men prevent this happening even though later on a dancer, Lulu, is also found dead in mysterious circumstances with the Prince of Wales in the vicinity. And a third death occurs when the deaf and dumb maid to the late Duchess is also found lifeless. Are the deaths connected and are they committed by the same person?
The two later deaths complicate the issue but Oscar sorts the wheat from the chaff and eventually comes up a winner. The ending is quite surprising with the story being told from the journals of Arthur, Rex LaSalle and Robert Sherard, plus Oscar himself and a variety of telegrams and letters exchanged between the main participants. To accompany these, which fit seamlessly together throughout the book, is a classy, witty dialogue that captures the atmosphere of fin de siècle London admirably.
Vampires aside, and thankfully they only play a small part, the book is a jolly good tale, well told with the nest of vipers incident being an entertaining interlude.
August 25, 2011
So I found this title on the library's new book shelf. I hadn't heard of the series before and it's nice that you can read them as standalones. The concept is intriguing and I think it works because the author does a ton of research and gets the historical stuff right. Even so, it took me awhile to get into it. The oscar wilde quotes scattered throughout kept me going until I wanted to finish it to figure out the mystery.
my fav quotes:
". . .more's the pity-- for a dreamer is one who can find his way only by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world." p66
"The one duty we owe to history is to rewrite it," said Oscar. p83
"The only difference between a saint and a sinner is that every saint has a past and every sinner has a future." p 164
"If I laugh at any mortal thing, my friend, 'tis that I may not weep. You know that. We must laugh before we are happy, for fear we die before we laugh at all." p197
"Ah, the comfort of Miss Austen," murmured Oscar, as he bowed to His Grace. "If one cannot enjoy reading a book over and over again, there is no use in reading it at all." p215
my fav quotes:
". . .more's the pity-- for a dreamer is one who can find his way only by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world." p66
"The one duty we owe to history is to rewrite it," said Oscar. p83
"The only difference between a saint and a sinner is that every saint has a past and every sinner has a future." p 164
"If I laugh at any mortal thing, my friend, 'tis that I may not weep. You know that. We must laugh before we are happy, for fear we die before we laugh at all." p197
"Ah, the comfort of Miss Austen," murmured Oscar, as he bowed to His Grace. "If one cannot enjoy reading a book over and over again, there is no use in reading it at all." p215
August 22, 2011
For a full review, please see my blog:
http://cornishamy.blogspot.com/2011/0...
This is the 4th in Gyles Brandreth's series of Oscar Wilde mysteries (American title: Oscar Wilde and the Vampire Murders). In this 4th entry, the Prince of Wales asks Oscar to look into the mysterious death of a friend, whose body has been discovered half naked and with two wounds in her neck. Oscar is accompanied, again, by Robert Sherard, Conan Doyle and Bram Stoker.
The Oscar Wilde mysteries are good fun, steeped in Victoriana and mixing wholly fictional characters with fictionalised versions of real historical personages. This is an entertaining addition to the series, and I would certainly wish to read subsequent books.
April 27, 2022
Glorious! A proper page turner. I really can't get enough of these Oscar Wilde detective books. Funny and unexpectedly touching if you know Oscar Wilde's story. A perfect distraction in stressful times.
December 20, 2020
Littered with Wildean aphorisms to the point of being a bit annoying. Gratuitous.
June 7, 2017
most boring book I've ever read.
June 14, 2011
In the interview at the back of Oscar Wilde & the Vampire Murders Gyles Brandreth says that one of the the things he wants most as a writer is "to write what the Victorians would have called 'a rattling good yarn'...I want to leave the reader satisfied." I would say that Brandreth does just that in all of his Oscar Wilde mystery stories--of which the Vampire Murders is the fourth.
Having read the first three, I was very ready to snatch this one up when it appeared on the library's New Arrivals shelf. And I wasn't disappointed. I'm not much for the latest vampire craze--no Twilight for me, sorry--but Brandreth uses the vampire legend to good effect and as good cover for his murderer. He employs diary entries, newspaper clippings, telegrams, letters and straight narrative to tell his story. In other hands the switch from medium to medium might have distracted, but the varied approach seemed to suit the story.
