Jack the Ripper: Case Closed

Oscar Wilde Murder Mysteries #7

by Gyles Brandreth

London. 1894.

'I am not a detective, chief constable.'

'No, but you are a poet, a freemason and a man of the world. All useful qualifications for the business in hand.'

So says Police Chief Macnaghten to Oscar Wilde, in a Chelsea drawing room in the company of Arthur Conan Doyle. The business they are gathered to discuss is none other than the case of Jack the Ripper, the most notorious murderer in England.

And thus the three men set out to solve one of the world's most famous mysteries - the ultimate truth about the identity of Jack the Ripper.

Case Closed is Arthur Conan Doyle's account of the events of 1894, the year of the return of Jack the Ripper. Based on Oscar Wilde's real-life friendship with Conan Doyle and the extraordinary but little-known fact that in 1894 the detective in charge of the Jack the Ripper investigations was Oscar Wilde's neighbour in Tite Street, Chelsea, this is a revelatory and gripping detective story, combining the intrigue of a classic murder mystery with a witty and compelling portrait of one of the greatest characters of the Victorian age.

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Crime, Fiction, Historical, Historical Mystery, 19th Century

357 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 15, 2017

About the author

Full 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.

Reviews

[Stephen Robert Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is now over five years since Mary Jane Kelly was found in her front room butcher like a suckling pig ready for making black pudding on 9th November the last known victim of Jolly old Jack.
In today's standards The Ripper would have been caught most likely by time killed Annie Chapman with the DNA & fingerprints but in 1888 what hope did they have.?
Conan Doyle the creator of Holmes in unswell twist of Brandreth this time plays Watson to Wilde by telling this suspected return of Jack.,across brothels, asylums which Doyle only new so well because his father die in one. Racing in bad areas of slums of London before the knife Cuts again in the seventh Wilde book ,this ever bit a wild Wilde ride twisting wild of Wilde.
This book is set before The Murders at Reading Gaol a year before in 1894 he was arrested in 1895 .Bossie is away too. Why did them out of order ? no idea but could be why Doyle tells the tale so can tell us about his early stages of bisexuality.
The plot is simple in five days time a big news paper in depth about the Jack the Ripper & that the late Duke of Clarence who died at age of 28 Know as Prince Eddy was the Ripper. Macnaghten has to stop the story with new evidence so he asked help from Oscar Wilde who also brings his Watson -Dr Doyle but just as about to review the case another Jack style murder takes place on Wilde's very door step & Dr Doyle has examination of the body in the style of Shadow of Holmes .
The odd thing is my copy is An American First edition & not seen an English copy available when all other were English .So must publish in America only .Anne Perry did that lot too with some of her Pitt books.
The other theme of this book is perversion From little girls to 'gay' forbidden love to Bloody sadomasochistic .You do have to know your literature and culture or you be left out of the in jokes. From Marxism to Royalty. Including very naught tale about a goat . What great ending never get in moth of Sundays & whole 'new' twist on Jack. He gives the reader a round up of what happened to everyone & indepth personalty history on the author & Wilde too.

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I haven't read any of Gyles Brandreth's previous novels featuring Oscar Wilde I found this one worked well as a stand alone story. On the other hand I have read far too many books (both fact & fiction) about Jack The Ripper & I was interested to see Brandreth's take on the subject.
There is plenty of amusing banter between Arthur Conan Doyle & Oscar Wilde, although sometimes Wilde's quotes do become a bit wearing. One of my favourite parts of the book was when the two main characters visit the scenes of the 1888 murders (this story is set in 1894) & here the author creates a genuine feeling of sadness for the people living in Whitechapel at the time.
The balance between fact & fiction is well handled, but the narrative ranges from gripping to dull every few chapters. An enjoyable read nonetheless.

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

9/10

[Lisa Guiry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got the book a month, and this was the book for March. I wouldn't have picked this up myself personally, but wow. What a read. I really enjoyed the wording of this book and the banter moments of which some made me giggle.

