“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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A delightful immersion in the period and personalities, with that touch of depth that transforms a good series to a great one.
The Right Sort of Man ticked all the boxes for me. Iris and Gwen are two sleuths with depth and heart trying to make their own way in post WWII London. The historical back drop is wonderful but it’s the engaging characters that will keep me looking for the next book in the series, and the next, and the next…
This book is funny, wildly entertaining, satisfying, and wonderful in every way. For fans of historical mysteries and fiction, this should not to be missed.
Wonderful characters, a fabulous premise, and a rich historical setting. I’m a sucker for WW2 era mysteries, and this first book in a new series didn’t disappoint. I can’t wait for the next book in the series!
Full of heart, astute, and darkly comic, The Right Sort of Man is a keenly observed historical mystery set in post-WWII London about two women, a former intelligence agent and war widow, who join forces and set up a marriage bureau with the mission to knit lives together, while grappling with their own pasts.
I absolutely LOVED this new historical cozy mystery!
THE RIGHT SORT OF MAN (Sparks & Bainbridge Mystery Book 1) by Allison Montclair ticked off all of my favorite things in a historical cozy mystery. The time and place is the immediate years post WWII in London. The characters are appropriate to the time, realistic, extremely entertaining and smart. The plot is full of interesting twists and red herrings.
Two very different women meet at the wedding of a mutual friend and form an instant friendship. With their individual talents, they decide to start a business venture called The Right Sort of Marriage Bureau. Iris Sparks is quick witted, impulsive and secretive in regards to her time during the war. Mrs. Gwendolyn Bainbridge is a war widow with a young son, Ronnie who is now destined to become the next Lord Bainbridge. While very different on the surface, both women fit well together with their individual strengths and abilities.
As their fledgling business is starting to take off, one of their newest clients, Tillie LaSalle is found murdered and Scotland Yard arrests the prospective husband Iris and Gwen paired her with. The detectives believe they have their man, but Gwen refuses to believe in Mr. Trower’s guilt. To clear his name and rescue their business, Iris and Gwen decide to investigate on their own using the skills and contacts each has acquired during the recent war.
As the pair investigate the murder, they find themselves surrounded by individuals involved in all forms of illegal post-war activities. Will Iris and Gwen be able to save Mr. Trower and their new business without becoming victims themselves?
I cannot emphasize enough how much I loved these characters. As the mystery plot keeps you turning the pages, so does each revelation in regards to Iris and Gwen’s pasts. The main characters, the secondary characters and the mystery plot make this a perfect historical cozy mystery read. I highly recommend this book and I cannot wait for the next book in this series.
Thanks very much to Net Galley, St. Martin’s Press and Minotaur Books for allowing me to read this eARC. It was definitely my pleasure!
Rarely have I seen a novel that manages to be so charming and so substantial at the same time. The Right Sort of Man does more than nail post-WWII London in pitch-perfect setting and language — it introduces a female dynamic duo with whom I very quickly fell in love. The end of this book left me with a single thought: when can I read the next Iris and Gwen adventure?
The Right Sort of Man is an entertaining historical mystery. The author captured post-war London with her vivid descriptions of the bombed out areas, rationing and modes of public transportation (tube, tram, and bus). Numerous items continued to be rationed in England for many years after the war (food, clothes, petrol). I enjoyed Allison Montclair’s writing style with its appealing dialogue and her delightful protagonists. Iris Sparks is an intelligent woman who did special work for the government during the war (which she cannot talk about). Sparks has a unique skill set and is well connected. She thrives on action and has left a string of unhappy beaus in her wake including DS Mike Kinsey. Sparks does love her typewriter though. I especially loved Iris Sparks droll wit. Gwen Bainbridge is a widow with a six year old son and a fascination with Ronald Coleman. Gwen had a hard time after she was notified of her husband’s death. She needed some medical assistance which her in-laws used to grab guardianship of their only grandchild. Gwen is now forced to live with the in-laws to be near her son. Going into business with Iris is her way of obtaining some independence and getting her self-confidence back. When one of their clients is murdered and another accused of the crime, the only way to save their business is to solve the murder themselves. While Iris has the skills for investigating, it is new to Gwen. She soon finds herself enjoying new experiences like riding a tram. I liked the evolution of Gwen’s character. Salvatore “Sally” Danielli was a pleasing addition. He is a complex man with hidden depths (he is working on a play too). There are two mysteries in The Right Sort of Man. One is more complex and dominates the story while the other drifts along in the background (and is simpler). I had a good time following the clues and solving both puzzles. The Right Sort of Man has a great ending. I am hoping there will be more novels featuring this enterprising duo. You will find yourself rooting for Gwen and Sparks in the charming The Right Sort of Man.
