Oscar Wilde and the Murders at Reading Gaol: A Mystery Read online

  Also by Gyles Brandreth in the Oscar Wilde series

  Oscar Wilde and the Candlelight Murders

  Oscar Wilde and the Ring of Death

  Oscar Wilde and the Dead Man’s Smile

  Oscar Wilde and the Nest of Vipers

  Oscar Wilde and the Vatican Murders

  Praise for Oscar Wilde and the Candlelight Murders

  ‘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

  ‘Wilde has sprung back to life in this thrilling and richly atmospheric new novel . . . The perfect topography for crime and mystery . . . magnificent . . . an unforgettable shocker about sex and vice, love and death’ Sunday Express

  ‘Gyles Brandreth and Oscar Wilde seem made for one another . . . There is much here to enjoy . . . the complex and nicely structured plot zips along’ Daily Telegraph

  ‘Brandreth has poured his considerable familiarity with London into a witty fin-de-siècle entertainment, and the rattlingly elegant dialogue is peppered with witticisms uttered by Wilde well before he ever thought of putting them into his plays’ Sunday Times

  ‘Fabulous . . . The plot races along like a carriage pulled by thoroughbreds . . . So enjoyably plausible’ Scotsman

  ‘Both a romp through fin-de-siècle London . . . and a carefully researched portrait of Oscar Wilde . . . Very entertaining’ Literary Review

  ‘Brandreth has the Wildean lingo down pat and the narrative is dusted with piquant social observations. A sparkling treat for fans of Wilde and Sherlock Holmes alike’ Easy Living

  ‘A lively, amusing and clever murder mystery starring Oscar Wilde – larger than life, brilliant, generous, luxurious – with a new trait: he is now a master sleuth not unlike Sherlock Holmes . . . Brandreth is steeped in the lore of Wilde, but this doesn’t oppress the story which is a cleverly plotted thriller through London’s demi-monde . . . Highly entertaining’ Dubliner

  ‘This is not only a good piece of detective fiction in its own right, it is highly entertaining, spiced as it is with Wildean sayings, both real and invented and the imagined conversations and intellectual sparring between Wilde and Conan Doyle. Future tales in the series are something to look forward to’ Leicester Mercury

  ‘This excellent novel . . . I’d be staggered if, by the end of the year, you’d read many better whodunnits. Brandreth demonstrates supremely measured skill as a story-teller’ Nottingham Evening Post

  ‘Wilde as detective is thoroughly convincing . . .The period, and the two or three worlds in which Wilde himself moved, are richly evoked . . . Oscar Wilde and the Candlelight Murders is an excellent detective story. I’m keenly looking forward to the rest of the series’ District Messenger, Newsletter of the Sherlock Holmes Society of London

  ‘Brandreth knows his Wilde . . . He knows his Holmes too . . . The plot is devilishly clever, the characters are fully fleshed, the mystery is engrossing, and the solution is perfectly fair. I love it’ Sherlock Holmes Journal

  ‘A skilful and erudite piece of writing and one well worth reading, not only for the plot, but for much information about Wilde and his friends at that period’ Tangled Web

  ‘It works quite brilliantly. This is the first of a series. You’ll want to start the next the day after finishing this one’ Diplomat

  ‘A witty and gripping portrait of corruption in late-Victorian London, and one of which Oscar Wilde and Arthur Conan Doyle would be proud’ Livewire

  ‘A wow of a history mystery . . . a first-class stunner’ Booklist

  ‘Beautifully clear prose . . . We tend to be wary of books that use real-life characters as their protagonists, but we were completely enchanted with this one’ Denver Post

  ‘Wilde beguiles those inside the novel and out . . . Brandreth writes breezily, effortlessly blending fiction and historical facts in a way that keeps the novel moving’ Atlanta Journal-Constitution

  ‘An intriguing tightrope walk . . . engaging, ingenious’ Newsday

  ‘Immensely enjoyable, one of the best in the canon of literary mysteries’ Philadelphia Inquirer

