The Duke in the Suburbs

"The Duke in the Suburbs" by Edgar Wallace is a story set in the early 1900s. It tells of the Duke de Montvillier, an American nobleman with a shadowed history, and his pal Hank as they settle into a quiet London suburb called Kymott Crescent. Their arrival shakes up the peaceful suburban life, creating funny situations and interactions with the odd neighbors, especially the interesting Miss Alicia Terrill. The story starts with people gossiping about the new people at number 64, who turn out to be the Duke and Hank. These two, who don't dress like everyone else, make the neighbors curious, especially a young boy named Willie Outram. As the story goes on, we meet all sorts of local characters and get hints of problems to come as they push their ideas of what is normal. The Duke meets Alicia, and she starts to like him, even though she was mad at him at first because of something that happened to her cat. This sets up a mix of love and humor, as well as looks at class, identity, and the weirdness of living in the suburbs