The story itself begins with a reception held at the home of the Duke and Duchess of Albemarle. Oscar Wilde and his right-hand man Robert Sherard have been invited as well as the Prince of Wales and his son Prince Albert Victor; Dr. Arthur Conan Doyle; and Lord Yarborough, a physician and nerve specialist. In the course of the evening, Wilde becomes enchanted with a young man by the name of Rex LaSalle who claims to be a vampire. It will remain to be seen how long the enchantment lasts when the Duchess is found dead--brutally wounded on the chest and with two deep puncture wounds on her neck. Is this murder or has some romantic interlude gone too far? The Prince of Wales himself requests that Oscar look discreetly into the matter and soon the witty author and playwright finds that there are deeper matters on hand than may first appear. A visit to the Vampire Club, a hurried journey to Paris and two more deaths will be necessary before Wilde can put all the clues together to unmask the culprit. Is it a true vampire? Is it a unscrupulous physician looking for bodies for his research? Or perhaps a royal son who truly is mad and has resorted to murder? Or...someone the reader will least suspect?
I love these stories. Brandreth absolutely gets his research right. You can tell he knows his Wilde and his Victoriana--but the research does not weigh down the story. If anything I would call these stories brain candy. Not because they are so light-weight and fluffy, but because they are addictive and fun to consume--like popping M&Ms. The characters and settings feel authentic and the action is fast-paced and enjoyable. Wilde fans will enjoy the way that Brandreth sprinkles all those famous aphorisms throughout the dialogue...and he does it without it seeming forced. Delightful!
Having read the first three, I was very ready to snatch this one up when it appeared on the library's New Arrivals shelf. And I wasn't disappointed. I'm not much for the latest vampire craze--no Twilight for me, sorry--but Brandreth uses the vampire legend to good effect and as good cover for his murderer. He employs diary entries, newspaper clippings, telegrams, letters and straight narrative to tell his story. In other hands the switch from medium to medium might have distracted, but the varied approach seemed to suit the story.
The story itself begins with a reception held at the home of the Duke and Duchess of Albemarle. Oscar Wilde and his right-hand man Robert Sherard have been invited as well as the Prince of Wales and his son Prince Albert Victor; Dr. Arthur Conan Doyle; and Lord Yarborough, a physician and nerve specialist. In the course of the evening, Wilde becomes enchanted with a young man by the name of Rex LaSalle who claims to be a vampire. It will remain to be seen how long the enchantment lasts when the Duchess is found dead--brutally wounded on the chest and with two deep puncture wounds on her neck. Is this murder or has some romantic interlude gone too far? The Prince of Wales himself requests that Oscar look discreetly into the matter and soon the witty author and playwright finds that there are deeper matters on hand than may first appear. A visit to the Vampire Club, a hurried journey to Paris and two more deaths will be necessary before Wilde can put all the clues together to unmask the culprit. Is it a true vampire? Is it a unscrupulous physician looking for bodies for his research? Or perhaps a royal son who truly is mad and has resorted to murder? Or...someone the reader will least suspect?
I love these stories. Brandreth absolutely gets his research right. You can tell he knows his Wilde and his Victoriana--but the research does not weigh down the story. If anything I would call these stories brain candy. Not because they are so light-weight and fluffy, but because they are addictive and fun to consume--like popping M&Ms. The characters and settings feel authentic and the action is fast-paced and enjoyable. Wilde fans will enjoy the way that Brandreth sprinkles all those famous aphorisms throughout the dialogue...and he does it without it seeming forced. Delightful!
May 31, 2011
Oscar Wilde and the Vampire Murders was my first Gyles Brandreth book, but it sure won't be my last. I was a little afraid of this one, as I am not a fan of some of the mashups that have been so popular. I thought Brandreth's story was fun and entertaining! His characters, both historical (Wilde, Arthur Conan Doyle, The Prince of Wales. Bram Stoker) and fictional have depth and a certain smartness and wit that I enjoyed.
