Reading a new Sparks & Bainbridge novel is much like finding a package of artisan truffles at your doorstep. The anticipation is overwhelming, the taste as ideal as your gluttonous memories, and all too soon, way too soon, consumed, often in one setting. The Unkept Woman, the fourth book in the series is no different, except some richly limited edition flavors have been added; the balance of savory, bitter and sweet is again perfectly calibrated. The delightful unlikely business partners and BFFs are hoping for a respite from the quirky trail of bodies that seems to accompany their efforts to launch and grow The Right Sort marriage bureau in post wartime London. But it is not to be.

Brainy beautiful willowy Gwendolyn Bainbridge, an upper crust widow, recovering from her stay in the sanatorium after the wartime death of her husband, is still struggling to regain sole control of the custody of her son and her resources after her in-laws, Lord and Lady Bainbridge, took charge of them both. She lives in a manor, which to Gwen is also a form of home detention; her great escape being her partnership and friendship with Iris Sparks. Iris, a stunning petite polymath, is a quick thinking, occasionally dangerous woman of mystery, whose wartime work with the hush hush British special forces/intelligence division keeps forcing itself into her life as she equally forcefully tries to escape it, primarily though strong drink, questionable decisions, and unsuitable men.

The Unkept Woman begins with one of the best jaw dropping openings I’ve read recently. The bullet-ridden body of Iris Sparks has been found in her apartment by a neighborhood constable. Wait a minute! It’s not supposed to work that way in a series. And off we go. This time the ghosts from Iris’s past appear at her doorstep and the storyline shifts to the fateful confusing days before the murder. The plot bends and witty repartee are rich and abundant; readers will be happy to know that the huge lovelorn Renaissance man, former special forces agent, and aspiring playwright Sally makes an appearance, as well as Iris’s current paramour, the gangster, Archie Spelling.

Monclair never settles for the typical tropes of the mystery trade; it is a pleasure to read her scene setting description of policemen investigating a road in Highgate: “This turned out to be a street of large brick Victoria houses, separated by gardens, walls, and snobbery.” In another surprise development, Gwen and Iris get into a high stakes disagreement that could end their relationship and possibly more. Going into further detail will activate the spoiler alert alarm. But what is welcome and distinctive about this series is that it has almost an Oscar Wilde level of highly entertaining, witty fast paced dialogue between Iris and Gwen and all they encounter. But this can also suddenly move into nuanced and credible soul-searching. Montclair pulls this narrative shift off with aplomb and insight, and makes a great case for mental health support for both Gwen and Iris, here in the person of unflappable psychiatrist Dr Milford, whose waiting room is filled with the war wounded, decades before the term PTSD was ever uttered.

And the mystery at the end of the murder, well it was astonishing, and I didn’t see it coming and I had my literary night vision goggles on. Highly recommended for people looking for escapism, entertainment, and revelation, disguised as a box of expensive chocolates. My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing the arc

Alison Montclair's Sparks and Bainbridge series just keeps getting better. Iris Sparks, retired spy, and her friend and business partner Gwen Bainbridge can't seem to avoid murder. For Sparks, it is often her past coming back to meddle in the present. For Bainbridge, though, it is a very real danger to her plans to separate herself and her son from her in-laws. But they face the situations with mental and physical courage, and take the reader along on the rollicking ride.

While the series doesn't need to be read in order, I'd encourage new readers to treat themselves to the books in publication sequence.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I just discovered the Sparks & Bainbridge series this year, so after binge reading the first three books, I was super happy to see that I could request book 4 from NetGalley. Book 4 keeps right on with the pace and character development of the first three books. While you *could* read this as a stand-alone, I don't know why you'd want to--go read the whole series!

All opinions are my own, despite receiving an advanced review copy from NetGalley.

