More goes wrong than could be imagined when Iris Sparks and Gwendolyn Bainbridge of The Right Sort Marriage Bureau are unexpectedly engaged to dig into the past of a suitor of a royal princess in Allison Montclair’s delightful second novel, A Royal Affair.
In London 1946, The Right Sort Marriage Bureau is just beginning to take off and the proprietors, Miss Iris Sparks and Mrs. Gwendolyn Bainbridge, are in need of a bigger office and a secretary to handle the growing demand. Unfortunately, they don’t yet have the necessary means. So when a woman arrives—a cousin of Gwen’s—with an interesting and quite remunerative proposition, they two of them are all ears.
The cousin, one Lady Matheson, works for the Queen in “some capacity” and is in need of some discreet investigation. It seems that the Princess Elizabeth has developed feelings for a dashing Greek prince and a blackmail note has arrived, alluding to some potentially damaging information about said prince. Wanting to keep this out of the palace gossip circles, but also needing to find out what skeletons might lurk in the prince’s closet, the palace has quietly turned to Gwen and Iris. Without causing a stir, the two of them must now find out what secrets lurk in the prince’s past, before his engagement to the future Queen of England is announced. And there’s more at stake than the future of the Empire —there is their potential new office that lies in the balance.
A ROYAL AFFAIR (A Sparks and Bainbridge Mystery Book #2) by Allison Montclair is an exciting historical mystery addition to the Sparks and Bainbridge Mystery series featuring the owners of The Right SortMarriage Bureau in post WWII London. Miss Iris Sparks and Mrs. Gwendolyn Bainbridge are two women with very diverse backgrounds who work perfectly together as co-owners of their new marriage match business and as unlikely best friends. These first two books can be read as standalones, but the main characters continue to evolve and I suggest you read them in order.
With The Right Sort Marriage Bureau becoming more successful, Iris and Gwen are looking forward to being able to move to larger offices down the hall in their current office building. When Gwen’s cousin, Lady Matheson, who works for the Queen arrives with a profitable proposition, they are more than happy to take on the job.
Lady Matheson has intercepted a black mail note addressed to the Princess Elizabeth concerning her choice for her prince. Wanting to avoid palace gossip, Lady Matheson hires Iris and Gwen to discreetly investigate if the information in some private family letters is true which could be damaging to the Greek prince and Elizabeth’s choice for husband.
What Iris and Gwen don’t realize is that they are not the only party looking for the letters. A dead body, British intelligence, Russian spies, and Greek government officials are all tangled together in this intriguing investigation. Iris and Gwen ready to assist the Crown and Princess and get their new office, too.
This is a great addition to this series, and I enjoy reuniting with Iris and Gwen. These two characters just jump off the page with their friendship, witty dialogue, and unique to their station and background skills. I quickly fall into the story of both their business and personal lives and feel as if I am a fly on the wall. Iris and Gwen feel like friends. The plot for this mystery is very intriguing and twisted. The use of historic figures with a “what if” scenario which could be very plausible kept me completely invested in the story. The secondary characters are fully drawn and quite believable. This has become a must-read series for me, and I am looking forward to following Iris and Gwen on their next adventure, because you know they just cannot stay out of trouble.
I highly recommend this historical amateur sleuth mystery!
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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.
Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for HUNTERS POINT: A Novel of San Francisco by Peter Kageyama on this Virtual Blog Tour.
Below you will find an author Q&A, a book description, my book review, an about the author section, and the author’s social media links. Enjoy!
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Author Q&A
What literary pilgrimages have you gone on?
I didn’t think of it as a literary pilgrimage when I did it, but a 2007 trip to visit Michigan at the invitation of a friend of mine who worked for the State of Michigan truly changed my life. My friend invited me to come see the other side of the story about Michigan, and Detroit in particular, that was not being talked about in the media. At that time, Michigan and Detroit were really struggling.