Coming after the Jack the Ripper murders, but still in the "Victorian" era, Brandreth somehow manages to use letters and diary writings to make these character seem more real.
I really enjoyed this one, it was quick to read and not a slow moment in the book. All I can say, not wanting to give too much plot line away... you don't want to have one page ruined of this...is: read it now!!
4 out of 5 stars!!!
This e-galley was provided to me by the publisher and in no way affected my review.
August 14, 2011
Discovered this by accident at the bookstore. Apparently it is number 4 in a series. The author states they do not have to be read in order. It is an historical novel series... main charadters in addition to Oscar Wilde are Bram Stoker, Arthur Conan Doyle, the Prince of Wales and others. At first I was not sure I was going to like the way it was written. The story is told totally through "documents" after the first chapter setup. Letters, telegrams, police reports, journal entries are used to tell the story. They are arranged in order and in the end it worked. Most of the story was observed bt Oscar's "secretary" who wrote everything down, who said what , etc. So his contributions were the longer "chapters". I am interested to see what the other books are about!
June 16, 2011
Brandreth has opted in this, the 4th in the Oscar Wilde series, to construct the story entirely through the notes, telegrams, diary entries, postcards, and reports of the main protagonists: Arthur Conan Doyle, Robert Sherard, Bram Stoker, and the would-be vampire Rex LaSalle. In many cases this kind of structure distances the reader from the narrative, but Brandreth pulls it off in fine style, and it has the advantage of giving the reader intriguingly different views of the same events. Not finished yet, but at the half way point, the murder mystery is more engaging than the third in the series.
September 10, 2011
I was vaguely aware that Gyles Brandreth had written novels involving Oscar Wilde so when I saw the bright orange cover on the library bookshelf I thought I would give it a go. It is an easy read, I finished the book in a weekend. In general I was pleasantly surprised although I did get a little bored at times. The plot was so so, but what kept me reading was the use of real characters of the time. I am quite interested in history but can never remember who belongs in what era so this was helpful. I have also recently read Bram Stoker's Dracula and some Sherlock Homes stories so everything has been tied together nicely.
July 6, 2011
Her doctor insists that the beautiful young Duchess of Albemarle died of a sudden heart attack. But the Prince of Wales, a close friend of the Duchess's, is worried. He asks Oscar Wilde, the brilliant wit, and the young doctor Arthur Conan Doyle, to determine exactly what happened to the Duchess while avoiding any trace of scandal. Also concerned are Prince Eddy, heir apparent to the throne after his father, a handsome young man who insists he's a vampire, and Wilde's old friend, Bram Stoker, who claims to be an expert on vampires.
February 18, 2016
I picked up this book thinking it would be a cozy murder mystery. After a while it started to get on my nerves and at the end I was pretty much hate-reading it to see how many more humiliated, undressed, abused, voiceless, and frequently murdered female stereotypes these literary douchebags would come across before the end. This book made me hate (this book's version of) Oscar Wilde, whom I've loved since childhood. Steer clear. Reread Michel Faber's The Crimson Petal and the White instead. Please.
June 5, 2012
This book gets a four star rating as I was so delighted to find a murder mystery starring Oscar Wilde, Conan Doyle, Bram Stoker and many other famous figures from my favourite era. I found the whole idea irresistible and I wasn't disappointed. Wilde, the infinitely quotable flamboyant genius, makes the perfect sleuth. A perfect light fluffy read.
October 10, 2012
I want to dislike these Wilde mysteries but they are very entertaining. The titles are funny and there is something inherently wrong with putting a huge, bloody spear on an iconic photograph. But they are good. Brandreth clearly does his homework and writes Wilde very well. The only complaint I have is that these stories tend to run a bit longer than they should but they are a lot of fun.
