Allison Montclair
Minotaur Books
June 4, 2019
Blurb: 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.
SASCHA DARLINGTON’S REVIEW
The Right Sort of Man by Allison Montclair is one of the most satisfying and delightful reads I’ve had in a while.
Take two women who seem to be complete opposites, even in looks, throw them together to start of matchmaking business, and then toss in a murder which they feel obligated to solve because it seems that Scotland Yard has got their man but they know Scotland Yard must be wrong.
Iris Sparks is impulsive, almost world-weary, and highly skilled as she trained in the secret service or its equivalent during the war. Gwendolyn Bainbridge is upper crust, had been very much in love with her husband who died in the war, knows little about the world around her and is somewhat naive despite her ability to read people very well. They make an excellent sleuthing team.
There are lots of colorful characters on board and a few romantic interests that don’t pan out.
The Right Sort of Man is a witty mystery with unexpected twists and turns. The characters are layered with rich, and sometimes unexpected, backgrounds.
From the first page I was engaged by this very well-written mystery, was stunned that this was a debut novel, and am so excited that this seems to be the beginning of a series. I look forward to more. I hope Allison Montclair writes fast!
Considering that I could hardly put this book down and finished it almost in a day, I highly recommend The Right Sort of Man and would recommend that you add this to your vacation reads if you’re a fan of mysteries with a witty edge. A great read!
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
rating:
5 out of 5 butterflies
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Author Bio:
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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