The Right Sort of Man
Book - 2019
In London, 1946, the two women who recently started The Right Sort Marriage Bureau find their new livelihood endangered when one client is arrested for the murder of another. In a London slowly recovering from the ravages of 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, avuncular and unmarried, 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 one Dickie Trower, 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 Trower's 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. In this charming, compelling mystery, Allison Montclair blends meticulous research with two brilliantly imagined main characters into the first in a wonderful new series.
Publisher:
New York : Minotaur Books, 2019
Edition:
First edition
Copyright Date:
©2019
ISBN:
9781250178367
1250178363
9781250178374
1250178363
9781250178374
Characteristics:
320 pages ; 22 cm


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ApollosRaven
Jun 06, 2020
"Full of heart, astute, and darkly comic" - Cara Black, author the Aimee Leduc Investigations series.

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Add a CommentA historical mystery with engaging characters and fun banter. The mid-century setting lends to some richer vocabulary, which I enjoy! The descriptions also draw you in and help you imagine what it would have been like to live in London during and after WWII.
I loved it from the start. It moved along quite nicely and was fun to read.
This book was delightful in every way, characters so well drawn and totally engaging. The mystery is actually quite complex with a satisfyingly twisty ending. A truly novel story, so original, ingenious. Her genius for satirical humor shines on every page, and keeps the reader smiling throughout. Highly recommend this book, especially if you enjoy literature set circa WWII Britain.
In The Right Sort of Man, two women in post-WWII London start a marriage agency. When one of their clients turns up dead and the client with whom they set her up is the prime suspect, they decide to do some investigating of their own.
I enjoyed this book quite a bit. The banter between the two women is where it excels. They are different, but they work well together. It's like a historical cozy. I imagine it might appeal to readers of Jacqueline Winspear and similar, although I haven't read her yet. I look forward to the second book when it comes out next year.