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>Turkish</option><option ... >Ukrainian</option><option ... >Urdu</option><option ... >Uzbek</option><option ... >Vietnamese</option><option ... >Welsh</option><option ... >Xhosa</option><option ... >Yiddish</option><option ... >Yoruba</option><option ... >Zulu</option></select> | | | | | |
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jacey
This is set in Regency England, 1818. The hero of this book is Ned Rowlands, a fine coachman and a genuinely decent chap who is finessed out of his job driving the stage and thus becomes coachman for Lord August Ironminster, who has seen something special in Ned and wants him as his right hand man - both literally and figuratively. The charismatic Ironminster was an excellent (if occasionally reckless) four-in-hand driver who lived for his horses until he lost his arm in an accident. He uses an underhand scheme to get Ned fired from his old job in order to employ him. (When Ned finds out about this he inexplicably forgives Ironminster for the manipulation.) Ironminster is dying of consumption, but he's not about to let that stop him from winning a high-stakes race against his cousin. Ned gets involved in Ironminster's hair-raising and hare-brained schemes which have fatal consequences and land Ned in Newgate (not a spoiler because it starts with Ned in prison, looking back on what led him there). Ms Peyton's knowledge of carriages and driving is extremely well researched, or maybe she has first hand experience. You certainly feel that you know what it's like to drive a mismatched, high spirited team on a public road with potholes up to the axles. I'm familiar with (and a fan of) Ms Peyton's Flambards books and her Pennington books, but this was a title I hadn't come across before. I'm glad I found it.
