Description
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.
About the Author
Gyles Brandreth is a writer, broadcaster, former MP and Government Whip - and one of Britain's most sought-after award ceremony hosts and after-dinner speakers. A reporter on The One Show on BBC1 and a regular on Radio 4's Just a Minute, his many books include The Oscar Wilde Murder Mysteries and the No 1 best-seller: The 7 Secrets of Happiness.
Reviews
A great deal to enjoy . . . gloriously silly * Daily Telegraph *
Vastly enjoyable . . . a perfectly believable narrative . . . Demonstrating once again Brandreth's assured touch for Victorian time and place, it is a delight, concluding with an interesting suggestion of who the Ripper might have been. * Daily Mail *
Both a piece of detective work and a page-turning thriller, and boasts an intriguing denouement. * Choice magazine *
In this fascinating blend of fact and fiction, the witty broadcaster and former MP brings the outrageous character that was Wilde to vivid life in a tale that has all the elements of a classic English murder-mystery. Huge fun and highly recommended. * Irish Independent *
Very engaging and full of the agreeable wit for which Brandreth is famous . . . Wilde's mysteries are civilised, accomplished and clever. * Literary Review *
Book Information
ISBN 9781472152312
Author Gyles Brandreth
Format Paperback
Page Count 368
Imprint Corsair
Publisher Little, Brown Book Group
Weight(grams) 300g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 128mm * 24mm