I love this series, but didn't enjoy this one as much. It may be that the resolution is a little too pat, or it may be that in this one the author foreshadowed the eventual tragedy that would befall Wilde ( )

After my experience with the Sherlock book, I wasn't holding out much hope. I was more than pleasantly surprised.

The author earned the four stars based on his writing, research and telling an intriguing tale. I am tempted to give him an extra star for managing to do all of that while basically writing a genre of fan fiction called RPF- 'real person fic', but that would give him five stars and I just can't do that.

I will be reading more of this series and I recommend it for anyone interested in mystery, the time period and historical characters. ( )

Plaisir immuable que de retrouver Wilde, le fougueux, et ses illustres compères dans une nouvelle aventure holmésienne. Cet épisode n'échappe pas à la règle et nous entraîne dans les recoins plus que sombres de la noblesse, la royauté, du vampirisme et de la psychopathologie. Elémentaire, mon cher Oscar ! ( )

Author cleverly weaves known quips and aphorisms by Wilde into dialogue, aided by Wilde's known habit of repeating himself, and borrowing from others. Interestingly critical of royal family considering that the author is authorized biographer of Elizabeth and Philip, and Charles and Camilla. As with any work by or about Wilde, is shadowed by the reader's knowledge of Wilde's fate at the hands of the British legal system. The mystery is fairly satisfying and the glimpse into the treatment of the insane and the beginnings of scientific medicine are quite interesting. This is part of a series.

This is the fourth in the Oscar Wilde mysteries series, taking place in 1890. A noblewoman is found dead in her house, half naked, with cuts on her torso and two deep puncture marks on her neck. It looks like she’s been murdered, but the doctor insists she died of a heart attack despite being quite young. And what are the wounds from? Figuring it out isn’t made any easier by the fact that the death is being kept hushed up because the Prince of Wales, as well as his son, Prince Albert Victor, were present at the time. When another death occurs at a theater- again with the Prince of Wales and his son present- solving the crime becomes more urgent. Just as urgent is keeping the father and son princes free of any association with the deaths; the Prince of Wales needs to try and clean up his womanizing image before his mother dies and he becomes king, while some people have the theory that the young Prince Albert Victor might be Jack the Ripper. They don’t need anything else adding to the rumor mill. Meanwhile, Oscar has been in the company of a handsome young man who claims to be a vampire. Are the deaths murders; if so, are they supernatural in nature? This is what Oscar must figure out, and quickly.

Sadly, I did not enjoy this book as much as I did the others in the series I have read. The story is told through excerpts from letters, diaries, and newspaper clippings, changing point of view every few pages. The various authors include Bram Stoker, Arthur Conan Doyle, Robert Sherard (Wilde’s real life biographer), Wilde himself, Rex LaSalle the self professed vampire, and others. I found it difficult to keep track of who was writing what entry because it changed so often. The setting and events are brilliantly described; the late Victorian era is lovingly limned by Brandreth’s pen. But most of the characters aren’t very well developed, the pace is slow, the plot lacking, the ending seems contrived and unsatisfying, and the story just never really comes to life. It almost seemed like notes for a better novel; I suspect the method of telling via excerpts of various people’s writings led me to this feeling. It’s not a bad book but it’s certainly not Brandreth’s best. ( )