The Second Duchess was another book I picked up on the recommendation of a friend. However, I am a big fan of historical fiction so this was right up my alley. I am also fairly critical of it, because the historical aspect of a novel is so important. They don't have to be 100% accurate, because it is fiction after all, but it at least has to have the aspect of "this could have happened.
I found The Second Duchess to be just the kind of historical fiction I loved. The clothes and the hair were described so I felt like I was in the same room with the characters. I absolutely loved Barbara, the heroine, she was tough and she didn't let anyone stand in the way of getting the answers she wanted about the Duke's first wife, who died under mysterious circumstances. Barbara was also fiercely loyal to those closest to her, and she did all that she could to keep them out of harm's way.
I also liked the writing style of The Second Duchess, because it was told in the first person, so I really got to follow Barbara's thought process throughout the entire novel. Also, at the end of each chapter, the first wife was watching from the in-between and she got to have her say as well. It really helped to piece all of this mystery together.
The Second Duchess was a historical mystery that kept me guessing until the end. I thought it was well-written with characters that I both loved and hated. I have to say, also, that the end was unexpected, which I loved. So often with these types of books I have in pinpointed from the very first chapter who the "bad guy" is, but in this case every character has their own good and bad qualities and I could have seen any one of them doing the murder.
All in all, this book was well worth the read.
4.5 out of 5 stars.
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