This series, with four books so far, is one of the best historical series I have on my must be read list. When get my hands on one I settle down to immerse myself in a well constructed mystery, the kind that makes time slip away and you forget about dinner, laundry, well just about everything except walking the dog. He makes sure you don't forget that. The characters of Gwen and Iris are so richly drawn that I feel like I'm reading a letter from friends, filling me in on the issues in their lives. How is Gwen doing with her quest to regain custody of her son from her in-laws? How is Iris doing with dealing with her wartime past and her relationships? How's the Right Sort Marriage Bureau going? So much I want to find out. Of course murders need to be solved, too. That's the other pleasure of this series, Gwen and Iris investigating. Each mystery is full of twists and turns ending in a satisfying conclusion. This works as a stand alone as Allison Montclair gives enough information that you won't be lost if you are new to the series.
With a setting of post WWII Britain with its hope for a new, bright future women hope that it will include them. They sacrificed so much but still face so many barriers when they try to become unkept. To find their own way and become independent. I had no hesitation giving The Unkept Woman five stars.
My thanks to the publisher Minotaur and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I'm not sure why I have never heard of this series but I feel like I've missed alot of great reading. Allison Montclair has developed a couple of real "characters" designed to keep you interested and entertained while thay solve some very confusing crimes, especially when one of them has been declared a victim. I'm really glad it wasn't her, she adds so much to the story when she finds out she's dead! The crime line moves quickly in this book, you'll not want to take a break. Now I'm off to find the first 3 books and see what else moght be in Ms Montclair's back library.

This is the fourth book in the author’s enjoyable historical mystery series. Readers who already know Sparks and Bainbride will be happy to again spend time with them and their agency.

For those who don’t know, the two women, one a former intelligence agent and the other, a war widow, run a Marriage Bureau. Sparks and Bainbridge are quite different people but they successfully share this business. The idea of a marriage bureau as a setting is quite clever in my opinion.

The time period of the novel is post WWII. The setting is England. This time Iris Sparks is approached by someone who has a tie to a person from her past. At the same time, Gwendolyn is trying to straighten out some issues from her own life. In addition to all of this, of course, there is a murder that needs to be solved.

A strength of this series is its protagonists and their backstories. I very much enjoyed reading about Iris and Gwendolyn.

Those who enjoy historical fiction and mysteries will do well to look at this. series. After reading this novel, readers may then want to work their way through all of the novels, even as they wait eagerly for book number five.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press-Minotaur for this title. All opinions are my own.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for this opportunity to review “The Unkept Woman.” All opinions and comments are my own.

Shocker -- there’s a dead body right at the beginning of our book. Double shocker -- the identification in the flat says it’s our Iris Sparks, of The Right Sort Marriage Bureau. Well, that would be the end of the series, wouldn’t it? This is book #4, by the way. I think it’s somebody else, but that’s just me.

And luckily, it is. Thus, “The Unkept Woman” starts with a bang. Iris is still involved with her spy background, with the turn-up of an ex-boyfriend she knew from the war (WWII, by the way), and is still dating a gangster. Gwen is once again trying to get her son back, legally removing her “lunatic” status, and finally live her life away from her controlling in-laws. Thus, the book doesn’t have a whole lot to do with The Right Sort Marriage Bureau, and I think that’s a shame. Oh, it’s an exciting tale of a murder investigation, retelling stories from wartime, double-crosses, lies and more lies, bad blood, boyfriends and ex-boyfriends, spies, and ex-spies. But the books are now all about the private lives of our two protagonists. They’ve become a soap opera script. Well-written, well-plotted, but with all the drama of a daily melodrama. Will Gwen get her child back? Will Iris’s love life ever sort itself out? Tune in tomorrow!

And finally, the big finish isn’t much of a finish. It’s rather underwhelming for what came before. That makes it more of a surprise ending, I suppose. Of course, having said all that, I’ll keep reading these books, because I want to see Gwen and Iris happy. Call me crazy.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for access to this arc.

Brava, I say. Brava! Action, murder, friendship, past loves, presents loves, spies, and some forward movement in both Iris’s and Gwen’s separate issues along with a case that kept me glued to it so that I flew through two hundred pages in just an afternoon.

First there is a dead body found and then the action jumps to two days previously when Gwen Bainbridge and Iris Sparks meet with a potential new client right as two other things happen. Iris is trailed by someone on her way to work and later finds her former lover, who has paid the rent on her flat, there when she gets home. Why is this man, who is still working with British Intelligence as did Iris during the war, taking up space there and does he have any contact with the potential client?

Meanwhile, Gwen and Iris are both still seeing Dr. Milford. Gwen is almost ready to pursue her case at the Lunacy Courts to be declared legally sane. This would allow her to live independently of her controlling in-laws, regain her inheritance, and be the sole guardian of her young son. Her barrister warns her not to take part in any more investigations so when the police turn Iris’s life upside down and she’s suspected of murder, Gwen is forced to turn down her request for help. Or will she?

