The Right Sort of Man
Sparks & Bainbridge Mystery Book 1
by Allison Montclair
"A delightful immersion in the period and personalities, with that touch of depth that transforms a good series to a great one." —Laurie R. King
First 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, 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.
Momma Says: 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.
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.
❃❃ARC provided by NetGalley and Minotaur Books
Allison Montclair grew up devouring hand-me-down Agatha Christie paperbacks and James Bond movies. As a result of this deplorable upbringing, Montclair became addicted to tales of crime, intrigue, and espionage. She now spends her spare time poking through the corners, nooks, and crannies of history, searching for the odd mysterious bits and transforming them into novels of her own. The Right Sort of Man is her debut novel.
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