An ex-soldier turns detective in this thrilling Regency read! For fans of Georgette Heyer, Andrew Taylor, Ashley Gardner and Leighann Dobbs.
A threatening presence is stalking a provincial Northern town…811, England
Frederick Raif Jarrett has returned from battle and is seeking a quiet life as an agent to the Duke of Penrith.
So when he is sent to the northern town of Woolbridge to settle the affairs of one of the Duke’s tenants following his sudden death, the dangers of the Yorkshire countryside could not be more unexpected.
Jarrett begins to uncover a network of crime and corruption but is thwarted at every turn by the town’s powerful and much-feared magistrate, Mr Justice Raistrick.
When a young woman dies in tragic and mysterious circumstances, Jarrett is accused of her murder and has to fight for his life as he desperately seeks to uncover the truth.
Is there a serial killer on the loose? Can Jarrett solve the case in time to clear his name?
And what about the whispering rumours of the sinister figure calling himself The Tallyman…?
THE DUKE’S AGENT is the first book in the Raif Jarrett Regency Mystery series: historical murder mysteries with a traditional British detective embarking on a private investigation in nineteenth-century England.
My View
Wow!! This is an unbelievable book, I was intrigued by this book on sight and couldn’t wait to have a read at it and I can honestly say that the back blurb does it no justice, it is far better than I expected. This is a thrilling, edge-of-your-seat, historical who done it which I can guarantee will keep you glued to every page, you will be following the story while sitting at the very edge of your seat wondering what’s going to happen next.
Frederick Raif Jarrett has returned home after being wounded in the war, he was wanting a life of peace and quiet after the horrors of the war, but alas that isn’t meant to be. Instead, he becomes an agent for the Duke of Penrith, who sends him to Yorkshire to settle the affairs of the Duke’s tenants. What starts out as a simple task turns into something far more sinister, as not only has Raif found himself in the centre of a village full of deadly dealings, corruption, crime and the mysterious Tallyman who is lurking around spreading fear. On top of that, a young woman dies in mysterious circumstances Raif, as the outsider, is immediately under suspicion. Raif literally has his head on the line, if he can’t find the person who is behind this crime he male well hang for murder, but that is easier said than done as his investigation is dogged and thwarted at every turn by the town feared magistrate Mr Justice Raistrick.
The only thing that I will say against this book is that it was a slow starter, no less engaging but I would have liked the first couple of chapters to move along with a little bit more speed than it doe’s. But once Raif is in the investigation the story picks up pace. I loved the characters, the mysterious and fearsome Tallyman is like a ghost on the edges of the story which does genuinely make you get goosebumps which is tantamount to the authors writing skill. Raif is a brilliant character, there is so much more to this man than what we learn about from this and we do need more books in the series just to really delve into what kind of man Raif is. My absolute favourite has to be Duffin who is a poacher with his dog; Bob, he is a realistic, monosyllabic Yorkshireman who I instantly liked and I do hope that he will feature in books in the future.
A brilliant book, highly engaging, atmospheric and compelling it has a real edge to it that you don’t see in regencies and I loved it. From this first book, I can say without a doubt that the Raif Jarrett Regency Mystery Series is going to be a brilliant series to follow and I will be reading more from it. This is a refreshingly new story, it’s not a romance I did have hopes that Raif would have a romance with Henrietta the woman who tries to help him in the investigation, but no. This is all about the case, all about the history which I thoroughly loved and it really is highly recommended!!
This was a complimentary copy via the publisher in exchange for an honest review, thank you Caoimhe.
The Duke’s Agent is available from Amazon.
Chicks,Rogues and Scandals 
Reblogged this on Dog Eared Pages and commented:
I am unfamiliar with this author but this review makes me want to read this book.
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