An Unsuitable Duchess
London, 1740: Elegant drawing rooms. Dens of vice. A scientifically-minded young lady. A cynical duke. What could possibly go wrong?
After her guardian’s death, Anne Sinclair comes to Town seeking an interesting gentleman to marry. With only a competence, she means to find a man with broad interests, rather than broad estates. But why did her late guardian think it might be difficult for her to make a match? She intends to find out, only to discover that London can be dangerous for a young lady with a hidden enemy.
Lord John Anniscote unexpectedly inherits inherits the title and responsibilities of his dissolute brother, the Duke of Guysbridge, including houses, servants, tenants, and the need to provide himself with an heir. Formerly poor, cynical, and carefree, he finds himself hunted by marriage-minded females. When a plot against a young lady up from the country touches his honor, the new duke takes a hand to safeguard her reputation and repair his own.
About Kathleen Buckley (Albuquerque, New Mexico Author)
As soon as I learned to read, I wanted to write. It’s been a long, long road. In the 1990s, I sold two stories to Robert Bloch (of Psycho movie fame) for Psycho Paths and Monsters in Our Midst. In 2013 I self-published a coming-of-age novel, Getting By. As far as I can tell, nobody’s ever read it—not even the free sample—certainly no one’s bought it. You would think this might be depressing, and there have been years-long stretches when I wrote nothing but chatty letters and an occasional letter to the editor (the kind beginning, “I view with alarm …”). But the writing fits always re-surfaced, rather like malaria.
An Unsuitable Duchess germinated after I’d been re-reading Georgette Heyer’s delightful romances and contemplating the fact that there would never be any more, Ms. Heyer having died in the 1970s. I wondered if I could write a similar novel—accurate background, humor, romance, interesting characters. While An Unsuitable Duchess didn’t really resemble Heyer’s books, I thought it was worth trying to find a publisher. And here we are.
I worked the assortment of jobs typical of writers (customer service in a hospital billing department, light bookkeeping in a commercial print shop, paralegal, security officer). In 2008, I moved from Seattle, Washington to Albuquerque, New Mexico.
