Allison Montclair

verbal-humor, snarky, series, surprises, post-WW2, London, mental-health-issues, mystery, historical-fiction, cozy-mystery, the-mob, local-law-enforcement, ex-spy, revenge, relationships, relatives, unpleasant-in-laws, unpleasant-relative, class-consciousness, gangsters, matchmaking*****

The owners of the Right Sort Marriage Bureau are Duchess Gwen Bainbridge who has been cleared by the Lunacy Court in spite of her deceased husband's relatives, and Iris Sparks who is a former operative for a secret wartime agency and has a mobster boyfriend. They want to have a New Year's Eve party but are having trouble finding a location to use. When Iris's boyfriend finds one, it needs some fast refurbishing. Things go pear shaped when boyfriend gets shot and a skeleton comes out of the wall. Now things REALLY get exciting! There is no shortage of intriguing characters in this VERY twisty plot! What fun!
I requested and received an EARC from St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books via NetGalley. Thank you!
#SparksAndBainbridgeMysteriesBk6… (plus d'informations)

I am deliriously happy to have stumbled upon this series -- I needed a solid new mystery to enjoy, with sparkling repartee, delicious characters, and an interesting setting (London, post WWII). Both women at the heart of this series are fierce, intelligent, desperately funny, and people I want to spend more time with. The mystery is solid and interesting. The setting is beautifully explored, and I had no idea that late 40's-early 50's is a timeframe that I deeply enjoy, but that seems to be the case. I can't wait to see how this develops.… (plus d'informations)

Iris Sparks and Gwen Bainbridge are the owners of The Right Sort Marriage Bureau operating in London in 1946. Since the new year is approaching, they decide to host a New Year's Eve party for all of their clients. However, finding a venue isn't easy until Iris's beau Archie Spelling tells them that he has purchased and is renovating a club.

Archie and Iris's relationship is deepening. He has asked her to his nephew's wedding which will entail meeting his family. And she has asked him to dinner with her mother who is an MP and with whom Iris has a difficult relationship. Archie's criminal past - and present - makes the relationship that is growing between them a bit problematic.

When they inspect the club to see if it will be suitable for the party, Gwen encounters a man she met and was attracted to on an earlier case. Then, she didn't feel that she had enough control of her life to begin dating again. Now, he's the one who's engaged. Just as they are exchanging some words, a wall Des is demolishing falls and reveals a body. Unfortunately, the body was not a victim of the Blitz but was stabbed to death and walled up more than twenty years earlier. And Iris's ex from Scotland Yard is on the case which creates a lot of tension for Iris.

Meanwhile, Gwen, who has regained control of her financial life but not yet custody of her young son, is house hunting and dipping her toes back into the dating pool. She has dated their friend Sally a few times, but nothing has clicked for her. The man who was her Friend in her court battle for her competence wants to date her. And she meets a pool shark at Archie's who looks to be someone she can have fun with except for his hidden agenda.

When Archie is shot at his nephew's wedding and almost dies, Iris and Gwen are determined to find out who wants him dead and why they do. They both believe that the shooting is because of the discovered body and the secrets around it, though Iris's ex and the detective assigned to Archie's shooting aren't so sure. Their investigations find a long-hidden enemy deep in Archie's organization.

I really enjoyed this story. Gwen's surprising talent for Snooker was a revelation. Her ability to read truth from lies when she is meeting with people had a number of uses in this episode. I also liked Iris's relationship with Archie which really tested Iris's limits.

The ending makes me really want to read the next book in this series which I hope is coming soon.… (plus d'informations)