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Latest in the oscar wilde series with the backdrop of solving the jack the ripper killings in whitechapel and chelsea. Was an easy read

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book Oscar Wilde and Arthur Conan Doyle set out to examine the suspects in the Ripper case and solve the crimes once and for all.

The book is narrated in the first person by Arthur Conan Doyle. This was a weird experience for me reading a book where one of my favourite authors is actually a character.

Gyles Brandreth gets right inside the skin of Oscar Wilde. His Wilde is thoroughly believable and syncs well with what we know of Wilde's actual character.

The ending, not to give away any spoilers, is both satisfying and unsatisfying on a number of levels. I could get behind the idea of the killer, but not the motive. The politics of the situation I could accept quite easily.

A delicious Victorian romp.

[AdiTurbo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable but not great. Brandreth is still (as in the previous books in the series) afraid or unwilling to address the issue of Oscar Wilde's homosexuality directly, and tiptoes around the subject in a ridiculous way. Also, his Wilde is a caricature, spitting out aphorisms and behaving erratically with no explanation. I believe the real Wilde was so intelligent that he must have behaved in a more reasonable way. From reading his "De Profundis" I got a picture of a mature person, with an unbelievable capacity for self-knowledge and self-consciousness. I find it hard to reconcile that man with Brandreth's character. Conan Doyle appears characterless here, following Wilde around blindly even though he doesn't provide any reasons for his behaviour or explanations for the things he says. Conan Doyle has to work to keep his wife and children cared for, but he keeps skipping work to jump out every time Wilde calls him.
Still, I love the period and was interested enough to keep reading, although I figured out who the killer was before the denouement.

[Karen Keane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read Giles Brandreth's other books about Oscar Wilde and Arthur Conan-Doyle, who together become 'detectives.' I love the way he portrays both these characters, they are both so likeable and, especially, in the case of Wilde, witty. In this book they are asked to investigate the case of Jack the Ripper, and come to a very interesting conclusion. I felt this book was a bit darker than the previous ones but it really was a brilliant read.

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The seventh book in Gyles Brandreth's Oscar Wilde mystery series, "Oscar Wilde and the Return of Jack the Ripper", is the first that is not told from Wilde's viewpoint. Instead, this witty and fast-paced outing is recounted by Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of Sherlock Holmes and a real-life friend of Wilde. Not surprisingly, this deliciously twisty mystery works just fine as a stand-alone thriller. And although this entry is a bit darker than the previous mysteries, it is still an enjoyable romp. There are plenty of charming scenes between the two bantering friends, and Wilde's clever and acerbic observations are constantly entertaining.

Six years after the notorious Jack the Ripper murders in London's impoverished Whitechapel district, Chief Constable Melville Macnaughten contacts the two amateur sleuths about a new murder that appears to be the work of the same psychopath. Except this murder has taken place in an alley behind Tite Street--where both Wilde and Macnaughten have homes. With the permission of the police, the duo studies the case files of the first five victims and start eliminating previous suspects and interviewing new ones. Meanwhile, Wilde's messy personal life brings him dangerously close to ruin when his devoted and loving wife begins circling the same orbit as his latest male infatuation.

Fans of Doyle and Wilde will find the pair fully developed and fascinating company. And Brandreth's extensive research into the Whitechapel Murders produces a solution that is sound, satisfying and original. A delightful police procedural not to be missed.

Arthur Conan Doyle and Oscar Wilde play sleuths to track down the identity of Jack the Ripper in this smart, sly and gripping police procedural.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oscar Wilde and his good friend Arthur Conan Doyle investigate the case of Jack the Ripper at the request of Scotland Yard. This was wonderfully witty and the friendship of Wilde and Doyle reflects that of Holmes and Watson. Loved this and rather liked the theory on Jack's identity.