My friend took me all around the state and introduced me to a bunch of people who were doing amazing work, most of it small and very underfunded, but they did it out of a profound sense of love for their communities. This struck me because I realized that as long as there were people like these, then places like Detroit would never truly fail. Love and an emotional connection to our places was the secret ingredient that no one was talking about, or writing about. The genesis of my first book, which introduced the central thesis of all my nonfiction work, began from that trip. And that trip was my first step towards being a writer.
Did you ever consider writing under a pseudonym?
I actually did because I am fairly well established as a non-fiction writer and speaker. I have become known as the “City Love Guy” which is great because in the discrete field of urbanism and community and economic development, having an identity is fantastic. I thought perhaps that fiction might dilute or muddy that identity. Perhaps it will, but overall I’d like to believe that my books, my speaking and consulting has built up a pool of goodwill that will cross over into this new venture.
Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?
I think readers of fiction want a good story and characters they can cheer for and relate to and be scared for – and if we can offer them a few twists and turns they have not seen before, that is great. True originality is very rare, so most of us are mashing up familiar tropes, with some new angles and additions to make something that is BOTH new enough and familiar enough to keep us turning the pages.
Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?
For me, I did not realize that I wanted to build a body of work until I finished the first novel. I had so enjoyed writing the main characters that I knew I had to continue their stories. Some stories have a definitive end and stand very much on their own. Perhaps some day I’ll write one of those, but in the meantime, I’m totally excited about the many adventures I have seen in my characters’ futures.
What was the best money you ever spent as a writer?
Hiring a professional line editor was a revelation. I had thought the manuscript of my first novel, Hunters Point, was fairly clean after I had gone through it, as well as my publisher, my publicist, my story editor and two passes by my wife who is incredibly meticulous. Still when the manuscript came back with hundreds of corrections, I was shocked and forever sold on hiring that outside set of professional eyes!
Where do you prefer to write?
I am a coffee shop guy. Even though I put in my noise canceling headphones, there is still enough background noise and distraction. Some may be surprised that I listen to music while writing, but not just any music. I have a specially created playlist called “Writing” and all the songs on there are ones that I am always happy to hear. The key to the playlist is that I never have to skip over a song or an artist, which could break the flow of what I am doing at the moment.
The only place I find that I can write at home is on our balcony and usually at night. We live in Florida and during the day it is either too hot or too bright, or both so I find myself gravitating out there in the evenings.
What do you owe the real people upon whom you base your characters?
The two main characters of my novel Hunters Point are directly based upon my mother and father. So for me, writing about them is a way to honor them. For my father in particular, I have found that this series of books has been and continues to be a way for me to have a conversation with him, even though he passed away over twenty years ago. As for the other folks I have based characters upon, my friends specifically, I think ‘don’t embarrass them’. For example, there are a pair of characters in Hunters Point that are directly based on two of my good friends here in St. Petersburg, where I live. They start out and you think they are bad guys and maybe even a little stupid, but they turn out to be decent, resourceful, funny and a necessary part of the story.
Some of the other characters that are actual historic figures, raise a different set of ethical questions.What are the ethics of writing about historical figures?
I think it depends on how close to bone you write the story. For example, you can be outrageous like in the book, Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter, which I think is fantastically creative. No one is likely to take issue or be offended because it is so far out there. But if you take a well-known figure, such as Bruce Lee as Quentin Tarantino did in the movie and novelization of Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, and have a controversial scene with him, you may draw some ire.
When I included Jimmy Stewart as a character in Hunters Point, I tried to base his actions on research and extrapolation of what is popularly known about the man. If you are going to include a figure that is well known, I think readers expect that character to act the way they would expect. It would be much easier and more convincing to create a new, unique character to do something that would be seen as wildly out of character for an historical figure such as Jimmy Stewart.
What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?
Because I am an urbanist at heart, someone who studies cities, it felt very important that San Francisco, the location of my debut novel, Hunters Point, feel authentic. Even though the story is set in the late 50’s, there is still something about walking the streets, seeing the actual places that you write about, that makes them feel more real. Of course the other great tool in the writer’s arsenal, is Wikipedia! I am constantly amazed how researching one question leads me down a rabbit hole that leads to a whole new and amazing set of facts. I also highly recommend Google Street View as a way to put yourself in a place that maybe you can’t readily travel to. Those images give you a sense of place that can be translated into authentic descriptions and narration.
