THE DEAD DUKE, HIS SECRET WIFE, AND THE MISSING CORPSE : AN EXTRAORDINARY EDWARDIAN CASE OF DECEPTION AND INTRIGUE
by Piu Marie Eatwell

You would think that just by the title, this book would be very intriguing and a great mystery. Well, it starts out that way. The first half definitely keeps your interest. Not the second half, though. The story is about this enormously wealthy 5th Duke of Portland who may or may not have had an alter ego by the name of T. C. Druce. Supposedly, Druce had died in 1864, but twenty-four years later, his elderly widow came to the British court requesting that Druce's coffin be exhumed. She was sure that it would be empty (the death was faked) and then her son could inherit the huge estate.
Edwardian tales, especially if they're true, can be really riveting. Not so in this case. There's a plethora of names that are hard to keep track of and some have no business being here in the first place and you get to a point where you really don't care. There's major editing problems here, plus it's badly in need of a proofreader. Many words are missing and on page 298, we are left hanging by a sentence that doesn't end.
It's really too bad that this book was not better written.
Not recommended.