Oscar Wilde And The Dead Man's Smile (2009) - Plot & Excerpts
Brandreth is a well-known broadcaster, but I hadn't realised he was such a prolific writer, having established the real Oscar Wilde in a fictional new career as an amateur detective. Set in the 1880s, mostly in Paris, this is a tale of drinking, drugs, and phenomenal acting. Edmond La Grange, the top-earning actor-manager of the day, has hired Oscar to produce a new translation of Hamlet. On their return voyage to Paris, a series of deaths begin. Oscar befriends Richard Sherrard in Paris, introducing him to La Grange who employs him as a dresser. As he sets out to discover the mysteries, it is clear that Oscar is no Sherlock Holmes, more interested in fame and the high life than forensics. Told mostly in the voice of Watson (sorry, Sherrard), this is a thin tale, with much cerebral activity, but with rather less decisive action. The novel evokes a shady late 19th Century Paris, but it's all rather strained and Brandreth doesn't convince the reader that that he's writing a detective story, more a historical romance. If you read this, however, you MUST read the Epilogue. 2/10 (February 2013) The law of diminishing returns seems to have caught up with this series, and we still have three more books to go through before this series, that had ostensibly sought to capture Wilde-Doyle duo as the real life Holmes-Watson (but established the claim to be an outrageous lie in the very first book), comes to a close. This one, almost entirely based on shenanigans of 1880-s Parisians (mostly actors, if that justifies the portrayal), was pretty tiresome, and even Oscar Wilde's delightful wit couldn't provide it with enough pace or fascination. Not Good.
What do You think about Oscar Wilde And The Dead Man's Smile (2009)?
Love me some Oscar Wilde murder mystery solvin'! Can't wait to read the rest of this series.
—lexi
very good, very engrossing. I'd love to hunt down other editions to the series.
—brvfan25
Love this latest installment. Oscar is on form and pithy as usual.
—Shmar
Unfortunately not as gripping as the second part in the series....
—Ashley