How do you select the names of your characters?
Kats Takemoto is named after my father’s two best friends; Masa Taketoshi and Peter Matsumoto. Takemoto. I took the nickname Kats, short for Katsuhiro, because it sounds cool and also because in Daniel James Brown’s outstanding book, Facing the Mountain, he chronicles the Japanese American experience during World War II. One of the more memorable figures was named ‘Kats Miho’ a soldier with the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. Kats was an amazing example of bravery, loyalty and love of his country and his comrades. And like I said, ‘Kats’ sounds cool!
The character Molly Hayes is named after my mother, Molly Hazen. She too was a red-headed Irish woman from Ohio. Some of the other names that appear in the book and the coming sequel, are friends and people from my past. Sometimes it is just a name but other times, I am using real backstory and characteristics. As for what is fact and what is fiction, well I will leave that for the readers to guess.
How long on average does it take you to write a book?
I don’t want to jinx myself, but I have been pretty lucky in all the books I have written, the main draft has come quickly. Six months seems to be about the time frame, give or take travel, family commitments and football season. I will say that I started in on the sequel to Hunters Point within a few weeks of completing the first book, and if I could clear the decks more thoroughly, I know my productivity would increase. But such is life.
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Book Description
The Cold War and the Beat Poets of North Beach collide in 1958 San Francisco in Peter Kageyama’s noir thriller about a Japanese American private eye investigating the mysterious goings on at the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard.
SAN FRANCISCO, 1958
World War 2 veteran, Katsuhiro, “Kats” Takemoto is a Nisei, second generation Japanese American and the private detective for those who don’t get noticed by the police or get the attention of traditional private eyes. The city is exploding with population growth and creative expression as the Beat poets and artists fill coffee shops and galleries. When a young Beat poet enlists Kats to keep his family from being pushed out of the Bayview Heights neighborhood by a shady developer, Kats learns that the conspiracy to take over the land around Hunters Point runs deep into Cold War fears and politics. Kats takes on the US government, the Navy, unscrupulous businessmen and the west coast mafia as he and his friends race to find the truth.
Award winning author Peter Kageyama’s debut novel brings the post-war San Francisco scene to life with historic characters including Jimmy Stewart, Jack Kerouac, Neal Cassady, Alfred Hitchcock and Shig Murao, along with the dynamics of racial identity for Japanese Americans finding their footing again in America following the war and internment.
HUNTERS POINT: A Novel of San Francisco by Peter Kageyama is a compelling historical P.I. crime mystery that engaged me immediately. The historical research mixed with a unique San Franciscan Nisei P.I. and an intricate plot kept me reading from page one to the end in one sitting.
P.I. Katsuhiro “Kats” Takemoto is asked by a friend to help a boat building family in Bayview Heights that is being strong-armed to sellout and move. As Kats begins to investigate who is behind the threats, he discovers local government hiding future plans for the area, criminal builders and mob bosses looking for a windfall, and the U.S. government trying to manipulate everyone to cover up their need to keep the public unaware of the nuclear waste problems at the Hunters Point naval base.
Kats and a group of old and new friends work to get to the bottom of the greed, corruption, and conspiracies to find a way to help their friends in Bayview Heights and stay alive at the same time.
I loved this book! Kats is an engaging and unique main character. His friends, both famous and not, were all interesting and added depth to the story. The research done for not only Kats family history but also Hunters Point history is intertwined throughout the story without ever slowing the pace of the plot. The plot has plenty of action scenes, both the usual with fists and guns but also intelligent nonlethal action with smoke bombs, pepper bombs, and snakes. The detective work and discoveries are well paced, and the conclusion is gratifying. I am very happy this is a proposed series because I am looking forward to many more cases with P.I. Kats Takemoto.
I highly recommend this historical crime mystery!