[Dan Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

"It was the best of crimes, it was the worst of crimes," crows Oscar Wilde who, poking fun at his contemporary, Charles Dickens, joins his good friend, Sherlock Holmes' creator, Arthur Conan Doyle, as they set off on their mission to finally resolve the Whitechapel Murders, committed a few years before by none other than the infamous Jack The Ripper.

Jack The Ripper: Case Closed, the seventh book in the Oscar Wilde Mysteries written by Wilde expert, Gyles Brandreth, is absolutely fantastic. I could hardly put this book down every time I anxiously picked it up. I finished in but a few short days and, once done, am very much lamenting the story's completion.

If you want to get to know Oscar Wilde, to feel what it must of been like to have shared a dinner table and a laugh over drinks, or to ride together in a horse-drawn hansom on your way to a show, or to have walked the streets of London with the world's great, flamboyant wit, then read this book. And once you finish, I guarantee you will rush out to purchase the other six stories in the series, starting with the first, Oscar Wilde and a Death of No Importance.

I loved reading Jack The Ripper: Case Closed. Here's hoping author Gyles Brandreth soon writes book number eight in this winning series of historical mysteries!

[Per Brastad · Rating 4 out of 5]

That was a fun book! What an imaginative setting and intriguing as well as humorous details! Made me wonder whether the details are historical or fiction. Given the author's credentials, at least some of them may well be astounding historcal facts. Now I want to read more of Brandreth's Oscar Wilde books.......

[Alyson Walton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Throughly enjoyed this book! Picked up and read this knowing nothing in advance and was very happy as a result!

[Rachel England-Brassy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up. My first Brandreth and not my last. An enjoyable read for escapism.
Recommended.

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

London’s 1888 Whitechapel Murders have provided seemingly endless inspiration for authors’ speculation. Latest in this parade of theorists exploring the grisly deaths of five prostitutes is a former Conservative member of Britain’s Parliament, actor, and broadcaster who uses the real-life friendship between playwright Oscar Wilde and Sherlock Holmes creator Arthur Conan Doyle as his premise.
Six years after the Jack the Ripper murders, these two luminaries are brought into the investigation by another real-life character, Metropolitan Police CID Chief Constable Melville Macnaghten. Why them? Most of Macnaghten’s chief suspects are known to Wilde and, the detective says, “you are a poet, a Freemason and a man of the world. All useful qualifications for the business at hand.”
The police are resurrecting their failed investigation for several reasons. Because Macnaughten is writing a definitive report and would like to provide a conclusion. Because he wants to end speculation about the identity of the killer, which, in the absence of a definitive alternative, even occasionally extends to the late Prince Eddy, Duke of Clarence and Avondale. And, because a new murder has occurred that bears all the hallmarks of a Ripper case, except that the body was found not in Whitechapel but in Chelsea. More particularly, in the alley behind Tite Street, where Wilde and Macnaghten have their homes.
Whether you fully buy into the plausibility of this notion, you cannot deny that it makes for an entertaining read, as Brandreth is able to draw on the wide and diverse acquaintanceships Wilde had among members of London society, high and low. He does a creditable job of eliminating Macnaghten’s weaker suspects—the suicide John Druitt, the spiritualist Walter Wellbeloved, and actor Richard Mansfield. He avails himself of opportunities to mention Wilde’s friend, the painter Walter Sickert, briefly considered a suspect in real life. (As evidence of the long half-life of Jack the Ripper theories, American mystery author Patricia Cornwell produced her second book attempting a case against him last February.) Brandreth then constructs a scenario in which the more unsavory suspects and some new players can cavort.
Brandreth has written six other mysteries featuring Oscar Wilde and his circle, sometimes including Doyle, and he knows his principal character and their London milieu well. If you’re familiar with Wilde’s plays, you’ll recognize various lines in the witty epigrams he’s constantly spouting. Brandreth liberally butters the narrative with other literary allusions as well. There’s even a character named Bunbury, and you know what happened to him.
As to the clever resolution and identification of “the real Jack,” this may not be so satisfactory. The motivation is weak and the method (which I cannot reveal as it would be a spoiler) is now discredited, though it was thought effective in the Victorian era. These issues, which would be serious in a contemporary crime thriller, are almost beside the point in this book. It’s a case of the journey being more important—and entertaining—than the destination.