I have to say that everything here fits together, slots together, and makes sense without being in any way over the top – unlike “A Royal Affair.” Since there are so many issues that have been introduced in past books that are brought up here, I don’t think it would be either easy or recommended for readers new to the series to start with this one. Plus the discussions that both Iris and Gwen have with Dr. Milford, the psychiatrist whom Gwen was first seeing and who Iris has now begun to see, are much more insightful and wrenching if readers know the backgrounds of the two women.

About those discussions. In previous books, we’ve been told that Gwen had a breakdown when news of her husband’s death reached her. The details are finally mentioned here and that is one of the WARNINGS I have for the book. Gwen truly was fragile then and has made great progress since her release from a sanitorium. I can also, just a bit, understand why her in-laws did what they did for both her health and to take care of her son, young Ronnie. Both in-laws are slightly present in this story and show glimmers of possibly being redeemed. And young John is trying to find his footing in his new family and with the racism thrown his way in London. Anyway, I look forward to seeing what happens in the next book about all of this.

Iris also has some insights about her feelings and past actions that might free her to finally let go of her lingering emotions about her war espionage past and look towards her future both romantically and in regards to British Intelligence. Ah yes, they are also all over the plot along with some people who might not be who they say they are. Plus Polish survivors now in Britain are trying to make new lives for themselves while still struggling with how Poland was betrayed after the war.

But what about the murder? There are spies and police all over the place but it’s the skills and knowledge of Gwen and Iris that cracks the case. It was delightful as well as suspenseful to watch them both use their old (in the case of Iris) and new (in the case of Gwen) espionage tricks to try and then manage to figure out who dunnit and why. Plus the remains of Gwen’s family finally make an appearance.

This book was a doozy and not just because I learned that (at least at the time) there was actually a Master of Lunacy. The plot was tight, the emotions were there, actions made sense, and I didn’t roll my eyes or yell at anyone to “not go in the dark basement!” People used their heads and although the police didn’t crack the case, they also weren’t made to look like fools either. A-

…and possibly my favourite of the series (#1 is marvellous too). Montclair takes the narrative threads set up in book one, The Right Sort of Man, and brings them to some resolution. In The Unkept Woman, Iris Sparks finally reckons with her past and Gwen Bainbridge gains in strength and resolve, which go a long way to bring her closer to regaining custody of her finances and son (as we learn from book one, Gwen had what would be deemed in post-war England a “nervous breakdown” and was declared “incompetent” [legal term] losing custody of her son, Ronnie, and finances, given over to her conservative, draconian in-laws. Gwen’s emotional collapse came at the death of her husband, Ronald Bainbridge, in WWII). But in the latest volume, Sparks’ past returns: she is the eponymous “unkept woman”, having broken off from the married man she’d been having an affair with, on and off, during and post war-time intelligence training and action. But things are more complicated than what I’ve described so far.

The latest volume opens with a visit from Polish emigrée Helena Jablonska seeking Iris and Gwen’s Right Sort Marriage Bureau matchmaking services. Two days later, Helena is found shot dead in Iris’s apartment and Gwen and Iris are back on the sleuthing path, accompanied by their partner-in-sleuthing, Salvatore Danielli, “Sally” to his friends, a giant playwright who, like Iris, played a role in war-time intelligence; add the “usual suspects” to the mix: the hilarious, loveable servants of Gwen’s household, really her in-laws’ household but their hearts lie with Gwen, Iris, and the irrepressible Ronnie; Iris’s occasional amour, “spiv” Archie Spelling; a new assortment of post-war Polish emigrés embittered by Yalta, mysterious MI6 figures, and the return of Detective Mike Kinsey of Scotland Yard, Iris’s the one-who-got-away. Truly a marvellous assortment.

The series’ strengths are many: in this case, even better pacing, which kept me glued, seamlessly integrated historical detail, a wonderful combination of consistent, unifying narrative threads with a unique storyline in the murder and its resolution, great “banterish” dialogue, and, of course, the emotionally-engaging characters.

Most of all, to put it simply, I adore Gwen and Iris because they are simultaneously vulnerable and strong. And they share that most precious of relationships, a friendship; even more than the historical detail, intrepid adventures, and love interests, the Sparks and Bainbridge mystery series is about a wonderful partnership and friendship between two woman. And it isn’t the sappy WF kind: it’s playful, fun, and banter-filled, but no less supportive and deeply-felt. A passage encompassing these qualities is the conversation between Gwen and Iris as Iris confesses to Gwen the latest mess she’s landed in thanks to the return of her married lover and his possible connection to the mysterious Helena, RIP:

“Keep going. Tell me I’m a failure and a coward and that I deserve to live a lonely life and die alone and be found half eaten by an excessive number of cats who only pretended to love me because I fed them.”

