Genre: Historical, Romance
LGBTQ+ Category: Gay
Reviewer: Linda, Paranormal Romance Guild
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About The Book
For Dominick and Alfie, it feels like they’ve only just settled into life at Balcarres House when an urgent letter from an old friend has them racing back to London. However, they’re not returning to Alfie’s swirling ton of money and nobility, but to the dark underside of the city that Dominick knows all too well.
In a desperate race against time, they’ll have to walk streets that Alfie barely remembers and Dominick hoped to forget. Their return brings up terrors better left in the past and for one of them, the strain may be too much to bear.
Under the shadow of the workhouse, they’ll have to act quickly to stop a killer or the lives lost may be their own.
His Lordship’s Return is the third novel in the His Lordship’s Mysteries series.
The Review
This was the first book in the series that I read, and happily it was a wonderful read that I absolutely loved. I know that I probably missed a lot by not having read book one and two, but the author kept me updated as to what happened previously.
Dominick (Nick) and Alfie have settled into life at Balcarres House in Scotland, and everything is good, other than the food made by the housemaid they recruited to take over the kitchen. Alfie’s own housekeeper and amazing cook, Mrs. Hirkin remains in London. A letter from Mrs. Hirkin informing Alfie that her husband is very ill is the only thing that could bring Alfie and Nick back to London – a place filled with bad memories for both of them. Mrs. Hirkin was like a mother to Alfie, so he is determined to find a good doctor to treat her husband.
Unfortunately, by the time they arrive in London, Mr. Hirkin has died. Alfie is filled with guilt, blaming himself for not doing more.
Alfie and Nick never expected to get involved with murders, or to have to relive their past. Arriving at Mrs. Hirkin’s home, they accompany her to her husband’s funeral, along with their granddaughter Agnes, who is pregnant out of wedlock. Once back home, they find Agnes’s fiancé Larry dead.
Determined to discover who murdered Larry, to give both Agnes and Mrs. Hirkin closure, means returning to the place where Nick was known as Nick Tripper, a bare-knuckle-boxer and prostitute, far from the distinguished gentleman now known as Dominick Trent.
To find the killer, Nick goes back to his old haunts, and the memories from that past life are very painful. Although Alfie grew up with Nick in the same workhouse, Dominick gace his opportunity of being adopted by an Earl to Alfie, saving him from the life Nick had to live. Nick has little difficulty fitting in with those from his past, and discovers the existence of the “Box Club” where men and women are paying dues and are guaranteed burial with the other members of the club attending, which is mandatory.
Larry’s not the only one who was murdered – apparently there are many more, and they all lead back to the Box Club. Alfie follows Nick into danger rather than be left behind worrying, and that danger is very real. Their search for the killer could lead to their own deaths.
Of course, I was trying to figure out who the killer was throughout the story, but I was not even close.
I loved this book, and Alfie and Dominick too, and although I didn’t read the first two, I am happy I found this series and look forward to reading more.
Five stars.
The Reviewer
I am an avid reader the mother of 3 sons and grandmother to seven grandchildren. Since retiring I have been doing more reading while volunteering as a CASA worker. CASA is an organization that works with the family court system to ensure that children are in the best living situation. There are way too many children that get overlooked in the foster care system and I visit homes and make visits to the parents. I was born and raised in New York and my husband of 50 years and I live in Upstate New York.
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