3.5 stars
Admittedly, I don’t read a lot of historical fiction, and this one is more cozy mystery than gripping thriller, so it’s a little out of my wheelhouse. That said, it’s well-written, and the atmosphere of the story kept me turning pages as much as the mystery if not more so. This is the start of the series, so we have a lot introduction to characters, and the story is very dialogue driven, which isn’t something I normally care for, but I did enjoy the back and forth between Gwen and Iris. All in all, The Right Sort of Man is a good start to a promising series, and I’ve enjoyed my little trip outside the box of what I normally read.
After World War II, Iris Sparks and Gwendolyn Bainbridge start a matchmaking business. Gwen is a widow with a young son whose life was forever changed when her husband didn’t come home from the war. Iris is secretive with a quick mind that served her well working for the intelligence branch during the war. Iris and Gwen are opposites who combine innocence and experience to become good friends and even better detectives when a client is murdered and another is blamed. Wading into the shady side of town and relying on some impressive acting skills, the girls skirt the edge of danger trying to save their business and an innocent client while solving not one but two cases. The characters are fun, interesting, and smart with the right touch of sass to make the story interesting and the pages fly by. I enjoyed the twisty and original whodunit and look forward to more of Iris and Gwen. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from Netgalley.
They both had a past, not always a bad thing when it prepares you for the career you take on but it does make things interesting. One is a widower, with a small son and all types of complications connected with her deceased husband. The other, well her past is a little secret that cannot be shared. Needless to say with these little tidbits it adds an additional layer of intrigue as they dive head first into a murder investigation to clear their client’s name. It’s a light read with intrigue and suspense and a little fun as these ladies move about easily learning all they can and unraveling all types of troubles along the way. This is my first read by this author and while it was a good read the style and era was a little outside of my norm.
What a delightful read! Fantastic dialogue! Two women open a marriage bureau in London in 1946. When one of their clients is murdered and another is accused of the crime, Iris Sparks and Gwendolyn Bainbridge set out to prove his innocence amid zany adventures and romantic encounters of their own.
In ravaged, post WWII London, unmarried Miss Iris Sparks teams up with practical widow Mrs. Gwendolyn Bainbridge to launch a matchmaking business in Mayfair and attempt to achieve some real independence. They’re off to a solid start until their newest client, Tillie La Salle, turns up murdered and it seems another of their clients, Dickie Trower, with whom they’d matched her, appears to be the culprit. Convinced of the client’s innocence, Iris and Gwen decide they’ll find out who really murdered Tillie using their own skills and acquaintances.
This is a far cry from what I’ve been typically reading lately, but the description stood out to me and since mysteries used to be my bread and butter, plus it’s historical, I decided to give it a go. I’m so glad I did. This book is so well-written and the descriptions so well-drawn that it felt a bit like a movie, I was really drawn into the scenes right along with the characters. The characters were all well-developed, even secondary characters, and had quite a bit of depth to be further explored in later installments of this new series. I especially enjoyed our dashing female main characters and it was lovely to see them develop and grow along with their investigation.
The mystery was engaging and well-threaded with a turbulent time in history. This book really had everything: engaging mystery, good writing, some romance and likable characters I would like to hear more from. It’s original, emotional, poignant, hopeful, entertaining, and hilarious. It made me tear up on one page and laugh on the next and I really can’t say enough good things about this book. This was a superlative debut and I’ll definitely be following any further installments.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Miss Iris Sparks is single with a highly classified background in the war, perhaps even spying. She seemingly has no fear and rushes in where angels fear to tread, relying upon her “unique skill set”. Mrs. Gwendolyn Bainbridge is still grieving her husband’s death, but doing better than she had when she was institutionalized by her inlaws for a breakdown during her grief, when they also took custody of her son.
These two need each other and their fledgling business venture to give them hope, direction, and emotional as well as financial support. Through this adventure they really come to rely upon each other and bond. Gwen’s mother-in-law is one of those self-righteous women you love to hate, so you cheer for Gwen as she struggles to show she is emotionally strong and she will have her son back. Iris’s romantic interest is less-than-perfect.
