The right sort of man

Select an Action

Title:

The right sort of man

Author:

Montclair, Allison, author.

Series:

Sparks and Bainbridge ;

Series Number:

Summary:

In a London slowly recovering from 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, quick-witted and impulsive, 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 their promising start is threatened when their newest client is found murdered and the man arrested for the crime is 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 his name―and to rescue their fledgling operation’s reputation―Sparks and Bainbridge decide to investigate on their own. Little do they know that this will put their very lives at risk. -- Amazon.

General Note:

Includes new introduction from the author, a discussion guide, and a sneak peak at Allison Montclair's next novel, "A royal affair."

Edition:

First Minotaur Signature edition.

Physical Description:

xiv, 333 pages ; 21 cm

Genre:

Historical fiction.

Detective and mystery fiction.

Subject Term:

Sparks, Iris (Fictitious character) -- Fiction.

Bainbridge, Gwendolyn (Fictitious character) -- Fiction.

Dating services -- Fiction.

Women-owned business enterprises -- Fiction.

Murder -- Investigation -- Fiction.

Geographic Term:

London (England) -- History -- 20th century -- Fiction.

Publisher:

Minotaur Books,

Publication Date:

2020

ISBN:

9781250621412

Publication Information:

New York : Minotaur Books, 2020.

Call Number:

MONTCLAIR

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Item Barcode	Collection	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
33607003682674	New Adult Fiction	MONTCLAIR Allison	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

From debut author Allison Montclair comes an engrossing historical mystery novel set in post-war London, The Right Sort of Man .

In a London slowly recovering from 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, quick-witted and impulsive, 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 their promising start is threatened when their newest client is found murdered and the man arrested for the crime is 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 his name--and to rescue their fledgling operation's reputation--Sparks and Bainbridge decide to investigate on their own. Little do they know that this will put their very lives at risk.

*BONUS CONTENT: This edition of The Right Sort of Man includes a new introduction from the author and a discussion guide

Author Notes

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.

Reviews (1)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Set in 1946 London, Montclair's stellar debut and series launch introduces an unlikely pair of detectives. Gwen Bainbridge, whose husband died during WWII, lives with her late husband's parents, who managed to get legal custody of her six-year-old son, Ronnie. Gwen and Iris Sparks, a former operative for British intelligence, run the Right Sort Marriage Bureau. Their innocuous business becomes less so after client Tillie La Salle is stabbed to death shortly after her particulars were provided to Dickie Trower, a shy accountant. Dickie is charged with Tillie's murder, his purported motive anger over the cancellation of their first date. Convinced that the wrong person is behind bars and facing intensely negative press, Gwen and Iris investigate Tillie's death. They soon find plausible alternative motives, including fallout from the dead woman's involvement in the black market and a former beau's jealousy. Both leads are complex, well-developed characters, whose penchant for humorous byplay never comes at the expense of the plot, which resolves itself in a clever fair play reveal. Fans of Maisie Dobbs and Bess Crawford will be delighted. (June) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.