  Praise for Oscar Wilde and the Ring of Death

  ‘The second in this wickedly imagined and highly entertaining series . . . an intelligent, jaunty and hilarious mystery’ Good Book Guide

  ‘Hugely enjoyable’ Daily Mail

  ‘A cast of historical characters to die for’ Sunday Times

  ‘A carnival of cliff-hangers and fiendish twists-and-turns . . . The joy of the book, as with its predecessor, is the rounded and compelling presentation of the character of Wilde. The imaginary and the factual are woven together with devilish ingenuity. Brandreth also gives his hero speeches of great beauty and wisdom and humanity’ Sunday Express

  ‘Wilde really has to prove himself against Bram Stoker and Arthur Conan Doyle when a murder ruins their Sunday Supper Club. But Brandreth’s invention – that of Wilde as detective – is more than up to the challenge. With plenty of wit, too’ Daily Mirror

  ‘Gyles Brandreth’s entertainment is an amusing and satisfactorily unlikely story featuring Bram Stoker, Arthur Conan Doyle, a locked room and Oscar Wilde in the role of the series detective’ Literary Review

  ‘The plot speeds to an exciting climax . . . Richly atmospheric. Very entertaining’ Woman & Home

  ‘Sparkling dialogue, mystery piled deliciously on mystery, a plot with pace and panache, and a London backdrop that would grace any Victorian theatre’ Northern Echo

  ‘The acid test for any writer who has enjoyed first-time success is that all-important second novel. Gyles Brandreth, I am happy to report, has sailed through the ordeal with flying colours . . . Irresistible . . . Elegant . . . Rich . . . Enjoyable . . . A classic Agatha Christie-style whodunit involving some particularly inventive murders with a few well-placed red herrings’ Yorkshire Evening Post

  ‘As much imaginative biography as murder mystery . . . Terrifically well researched, it whizzes along’ Scotland on Sunday

  ‘What raises this book several notches above most mysteries is the authentic historical detail and the engaging portrait of Wilde . . . sparkling’ Historical Novels Society

  ‘Terrific period atmosphere, crisp writing style, and the flamboyant Wilde make this series pitch-perfect. Great entertainment’ Booklist

  ‘Oscar Wilde and the Ring of Death is the eagerly-awaited second volume in Gyles Brandreth’s series of detective stories and it doesn’t disappoint’ District Messenger, Newsletter of the Sherlock Holmes Society of London

  ‘I can’t wait until the next one’ Scotsman

  Praise for Oscar Wilde and the Dead Man’s Smile

  ‘One of the most consistently entertaining historical series starring a real-life sleuth’ Booklist

  ‘The murders begin. Highly theatrical ones . . . An entertaining and meticulously researched piece of pop fiction about Wilde and his circle’ Washington Post

  ‘Through his excellent writing Brandreth has brought to life 1880s Europe and his descriptions evoke all the senses as if you were there following Oscar. It is a fun book that introduces you to many interesting characters . . . A light-hearted and entertaining murder mystery’ Irish Post

  ‘Gyles Brandreth began his Oscar Wilde murder mysteries in grand style. The second book was actually better than the first, and the third consolidates and improves on that achievement. An exceptionally good detective story, it’s also a fascinating historical novel’ District Messenger, Newsletter of the Sherlock Holmes Society of London

  ‘A cleverly plot
ted, intelligent and thoroughly diverting murder mystery. This novel is an educated page-turner, a feast of intriguing and light-hearted entertainment’ Good Book Guide

  ‘An entertaining yarn – easy and pleasing to read – with an extensive set of vivid characters’ Gay Times

  ‘Very funny’ Independent on Sunday

  ‘For me this whole series is a guilty pleasure: Brandreth’s portrait of Oscar Wilde is entirely plausible; plots are ingenious; and the historical background is fascinating’ Scotsman

  Praise for Oscar Wilde and the Nest of Vipers

  ‘Gyles Brandreth’s Oscar Wilde murder mysteries get better and better. Oscar Wilde and the Nest of Vipers is positively dazzling. Both witty and profound, it’s also devilishly clever’ District Messenger, Newsletter of the Sherlock Holmes Society of London

