Oscar Wilde and the Vatican Murders by Gyles Brandreth

Oscar Wilde and the Vatican Murders by Gyles Brandreth is the fifth book of the “Oscar Wilde Murder Mysteries” series. It has humor, excitement, and is fast paced enough for even those with short attention spans to enjoy.

Book Description

“Oscar Wilde and the Vatican Murders opens in 1892, as an exhausted Arthur Conan Doyle retires to a spa in Germany with a suitcase full of fan mail. But his rest cure does not go as planned. The first person he encounters is Oscar Wilde, and the two friends make a series of macabre discoveries among the letters—a finger; a lock of hair; and, finally, an entire severed hand.

The trail leads the intrepid duo to Rome, and to a case that involves miracles as well as murder. Pope Pius IX has just died— these are uncertain times in the Eternal City. To uncover the mystery and discover why the creator of Sherlock Holmes has been summoned in this way, Wilde and Conan Doyle must penetrate the innermost circle of the Catholic Church and expose the deadly secrets of the six men closest to the pope.

In Gyles Brandreth’s captivating and richly atmospheric novel, Wilde’s powers as a detective are put to the test in his most compelling case yet.” – Oscar Wilde and the Vatican Murders

My Thoughts

Oscar Wilde and the Vatican Murders is the first book in the series I read. However, I don’t think it is necessary to have read the others to enjoy this one. So, go ahead and check this out if you also like Sherlock Holmes and mystery novels.

The two main characters are Oscar Wilde and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and they are definitely not disappointing. At the beginning of the book, when Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is on vacation yet has to answer all of this fan mail, I found a bit humorous. Then, when Oscar Wilde and he find the finger, hair, and an entire hand - I couldn’t help but keep reading to find out what would happen. They then head to Rome to the Vatican, and from there things get even more interesting. To find out what happens, you’ll have to read this one for yourself. Mysteries aren’t quite as fun to read if you know everything that is going to happen, right?

Overall, I found this to be an enjoyable read. I think that this would be a great novel for fans of mysteries and of course, “Sherlock Holmes” to read.

* Thank you to the publisher of Oscar Wilde and the Vatican Murders, Touchstone, for providing me with a copy of this book for review. All opinions expressed are my own.