Simply written, stock characters, although am interesting premise. Not compelling enough to make me want to finish it.

The Right Sort of Man by Allison Montclair

I didn’t want this book to end! And it had me guessing the identity of the murderer right up until the end. Cannot wait for the next installment of this series. So many possible story ideas and directions the author can take with these complex characters.

Miss Iris Sparks and Mrs. Gwendolyn Bainbridge operate the Right Sort Marriage Bureau. A new client was allegedly murdered by a prospective suitor, also one of their clients. They decide to investigate this murder for a variety of reasons, the least of which is their fledgling business has been damaged by the salacious publicity this murder generates in post WWII London.

Iris and Gwen have been impacted by the war and their lives altered forever. Iris is the “head” of the matchmaking business as she investigates the backgrounds of prospective clients since she has friends in both high and low places, with the low placed having better information. She has a couple of broken engagements and one was with a detective assigned to the murder case. She may have worked undercover during the war but, of course, she cannot talk openly about her “war-time training.” Gwen is the “heart” of the business as she has an uncanny intuitive ability to read people. She is a war widow with a young son. She lives with her in-laws who are in the aristocracy and are not supportive of her business endeavor. These two seemingly opposite women who have seen the dark side of humanity through the lens of war create a dynamic partnership. The banter and friendship between these two women was a strong point in this book.

Allison Montclair immerses the reader into the time period. The language and situations were authentic. This was a wonderful book. Highly recommended.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.

This was very enjoyable indeed. It is set just after WWII and the descriptions of the rationing and bomb damage give an excellent sense of the time and setting. Iris and Gwen have had very different wars: Iris did something covered by the Official Secrets Act; Gwen's husband was killed, Gwen struggled with her mental health for a time as a result, and her unpleasant mother-in-law therefore took guardianship of Gwen's son. Gwen and Iris have set up a marriage bureau and somehow (this should be the real mystery of the novel!) have as many single men as women on their books. When a female client of theirs is stabbed to death and the police think the potential husband they set her up with did it, Iris and Gwen set out to prove his innocence.

The tone throughout is light, often funny, although it is not quite 'cozy'. The main protagonists and the people with the last word are women. Gwen's very real problems are on the way to being solved by the end when she resolves to take a stand, and Iris' love life is a novel in itself. The actual mystery was perhaps the least effective part of the book for me; there were twists and turns and people turned out not to be who they first appeared to be, but one particular 'twist' seemed more like an omission...

Still, very enjoyable - I hope there will be more in this series.