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In post-WWII London, the matchmakers of The Right Sort Marriage Bureau are involved in yet another murder. In the immediate post-war days of London, two unlikely partners have undertaken an even more unlikely, if necessary, business venture—The Right Sort Marriage Bureau. The two partners are Miss Iris Sparks, a woman with a dangerous—and never discussed—past in British intelligence and Mrs. Gwendolyn Bainbridge, a genteel war widow with a young son entangled in a complicated aristocratic family. Looking to throw a New Year’s Eve soiree for their clients, Sparks and Bainbridge scout an empty building—only to find a body contained in the walls. What they initially assume is a victim of the recent Blitz is uncovered instead to be a murder victim—stabbed several times. To make matters worse, the owner of the building is Sparks’ beau, Archie Spelling, who has ties to a variety of enterprises on the right and wrong sides of the law, and the main investigator for the police is her ex-fiancée. Gwen, too, is dealing with her own complicated love life, as she tentatively steps back into the dating pool for the first time since her husband’s death. Murder is not something they want to add to their plates, but the murderer may be closer to home than is comfortable, and they must do all they can to protect their clients, their business and themselves.
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This was a well-written addition to the series. It had a strong plot and mystery and the characters had some development, which makes it a strong read, but the subject matter didn't capture me as much with this one. I have never been a fan of the gangsters in the series and this one felt like all gangsters. I just don't root for Archie and Iris, no matter how much I am supposed to. As a matchmaker, I think she should choose better for herself. That plus the amount of detailed snooker games I had to read about (I read another snooker themed mystery not too long ago... had the same reaction but can't remember which it was) and this wasn't the book for me. Still, I enjoyed it. It just didn't thrill me the way I want a mystery to.
Featured Series
4 primary books5 released booksSparks & Bainbridge Mystery is a 5-book series with 4 primary works first released in 2019 with contributions by Allison Montclair. The next book is scheduled for release on 2/4/2025.