Review: The Duke at Hazard

The Duke at Hazard by K.J. Charles
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Vernon Fortescue Cassian George de Vere Crosse, the fourth Duke of Severn is a quiet unassuming gentleman. After his father's death when he was just six the Duke was brought up by his uncle. His uncle has always impressed on the Duke his obligations to the title and his dependants, whilst also impressing upon others how important the Duke is. As a result the Duke has been both cosseted and constrained by what is expected of him. When an anonymous encounter leads to him being robbed in his sleep of clothes, cash, and the Ducal Severn ring he knows he must recover it before his uncle discovers it is missing, what symbolises the Duke of Severn more than his ring?

When his cousins mock him at dinner for being unable to fend for himself, they enter into a bet, the Duke will live incognito, travelling alone as an ordinary gentleman by stagecoach instead of hiring a private carriage, carrying his own bags, for a month. At first the Duke makes a complete hash of things, he doesn't know how to order himself dinner at an inn, or request a room, he drops his clothes on the floor expecting a valet to pick them up and clean them, he doesn't know how to book a seat on a stagecoach. Then he encounters a man he knew vaguely at Eton who was disgraced when his father lost all their money gambling and killed a man before escaping abroad. The Duke knows this man, Daizell Charnage, is considered disgraced, tarred by the same brush, but he is clearly living on his wits, so in an impetuous moment the Duke begs for his help in finding the thief and his ring, introducing himself as plain Mr Cassian. Daizell can't believe his luck, this man will pay him £50 for a week's travelling (including food and board) which will keep him afloat for months if he is careful and leave him less reliant on the hospitality of friends and the small sums he can earn from cutting out paper silhouettes of people.

Together they career around the English countryside looking for a nondescript man who most certainly gave a false name. Travelling incognito forces the Duke to suffer various slights and indignities, a stagecoach crash, sharing a bed with Daizell. The pair also get embroiled with a runaway heiress and her reluctant swain, a vindictive guardian, and a corrupt magistrate.

I can give no higher accolade than to say it reminds me strongly of Georgette Heyer's writing, if she had written open door LGBTQIA+ romances. Some elements are similar to The Foundling in which the Most Noble Adolphus Gillespie Vernon Ware, seventh Duke of Sale travels incognito under the name of Rufford to retrieve some letters for a relative.

Anyway, gentler than the characters in the Doomsday Books series, Cass is more like Jeremy KIte in Death in the Spires in terms of our romantic MMC.

Thoroughly enjoyed this, as I have all books by KJ Charles.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.



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