Tag: #allisonmontclair

Book Review: Murder at the White Palace by Allison Montclair

My Book Review

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

MURDER AT THE WHITE PALACE (A Sparks & Bainbridge Mystery Book #6) by Allison Montclair is an intriguing historical mystery that has not one, but two mysteries, past and present, that may be connected and many personal changes occurring in the lives of the two main protagonists. Each book has a unique mystery that is solved, but the main characters continue to evolve and for continuity, I feel these books are best read in order of publication.

The Right Sort of Marriage Bureau is doing well, so Gwendolyn Bainbridge decides she and her partner, Iris Sparks, should throw a New Year’s Eve party for their clientele. With limited availability this close to the new year, they look at an old club being repaired by Iris’ boyfriend, Archie Spelling. While investigating the basement, a wall crumbles and a long dead body is discovered.

Though they both want to be done with murder investigations, the recovered body matches some information surrounding that of a missing thief from a trio of robbers from before the war which all tied back to Archie and Des’ murdered fathers. Are they safe as they investigate the cold cases, or could the past be coming back to clean up any ties to a murderer among them?

The murder mysteries, past and present, are intertwined throughout a more intense and personal character driven story line than previous books. Gwen is now free to control her own life and destiny and is finding freedom intoxicating, while Iris is on track to make more permanent decisions regarding her personal life. The duo’s true friendship, no matter their differences or what occurs in their personal lives, is a reason that I love this series. This story leaned more towards the protagonist’s development, which could change the direction of the entire series, than the mysteries, but the mysteries themselves were interesting and well plotted. This addition to the series does leave a bit of a cliffhanger, but it is in Iris’ personal life and not a part of the mystery plot line.

I highly recommend this historical mystery series and continue to look forward to following Bainbridge in Sparks.

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About the Author

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.

Allison Montclair is a pseudonym of Alan Gordon.

Website: https://www.alan-gordon.com/

Book Review: A Rogue’s Company by Allison Montclair

My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

A ROGUE’S COMPANY (A Sparks and Bainbridge Mystery Book #3) by Allison Montclair is another first-rate addition to this historical mystery series set in 1946 London and featuring the daring duo of ladies of The Right Sort Marriage Bureau. While this is the third book in the series, it can be read as a standalone, but there are character plotlines that continue to progress in each book. I have read the series in order and have loved every book.

Miss Iris Sparks and Mrs. Gwendolyn Bainbridge are doing well enough to expand their matchmaking business. As their business grows, so does their friendship. With the return of Gwen’s father-in-law from Africa, she is determined to state her case and have his guardianship removed from her son, but what she doesn’t know is he has other reasons to keep the guardianship intact.

When a new client shows up at The Right Sort, Gwen does not believe he is there for a match. When he continues to appear around the Bainbridge home, she becomes alarmed. When Gwen and his lordship are kidnapped, Sparks seeks help from underworld acquaintances, but will it be in time to save Gwen’s life?

This addition to the series had me turning the pages from beginning to end. The information on the British in Africa at this time was not only interesting, but well integrated into the story without slowing the pace. The mystery plotline is full of twists and red herrings that I was not able to unravel before the conclusion but were tied together with believable resolutions by the author. I love every one of the main characters in this series and find them to be well developed and quite realistic to the period. It came as a surprise to learn that Allison Montclair is a pseudonym, but it does not matter to me because a great story is a great story.  I always look forward to visiting with these protagonists again with each book and following them on their next adventure.

I highly recommend this historical cozy mystery series!

***

About the Author

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.

Allison Montclair is a pseudonym of Alan Gordon.

Book Review: The Right Sort of Man by Allison Montclair

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

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!