No Good Duke Goes Unpunished

No Good Duke Goes Unpunished (2013) Sarah MacLean

Set in England in 1831

Temple is called the killer duke, accused of murdering his father fiancee. Disparaged by society he became one of the four partners of The Fallen Angel.

The Angel’s founders had created a single path of redemption for these men. There was a way those who lost their fortune to the casino could regain it.

Fight Temple.

Win.

And all was forgiven.

Mara Lowe was believed dead–murdered by Michael Harrow on the eve before her wedding. So it is much to Temple’s surprise when she appears on his doorstep, offering him a trade–forgive her brother’s debts and she’ll give him his place back on society.

On the face of it, that seems a ridiculous trade–he was accused of murder, so why wouldn’t she just come forward and tell everyone what happened? Bartering with the duke for his reputation seems–like one more horrible thing to do to him.

Until you discover what she’s been doing all these years.

“And who is able to tell me what happened to Napoleon after Waterloo?”

A sea of hands shot up inside the small, well-appointed schoolroom of the MacIntyre Home for Boys. Daniel did not wait to be called upon. “He died!”

Mara chose to ignore the positive glee oozing from the young man as he pronounced the emperor dead. “He did, indeed, die. But I’m looking for the bit before that.”

Daniel thought for a moment and then offered, “He ran weeping and wailing from Wellington . . . and died!”

Mara shook her head. “Not quite. Matthew?”

“He rode his horse into a French ditch . . . and died!”

Her lips twitched. “Unfortunately, not.” She chose one of the hands straining for the ceiling. “Charles?”

Charles considered the options, then chose, “He shot himself in the foot, it turned green and fell off, and then he died?”

There is another bit that is both hilarious and horrifying.

“I never meant for it to look so . . . dire.” She’d meant to bloody her sheets. To make it look like she’d been ruined. Like she’d run off with a man. He was to have escaped before anyone saw what had happened. But there’d been too much laudanum. And too much blood.

It says so much about society that a young woman would have no idea how much blood would be involved in a deflowering.

But one of the things I like best is the ending. Where not only do they get their HEA, but how they get it. I love that her heroines rescue themselves.
Rating: 8/10

Published by Avon

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