The Debonair Duke

There are few surprises in the novels of Emily Hendrickson. However, if you're looking for solid craftsmanship in writing and plotting plus engaging characters, her books will not disappoint. Robert Musgrave, the Duke of Wexford, has earned the reputation as a detective duke, so when a mysterious parcel is sent to the very proper Lady Pamela Taylor, daughter of the Earl of Gresham, she naturally turns to the Duke for assistance in solving the puzzle. Who is the real Lady Pamela for whom the expensive necklace of sapphires and diamonds was intended? Even this seemingly simple task is bound by the tightness of Society's conventions, and despite her well-earned reputation for propriety, Lady Pamela must engage in a certain amount of subterfuge. Fortunately, the duke has a good friend, Sir Cecil Radcliffe, whose wife is the slightly conniving Lady Anne. She and Pamela soon become good friends, although Anne's ultimate goal is a bit of matchmaking. During the course of the search, the gentle Pamela finds herself besieged by suitors-- the dashing Russian, Prince Radinski, the suave Frenchman, Comte Reynaud, and the intriguing Englishman, Lord Raeburn, not to mention the Duke, hitherto not known as an advocate of marriage--except, of course, for others!There is a wonderful scene of a waltzing party thrown by Lady Anne to acquaint her friends with this new dance, certain to become a sensation. The description of just why the waltz was considered so shocking is spot-on!