[The Bookish Wombat · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won a copy of this book and have to say that I probably wouldn't have read it otherwise, as I've never been a fan of the author generally and the idea of Oscar Wilde and Arthur Conan Doyle solving crimes seemed a little contrived to say the least. But I'm a huge fan of anything set in the Victorian era and of crime fiction so was willing to give it a go. I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed it once I'd got past the repeated use of well-known Wilde quotes as dialogue (which I found a tad annoying). I liked the characterisation of Conan Doyle, Wilde, and Mrs Wilde, and the exotic touches brought by the Russian circus were unusual and interesting. The plot worked very well with the final denouement not being too obviously seeded throughout the book. All in all enjoyed the book and would recommend to readers of historical crime.

[Agnesxnitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the first 3 Oscar Wilde mysteries by Gyles Brandreth and found them slightly random but enjoyable - pretty much like the gentlemen themselves I imagine!
This new addition to the series is pretty dark, as befits any book with Jack the Ripper in the title. Oscar is living in the Langham Hotel and finagles his good friend, Arthur Conan Doyle, to become involved in the search for the true perpetrator of the horrific crimes in Whitechapel in 1888. Oscar himself has become involved as the leading police officer, the marvellously named Melvin McNaughton, who has been tasked to investigate and write an official report into the crimes, is a neighbour of the flamboyant Irishman. But it is 1894, and the trail long cold - or is it?
Oscar, with ACD in tow, leads the reader through both the high and low lives of Victorian London, complete with highbrow parties, society scandal, life on the skids and everything in between. With several suspects dead already, two more in (what we would now refer to as) psychiatric hospitals, one royal suspect and three more still on the loose, the search is never easy.
Add to this Oscar's complicated private life - an adoring wife he chooses to leave mostly alone with their sons, his lover, Bosie, despatched to Egypt in order to avoid a scandal, Oscar's mounting debt that doesn't stop him spending like there's no tomorrow, a suspected tail on both his and ACD's trail, ACD family in Switzerland where his first wife, Touie, is bring treated for TB (of which she will ultimately die in 1906), and the confusing exciting involvement of a visiting Russian Circus and its a bit of a roller coaster ride.
Nevertheless, the author leads us through this cavalcade of high drama and callous murder at a cracking pace and I did enjoy it.
A library book (thanks to my excellent local library) so it will be returned this weekend.

[Neil · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had such high hopes for this book. The Oscar Wilde Murder Mysteries were a highlight every year for me and this didn't come up to the high standard or those books. The narrative wasn't the issue, as it was still peppered with witticisms and epicurean descriptions, but the story just wasn't there. Really disappointing :(

[Elaine Dodd · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was the best of crimes, it was the worst of crimes......

Another great Victorian tale of Wilde and Arthur Conan Doyle, asked in this instance, to peruse the files of suspects supplied by the police to Wilde, for the identity of Jack the Ripper.
As ever, Wilde throws himself heart and soul into the investigation, and Arthur follows somewhat reluctantly.
The style, the language and the story flows beautifully, the irrepressible Wilde ever witty and wise, reckless and extravagant, tempered by the logic, reality and clarity of Arthur.

Not giving any of the plot away, but it’s worth the read, a joy as always. The character of Wilde bought to life by someone who has a genuine love for him, almost makes you feel he knew him personally.
Ten out of ten.

[S · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first review so bear with me. I really enjoyed this book. I picked this up as I have always been interested in Jack the Ripper, and being a fan of Oscar Wilde, I thought it was the perfect amalgamation. I didn't know there were six books prior to this, (I better get reading) but I didn't feel I was missing out on any detail. I think it works as a stand alone.
If you enjoy Victorian murder mysteries, Oscar Wilde, Arthur Conan Doyle and Sherlock Holmes you will enjoy this.

Edit (May 2019): I have since read the six books in the series and I loved them all but this one is still my favourite. I recommend them all and they do not have to be read in any specific order. They are thoroughly entertaining, humerous, sad and well paced. I want more.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wasn't quite sure what to expect as hadn't heard of these books before and only noticed this on the 'new' stand in my local library. As it transpired, I really enjoyed it. The tone and mood of the time seemed to be spot on and the whole tale was just captivating. Can't wait to read some of the other books now.

[Eline · Rating 2 out of 5]

Did not finish

The first 40% is only about Wilde, I would have liked to see Doyle in action. Probably later on in the book but I couldn't get myself to read on

[Elexndra · Rating 5 out of 5]

same book as Jack Ripper Case Closed this is US Title of previous book! I wish publishers would not change titles when the go from US to UK or vice-versa!

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun read and I look forward to reading more of this series.

[Martin Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a real soft spot for these Gyles Brandreth Oscar Wilde mysteries. Previous incarnations of Oscar Wilde playing detective, a la Poirot, have been pure fiction. This, while still entirely fictional in plot, plays on the known facts of Jack The Ripper. Oscar Wilde, in his inimitable style, and with the assistance of Arthur Conan Doyle as the story's narrator, aims to solve the now cold case while copycat killings are occurring near Wilde's own home in Tite Street.

As President of the Oscar Wilde Society, Gyles Brandreth knows a thing or too about our poetic playwright, and superbly brings him to life, complete with both his famous sayings and other author-invented wit. Brandreth has a rhythmic quality about his writing. It's masterful English, old-school precision and yet somehow not stuffy or turgid. The sentences flow and eddy like a crystal clear brook.

But the best thing about this novel is its pace. It's fast and furious and that always bodes well for a good read in my view, especially when it comes to mysteries. The action comes thick and fast, the dialogue involving real and invented suspects and characters whips along with typical Wyldian style and panache, the geographical descriptions of late 19th century London are vivid in their grandeur and their squalor.

I really enjoyed this novel. The plot is easy to follow if a little implausible in places, requiring some small leaps of faith and suspension of disbelief. It's not a brain taxer, it's not food for thought really, but I did find I kept picking it up again not two minutes after putting it down. Moreover, I spent as much time Googling and reading further about both the real case, the suspects, the locations and both Wilde and Conan Doyle themselves. Very much a recommended read.

[Jason Arbuckle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 99 - Gyles Brandreth - Jack the Ripper : Case Closed

Have always had a fascination with the Victorians…with Sherlock Holmes and Jack the Ripper…from the magnificent ‘Murder by Decree’… the excellent ITV series ‘Whitechapel’ and recently even the Doctor Who original novel ‘Matrix’ which brought us a twisted alternative reality of what if… what if Jack hadn’t stopped with five killings.

This marvellous story by raconteur Gyles Brandreth… imagines a further depth to the mystery…much like the wonderful earlier novel I reviewed ‘The Revenant of Thraxton Hall’ by Vaughn Entwistle we are back in Victorian London where Messrs Oscar Wilde and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle are great friends and engage in many conversations around plays, Holmes, seances and a jolly good lunch.

It is several years after Jack the Ripper’s last murder and Scotland Yard are no closer to discovering the identity of Jack. Then in a street not far from where Wilde lives, a body is found, a mutilated body…one that looks remarkably like the book of aforementioned serial killer.

Brought in… or stepping in under their own volition… McNaughton of the Yard is more than happy to allow these two to carry out their own investigation… they can go places… say things and see people the police simply can’t.

Filled with witticisms… flamboyant storytelling and many a dark alley that Holmes himself would have rarely dared to tread.

[M Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a frivolous trifle. A temptation I chose to yield to as Wilde suggests I must. Probably a three star book, but I was charmed by the author's exuberance and have given it four. Your mileage, as they say, may differ.

