Customer Reviews

Oscar Wilde and a Game Called Murder: A Mystery

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This is the second in Mr. Brandreth's Oscar Wilde mystery series and it proves to be a most impressive follow-up. Having read OSCAR WILDE AND A DEATH OF NO IMPORTANCE, I must admit to having high expectations. I was not disappointed.

It takes place in 1892 London. Oscar Wilde, bon vivant extraordinaire, is at the top of his game professionally as LADY WINDEMERE'S FAN has opened and a huge hit. In his personal life, he spends time with other literary luminaries such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Bram Stoker. The three of them, along with others, are members of the Socrates Club--basically a supper club which meets on Sunday evenings. As the book begins, Mr. Wilde throws out the question to the other 13 men present at the meeting: "what person or persons would each of you most like to murder?"

Bizarre? Definitely. But it is intended to be only a game....until the next day when one of the named victims indeed meets a tragic end. Oscar Wilde (as Sherlock Holmes), is not only brilliant and cunning in his deductive reasoning but "wildely" entertaining. Oscar's dear friend, Robert Sherard, is again along for the ride and plays his role as Dr. Watson (as well as narrator of the book) very admirably.

One comes away from these forays into Victorian England feeling as though time has been spent with the inimitable Mr. Wilde. Tres amusant! More importantly, however, the author's ability to construct a tightly woven mystery is exquisite. The reading is fast and furious. Enjoy!

The Oscar Wilde Mysteries continues with this second installment and it is as much fun as the original (Oscar Wilde and a Death of No Importance: A Mystery). Oscar and his fellow chums Arthur Conan Doyle, Bram Stoker, and other notables gather together for their annual Socrates Club dinner in which Wilde proposes that they play a game in which they write down a person they would like to see dead. The "game" turns deadly when the people on the list begin to turn up dead. Time is running out and Oscar himself as well as his wife Constance is on the list! The book, like the first, is told from the viewpoint of Robert Sherard, Oscar's good friend and confidante. Author Brandreth writes in an engaging style that flows smoothly and keeps you turning the pages. In addition to the sprinkling of notable names, the book is filled with fascinating tidbits about events of the day (such as the invention of chewing gum!). The series is witty, clever, and totally entertaining. Fortunately for us, the author says that there are more books on the way!

Apparently casting Oscar Wilde as a protagonist served well in the introductory volume of what seems to be a burgeoning series. And the technique serves well in this second in the mystery series. Set in 1892, Wilde is surrounded by friends such as Arthur Conan Doyle and Bram Stoker (author of Dracula), and the flavor of London of the era is delicious.

Wilde chairs what he calls the Socrates Club, where his friends and their guests enjoy dinner and a game. This time, Wilde invents one called "murder," in which each participant is asked to write down the name of someone they would most desire to kill if there was no danger of being caught. When each slip of paper is read, the names vary from the supercilious (a parrot, Sherlock Holmes, Eros and Father Time) to the much more serious: Wilde and his wife, Constance, among others. The very next day, the first victim falls, followed on three succeeding days by more victims on a daily basis. Are Wilde and his wife next? Read on and find out.

Step by step, we learn more about Oscar Wilde, his erudition and analytical ability. It becomes his task to solve the mystery of the four deaths and who has perpetrated the acts. Written in the style of a 19th Century novel, some readers may be put off in the reading. But rest assured, it is well worth the effort. For the most part, it's a lot of fun and some of the observations quite charming. Recommendned.

Often I read customer reviews before reading a book in order to help decide whether to invest my time and money. If you are reading this review for that reason, I recommend this book enthusiastically. My purpose is to make a suggestion: if you have any difficulty keeping up with names, just jot down each name with a note as the character is introduced, since many British noblemen have at least two names and frequently a nickname as well.

Gyles Brandreth's second Oscar Wilde murder mystery is wiser, wittier and more mysterious than the first, and that's saying something. Brandreth has created a livelier and more engaging murder mystery this time around, and he seems more at ease with his historical characters. Wilde, as well as other historical notables like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and the poet Robert Sherard, act and speak more naturally.