September 22, 2018
I have some issues with the book not having nearly enough vampires (real or not), and I was a little bit disappointed in the ending, but it was definitely a fun read and I'll probably be reading the others because I'm gay, dramatic, and love oscar wilde
August 12, 2016
Another Oscar Wilde murder mystery that did not disappoint. More dynamic than the previous one in the series due to the assortment of letters, newspaper articles and journals presented.
February 28, 2016
It's easy to read and amusing. It's the sort of book you read simply to pass the time, or because you have nothing else better to read at the moment. However, it's still a nice book.
November 16, 2017
Loved this though I wish that the version that Oscar said was to 'protect' the prince and that there was another version. That said, in reality it was because of the prince that the murders happened. I definitely do not like monarchy or anyone that has a 'right' to rule and must be protected no matter what they do -_-. But also this book is hella gay/queer and it's written in a different format from the other previous books.
In previous books we got some chapters that were journal entries or telegrams and so on but in this book, except the introduction which takes place in the future, after Oscar is released from prison, it is all told in the media of journal entries, letters, telegrams and newspaper articles. This was because Oscar did not want to tell the story and Robert had the story in this format.
The plot revolved around the Prince's (Albert Edward) mistresses and so it was kept hush hush. It starts with a party where the Duchess of Abermarle (the hostess) dies, although really it starts before that. Oscar (and Robert) and Arthur Conan Doyle are asked to investigate by the Prince. Later, they come to a conclusion and he tells them not to keep investigating and to destroy their notes. They keep investigating though. There is another murder then.
It's very fast paced and frustrating. There is a lot of slut-shaming, misunderstanding of kinks and safety, toxic and harmful and abusive relationships and a lot of claims of hysteria. Some males also couldn't keep it in their pants and then not claim responsibility and still slut-shame which I found disgusting in a very hypercritical way. Treatment of females in general was very disturbing. There were some very strong females though, you cannot but help be impressed.
On the queer side, Oscar finds a 'very handsome' young man and the Prince's son (Prince Albert Victor) has something with the paige. Someone else also claims to not be 'any woman's lover'.
Arthur's character shines in this. It's a struggle between strong morals and beliefs and nativity. Not sure whether to like him or not. I like that he wants to protect females and patients in general and wants to find the person behind the murders but he also blames the person who he clashes the most with because for sure someone that is opposing to his views would do it.
I wish there was more to the mystery, like the use of vipers for example, could have easily been included in the murders...that would have been cool. As an example of Victorian life though, it does give the right impression. Not everything was 'pure' and 'chaste' and elements such as the study in hysteria, the wish to believe in magic and magical creatures and mind-reading make it so much more believable.
In previous books we got some chapters that were journal entries or telegrams and so on but in this book, except the introduction which takes place in the future, after Oscar is released from prison, it is all told in the media of journal entries, letters, telegrams and newspaper articles. This was because Oscar did not want to tell the story and Robert had the story in this format.
The plot revolved around the Prince's (Albert Edward) mistresses and so it was kept hush hush. It starts with a party where the Duchess of Abermarle (the hostess) dies, although really it starts before that. Oscar (and Robert) and Arthur Conan Doyle are asked to investigate by the Prince. Later, they come to a conclusion and he tells them not to keep investigating and to destroy their notes. They keep investigating though. There is another murder then.
It's very fast paced and frustrating. There is a lot of slut-shaming, misunderstanding of kinks and safety, toxic and harmful and abusive relationships and a lot of claims of hysteria. Some males also couldn't keep it in their pants and then not claim responsibility and still slut-shame which I found disgusting in a very hypercritical way. Treatment of females in general was very disturbing. There were some very strong females though, you cannot but help be impressed.
On the queer side, Oscar finds a 'very handsome' young man and the Prince's son (Prince Albert Victor) has something with the paige. Someone else also claims to not be 'any woman's lover'.
Arthur's character shines in this. It's a struggle between strong morals and beliefs and nativity. Not sure whether to like him or not. I like that he wants to protect females and patients in general and wants to find the person behind the murders but he also blames the person who he clashes the most with because for sure someone that is opposing to his views would do it.
