utf 8 - Reading a single UTF8 character from stream in C# -

i looking read next utf8 character stream or binaryreader. things don't work:

binaryreader::readchar -- throw on 3 or 4 byte character. since returns 2 byte structure, has no choice.

binaryreader::readchars -- throw if ask read 1 character , encounters 3 or 4 byte character. read multiple characters if ask read more 1 character.

streamreader::read -- needs know how many bytes read, number of bytes in utf8 character variable.

the code have seems work:

    private char[] readutf8char(stream s)     {         byte[] bytes = new byte[4];         var enc = new utf8encoding(false, true);         if (1 != s.read(bytes, 0, 1))             return null;         if (bytes[0] <= 0x7f) //single byte character         {             return enc.getchars(bytes, 0, 1);         }         else         {             var remainingbytes =                 ((bytes[0] & 240) == 240) ? 3 : (                 ((bytes[0] & 224) == 224) ? 2 : (                 ((bytes[0] & 192) == 192) ? 1 : -1             ));             if (remainingbytes == -1)                 return null;             s.read(bytes, 1, remainingbytes);             return enc.getchars(bytes, 0, remainingbytes + 1);         }     } 

obviously, bit of mess, , specific utf8. there more elegant, less custom, easier-to-read solution problem?