The Duke of Lies by Darcy Burke

Narrated by Marian Hussey

I’ve read and/or listened to a number of the books in Darcy Burke’s The Untouchables series and generally enjoyed them, but what attracted me specifically to The Duke of Lies was the fact that the premise is reminiscent of one of my favourite films, The Return of Martin Guerre. Set in medieval France, a man returns to his village – and his wife – after a long absence and is welcomed and accepted by all… until doubts begin to creep in as to whether he really is who he says he is. (The film was remade in the 1990s as Sommersby, and the setting shifted to the American Civil War).

In The Duke of Lies, the returning character is Rufus Beaumont, Duke of Blackburn, who has been absent for six-and-a-half years after disappearing without explanation during a visit to London. His wife, Verity, is not exactly heart-broken at her husband’s continued absence; he was a thoroughly unpleasant, boorish man who routinely ill-treated her and humiliated her, and she was actually relieved at the news of his sudden disappearance. At the beginning of the book, she is visiting an old retainer, the former steward of Beaumont Tower (Blackburn’s seat in the north of England), with her young son, Beau, whom she hadn’t known she was expecting until after she learned her husband had vanished without a trace. She has become concerned of late with the behaviour of the current steward – a man who was appointed by her interfering father – and has decided it’s time to do something about it and plans to dismiss him. Feeling lighter now that she’s made the decision, she returns home only to have her peace and happiness shattered by a completely unexpected – and unwelcome – arrival. Rufus.

It’s hard to say much more about the plot without spoilers, even though listeners are made privy to the answer to the question “is it really the duke?” in the third chapter. Rufus explains that he was kidnapped and impressed and has spent the last six-and-a-half years at sea – which Verity can accept as the reason for the changes to his physique; what is harder for her to fathom is why he is charming, kind, considerate and caring, things he never was before. She understands that being at war has no doubt wrought changes upon him and is prepared to give him at least the benefit of the doubt; but there’s no question that she’s unsettled and looking for the least sign that the Rufus she married is still inside somewhere.

Roughly the first two-thirds of the novel is spent on building the principal relationships in the story – between Rufus and Verity and Rufus and Beau, the son he never knew existed. Verity is cautious and doesn’t jump to conclusions, but she recognises that Rufus – or whoever he is – is (or has become) a respectable, honourable man who is slowly winning her trust – and that she is strongly attracted to him. If this man is her husband, then perhaps he really HAS changed for the better; and if not, well, he’s clearly going to make Beau a much better father and role model, and be a much better employer and landlord than Rufus ever showed signs of being, so… would it be such a bad thing if she were to accept him into her life – and her bed?

The “is he?/isn’t he?” plotline comes into play in a larger way in the final third, where we discover the truth behind the duke’s disappearance and Rufus uncovers some nasty, long-kept secrets. Verity realises that she has been horribly deceived and betrayed by someone close to her, and she and Rufus must stand together if they’re to secure their future happiness.

Ms. Burke creates a believable romantic relationship between the two principals, allowing their mutual attraction to develop slowly as Rufus wins Verity’s trust by word and deed, showing himself to be a decent, responsible man who genuinely cares about his lands and those who depend on him for their livelihoods. She builds a strong father-son relationship between Rufus and Beau and brings Rufus to the gradual realisation that at Blackburn – in Verity and Beau – he has found everything he never knew he wanted or needed. The last third of the novel is dedicated to the uncovering of murder, extortion and blackmail, but it feels rushed, which has the effect of making the novel as a whole feel unbalanced. And even though this part of the story is faster paced and more eventful, there seems not to be enough story to fill it, and it’s padded out with a number of sex scenes, at least two of which – while well-written and well-performed – feel superfluous. I was pleased with the time taken to develop the romance, but disappointed that everything after that felt like a rush to the finish line.

Marian Hussey has narrated all the books in this series, and her lovely voice and accomplished, confident performances have been a real highlight of those I’ve listened to so far. Her pacing is excellent, and she differentiates effectively between a relatively small cast of characters, employing a few regional accents where appropriate and providing clear distinctions between characters of different gender, age and station. I imagine portraying young children isn’t always an easy thing to do, but Ms. Hussey does a great job with young Beau; he doesn’t necessarily sound exactly like a six-year-old boy, but she conveys his enthusiasm and energy by means of a brightness of tone that suits him and serves to distinguish him from other characters. Verity’s father sounds suitably menacing and unpleasant, and both principals are convincingly portrayed by the use of subtle changes in tone, timbre and pitch. Ms. Hussey delivers another excellent performance that added considerably to my enjoyment of the audiobook, and The Duke of Lies earns a recommendation overall.

Caz