The Right-Hand Man is a young adult historical novel by K. M. Peyton, first published in 1977. The book is set in 1818 in Essex and London, during the Georgian era. It tells the story of Ned Rowlands, a talented stagecoach driver who meets the three creatures he loves best on the same day: a horse, a woman, and the man who will become his employer, Lord Ironminster. The story details how Lord Ironminster tricks Ned Rowlands into coming to work for him as his coachman (his right-hand man), their efforts to win the wager, and the friendship that develops between them.