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About the Author
Peter Kageyama is the author of For the Love of Cities: The Love Affair Between People and Their Places, the follow ups, Love Where You Live: Creating Emotionally Engaging Places, and The Emotional Infrastructure of Places. In 2021, he released For the Love of Cities REVISITED, a revised and updated version of his award-winning book.
In 2023, his debut novel based on the post-internment life of his parents was released by St. Petersburg Press.
Peter is a special advisor to America In Bloom and was a Senior Fellow with the Alliance for Innovation, a national network of city leaders. He is an internationally sought-after community development consultant and grassroots engagement strategist who speaks about bottom-up community development and the amazing people who are making change happen around the world.
Caroline McAlister, college professor and life-long skeptic, is reeling from the loss of her father and her marriage. Her once promising career has come to a standstill. When her father bequeaths the family cabin to her, it comes with a ghost who haunted her childhood. When she discovers a century-old journal in the attic, she awakens the voice of Carson Quinn. The journal reveals Carson’s love for the same hollow that enthralled Caroline growing up. A little sleuthing uncovers rumors that the kind, curious boy in the journal grew up to murder his brother. Caroline plunges into the project of exonerating Carson, only to find herself in the throes of a personal past she’s spent her life trying to avoid.
Hemlock Hollow is about how we forever haunt the places we love and how they haunt us in return.
HEMLOCK HOLLOW by Culley Holderfield is a lyrical and moody southern fiction novel with intertwining murder mystery and family history storylines from the past and present set in the Northern Carolina mountains. This book is more literary than genre style of writing that I usually prefer and yet it pulled me in to every aspect of the beautiful story and place.
Professor Caroline McAlister is shocked to discover the family’s cabin in Hemlock Hollow has been left to her on the death of her father. Not only is she morning the loss of her father, but the end of her marriage which all together has left her adrift personally and professionally. She decides to return to Hemlock Hollow and have the old cabin renovated. When a tin box is discovered in the attic, Caroline discovers the century old journal of the young Carson Quinn. Carson is an inquisitive young boy who loves Hemlock Hollow but then grows into a recluse that the others in the hollow believe killed his older brother.
Caroline dives into Carson’s journal and the oral and written history of the hollow to discover if the young, intelligent and nature loving boy of the journal could grow into the killer many believed him to be and discovers many truths about herself in the process.
This is a bewitching story that mixes past and present in a deeply moving depiction of southern life. Once I started reading this book, I could not stop. The characters are fully drawn, complex and memorable. The writing took me to Hemlock Hollow in both timelines in a way that made me feel as though I was present and involved in both. The ending had me tearing up as the tragedy from the past led to the emotional discoveries in the present.
I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading more from this author!
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About the Author
Culley Holderfield learned to love storytelling on the porch of a cabin in the mountains of North Carolina. After graduating from UNC-Chapel Hill, he ventured to South America, Africa, and Europe. When not writing or working in community development finance, he spends his time hiking, paddling, and wandering the outdoors. His short stories and poetry have appeared in a variety of publications. Hemlock Hollow is his debut novel. He lives in Durham, NC.
Set in the City of Light and starring Julia Child’s (fictional) best friend, confidant, and fellow American, this Magnifique new historical mystery series from the acclaimed author of Murder at Mallowan Hall combines a fresh perspective on the iconic chef’s years in post-WWII Paris with a delicious mystery and a unique culinary twist. Perfect for fans of Jacqueline Winspear, Marie Benedict, and of course, Julia Child alike!
As Paris rediscovers its joie de vivre, Tabitha Knight, who recently arrived from Detroit for an extended stay with her French grandfather, is on her own journey of discovery. Paris isn’t just the City of Light; it’s the city of history, romance, stunning architecture . . . and food. Thanks to her neighbour and friend Julia Child, another ex-pat who’s fallen head over heels for Paris, Tabitha is learning how to cook for her Grandpère and Oncle Rafe.
Between tutoring Americans in French, visiting the market, and eagerly sampling the results of Julia’s studies at Le Cordon Bleu cooking school, Tabitha’s sojourn is proving thoroughly delightful. That is, until the cold December day they return to Julia’s building and learn that a body has been found in the cellar. Tabitha recognizes the victim as a woman she’d met only the night before, at a party given by Julia’s sister, Dort. The murder weapon found nearby is recognizable too—a knife from Julia’s kitchen.
