Review of Katherine Bone's The Pirate's Duchess

The Pirate's Duchess by Katherine Bone

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


A suicide in 1806, a vow to his father, and an assassin’s attempt on his own life in 1807 compel Tobias Denzell, the sixth Duke of Blackmoor, to abandon his beloved wife Prudence and assume a false identity. The Black Regent, a notorious smuggler and pirate, allows him to protect his wife, assist those who have suffered devastating losses at the hands of a greedy swindler, and help out-of-work miners in Exeter, England. His sole aim is to bring about the downfall of the Marquess of Underwood, a curmudgeon obsessed with wealth who will do whatever is necessary to acquire others’ inheritances.

For two years Tobias attacks Underwood’s ships until he is on the verge of bankruptcy. But then his wife decides to marry Underwood’s son and shows her future father-in-law a survey map of the Blackmoor estate. It shows the location of a rich vein of copper – a fact that puts Prudence in grave danger. Once Underwood gets his hands on her dowry, her worth will be nil. The only way to save her life is for Tobias to come back from the dead, but she may never forgive him for betraying their love. Not to mention that his sudden reappearance will endanger his life since Underwood will assuredly attempt to murder him again, and someone may connect him to the Black Regent, which will earn him the hangman’s noose. The lynchpin in his plan to finally bring about his nemesis’s downfall and keep Prudence safe requires the help of Underwood’s son, but Tobias is no longer certain he can trust his longtime friend.

It’s taken two long years for Prudence Blackmore to shelve the memories of the horrible night when her husband died, but with the Earl of Marwick’s help, she is finally ready to move on with her life. She’s no longer the timid widow, but a strong woman who can stand on her own feet and take whatever life brings. Although still in love with Tobias, a dead man can’t give her the companionship and family she desires, so she accepts the earl’s proposal. Standing at the church altar, she’s unprepared for her husband’s resurrection. Anger and hurt play tug of war with her heart, and the winner is by no means a certainty.

This historical romance novella is the first volume in a new series, Regent’s Revenge. Bone’s imagery is vivid and readily transports readers back to the 19th century, and her characters are memorably drawn. It’s a short, fast-paced read with only a small portion of it taking place on a ship, but it adeptly sets the stage for future adventures.




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