I wish there was more to the mystery, like the use of vipers for example, could have easily been included in the murders...that would have been cool. As an example of Victorian life though, it does give the right impression. Not everything was 'pure' and 'chaste' and elements such as the study in hysteria, the wish to believe in magic and magical creatures and mind-reading make it so much more believable.
October 6, 2017
Rather tedious and a jumbled mess. Found this at the Branford book sale over the weekend and based on the back of book blurb thought I had discovered a little gem and a new mystery author to follow. Loved the premise - Oscar Wilde as detective with a gliterrati of notable authors of the time, including Arthur Conan Doyle and Bram Stoker in supporting roles, along with a few famous composers and scientists of the time. Each character was so typecast and flat! No true grit or personality to them. Their best lines are snatched from well known quips or their writings, so no originality on the author's part.
Wives are bothersome creatures at best, annoying pets you have to write to once every few chapters to keep them apprised of your whereabouts, no better than a nanny, in fact, in some cases the wives get even less regard/esteem than that. The females who do get any central billing are slaughtered quickly, mere props for the game that's afoot, or stuck in hysteria asylums, or made as unsympathetic whores or nymphos. He actually has women swooning. When Jane Avril, the infamous Moulin Rouge dancer, learns of her closest friend's death she actually faints. Arthur Conan Doyle, portrayed as a buttoned-up drip of a man, terrified of danger or scandal, comes to the rescue. He dashes to her side to offer smelling salts to the lady in distress. When she comes to, she describes how she met her friend, one of the recently murdered ladies, back in her childhood days in an asylum. They broke the rules and were tossed to the street. Two orphaned young ladies with no prospects, they pursued escapades as dancers and lovers. She describes the range of brutes and gentleman she has come to know that way. And after all this, do you think her friend's death would knock her off her feet after such a life of loss and hardship? Give the woman some credit and more fortitude than that!!!
The mystery itself is so convoluted I could barely follow, though that is in large part because of the poorly formed characters. It was hard to keep it all straight. A group of 16 suspects with nary a distinguishing trait among them aside from their famous reputations and a slew of minor characters to boot. There was really little development along motive or psychology and fairly little action in between. The bulk of the book was devoted to endless trips to interview suspects at their various stations in life with sappy dialogue and trumped up accusations based on feeble arguments. A disappointing read all around.
Wives are bothersome creatures at best, annoying pets you have to write to once every few chapters to keep them apprised of your whereabouts, no better than a nanny, in fact, in some cases the wives get even less regard/esteem than that. The females who do get any central billing are slaughtered quickly, mere props for the game that's afoot, or stuck in hysteria asylums, or made as unsympathetic whores or nymphos. He actually has women swooning. When Jane Avril, the infamous Moulin Rouge dancer, learns of her closest friend's death she actually faints. Arthur Conan Doyle, portrayed as a buttoned-up drip of a man, terrified of danger or scandal, comes to the rescue. He dashes to her side to offer smelling salts to the lady in distress. When she comes to, she describes how she met her friend, one of the recently murdered ladies, back in her childhood days in an asylum. They broke the rules and were tossed to the street. Two orphaned young ladies with no prospects, they pursued escapades as dancers and lovers. She describes the range of brutes and gentleman she has come to know that way. And after all this, do you think her friend's death would knock her off her feet after such a life of loss and hardship? Give the woman some credit and more fortitude than that!!!
The mystery itself is so convoluted I could barely follow, though that is in large part because of the poorly formed characters. It was hard to keep it all straight. A group of 16 suspects with nary a distinguishing trait among them aside from their famous reputations and a slew of minor characters to boot. There was really little development along motive or psychology and fairly little action in between. The bulk of the book was devoted to endless trips to interview suspects at their various stations in life with sappy dialogue and trumped up accusations based on feeble arguments. A disappointing read all around.