Tabitha is eager to help the investigation but is shocked when Inspector Merveille reveals that a note, in Tabitha’s handwriting, was found in the dead woman’s pocket. Is this murder a case of international intrigue, or something far more personal? From the shadows of the Tour Eiffel at midnight to the tiny third-floor Child kitchen to the grungy streets of Montmartre, Tabitha navigates through the city hoping to find the real killer before she or one of her friends ends up in prison . . . or worse.
MASTERING THE ART OF FRENCH MURDER (An American in Paris Book #1) by Colleen Cambridge is the entertaining first book in this new historical mystery series set in Paris post WWII featuring a young American transplant in Paris who is the best friend of Julia Child. After reading and loving Ms. Cambridge’s historical mystery series set at Mallowan Hall with Agatha Christie as the best friend of the protagonist, I was excited to try this new protagonist and series.
Tabitha Knight grew up in Detroit, but her Grandmere was French and Tabitha grew up bilingual. With the passing of her Grandmere, she travels to post WWII Paris to stay with her Grandpere and Oncle Rafe. She is tutoring French to Americans in Paris after the war and has become friends with Julia Child. When returning from the market, Tabitha and Julia learn of a murdered girl in the cellar of Julia’s apartment building. Tabitha recognizes the victim from a party the night before and the murder weapon discovered by Inspector Merveille is one of Julia’s expensive chef knives from her kitchen.
The suspects are all from the English-speaking theater troupe Julia’s sister, Dort works for that were at the late-night party, Tabitha is determined to clear her friend’s names even with the Inspector telling her to stay out of the investigation. With some aide from her Grandpere and Oncle, Tabitha hopes to find the real killer before any of her friends are jailed or even worse.
This is an exciting amateur sleuth mystery set in an interesting time and location. Tabitha is a resourceful and brave protagonist, who also gets herself into a few dangerous situations due to her excessive curiosity. The friendship with Julia Child is a perfect setup for fun dialogue as Julia tries to teach Tabitha how to cook and shop at the local market so she can prepare dinners for her Grandpere and Oncle. I look forward to discovering more about these gentlemen, because there is definitely more than what has been yet revealed about their lives prior to Tabitha coming to live with them. The plot has plenty of red herrings and twists that kept me reading through all of Tabitha’s adventures and discoveries, but it does start out a bit slow. All plot threads come together and are satisfactorily revealed at the conclusion. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series and learning more about all these characters.
I recommend this historical mystery with memorable characters and 1950’s Paris.
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About the Author
Colleen Cambridge is the pen name for an award-winning, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. From a young age, Colleen has loved reading mysteries and now she couldn’t be happier that she is able to write them.
Under several pseudonyms, she has written more than 36 books in a variety of genres and is always plotting her next murder—er, book.
A TRACE OF POISON (A Phyllida Bright Mystery Book #2) by Colleen Cambridge is the second entertaining cozy mystery featuring Phyllida Bright, housekeeper and best friend to Agatha Christie at Mallowan Hall. While Agatha may write clever mysteries, Phyllida solves real life murders.
For the benefit of a local orphanage, the Village of Listleigh is sponsoring Murder Fete. Agatha invites the Detection Club which consists of other famous mystery authors to give lectures, sign and sell their books, meet with their fans, and judge an amateur mystery writing contest over a weekend. The Fete is giving a grand prize of not just a local, but an international writing contract.
The first evening’s cocktail party is going well until Father Tooley, the parish priest set to tabulate the scores for the contest, falls dead. Phyllida immediately begins to collect clues, but every person at the party is an expert in murder and how to get away with it.
I enjoyed this second book even more than the first. I felt a stronger connection to the characters in this mystery as they are becoming more fully fleshed and I have become more invested. I really liked the back and forth between Phyllida and Bradford. Bradford still has a mysterious past, but you get the impression there is much more to him than has yet been revealed and I am looking forward to discovering it in future books. The plot was well paced, had many red herrings, surprises, and a climactic twist that led to Phyllida being able to give an old-fashioned denouement.
