Raif Jarrett has returned from battle, and is seeking a quiet life as agent to the Duke of Penrith. So when he is sent to the Durham town of Woolbridge to settle the affairs of one of the Duke's tenants following his sudden death, the dangers of the Yorkshire countryside could not be more unexpected. Jarrett begins to uncover a network of crime and corruption but is thwarted at every turn by the town's powerful and much-feared magistrate, Mr. Justice Raistrick. When a young woman dies in tragic and mysterious circumstances, Jarrett is accused of her murder and has to fight for his life as he desperately seeks to uncover the truth. While he unravels one mystery, Raif Jarrett keeps the lid firmly closed on another.As a stranger in Woolbridge, Jarrett sets tongues wagging, but he refuses to talk about his family, especially his connection to the Duke. And why did he flee to the army - seeking almost certain death - some years previously? Even the elegant and charming Henrietta, in whom Jarrett longs to confide, cannot work out this enigmatic newcomer. Rebecca Jenkins writes with the skill of a natural-born storyteller.
The Duke's Agent is full of richly evocative descriptions, audacious plot twists and a cast of unforgettable characters: vivacious black-eyed Sal who falls prey to the sinister Tallyman; sharp-minded old Lady Catharine who is cared for by her poised and proper niece; and of course, the gallant Jarrett himself, who may yet have more in common with his amoral nemesis Raistrick than he would ever care to admit.
