This book was a trip! I’ll never pass anything Princess Diana related. It was satire but as a person who definitely wasn’t ready to see Diana go (I was actually a kid when it happened) it’s nice to think of a version of her out there somewhere living her best life. Although we know she would never abandon her sons it’s still nice to think about. I also enjoyed the fun insights on Prince Charles and William.
Definitely an entertaining read to get lost in. Excited to hear people’s thoughts and how the book is received

JB Miller, Duch, Riverdale Avenue Books, February 2025.

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with this uncorrected proof for review.

What fun, I thought, as I saw the premise for this book – Diana is living in Paris, having lost her memory but recognised as Diana by a school friend. But JB Miller has given so much more to attract a much broader audience than those who miss Diana, might like to see the British royal family exposed, or want a partisan view of the William and Kate versus Harry and Meghan stories that clutter the media.

The essential Diana is no longer her appearance, although that remains attractive at times; her fashionable dress, although the white pyjamas she wears have their place on the catwalk under her spell; or her ability to speak and be heard, although that too, is sometimes successful. It is the hugs that she bestows that have a mystical quality, somewhere Diana’s magic is intact - and possibly in this woman in her sixties who is saved from the Seine, her first words being that she is Diana.

JB Miller has woven an elegant story line with understanding of the hearts of those who miss her, those who feared or resented the public’s fascination with her while she was alive, and those for whom she became an icon after her death. Her followers, her detractors, and the royal family to which she belonged and then left behind, as well as the media feature. All are treated with humour and sensitivity, as well as being metaphorically prodded with wonderfully sharp observations.

Together, Duch and her friend Wombat, are poignant characters, contributing to a belief that this woman in her sixties with greying hair and a worn expression, together with a fleeting beguiling smile, could be Diana. But there are also intricate explanations and interpretations of her life before she was saved from the Seine. The relationship between Duch and her publicist of ‘that’s news to me’ fame provides the questioning attendant on the public’s wholehearted endorsement of Diana’s return. King Charles also has a full role, and he and their sons and daughters-in-law are portrayed with wit, and kindness as well. Camilla is quietly and covertly important, as is Camille.

This is a book to be savoured, to meditate upon, and to enjoy. As I thought, fun, but also poignant and so clever.

On the surface, this is a lighthearted speculative novel that explores the question: what if Diana survived? The story centers on Diana Inconnue, a woman fished out of the Seine with no memory, who claims to be Diana. Is her return apocryphal or legitimate? Does it even matter? People believe what they want to believe, after all.

On a deeper level, the novel asks whether we tend to project idealized images onto people and places, even when evidence contradicts our expectations. Can we force someone to live up to an identity they don’t claim? And how do we, as a society, respond when someone claims that identity for themselves?

The novel also delivers a powerful message about the ways women experience danger and exploitation, often with others dictating what they should be or do, regardless of consent or safety.

It delves into the nature of parasocial relationships, showing how, despite our belief that we "know" public figures, the public persona is often far removed from the real person, creating worship of a fictionalized version. People are complex, with beliefs, motives, and actions that defy simplistic categorization.

Finally, the book highlights the impact of platforms and the power of words. Anyone with a platform can say anything, and their words can have far-reaching consequences.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I downloaded this yesterday, sat down and read it in one go.

I adored its dark, droll, incredibly English wit; Charles is exactly how I'd imagine him to be. If you loved Brass Eye and Spitting Image, JB Miller's handling of parasocial relationships, celebrity culture and media will similarly appeal.

Thanks to NetGalley (Edelweiss) and Riverdale Avenue Books for the digital copy of this book; I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Duch was a very interesting read! When I was in high school, there was a book that came out posing the theory that Elvis was still alive; he had just faked his own death to avoid the hordes of people pestering him. Duch is that book except for now it is Princess Diana who faked her own death.

I thought of the Anna Anderson case while I was reading this book. She was a young woman who was fished out of the water somewhere in Europe in 1922 and claimed that she was Anastasia Romanov, whom everybody thought died with the rest of her family in 1918. For the rest of her life, she said she was Czar Nicholas’ daughter. The similarities of Anna’s story and Diana’s story are so similar, it’s even brought up in the story.

I really liked the different points-of-view presented in the story. First, there’s Diana, then King Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William and Prince Harry, all with a satirical bend to them. Also featured is Charles’ private secretary, a journalist, and the whole world of Diana-obsessed followers. This is black comedy, and I totally fell in love with this book.

The book works well as an indictment of the celebrity-hungry press, who have made royal watching a blood sport. I was quite amused that the main journalist in the story is named Fox, because Fox News stinks and we all know it.

I really needed a silly, sartorial book to get me out of a reading slump I feared was taking over. Even the casual royal observer would be able to follow along with the story. I would recommend this book to anyone who finds the modern media a joke, royal watchers, or anyone who enjoys dark comedy.

I think this was a very cool concept and good book!
A story following the world’s princess had she survived.
Great characters and loved the multiple povs! There were a lot of details and I loved that there was a lot of French used too!

I will also say there were some parts that seemed to drag on and be overused but overall I enjoyed it. 😊

What a bonkers book! It's absolutely hilarious in places and had me laughing out loud. It's a complete send up of the Royal Family, but I didn't find it offensive. (They might though!) I think the author is simply elaborating on things we already have wind of. We all know about the teddy bear, right?

Some members of the RF have in the past stepped into the thespian world so it's not too much of a stretch of the imagination that William might be a cockney postman in EastEnders!! Haha!!

My only slight criticism is I felt that there were parts in the middle that needed to pick up the pace, and I found the ending to be a tad rushed.

If you need a light-hearted, very funny read then this book will do the trick. I enjoyed it!

I really don't lnow what to think of this book.

Like many I loved Princess Diana and this book is very unique telling a story of 'what if Diana didn't die'

It has an 'Anatasia' kind of vibe and is a very interesting read.

Good premise, and I loved the way the real characters felt real and also a novelized version of themselves. The pacing is also very good overall, the ending goes off the rails a little bit, I think some things the author could have handled with a bit less rush but this book was a surprised that I enjoyed very much.