I love Phyllida and cannot wait for more cozy mysteries with the cast of characters at Mallowan Hall.
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Author Bio
Colleen Cambridge is the pen name of an award-winning USA Today and New York Times bestselling author.
Under several pseudonyms, she has written more than 36 books in a variety of genres and is always plotting her next murder—er, book.
Today is my turn to share my Feature Post and Book Review for OPERATION LIGHTNING BOLT by Hilary Green on this Books ‘n’ All Promotions Blog Tour.
Below you will find a book description, my book review and the author’s bio and social media links. Enjoy!
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Book Description
A British secret agent must face her greatest nightmare to unravel a dangerous mystery — if she is to save her country from its worst enemies.
Hampshire, 1943.
Katherine Isobel ‘Kim’ Maxwell has been languishing in the ‘cooler’ up in Scotland in what she sees as punishment for getting caught — and tortured — by the Nazis, before being freed by Resistance fighters and smuggled back into England. Now she is sent for by the head of SOE. This is her chance to prove herself.
A fellow agent has been found murdered. The victim had a very special function in their training plan for secret agents, at the SOE finishing school, Palace House in Beaulieu. Her last ‘student’ was a nervous trainee called Lucien who was sent to France as a radio operator — and almost immediately captured by the Nazis.
Kim is ordered to run an internal investigation into Lilian’s murder. She soon discovers that there is every indication that Lilian heard something she shouldn’t have and that her murder was a warning: her ears were plugged with hot sealing wax before she died. Kim also spots a strange zigzag pattern on the wall above the bed where Lilian was found, which Lilian drew using her own blood as she lay dying.
Aided by Roland, aka the Red Fox, a new recruit with a shady past of his own, she begins to uncover a plot that extends far beyond the secretive world of SOE.
But in order to expose this dangerous web of deceit, Kim must go back into the heart of occupied France — and into the hands of the enemy . . .
OPERATION LIGHTNING BOLT OPERATION KINGFISHER TWICE ROYAL LADY APHRODITE’S ISLAND
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My Book Review
RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars
OPERATION LIGHTNING BOLT by Hilary Green is a WWII historical mystery set in both France and England featuring a dogged young female spy in a race to uncover a plot on English soil that could change the outcome of the war. This is a standalone mystery full of intrigue and mystery.
Lieutenant Katherine “Kim” Maxwell is a member of the SOE. She has been recuperating in Scotland since her retrieval by the French Resistance from her Nazis captors. When a friend and fellow agent is found murdered, Kim is sent by Brigadier Colin “M” Gubbins to investigate in the guise of a teacher at her old spy school.
Kim is aided by one of her students, Roland “Foxy” and they uncover a shadow group of Nazi sympathizers who are ready to attempt a change in the English government at the very top and the English position in the war.
This historical mystery has fully drawn main characters that were interesting, and I was sorry to see their storyline end. Kim is a smart and spirited main character who was just as able as any male spy in this book which I enjoyed. She did not wait for a rescue from her romantic interest. The mystery plot itself is well paced and has some twists, but it was also easy to anticipate many of the pivotal plot points. That said, it was a well-researched historical novel and a very enjoyable read with engaging characters that I am sorry to say goodbye to.
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Author Bio
Hilary trained for the stage at the Rose Bruford college but then decided to go into teaching. She spent many years teaching drama and theatre studies in a variety of schools, from a girl’s boarding school in Kent to Comprehensives in London and on the Wirral. It was there that she had the great pleasure of guiding Daniel Craig’s first steps towards stardom.
She also founded and ran a Youth Theatre Company in Epsom, Surrey. She has a B.Ed (First Class) from Liverpool University and an MA Writing from Liverpool John Moores. Since retiring from teaching to concentrate on writing she has published twenty historical novels and her first non-fiction book will be out next spring. She also writes under the name of Holly Green.