  ‘Inventive . . . brilliant . . . marvellous . . . glittering . . . graceful . . . intricate . . . enthralling’ Booklist

  ‘Oscar Wilde is back in rare form in this clever and intricate mystery that brings 1890s London vibrantly to life. Verdict: great stuff’ Library Journal

  ‘The latest witty instalment in Gyles Brandreth’s hugely enjoyable series of Victorian murder mysteries’ Daily Mail

  Praise for Oscar Wilde and the Vatican Murders

  ‘A flight of imagination that partners Oscar Wilde with Arthur Conan Doyle in a deadly pursuit to the heart of the Eternal City merits a round of applause for sheer chutzpah. But it is one thing to set up an improbably tall tale and quite another to sustain reader interest and credulity for an entire book. Where many others have failed the test, Gyles Brandreth succeeds magnificently. This is partly because the relationship between the two writers – with Conan Doyle playing Watson to super sleuth Wilde – is drawn so convincingly, but there is also dialogue of the period without any Victorian heaviness and a plot that is intriguing throughout . . . Brandreth’s research is impeccable. Literary and theological references merge easily into a skilfully crafted story that goes all the way to meet the standards set by his two eminent protagonists’ Daily Mail

  ‘Hugely enjoyable . . . a story that reminds us just how enjoyable a well-told traditional murder mystery can be’ Scotsman

  ‘Brandreth has become a true artist as he so skillfully writes the dialogue between these two detectives . . . Well done Brandreth!’ MysteryNet

  OSCAR WILDE

  and the

  Murders at Reading Gaol

  Gyles Brandreth

  www.johnmurray.co.uk

  First published in Great Britain in 2012 by John Murray (Publishers)

  An Hachette UK company

  Copyright © Gyles Brandreth 2012

  The right of Gyles Brandreth to be identified as the Author of the Work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher.

  All characters in this publication – other than the obvious historical figures – are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead is purely coincidental.

  A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library

  ISBN 978-1-84854-529-8

  John Murray (Publishers)

  338 Euston Road

  London NW1 3BH

  www.johnmurray.co.uk

  For Michèle

  Table of Contents

  Other Books in the Series and Praise

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Author’s Note

  Principal characters in the narrative

  Prologue: London, 25 May 1895

  Introduction: Dieppe, France, 24 June 1897

  1. 25–7 May 1895: Newgate

  2. 27 May–4 July 1895: Pentonville

  3. 4 July–18 November 1895: Wandsworth

  4. 20 November 1895: Clapham Junction

  5. 21 November 1895: Warder Stokes

  6. 21 November 1895: Dr Maurice

  7. 21 November 1895: Warder Braddle

  8. 22 November 1895: C.3.2.

  9. Punishment

  10. ‘It brings bad luck to kill a spider’

  11. Death

  12. A dying fall

  13. Secrets

  14. Madness

  15. Execution

  Interlude: Dieppe, France, 24 and 25 June 1897

  16. The Reichenbach Falls

  17. The Nelson touch

  18. Punishment

  19. Secrets

  20. Warder Martin

  21. The condemned man

  22. Aftermath

  23. Sebastian Atitis-Snake

  24. The stink of fear

  25. A hanging at Reading Gaol

  Conclusion: Dieppe, France, 25 June 1897

  Afterword

  Reading Gaol in the 1890s

  Acknowledgements

  Biographical Notes

  In Reading gaol by Reading town

  There is a pit of shame,

  And in it lies a wretched man

  Eaten by teeth of flame,

  In a burning winding-sheet he lies,

  And his grave has got no name.

  And there, till Christ call forth the dead,

  In silence let him lie:

  No need to waste the foolish tear,

  Or heave the windy sigh:

  The man had killed the thing he loved,

  And so he had to die.