May 22, 2017
I'm very sorry to discover that this is the last unread Brandreth "Oscar Wilde" mystery left for me. This one takes advantage of the fact that Wilde and Bram Stoker overlapped not just in place (both were Irish and went to university there together; Stoker was actor-manager Henry Irving's factotum at the Lyceum Theatre) but in personal lives (Wilde was an early suitor of Florence Bascombe, Stoker's wife). Furthermore, Stoker was distantly related to Arthur Conan Doyle, a major figure in these Wilde novels. It was inevitable that he would make an appearance in this series, even though the novel Dracula was published in 1897, too late for it to be directly referenced in any story of Wilde at large and at his best in London. Instead, Stoker's connections are used to take us into an underground (and not very serious) secret society playing with supernatural and vampiric rituals - no doubt thoroughly researched, as usual.
Other threads of the '90s that Brandreth manages to weave in here are the early investigations and experiments into "hysteria" - female mental illness - in London and Paris; and the notoriety of the Prince of Wales' son, Prince Eddy, who was the subject of (discredited) rumour that he was Jack the Ripper. He is planted here as a character partly to provide a red herring; his royal father also plays a fairly crucial part in the plot, in that he and the dignity of the royal house are the reason why Wilde & Conan Doyle's investigations are both commissioned and then suppressed secretly. The Duchess whose murder precipitates the whole thing is, of course, fictional, but the name and the situation are realistic enough that you have to confirm that with a little external Sherlocking on your own.
I really liked the multi-layered narrative here; since the not-so-underlying theme was female sexuality (and violence against it), the story being told through a sequence of letters, telegrams and diaries, mostly addressed to or directly referencing Mrs. Wilde, Mrs. Conan Doyle, and Mrs. Stoker, gave the narrative a welcome context and complexity.
And Wilde's relationship with the young man who at least put himself forward as a genuine vampire was, to say the least, interesting...
Other threads of the '90s that Brandreth manages to weave in here are the early investigations and experiments into "hysteria" - female mental illness - in London and Paris; and the notoriety of the Prince of Wales' son, Prince Eddy, who was the subject of (discredited) rumour that he was Jack the Ripper. He is planted here as a character partly to provide a red herring; his royal father also plays a fairly crucial part in the plot, in that he and the dignity of the royal house are the reason why Wilde & Conan Doyle's investigations are both commissioned and then suppressed secretly. The Duchess whose murder precipitates the whole thing is, of course, fictional, but the name and the situation are realistic enough that you have to confirm that with a little external Sherlocking on your own.
I really liked the multi-layered narrative here; since the not-so-underlying theme was female sexuality (and violence against it), the story being told through a sequence of letters, telegrams and diaries, mostly addressed to or directly referencing Mrs. Wilde, Mrs. Conan Doyle, and Mrs. Stoker, gave the narrative a welcome context and complexity.
And Wilde's relationship with the young man who at least put himself forward as a genuine vampire was, to say the least, interesting...
January 25, 2022
To my pleasant surprise there is a serving of high tea within the confines of this book and I wish to share it with readers.
High Tea—
“Telegram delivered to Oscar Wilde at the Albemarle Club, Albemarle Street, London, W., on Saturday 15 March 1890, at 11 A.M.
Certain person requests and requires pleasure of your company for High Tea this afternoon at five at Churchill Residence Bring ACD as before. Gratefully OWL”
More from the experience of High Tea:
“I now understand why the Prince of Wales is the size that he is. I had expected “High Tea” to include an omelette and cold meats alongside the cakes and scones and sandwiches. I had not for a moment expected the vast repast that was laid before us in the so-called Small Dining Room at Marlborough House.
Egg dishes and cold cuts were indeed on offer—to whet our appetites. There were breads and pastries of every description, too—muffins and crumpets, macaroons and dainties—and an array of desserts—gateaux, tarts, baskets of spun sugar filled with fresh fruit and ice cream. But between the initial savouries and the final sweets came salver after salver, groaning with culinary riches: a salmon mousse decorated with caviar, cold lobster with brandy mayonnaise, snipe with foie gras, grilled chicken with asparagus.
