Oscar Wilde and the Dead Man's Smile

Gyles Brandreth is a writer, performer, former MP and Government Whip, now Chancellor of the University of Chester and probably best known these days as a reporter on BBC1's The One Show and having been a regular on Radio 4's Just a Minute. On TV he has featured on Have I Got News For You, QI, Room 101, Countdown, and This is Your Life. As a journalist he writes for the Telegraph and Daily Mail and is a columnist for The Oldie. The founder of the National Scrabble Championships, his books about words and language include four best-sellers, The Joy of Lex, Word Play, Have You Eaten Grandma? and Dancing by the Light of the Moon. His novels include seven Victorian murder mysteries featuring Oscar Wilde as his detective and he has published two volumes of diaries and two acclaimed royal biographies. In 2020 he published The Oxford Book of Theatrical Anecdotes.

'The atmosphere and setting are lovely and exquisitely recreated by an author who has an intimate knowledge of the world he describes ... I won't reveal the denouement, but I can assure readers that the author knows exactly what he's doing' -- Tangled Web 'It's a great book ... there's enough wit and intelligence here to make it more than a 'guilty pleasure' ... an intelligent read with good characterisation' -- Scotsman 'Highly acclaimed Oscar Wilde series ... excellent writing ... it's a fun book that introduces you to many interesting characters ... a light-hearted and entertaining murder mystery' -- Irish Post 'An entertaining yarn - easy and pleasing to read - with an extensive set of vivid characters' -- Gay times Praise for Gyles Brandreth's Oscar Wilde series: -- --- 'One of the most intelligent, amusing and entertaining books of the year. If Oscar Wilde himself had been asked to write this book he could not have done it any better' -- Alexander McCall Smith 'Hugely enjoyable' -- Daily Mail 'Genius ... Wilde has sprung back to life in this thrilling and richly atmospheric new novel' -- Sunday Express 'A witty fin-de-siecle entertainment ... rattlingly elegant dialogue' -- Sunday Times 'One of the most enjoyable crime series around' -- Scotsman '...a cleverly plotted, intelligent and thoroughly diverting murder mystery. This novel is an educated page turner; a feast of intriguing and light-hearted entertainment.' -- Good Book Guide 'The third in an enjoyable, well-researched series' -- Sunday Mercury