A reluctant duke. A widow with secrets. A murder unsolved. In a house haunted by legacy, love may be the only truth left to uncover.
A Duchess of Mystery is the third book of the Mismatched Lovers series. All of the books can be read as stand-alones.
Overview
Captain Richard Carstairs is forced to return home after years of service. His cousin, the Duke of Stourbridge, has died with no heir, so the title falls to him. He must return, marry, and provide an heir (and a spare) before he can return to his post. Oh – and he needs to figure out who murdered his cousin, could be anyone, but some think it was his wife.
Isabella Hope spent 10 years as that horrible man’s wife. She wants to be out of his oppressive shadow. It’s been months since his death with no heir claiming the title. That is, until a strange man, who looks eerily like her dead husband, maybe a bastard son, shows up in her stables. She needs to solidify her and Dora’s (the late husband’s sister) futures and forget the past.
Positives
There is quite a mystery here that was fun trying to solve before the characters. I was close. You do have to make it most of the way through to start getting some answers. So basically, you have to work for it.
There are a lot of great character arcs in this story. Not just with the main characters. Richard and Isabella, but Dora does too. Their journeys are filled with pain and self-discovery. I will admit I shed a few tears.
Negatives
I did not like Isabella for the first few chapters. She improves a lot, so give her a chance. I had to be patient with her and with solving the mystery; this is definitely a slow burn.
Recommendations
I give A Duchess of Mystery four stars. This is definitely my favorite of the series. I absolutely loved the quote, “ The mouse has saved the falcon from the wolf.”
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