Loved it

This trilogy just kept getting better and better. I would never have guessed the murderer. The narrator is first class and I already dread getting a KJ Charles book read by anyone else.

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Magnificent finale

The first two books were excellent but this one beats them. We follow the twists and turns of the family succession as a murderer is on the loose. Pen & Greta Starling are trying to evade their fate the denizens of the Jack & Knave are doing their best to put things to rights all against the backdrop of Victorian London. Thrilling

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One of my absolute fave reads ever

I already adored this book, having read it digitally. It has fantastic characters, amazing mystery, drama that’s juicy but balanced by the central characters loving and supporting each other.

I am obsessed with Pen’s gender rep and Mark’s attraction, both of which were so very relatable to me and which I have very rarely seen in media. I love their relationship and inside jokes, I love Pen’s relationship with Greta, and the writing is fantastic and fun and earthy and fascinating.

So now that I’m into audiobooks I was thrilled to find the audio performance completely worthy of the story. I’m so grateful to the narrator for doing this story justice and making it easy to get swept away. Would really recommend this one, but it’s best read in series order because of the central mystery!

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Enjoyable conclusion

This was a very satisfactory conclusion to the series; it felt a bit different to the earlier books, as it focuses more on the characters than the plot, now that one of the main mysteries surrounding the Dukedom has been cleared up, but it was done really well and in keeping with the setting. The narrator did occasionally make Mark sound like a stereotypical 'dirty old man', which could be a bit off-putting, but overall the performance was very enjoyable, and fitted well with the setting of the book..

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Good story

The concept is interesting and well written. The characters are likeable and the narration is good.

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London in the round

If you read the novels of Wilkie Collins (or even Dickens), you'd be forgiven for thinking Victorian London was populated entirely by 'normal' (ie white, cis-het) people. KJ Charles bursts that illusion without fuss or fanfare in this series. It is one of many elements that holds a reader's attention.

In this third book, characters win out over plot. The whodunnit and accompanying machinations are entertaining but it's the people that grab you. To have two queer principal characters is marvellous. Maybe Victorian times lacked the vocabulary to describe queerness. It still existed though, with individuals having to navigate their needs and how to fit into wider society.

Reading both this series and The Society of Gentlemen make me want to explore this world more. Entertainment and education, romance, a little grit, and plenty of sexiness - what more could you want?

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characters to fall for

great story line with good twists and easily to love characters. brilliant narration and accents too

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Being a Lord is dangerous

Life of a Lord is not always good especially when someone is out to kill you and take title and the best way is out. Enjoy the fun.

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Excellent all round

A quirky mystery laced with gay sex masterfully narrated. I loved the characters and their eccentricities.

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Loved it

Thank you so much for writing a book with a non-binary/ genderfluid main character. It means a lot.

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