“Wait, I need to write all that down,” said Gwen as Iris threw herself facedown on her bed. “What have you failed at?”

“Everything,” said Iris.

“Move over,” said Gwen, climbing onto the bed next to her. “What brought this on?”

“Your mother-in-law’s whiskey.”

“And what brought that on?”

“Your mother-in-law.”

The entire novel is suffused with this combination of pathos and wit. Witness the following passage where Iris expresses how fed up she is with her spying war-work interfering with her present life:

“All I want is to bring lonely people together for the lifetime of love that has been denied me. I don’t want death and subterfuge dogging my footsteps everywhere I go. I want to show up at the office at nine o’clock Monday morning and find that Gwen has beaten me there yet again to regale me with Little Ronnie’s latest. And when the workday is done, I want to go back to my own flat and curl up with a good book or a bad man.”

Other than to “regale” you with how well-written and fun the dialogue is, this passage also illustrates one of the themes I most appreciate about the series: how Gwen and Iris, representative of the war-wounded (it’s not only combat veterans war injures) work to regain a sense of normality, of a life no longer lived on an emotional “edge”. Montclair brings this theme home in a “show-not-tell” way by having, throughout the four volumes (digits crossed there will be more), Gwen’s and Iris’s sessions with a therapist, Dr. Milford, a sympathetic, perspicacious figure and cause for more terrifically-rendered dialogue.

In sum, if you haven’t read the series, go to book one and start now; if you have, don’t miss out on the latest (releasing today). In Miss Austen’s more eloquent words, The Unkept Woman is proof “there is no charm equal to tenderness of heart,” Emma.

I am grateful to Minotaur Books for an opportunity to read and review an e-galley of The Unkept Woman, offered via Netgalley.

Not going to lie, for the first 56% of this book I was calling it the unkeMpt woman and totally thought it was about Mrs. Bainbridge being considered a lunatic. But then I realized that was not actually the title and the book made a whole lot more sense.

It was eventful, but I can't say it was really a book that interested me. The writing was good, the plot moved quickly, the suspense was built. I just wasn't really into it.

Gwen Bainbridge and Iris Sparks have been running their marriage bureau for several months. In that time they have been involved in several murder investigations. Iris is a former intelligence agent who was trained to handle dangerous situations.. Gwen, however, was widowed during the war and attempted to take her own life when she received the news and was committed to an asylum. Now she is preparing to appear before the courts in an attempt to regain control of her own life. Her lawyer has warned her that further involvement in such activities would not be viewed favorably by the courts. Now the body of a woman has been discovered in Iris’ flat and she is the prime suspect in the murder, leaving Gwen torn as to whether she should come to Iris’ assistance. Her in-laws have guardianship to her son Ronnie. Until she wins her court case she can not regain control of her son or the estate left by her husband.

Helena Jablonska arrives at their offices supposedly to find a husband. She is actually looking for one specific man, Iris’ former lover Andrew. During the war, Andrew was an agent sent to Poland to help the resistance, where he met Helena. Now Arthur has shown up at Iris’ flat demanding he be allowed to stay. Andrew had actually rented and paid for the flat when he was together with Iris and there is still time left on his lease. Iris packs a bag to temporarily stay with Gwen. When the dead woman is found, Andrew is missing. The victim is similar in build and hair color to Iris. As the prime suspect Iris must find Andrew to prove her innocence, but others are also looking for him. The Russians have an interest in Helena and there is another woman following Iris. She is unsure if the woman is working for British Intelligence or if she is another woman with ties to Andrew. Although Gwen had originally turned down Iris’ request for help, she is more than a business partner. She is her best friend and deserves her help. This is the fourth book in Allison Montclair’s series and through it all Gwen and Iris shine as they face each challenge. I would like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing this book for my review.

Is there anything better than opening a book just knowing that for the next few hours you are going to be swept up in a page turner with interesting characters, history, and twisty plot? The Unkept Woman by Allison Montclair is that type of book in a series that maintains its momentum even in this, its fourth installment.

In The Unkept Woman, Gwen and Iris deal with their complicated personal lives while determining why various people are tailing them and who murdered a Polish spy in Iris’ flat. Filled with twists that draw information from Iris and her colleagues’ wartime activity and take her to a Polish settlement, the story remains fast-paced even during what might seem like a lull as Gwen takes her son and group to a show highlighting upcoming consumerism.

