Oscar Wilde's presence is charming and believable. I prefer the books in the series where Conan-Doyle is on the periphery, but it was still a well laid out-evenly paced mystery with a sprinkling of humor ( )

This is the fourth book of the series I've read and I have enjoyed it as much as the others.

Arthur Conan Doyle has gone to Germany taking a suitcase of fan mail, for Sherlock Holmes, to sort through and catch up on. It has been a number of months and the mail has piled up. There he meets up with his old friend Oscar Wilde. While the two of them are sorting through the mail they find three small packets, from various months, addressed to Sherlock Holmes. There are no notes, only the writing on the wrappings and postmarks showing they come from Rome. The contents are quite disturbing: a severed hand, a lock of blonde hair and a finger with a rose-gold ring on it. The body parts appear to have been embalmed. What is the meaning of these items?

Oscar Wilde, a fan of Sherlock Holmes who sees himself as an amateur detective, convinces Doyle they need to go to Rome and solve the mystery behind the items. On the train ride there, they meet the Reverend Martin Sadler, an Anglican chaplain assigned to Rome, and Irene Sadler. Brother and sister, or ?? She is gentle and feminine and seems to have developed a fondness for Doyle. Reverend Sadler is reserved and distant.

Other characters are Dr. Axel Munthe, doctor to a number of the Vatican staff; James Rennell Rodd, who has a history with Wilde that isn't a fond memory; Monsignor Felici, Father Bechetti, Monsignor Breadspear, Brother Gentili and Monsignor Tuminello and Cesare Verdi, all in service of the Pope at the Vatican. All men with secrets behind their honourable façades.

At this time, Pope Pius IX has just died and things are in flux. There are also secrets that need to be unraveled to find the thread that will lead them to the solution of who sent the items and why.

Brandreth does his research well and paints a believable backdrop for his story to unfold. With Doyle as the storyteller in this book, the reader gets narration from observations and from involvement of the writer. Brandreth gives life to these characters and allows them to behave in a life-like manner. The feeling is one of being there while the the tale spins out.

I am definitely looking forward to reading more. ( )

Had no idea whodunnit, but then again, it's hot and thinkin's hard... Favourite line "If men married the women [they] deserved, [they] would have a very bad time of it." And a very close second: "...there are only two tragedies. One is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it." ;] So true! ( )

I was seduced by positive reviews and overcome my suspicion to chance a read of this. Sadly, and perhaps predictably, I was not rewarded. The novelty wore off very early in the book and trudged my way to the uninteresting conclusion. Sorry Oscar should have known better. Will make it up to you but need some time to rid myself of this.
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Lost interest. ( )