No Good Duke Goes Unpunished

No Good Duke Goes Unpunished by Sarah MacLean

Twelve years ago William Harrow, Marquess of Chapin, heir to the Duke of Lamont, killed a woman.  That is what everyone believes...including him.  How else can he explain waking up in the bed of his father's missing betrothed, covered in blood, and remembering nothing?  These events led him to becoming Temple, an undefeated boxing champion and part owner of The Fallen Angel, the most exclusive gaming hell in London.  Except now it looks like his reputation as the Killer Duke was undeserved, because the supposedly dead woman just showed up at his door with an offer to exchange his reputation for her brother's lost fortune.

Mara Lowe never intended for her escape attempt to look like murder.  Unfortunately, by the time she discovered the truth, it was too late to do any good.  Now, twelve years later, she is willing to utterly ruin herself and the secret life she has been leading, in order to recover her brother's lost fortune.  Afterward she intends to simply disappear again.  But is she willing to abide by Temple's terms?  And is he willing to let her simply walk away again?

This was a very emotional book.  Layers upon layers of intrigue and complications give this story so much flavor that you can almost taste it.  That is one thing I have come to love about Sarah MacLean, she doesn't do easy.  Her stories are laced with complications and near-misses, but where as suspense novels have their twists in the plots, MacLean puts her twists in the characters themselves.  Just when you think you have a character pegged down, she throws you for a loop.

Temple is as complicated as they come.  His duty at The Angel is to manage security, but he has a "side job" that he relishes just as much.  It is this job that he is most renowned for, and this job that makes him a target for many.  He is feared by most everyone, and while he has actually come to relish and use that fear, he is still wearied by it.  He wants redemption, but has never lived the life of a respected Gentleman.

Mara is a walking contradiction.  She is remorseful of her actions, but seems to have no problem continuing on that path if it is necessary.  She fears and pities Temple in the same breath, and respects him all while trying to manipulate him.  She has good intentions behind most of her actions, but really bad execution of all of her plans.

The supporting characters in this book are superb!  The partners are once again a collective body, and this time there is a lot more emotion revealed.  The boys at the school are delightful and bring out the best in Temple.  The addition of Anna as a key character with no background adds more intrigue.  And then there is Lavender.  I won't spoil who she is, but she is definitely unforgettable.

MacLean is once again nominated for a RITA this year for this book.  Based on just a few scenes it would be safe to say she has it in the bag.  The main fight/post-fight scenes are so emotional that they are almost exhausting to read (in a good way).  And, of course, there is the delicious plot twist at the end that must have had every reader jumping up and down yelling "OMG!!!!!"

Overall, this book was spectacular, fabulous, extraordinary, and every other adjective that means "really great"!  I wish I could give it a perfect score, but as one of my standards is language I have to knock it down a bit for cursing (there is a bit, but there is also a great scene dealing with cursing, too).  Loved it any way!!!

Ratings:

(1=unacceptable, 2=poor, 3=acceptable, 4=good, 5=excellent)

Continuity/Flow – 5

Sex – 5 

Language – 4

Storyline – 5

Overall – 5