“A delightful immersion in the period and personalities, with that touch of depth that transforms a good series to a great one.” –Laurie R. KingFirst comes love, then comes murder.In a London slowly recovering from World War II, two very different women join forces to launch a business venture in the heart of Mayfair–The Right Sort Marriage Bureau. Miss Iris Sparks, quick-witted and impulsive, … Bureau. Miss Iris Sparks, quick-witted and impulsive, and Mrs. Gwendolyn Bainbridge, practical and widowed with a young son, are determined to achieve some independence and do some good in a rapidly changing world.
But the promising start to their marriage bureau is threatened when their newest client, Tillie La Salle, is found murdered and the man arrested for the crime is the prospective husband they matched her with. While the police are convinced they have their man, Miss Sparks and Mrs. Bainbridge are not. To clear his name–and to rescue their fledging operation’s reputation–Sparks and Bainbridge decide to investigate on their own, using the skills and contacts they’ve each acquired through life and their individual adventures during the recent war.
Little do they know that this will put their very lives at risk.
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Nick & Nora Charles kind of repartee. Quick moving.
I really enjoyed this book. These women are witty and independent. It’s a fascinating way that their dating service works. These women made me laugh out loud with some of their quip. It’s easy to read and relaxing even though it does have a mystery element.
An intriguing premise of two women opening a marriage bureau in the aftermath of WWII. The war has left a greatly reduced number of available men for marriage and both men and women are looking for help finding a partner.
This is a great setting for a mystery and accompanying troubles and the author takes good advantage of it.
Well developed lead characters and a puzzling mystery.
I received an advanced copy of this book. This is the first book in a new series. It is set right after WWII. Miss Iris Sparks and Mrs. Gwendolyn Bainbridge get together and set up a marriage bureau. They have a knack for setting up people, so they decide to do it professionally. Unfortunately, one couple they set up have a problem. The woman gets murdered, and the man is accused of the murder! The police don’t believe them that he didn’t do it, so they set out to prove it themselves! This is a new twist on the murder mystery novel, and a great one. I highly recommend it!
The Right Sort of Man is the right sort of book! I loved every minute of this delightful adventure with two thoroughly modern women fighting for a place in a rapidly changing world. Can’t wait for the next installment!
The Right Sort of Man by Allison Montclair is a wonder period mystery, which takes place shortly after World War II in London. Tillie La Salle is visiting the Right Sort of Marriage Bureau run by Miss Iris Sparks and Mrs. Gwendolyn Bainbridge. The Right Sort is one of two marriage bureaus licensed in London at this time and Iris and Gwen take their job seriously. Iris is apparently an ex-spy, as many were during the war and Gwen is a society widow, her husband having been killed in said war. They have an excellent prospect for Tillie and so make the contact immediately, by mail. Several days later the police arrive, investigating Tillie’s murder, and determining that it was The Right Sort’s Client, Dickie Trower, is the murderer. Both Iris and Gwen believe this is unlikely, even impossible, setting out to investigate.
This is an absolutely an adorable book, hopefully the first in a series. It had a good plot which took all of Iris’ and Gwen’s fledgling investigative skills to solve but along the way Monclair laid the groundwork for the characters developing in future novels. They are both perfectly lovely, although certainly an odd pairing. Gwen begins to find her own voice and Iris definitely becomes more human in the process. There are several adjunct characters which will hopefully appear again, especially Sally, a gangster type that collects over due payments for them, but in reality is a blossoming playwright. I loved this book and hope to see more in the series.
I received a free ARC of The Right Sort of Man. All opinions contained herein are my
own. #netgalley #therightsortofman
Amazing start to the Sparks and Bainbridge Mystery series with unforgettable characters, set in London right after World War II and an engaging mystery that quickly became a page turner including humorous moments, twists and turns. I really liked quick-witted and impulsive Iris Sparks and her practical business partner Gwen Bainbridge who decide to investigate the murder of their newest client in order to save their business The Right Sort of Marriage Bureau. I was totally immersed in all that was happening and didn’t want it to end when I got to the last page.
The Right Sort of Man is a must-read for anyone who enjoys a well-crafted period mystery and I look forward to Iris and Gwen’s next adventure. I received an advance reader copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my voluntary and unbiased review. I also purchased a copy for my keeper library.
I really enjoyed this book. It was interesting to see how these two ladies minds worked to solve this case. It was also interesting to see that it was taking place right after WWII. Gwen and Iris both have different upbringing and both are overcoming things from the war. Together they make the perfect team. I am quite interested to see how these two ladies make out in the next book. There is a lot of description on what London looks like after the war and also what life is like during that time. If you like a good mystery then pick up this book.
*I received a free copy of this book via the NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.*
THE RIGHT SORT OF MAN by Allison Montclair
The First Marriage Bureau Mystery
As London continues to recover from World War II its inhabitants are looking for stability and happiness. Tillie La Salle wants a life that will lead her out of her neighborhood and into matrimony. Enter the Right Sort of Marriage Bureau. Although Miss Iris Sparks and Mrs. Gwendolyn Bainbridge, proprietors, find Tillie to be somewhat shady, they arrange a meeting with a prospective match. But instead of a happy ending, Tille just gets an ending. Police arrest her intended beau for her murder, but Sparks and Gwen believe their client innocent. Now the duo will use their unique skills to find the real murderer.