Set in London and peopled with familiar faces for those familiar with the scene. An alternate history as much as a mystery. As straight mystery it's a two or three star book, badly paced and only adequately plotted, but:

Brandreth clearly admires and is well researched in Wilde. Equally clear is the delight he takes in writing his character, especially the dialogue. I laughed while reading, and read swiftly despite the books flaws. And in the end forgave the book its blemishes.

So there it is, a better than bad book that I liked better than I ought probably. You might be most likely to find yourself in the same boat if your tastes have run occasionally to romantic poets, Dickens, and to Lewis Carrol. No disrespect for those who find this unsatisfying, I can think of reasons why I might agree. In the end Wilde might remind us, "Life is far too important a thing ever to talk seriously about."

[Praveen (பிரவீண்) KR · Rating 4 out of 5]

For detailed review - https://kalaikoodam.blogspot.com/2021...

The concept is in fact fresh according to me. Bringing in characters that originally existed and actual Jack the Ripper murders as well was very interesting. That puts extra pressure on the author to maintain the interest which I believe is fulfilled. We can't expect an action mode in this story. Both Oscar and ACD were normal people and the mystery slowly unfolds in their investigative mode. So; if we expect some kind of action to happen this may not suit them. I loved the way the writer had linked the character to the original behavior. The story is supposedly happening when ACD is trying to come out of the Sherlock shadow and is trying to create another original work and Oscar is basking in the glory of his dramas and the Life of Dorian Gray which is a very celebrated work of his. Even the personal life is also synced up well. The ailing wife of ACD and the flashy lifestyle of OW are blended in quite well with the storyline. It does not look forced. Also, the writer was able to bring the socio-economic situation of the era. The country that was controlling most other countries in the world was reeling in economic dilemma and the law against same-sex relationships was also strict and considered a taboo which all was addressed here. People who have read about Oscar Wilde should be able to connect this. That being said, I did feel disconnected at some places as the story progresses. Halfway into the book, I did feel the story was kind of rushed. The book is fictional but still, I was unable to make the connection of unraveling at the climax.
In short, quite an imaginative concept. I heard there is a whole series that I would definitely like to check out. Those who want to taste a different angle in the crime genre and Jack the Ripper will find this a good read.

[Steve Delo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bit torn on this one. It is well written and Brandreth does a good job of characterising Wilde and Doyle. Most of the other characters are pretty well drawn too - maybe some important ones are a little too sketchy. It is, though, a ponderous read in places, largely because so much of the narrative involves Wilde showing off his knowledge of poetry through quotations and Doyle having a surprise wandering eye - all of it delivered over a raft of different meals in top rate establishments. Those eateries do make one's mouth water and some effective evocation of Victorian lifestyles takes place in these scenes. I felt, though, that the Jack the Ripper storyline itself didn't do very much or move with enough pace. Quite simply, not enough of the Ripper in it to create thriller levels of tension.

The denouement is neatly done and the final couple of paragraphs, whilst guessable, round things of in a sad but satisfying way. Almost worth three stars but the baggy middle detracted for me.

[metellus cimber · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been intrigued by Jack the Ripper since I was an adolescent - not the murderer, or the murders, but the myth. The story immediately conjures a foggy Whitechapel in an irresistible blend of fact and fiction. It's a topography that is instantly recognisable because it has a role in the 'scarescape' of English popular culture as familiar as 'Red Riding Hood' on the one hand or Brady and Hindley on the other. Oscar Wilde and Conan Doyle fit perfectly into this because they are historical characters with a legendary dimension. So, a jolly good idea that kept me entertained because I didn't take it at all seriously. Oscar Wilde is a bit of a caricature and Brandreth is overly-reliant on Wilde's epigrams, but the book is amusing and well-written. There's not actually much of the Ripper murder history in there since the true crimes are over when the story begins. Brandreth is really riffing on the Ripper story as a backdrop for a new chapter of beastly murders and eccentric goings on. There's no depth here, nothing to ponder, but as mere entertainment it's quite satisfying.