Brandreth's casting of Wilde as a detective with Sherlock Holmes' powers of observation and Nick Charles' panache is brilliant. Wilde makes an engaging and entertaining detective, as much a tour-guide through the world of Victorian England as a sleuth. Told by Wilde's friend Robert Sherard, with Sherard and Wilde as Watson and Holmes, "A Game Called Murder" is an even better mystery than the first.

When a dinner-party game turns ugly and guests start dying, its up to Oscar Wilde to discover the truth. With a wider cast of characters than the first Wilde mystery, A Game Called Murder keeps the reader guessing until the very end. I thought I had the mystery figured out in the end- but as with the best mysteries- there was a final twist I'd never suspected; a twist that Wilde reveals with his famous wit and aplomb.

I'm going to talk about amazon.com and the ease to locate and purchase books. If I were browsing a brick and mortar book store I would likely have never found this book. This book is highly entertaining, like a Christie who-done-it, with emphasis on old English life; the ways and times. I recommend the read.

This is the second in a series of so far three novels about Oscar Wilde narrated by Robert Sherard. I read them out of order but that's okay it is not necessary to read them in order. This one starts out with Wilde's Socrates Club meeting on their usual Sunday night to have dinner. Each of the members was instructed to bring a guest with him for the meeting. It is customary for them to play a game after eating so Wilde suggests they play a game called "murder". Each person is instructed to write down on a piece of paper the name of someone they would like to see dead and then the names are put into a bag and mixed together. Each name is pulled out one at a time and the members have to guess who wrote that name. Of course the game takes a serious turn when an invited guest's name is drawn four times and then Oscar Wilde and his wife's name are both drawn. Wilde insists it is merely a game and nothing to worry about.

The next day; however, the first name drawn is indeed found dead. Then subsequent names on the list are found dead and Wilde and Sherard begin to investigate who is killing off the names of the people listed from their game. Sherard's narration is a page-turner filled with mystery, wit and charm as you don't want to put the book down for a minute. Brandreth has filled the novel with historical figures such as Donan Coyle, Bram Stroker, and Lord Alfred Douglas just to name a few. This is a colorful mystery which was a delight to read. I highly recommend all three of Brandreth's Oscar Wilde's mysteries.

I am enjoying this series. As a fan of Oscar Wilde, I love the inclusion of his quotes and a bit of history surrounding Wilde and his time. Just delightful and a good mystery besides.

Oscar Wilde and a Game Called Murder is the second of a projected nine books featuring Oscar Wilde as sleuth. It's a worthy sequel to the first book in the series, Oscar Wilde and a Death of No Importance. Brandreth is a master of foreshadowing and his original characters are as believable as his real-life characters are true to their originals.

I enjoyed this book very much, and highly recommend it.

Summary: Oscar Wilde gathers a group of friends for a nice meal, that ends with a game where each chooses someone they want to murder. That same night the first of the victims dies and each night after, they die. Unfortunately Oscar is the 13th victim and his wife is the 14th. Can he find the murderer in order to save their lives?

This is a mystery featuring Oscar Wilde as a detective told from the perspective of Robert Sherard, his friend and first biographer. It is the second in the series but I didn't read the first and I don't think it's necessary to read them in order. It would be helpful to be interested in the fascinating personality that is Oscar Wilde and this book also has appearances from Arthur Conan Doyle and Bram Stoker.

It's quite a funny book utilizing, I'm sure, many of Wilde's famous sayings (I'm not entirely familiar with all of his work but I imagine some of it is). I was slightly perturbed by the depiction of Wilde as quite a Sherlock Holmes, both with his deductions and personality, and seeming almost to inspire the character as Conan Doyle is far less observant. I also found it heartbreaking to watch the mostly pleasant home life of Oscar and his family, knowing what will come in 1895 (The book is set in 1893.)

Again I did not quite figure out the murderer but I did make some important deductions that brought me closer than I usually am to figuring out the mystery. But I will definitely keep an eye out for the other books in the series.

Overall: 4/5 for a fun book but not entirely gripping (it took me about three days to read because I didn't care that much about finding out who the murderer was).