  And all men kill the thing they love,

  By all let this be heard,

  Some do it with a bitter look,

  Some with a flattering word,

  The coward does it with a kiss,

  The brave man with a sword!

  The Ballad of Reading Gaol (1897)

  Oscar Wilde (1854–1900)

  Oscar Wilde and the Murders at

  Reading Gaol

  Drawn from the previously unpublished

  papers of Robert Sherard (1861–1943),

  Oscar Wilde’s first and most prolific biographer

  Author’s Note

  My name is Robert Sherard and I was a friend of Oscar Wilde. I met him first in Paris in the spring of 1883. He was twenty-eight years old and already famous – as a poet, wit and raconteur, as the pre-eminent ‘personality’ of his day. I was twenty-two, an aspiring poet, a would-be journalist, and quite unknown. Oscar and I met for the last time, again in Paris, in 1900, not long before his untimely death at the age of forty-six. During the intervening seventeen years I kept a journal of our friendship.

  Oscar Wilde and I were not lovers, but I knew him well. Few, I believe, knew him better. In 1884, I was the first friend he entertained after his marriage to Constance Lloyd – the loveliest of women and the most cruelly used. In 1895, following his incarceration, I was the first to visit him in prison. It was in a letter from gaol that my friend did me the signal honour of describing me as ‘the bravest and most chivalrous of all brilliant beings’. In 1897, on his release, I travelled to meet him in France. In 1902, I tried to do justice to his memory as his first biographer.

  The book that you are holding is one of six volumes I have compiled covering hitherto unknown aspects of the extraordinary life of Oscar Wilde. This volume, in particular, describes episodes from his darkest years, and for that reason, at the outset, it is worth reminding the reader that, before his downfall and imprisonment, Oscar Wilde was a happy person. Indeed, happiness was the essence of the man. Oscar Wilde was fun – fun to be with, fun to know. He loved life: he relished it. ‘The only horrible thing in the world is ennui,’ he said. ‘That is the one sin for which there is no forgiveness.’ He loved colour and beauty. ‘To me beauty is the wonder of wonders,’ he declared. He loved laughter and applause. When a friend suggested to him that the reason he wrote plays was a desire for immediate applause, he agreed. ‘Yes, the immediate applause . . . What a
charming phrase! The immediate applause . . .’ He loved the English language. He loved to use it. He loved to play with it. He savoured words like ‘vermilion’ and ‘narcissus’. He took much pleasure in letting a name like ‘Sebastian Atitis-Snake’ – or a title like ‘The Marquess of Dimmesdale’ – roll off his tongue; none in saying, baldly, ‘John Smith’ or ‘The Duke of York’. He had his own way with words. Whatever annoyed him, he described as ‘tedious’. Whatever pleased him, he called ‘amazing’.

  When I wrote my original account of Oscar’s life I told the truth – but not the whole truth. A short while before his death, I revealed to my friend that I planned to tell his story after he was gone. He said: ‘Don’t tell them everything – not yet! When you write of me, don’t speak of murder. Leave that a while.’ I have left it until now. I have been preparing these volumes during the winter of 1938 and the spring and summer of 1939. I am old and the world is on the brink of war once more. My time will soon be up, but before I go I have this final task remaining – to tell everything I know of Oscar Wilde, poet, playwright, friend, detective . . . avenging angel.

  The material that follows is based on Oscar’s own account of what occurred during the twenty-five months between 25 May 1895 and 25 June 1897. What you are about to read he told me in the late summer of 1897. Three chapters – the Introduction, the Interlude and the Conclusion – are written entirely by me. The rest is Oscar’s own narrative and, for the most part, I have been able to use his own words because I took them down (as best I could) at his dictation – directly onto my new Remington typewriter. It was to me that Oscar remarked, ‘The typewriting machine, when played with expression, is no more annoying than the piano when played by a sister or near relation.’

  RHS

  September 1939

  Principal characters in the narrative

  At the Café Suisse, Dieppe, France, July 1897

  Sebastian Melmoth

  Dr Quilp

  At Reading Gaol, Berkshire, England,