--------------------
I enjoyed this book thoroughly and more so because it had this high tea experience in it; the puzzler is who is the vampire and who did the murdering/slaughter as it all points to Wilde who must be proven innocent and guilty at the same time.
High Tea—
“Telegram delivered to Oscar Wilde at the Albemarle Club, Albemarle Street, London, W., on Saturday 15 March 1890, at 11 A.M.
Certain person requests and requires pleasure of your company for High Tea this afternoon at five at Churchill Residence Bring ACD as before. Gratefully OWL”
More from the experience of High Tea:
“I now understand why the Prince of Wales is the size that he is. I had expected “High Tea” to include an omelette and cold meats alongside the cakes and scones and sandwiches. I had not for a moment expected the vast repast that was laid before us in the so-called Small Dining Room at Marlborough House.
Egg dishes and cold cuts were indeed on offer—to whet our appetites. There were breads and pastries of every description, too—muffins and crumpets, macaroons and dainties—and an array of desserts—gateaux, tarts, baskets of spun sugar filled with fresh fruit and ice cream. But between the initial savouries and the final sweets came salver after salver, groaning with culinary riches: a salmon mousse decorated with caviar, cold lobster with brandy mayonnaise, snipe with foie gras, grilled chicken with asparagus.
--------------------
I enjoyed this book thoroughly and more so because it had this high tea experience in it; the puzzler is who is the vampire and who did the murdering/slaughter as it all points to Wilde who must be proven innocent and guilty at the same time.
April 29, 2019
In many ways I feel it would be easy for me to disparage this idea of a very fictionalized account of Oscar Wilde as a Kind of Holmes like consulting detective...given Vampirism is also in this account and Bram Stoker is also herein plus as a Watson type figure Arthur Conan Doyle and well....this should really be a cynical recipe for disaster...
However there is something about these books...I think Brandreth's love of all things Wildean and Oscar himself transcend the books and Oscars eccentricities make for him being a believable figure as a consulting detective as really all the big names have a look....and Oscar certainly had one.
It's not really a gripping tale it just plods along..but it does have a energy and although as with others in the series the conclusion doesn't really hit you from the left field it is satisfying enough.
As per normal if I find another of these in some charity shop or other a purchase will occur...
However there is something about these books...I think Brandreth's love of all things Wildean and Oscar himself transcend the books and Oscars eccentricities make for him being a believable figure as a consulting detective as really all the big names have a look....and Oscar certainly had one.
It's not really a gripping tale it just plods along..but it does have a energy and although as with others in the series the conclusion doesn't really hit you from the left field it is satisfying enough.
As per normal if I find another of these in some charity shop or other a purchase will occur...
March 20, 2023
Though I did enjoy this book, I didn’t find myself as intrigued or excited by this novel as I did the first two in the series. Something about the way that it was written; composed of letters, diary entries of different characters and newspaper clippings, made my mind wonder a bit, I don’t know why.
It really annoyed me the way that the story ended. I would have loved to have seen Rex get his justice but Oscar let him go! Because he was handsome. There was no growth from Oscar on his part. Just vanity. Letting a murderer of three innocent women go, just because you fancy him.
It was also really weird that it took Oscar a whole book to figure out who the murderer was, when the first victim had Vampire bites, and you have just met a guy who claims he’s a vampire and minutes before finding the body, he tells you he’s going to kill her…..huh?
It just seemed that this book lacked any common sense. But an enjoyable read none the less.
It really annoyed me the way that the story ended. I would have loved to have seen Rex get his justice but Oscar let him go! Because he was handsome. There was no growth from Oscar on his part. Just vanity. Letting a murderer of three innocent women go, just because you fancy him.
It was also really weird that it took Oscar a whole book to figure out who the murderer was, when the first victim had Vampire bites, and you have just met a guy who claims he’s a vampire and minutes before finding the body, he tells you he’s going to kill her…..huh?
It just seemed that this book lacked any common sense. But an enjoyable read none the less.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 129 reviews