ARC Review: Investigating the Duke (Suddenly a Duke #8) by Alexa Aston
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Series: Suddenly a Duke #8
Author: Alexa Aston
Published November 21st 2023 by Dragonblade Publishing, Inc.
Goodreads Synopsis
A serious clergyman whose brothers die, leaving him an unexpected duke . . .
A woman who is making her way as a Bow Street runner . . .
An investigation that leads them to the truth—and each other . . .
Jasper Lincoln is happy tending to his congregation when news arrives of his brother’s death in battle. Jasper’s father, ailing for several months, slips away, unable to bear the news. And on that same night, Jasper’s brother, Lord Sutton, drunkenly falls down the stairs, dying instantly, making Jasper a sudden duke. He harbors lingering suspicions about these two deaths and seeks help at Bow Street.
Orphan Shelby Slade grew up on the cruel streets of London, surviving as a pickpocket until being rescued by Mr. Franklin, head of the Bow Street runners. Shelby finds her purpose, becoming the only female agent at Bow Street. She is assigned to the Duke of Edgehaven’s case and fights the growing attraction she feels for the solemn clergyman-turned-duke.
As her inquiry proceeds, Shelby believes the previous duke was poisoned with arsenic and that the new duke’s niece, who has suddenly turned mute, may have witnessed her own father’s murder. Together, with Edgehaven’s help, she searches for answers, wanting to uncover the truth regarding both deaths.
Will Shelby’s investigation lead to discovering the killer’s identity—and will she live long enough to claim happiness with Jasper?
Goodreads
Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.
Lady detective Shelby Slade is no stranger to dukes, so why is helping Jasper Lincoln, new Duke of Edgehaven, investigate the suspicious circumstances which gave him the title? Once an orphan turned pickpocket, her life was changed when the head of the Bow Street Runners took her under his wing, and gave him a home. So all she wants is to be the best investigator she can be, and the feelings she's forming for the staid clergyman turned duke will only get in her way.
I was waiting for Shelby's book, because the amount of times she had shown up in the series, and made such great friendships with some of the duchesses, she had to have a fantastic romance herself. She meets Jasper when he arrives at Bow Street wanting help investigating his father and two brother's deaths. As the third son, he had accepted his position as a clergyman, and never wanted to become Duke of Edgehaven. So arriving at the family estate following his brother's death in battle, he wants only to grieve with the rest of his family. However, in one night his father and surviving brother all die, and he is left with the Dukedom and guardianship of his young nieces. As he works with Shelby to find out how he came to be in this position, they discover so much more than they could ever have imagined, and grow closer day by day. They really were great for each other, and made the other person better. They supported each other through everything, and the found family element of the story was the icing on the case. A fantastic ending to the Suddenly a Duke series.
Dates Read:
November 11, 2023
Rating
3 Stars
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