The post World War II London England setting is great, since so much attention has been given London during the war and air raids. But the harsh struggle for London and its inhabitants to rebuild with rationing of most everything and the realities of life this creates is seamlessly integrated into the story.
The plot starts out simple, Iris and Gwen seek to prove that the man they matched Tillie with isn’t the killer and thereby save their fledgling business. But they are soon in the middle of much bigger schemes and crimes that Tilly was trying to escape. The writing style created a fast paced and consuming story that kept me riveted to the story.
The killer reveal was a surprise and exiting, so kudos there! The wrapup even had a surprise besides providing some hope for Iris and Gwen personally.
I absolutely love the witty banter between Iris and Gwen that runs throughtout the story. It provided humor and a light-hearted touch countering the depth plumbed with the characters.
Rating: Near Perfect – Couldn’t Put it down. Buy two copies, one for you and one for a friend.
If looking for a book that has good writing, quirky but likeable characters, and a not-graphically-violent mystery, “The Right Sort of Man” by Allison Montclair will satisfy those requirements in a big way. This historical mystery has several interesting facets to intrigue the reader.
Set in post-WW2 London, the well drawn descriptions of Blitz destruction, as well as glimpses of product shortages and rationing, organized criminal activities, and women’s issues in the latter half of the 1940s enlightens the reader to a time experienced by parents, grandparents, or great-grandparents depending on the age of the reader.
The two female amateur sleuths have significantly different backgrounds and personal issues. The author develops these characters well allowing them to grow throughout the story which lays a good foundation for future books in this series. The book title reflects the matchmaking business started by the widow Mrs Bainbridge and former covert agent Miss Sparks, a couple of quirky survivors of war who make effective detecting partners as well as matchmakers.
The well paced action throws a lot of curves at these women, and murder suspects seem scarce but that keeps the reader thinking. The author provides plenty of interesting well-portrayed secondary characters for suspect consideration, but I remained clueless until the end!
I highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy traditional British mystery and fourth decade of the twentieth century history and culture. I look forward to reading other books in this series.
Sparkling, fun & surprisingly poignant!
Good mystery, women worth respect.
Quirky British Whodunit
What a delightful amateur sleuth mystery! Unlike so many books that are set in the midst of World War II these days, this is set just after it in London, where the mess caused by that war is still being cleaned up, literally. I liked the two heroines, trying to forge a new way for themselves in the postwar world—as matchmakers! Things go south, though, when one of their clients has been murdered—and the prime suspect is one they’d matched to the dead person! So, they want to find the true murderer, saving their company’s reputation (hopefully) and their client. The story unfurls a little slowly. This is not a high-action mystery. But, as I do read a variety of cozy and amateur sleuth mysteries, I have found this to be typical of mysteries written by British writers. When I know this is the case, I am happy to just let the story happen as it happens, so to speak, enjoying this little British quirk and not expecting it to have the super-fast paced stories written by Americans. I enjoyed both the large and small character studies that were part of this book. The author did a good job of pulling me into the post-war London world and captured my interest with intriguing characters, both the clients and the proprietors of the matchmaking business. I loved it that this book kept me guessing as to “whodunit.” I read enough mysteries, so that is a rare occurrence. Highly recommended.
I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
What’s not to love? A great female detective, WWII era (or just after) and a good juicy mystery. This is book one and am looking forward to the others!
When Iris, a former spy, and Gwen, a young war widow, open their matchmaking service in post WWII London, the adventures begin. They are such an unlikely partnership and, really, matchmaking?
A client is arrested after the woman he was matched with is murdered. So obviously Iris and Gwen set out to find the real killer. Quite a study in contrasts here: Iris can wield a knife with the best of them, while Gwen can barely stand up to her overbearing mother-in-law who has had Gwen’s parental rights removed. Unfairly, of course.
I just love this book! The dialogue is witty and unexpected. This is not a business-as-usual mystery, my friends. Characters are interesting and multi-dimensional. Sally is a hidden gem and I hope to see more of him. This is hopefully the first of many books in what should be a series. I’d like to see the evil mother-in-law, who is starting to mellow, take on a more supportive advisory role. And let’s see more of Des and the local detectives in the future.
Don’t be fooled by the title. This is really about the right sort of women living in post-war England and coming into their own. A must-read!!