Murder at the White Palace by Allison Montclair

June 18, 2024

Murder at the White Palace by Allison Montclair

It's December 1946, and The Right Sort marriage bureau is celebrating peace and its first holiday season with a New Year's Eve ball. They have a growing client list, and they are in the black financially. The only problem is, all of the venues that they contact are already booked. So they turn to Iris's gangster boyfriend Archie for help, since he always has just the place or a guy with the right connections. But during renovations of an old dance hall, a body is found in the wall of a basement storage area, thought at first to be someone trapped during the Blitz. The truth turns out to be far more complicated (just like the girls' personal lives).

Entertaining historical mystery, #6 in the series featuring former spy Iris Sparks and widowed socialite Gwen Bainbridge. A satisfying plot that includes plenty of snarky dialogue and interesting side characters. We are left with a cliffhanger regarding Iris and Archie's romance. At least Gwen doesn't cry as much in this one. Read the series in order from the beginning. Recommended for readers who enjoy historical mysteries, particularly those set after World War II.

Many thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

New Year's Eve at a London ballroom circa 1940s

The Lady from Burma by Allison Montclair

December 29, 2023

The Lady from Burma by Allison Montclair

Iris Sparks and Gwen Bainbridge operate The Right Sort Marriage Bureau. While they have their share of unusual clients, their most recent client is one of the strangest. She is terminally ill, and she wants Sparks and Bainbridge to find a wife for her husband, so that he won't be alone after she dies. But then their client is found dead in a wooded area. Suicide or murder?

The fifth mystery in the Sparks & Bainbridge series. The mystery is clever, but I have to say, I find Gwen and her crying and her ongoing tribulations, to be rather boring, and I wish the author would write her out of the series. I tend to skim over the parts about Gwen and the lunacy court, her interactions with her nasty in-laws, her unethical lawyers, the greedy board members at her late husband's company, etc. Everybody is out to get Gwen. Iris Sparks is a lot more interesting. 3 stars because of Gwen's constant weeping.

Coleoptera (beetle), which plays a part in the story

The Unkept Woman by Allison Montclair

September 27, 2023

The Unkept Woman by Allison Montclair

Miss Iris Sparks and Mrs. Gwen Bainbridge are co-owners of The Right Sort Marriage Bureau. Following the end of World War II, many people are alone and adrift, and the two women have a talent for matching people up. But Gwen still struggles to retain guardianship of her son, and Iris' undercover activities during the war are catching up with her. When a woman is found shot to death in Iris' apartment, Iris finds herself at the top of the suspect list.

The fourth adventure for Sparks and Bainbridge, this one centered on Iris (who I personally feel is a lot more interesting and doesn't cry nearly as much as Gwen). We do learn more about Gwen's troubles, but there is very little about the agency and their clients. The ending indicates that there will be continuing adventures. I would recommend reading the series in order.

A Rogue's Company by Allison Montclair

August 4, 2021

A Rogue's Company by Allison Montclair

The Right Sort Marriage Bureau is flourishing, with new clients, new offices, and a new secretary. Proprieters Iris Sparks and Gwendolyn Bainbridge are slowly starting to get their heads above water. But Gwen's life is disrupted when her father-in-law returns from Africa with his own plans for her son, including boarding school. At the same time, a new client with his own agenda signs on with the company. A murder and a kidnapping force Iris and Gwen to seek help from friends of Iris' underworld boyfriend.

This is Sparks and Bainbridge #3. It's an entertaining mystery series set right after World War II. The peripheral characters are highly entertaining. Gwen is kind of irritating and wishy-washy but she's getting better.

A Royal Affair by Allison Montclair

May 1, 2020

 A Royal Affair by Allison Montclair

The Right Sort Marriage Bureau is enjoying a modest success resulting from the publicity when proprietors Iris Sparks and Gwen Bainbridge solved the murder of one of their clients.  But they are completely unprepared for one of their new clients:  Princess Elizabeth has her heart set on marrying a Greek prince, and the Palace wants Sparks and Bainbridge to look into some questionable rumors involving the prince's family.

If you have been watching The Crown on Netflix (and if you haven't, I strongly suggest that you do), you'll know from the first season that Prince Philip of Greece wasn't everybody's first choice to marry the heir to the British throne.  But Princess Elizabeth was a headstrong young woman who had her heart set on Philip from the time she was 13.  The plot of this historical mystery centers around a rumor that Philip's mother Princess Alice had an affair and that Philip was not the son of her husband Prince Andrea of Greece.

Unfortunately the murder doesn't happen until about halfway through the novel, and the victim is an unknown character who plays no part in the story.  So the mystery is pretty uninteresting.  It was nice to revisit some of the quirkier characters from the first book in the series (like Sally and Archie).  Gwen doesn't cry as much as she did in the first book (although she still does a fair amount of crying) and Iris has a visit with a psychiatrist, but I would have liked to see more character development.  It was a quick read and provided some escapism during the pandemic.

Many thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an e-ARC in exchange for a review.  A Royal Affair will be published in late June 2020.