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The Duke Decides
A classic tale of suspense and romance by Hill.
159 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 19, 2022
I came across this author mentioned in another book and decided to give him a go.
The central character of The Duke Decides is Charles Hanbury who is down on his luck and has been posted off to the new country - United States as his friends and relatives are tired of bailing him out of trouble.
Injured on the ship out, and with no money to speak of, he takes up a low-paying job in a dry-goods store. One day he is approached by a mysterious man who persuades him to go back to England, steal bonds and earn a moderate fortune in the process.
With little to lose, and everything to gain, Charles agrees. And this is when everything changes for him. He soon realizes that the relatives he left behind have passed away, and he is now the new Duke of Beaumanoir.
Suddenly from a man without a purpose, the weight of his lineage and past weighs upon him. Any action he takes would bring shame on the honored name he now holds. His family name and pride is now at stake.
But what can he do? He has already committed himself to the fraud.
On the way back to England by ship, he meets Leonie Sherman who captures his heart. But alas, it his her father from whom he needs to steal the bonds! Talk about a small world...
He tries to get out of his commitment, but the criminal gang he met with is ruthless. He must either do as he promised or die...
Does Charles manage to keep the good name of his family? Will the black sheep of the family change colors? Does the criminal gang succeed in their endeavor? Does Charles get the girl? The rest of the book deals with these questions.
The prose is common for books written in this era and a little verbose. There is a lot of descriptions about the locations, but not enough about what characters are doing. They mysteriously appear, disappear, and do things which aren't explained immediately. They don't even explain themselves to other people in the book who are helping them. All elucidation is left to the last few pages.
The thriller component is a bit too stirring with about half a dozen unsuccessful murder attempts.
There is also a lot of 'British' sentiment woven in, about how they are courageous, and 'white' and what great work they did in India and so on, which I found annoying.
The final resolution is interesting though and I liked the novelty of how the criminal gang is organized and led.
If you enjoy reading classic British thrillers and don't mind the verbosity, here is a thriller to enjoy. 3.5 stars.
The central character of The Duke Decides is Charles Hanbury who is down on his luck and has been posted off to the new country - United States as his friends and relatives are tired of bailing him out of trouble.
Injured on the ship out, and with no money to speak of, he takes up a low-paying job in a dry-goods store. One day he is approached by a mysterious man who persuades him to go back to England, steal bonds and earn a moderate fortune in the process.
With little to lose, and everything to gain, Charles agrees. And this is when everything changes for him. He soon realizes that the relatives he left behind have passed away, and he is now the new Duke of Beaumanoir.
Suddenly from a man without a purpose, the weight of his lineage and past weighs upon him. Any action he takes would bring shame on the honored name he now holds. His family name and pride is now at stake.
But what can he do? He has already committed himself to the fraud.
On the way back to England by ship, he meets Leonie Sherman who captures his heart. But alas, it his her father from whom he needs to steal the bonds! Talk about a small world...
He tries to get out of his commitment, but the criminal gang he met with is ruthless. He must either do as he promised or die...
Does Charles manage to keep the good name of his family? Will the black sheep of the family change colors? Does the criminal gang succeed in their endeavor? Does Charles get the girl? The rest of the book deals with these questions.
The prose is common for books written in this era and a little verbose. There is a lot of descriptions about the locations, but not enough about what characters are doing. They mysteriously appear, disappear, and do things which aren't explained immediately. They don't even explain themselves to other people in the book who are helping them. All elucidation is left to the last few pages.
The thriller component is a bit too stirring with about half a dozen unsuccessful murder attempts.
There is also a lot of 'British' sentiment woven in, about how they are courageous, and 'white' and what great work they did in India and so on, which I found annoying.
The final resolution is interesting though and I liked the novelty of how the criminal gang is organized and led.
If you enjoy reading classic British thrillers and don't mind the verbosity, here is a thriller to enjoy. 3.5 stars.
October 17, 2020
In this Edwardian novel of suspense, Charles Hanbury, a down-on-his-luck Englishman working as a clerk in an American shop, is approached by a criminal gang. Desperately wanting the money to return to England, Hanbury agrees to be part of their plan. When he later regrets his decision, his life is threatened and his friends band together in an attempt to rescue him from his folly.
The Duke Decides, though light reading, was thoroughly entertaining from start to finish, with likable characters and enough suspense to pull the reader into the story. While the prose was average, the style was engaging and the plot was intriguing. I'm disappointed that so few of Hill's books are available now.
The Duke Decides, though light reading, was thoroughly entertaining from start to finish, with likable characters and enough suspense to pull the reader into the story. While the prose was average, the style was engaging and the plot was intriguing. I'm disappointed that so few of Hill's books are available now.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews