The Exalted Brethren of Rack and Ruin in the novel is loosely based on the most famous of the sex clubs in Georgian England: the Hellfire Club. An early version of the club was founded in 1718 by Philip, Duke of Wharton. It seems to have started out more as a satirical club ridiculing religion. It admitted both men and women as equals, which was unusual for the time. Wharton’s club came to an end in 1721. However, in 1748, Francis Dashwood started another club, which had various names and would eventually become known as the Hellfire Club. Since then, quite a few iterations of the club have been documented, including one involving Lord Byron in the early 1800s. It was reported that the Hellfire clubs held meetings that involved orgies and sadomasochistic practices and celebrated pagan rituals dedicated to Venus and Bacchus. There were also whispers of Satanism and human sacrifice. However, those remain in the realm of rumor since a great deal of the information about the sex clubs, including Dashwood’s and Lord Byron’s, was destroyed during the Victorian era, often by somewhat horrified relatives of those involved.

Jenny

In the novel, the fictional character Jenny suffers the very real assault of non-fatal strangulation. Non-fatal suffocation or strangulation can cause delayed and long-lasting physical and neurological damage. If you or someone you know has suffered non-fatal suffocation or strangulation, please seek medical help as soon as possible.

Acknowledgments

As ever, huge thanks to my darling husband, Ron, to my friend Karen McKenzie, and to my parents, Doug and Charmaine Goodman. My wonderful stalwarts. Thanks also to Buckley, my dog, for insisting upon workplace health and safety via enforced walkie breaks and pat sessions.

I am so fortunate to have the support and talents of my fabulous agent, Jill Grinberg, and her team, who always have my back and love the Regency era as much as I do.

Thanks also to the lovely Kate Seaver, Amanda Maurer, and the team at Berkley, including talented cover designer Rita Frangie. Special thanks to Sveta Dorosheva, who created the sublime cover illustration. I am also indebted to my meticulous copy editor, Eileen G. Chetti, and to Anna Valdinger at HarperCollins Australia for her invaluable feedback and eternal enthusiasm.

Thank you also to Andrea Stringer, carriage driver and historic horse-drawn vehicle collector, who generously cast her expert eye over my horse-riding and carriage action.

Finally, my thanks always to Nicola O’Shea, who is the trusted first editor of my work.

This book was written on the lands of the Bunurong People of the Kulin Nation, and I wish to acknowledge them as Traditional Owners, and pay my respects to their Elders, past and present, and Aboriginal Elders of other communities.

Readers Guide

The Ladies Road Guide to Utter Ruin

Alison Goodman

Discussion Questions