I enjoyed my foray into the Right Sort of Marriage Bureau. Witnessing the ramifications of the war, especially as it affected the women of London, seeing the world of spivs, and noting the importance of stockings made for a captivating read. It’s the little details that make this book special; the fact that Sally is a budding playwright, daydreams featuring Ronald Colman, and, perhaps most specially, a goldfish named Herbert.
THE RIGHT SORT OF MAN is a smart book. There’s an ingenious mystery, intricately plotted and filled with fascinating characters. The book is filled with witty banter. It’s smart, but superficial. There is tremendous backstory, some of which is teased out periodically. The characters are so interesting, but somehow still come out somewhat two dimensional. It wasn’t until the very end that I felt a true connection.
THE RIGHT SORT OF MAN brings readers to 1946 London. There are ruins, rebuilding, and ultimately hope. This book has the potential to become a wonderful series.
FTC Disclosure – The publisher sent me a digital ARC provided through NetGalley, in the hopes I would review it.
This is the debut novel for Allison Montclair. Set in post-war London, she successfully has you planted in those war torn streets as this tale unfolds.
Gwen Bainbridge, a single mother who is under the watchful eye of her mother-in-law. This woman who has taken custody of her child is controlling and demanding. As such Gwen is trying to build a new life so she can take back control.
Iris Sparks is former military and is extremely secretive about her role in the war. She does seem to have various contacts and skills that are impressive. Right now she is focusing with Gwen to bring couples together in London. The Right Sort of Man is their agency and they screen their applicants and set about matching them.
One such match goes totally awry when the woman turns up dead and the man they matched her with charged and jailed.
Gwen doesn’t believe he’s the culprit and persuades Iris to help her find the real murder.
There are many twist and turns as their investigation links many shady characters to the deceased.
A page turning read with lots of suspense, family drama, and a surprising resolution.
I hope there are more books planned for these characters, I truly enjoyed them.
Keep reading for an excerpt that will have you wanting more.
I was intrigued when I read the blurb for this book. I have read plenty about pre-WWII London. I have also read plenty about London during the war. But I haven’t read anything about the years after the war. So, that made me want to pick up The Right Sort of Man. I am glad that I did because The Right Sort of Man was a great read!!
The Right Sort of Man takes place in June of 1946. A young woman approaches The Right Sort Marriage Bureau with hopes of being matched with a young man. She leaves the agency with high expectations. But, a few hours later, she is found dead in an alley. A young man is arrested and charged with her murder. What do they have in common? They were both clients of The Right Sort Marriage Bureau. Eager to clear the agency’s name and prove the innocence of the young man, the owners launch an investigation of their own. Will they be able to clear their names? Will they save the young man from execution?
Like I stated in the first paragraph, I haven’t read any books that dealt with the aftermath of World War 2. The author did a fantastic job of showing the damage that London endured during the bombings. She also did a tremendous job of showing how the people of London were recovering.
I enjoyed the mystery angle of the book. The author did a fantastic job of keeping who the killer was until the end of the book. I thought that it was two people and it ended up being neither. The killer was revealed in a plot twist that took me by surprise.
I liked that the author had the two main characters be female. I also liked that she had them running their own business. There was a sense of woman empowerment throughout the book. Gwen and Iris didn’t back down when a man told them too. They were dismissed throughout the book. In the end, they ended up freeing an innocent man from jail and getting a killer off the street.
I did feel bad for Gwen. She lost it when her husband was killed, which is understandable. She was committed, and in that week, her in-laws were granted custody of her son. I did like seeing her start to realize that she didn’t have to take their crap anymore. I cheered her own when she began taking back her life. The scene where she told off her mother in law was fantastic.
I liked Iris but couldn’t get a handle on her. All I knew was that she was a spy and she was engaged twice. But, as the book went on, the author revealed the different aspects of Iris’s life. I am going to stop right here with her. But I will say this. Don’t take anything about Iris at face value. I did, and I was surprised at what was revealed during the last half of the book.
The end of the book was exciting. I loved how the killer was revealed. Never, in a million years, would I have thought that person was the killer. I liked how the author left the book open for other books in the series.
Outstanding Whodunit
This wonderful story takes place in 1946 London. Two women who the war left broken try to clear a client of murder. This is written with that witty repartee common to the 1930s and 1940s. One can imagine Carole Lombard playing one of the roles. It is written very well with a great plot with clues for the reader to find. It is all so obvious at the big reveal, but I had no clue. I will be reading this book again as well as more of this author’s work. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley. This is my honest opinion and review.
An utterly fabulous beginning to a new series! Vivid historical detail, gorgeous prose, and witty, unforgettable characters all combine to make The Right Sort of Man one of the best books I’ve read this year. Perfect for fans of Jacqueline Winspear and Susan Elia MacNeal. I can’t wait to read Iris and Gwen’s next adventure.