As usual, Montclair’s writing is smooth, the plot intricate, and the characterizations always building. As we learn new things about Gwen and Iris, they too learn knew things about themselves, allowing them to change during the course of the novel, or at least grow.

If you’re new to the series and wondering if you could start with The Unkept Woman, you could but you’d lose an awful lot of Gwen and Iris’ background not to mention the number of past and present love interests and characters who’ve recently appeared on the scene. Anyway, the entire series is so much fun, especially if you like smart, sharp dialogue and twisting plots that you’d be missing out if you started with The Unkept Woman.

Highly recommended!

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Suspenseful, immersive, and engaging!

The Unkept Woman is a clever, mysterious tale set in London post-WWII that takes you into the lives of two main characters. Miss Iris Sparks, the former intelligence agent, now partner in a matchmaking service whose previous personal life may make her the primary suspect in the murder of a young woman with a complicated past, and Mrs. Gwendolyn Bainbridge, a young mother and widow who’s ongoing accidental associations with the criminal underworld may once again set back her struggle to regain the legal independence she so desperately desires

The prose is vivid and smooth. The characters are sharp, plucky, and intriguing. And the plot is a well-paced, entertaining mystery full of secrets, suspicions, espionage, duty, friendship, flirtation, duplicity, and fun.

Overall, The Unkept Woman is a rich, atmospheric, highly entertaining tale by Montclair that is the fourth title in the Sparks & Bainbridge Mystery series and is also, in my opinion, the perfect choice for anyone who is looking for an amusing, lighthearted historical whodunit to pick up.

I fell in love with Allison Montclair's Sparks & Bainbridge historical mysteries from the very first one, The Right Sort of Man, and I'm happy to say that my affair with these two continues in this fourth book, The Unkept Woman. As usual, the wit and humor sparkle, beginning with the wordplay in the title itself. Normally, when I think of the word "unkept", I think of something that's messy or untidy, but that's not how it's being used here. Sparks and Bainbridge are two women who aren't being "kept" by any man. They are two women from totally different backgrounds who are learning how to live their lives on their own terms without needing to rely on anyone else, and I love being an observer on their journey.

The Unkept Woman delves deeper into Iris Sparks' background as an intelligence officer during World War II. Some of her associates are proving to be hazardous to her health, and this is all exacerbated by the fact that the British intelligence community is now having to change its focus from the Nazis to the Soviets, who are everywhere in London, sticking their noses into every dark corner in an attempt to gather information.

While Sparks is trying to navigate her past, Bainbridge is showing us the ins and outs of trying to regain control of her future, of her own life, her own finances, and the life of her young son. When her husband was killed, Gwen's grief was so profound that her in-laws had her committed to an asylum with them as her guardians in control of her and her son. There's one thing about The Good Old Days: they didn't mince words. Gwen is finding out that she now has to deal with the Master of Lunacy in the Lunacy Court in order for her to regain control and have the decision overturned. (I don't know how I'd feel if I had to introduce myself as the Master of Lunacy... or would that be the Mistress of Lunacy...)

Bainbridge has been told categorically that she cannot be seen to participate in any sort of investigation; it could have a dire effect on her chances in Lunacy Court. But how can she stand by when Sparks needs her help? These are definitely interesting times for the two women as Sparks finds herself going to, among other places, a refuge camp in the course of her investigation.

Once again, The Unkept Woman dishes up a mouth-watering buffet of mystery, mayhem, wit, and wisdom, and I think it's time that I admit that I have a crush on Percival the butler with his "derby of discretion." That man is a star. On a final note, many of you may know that the British have a reputation for standing in lines, or as they call them, "queues". There's a bit of that in The Unkept Woman, and Gwen tells her young son and his friend, "Remember, boys, anything with a queue is something worth waiting for"-- which, come to think of it, describes this entire series. If you haven't made the acquaintance of Gwen Bainbridge and Iris Sparks, it's time to stop waiting and start at the beginning with The Right Sort of Man. These books are so much fun!

This book had me laughing. The main character, Iris Sparks, is definitely a fierce, strong woman. A woman is found dead in Iris’ apartment and she’s a suspect. But with her former experience as an intelligence agent, she tries to solve the crime before the police can. And leads them on a clever getaway chase in the meantime. I love that it was a mystery but definitely had a comedic side. I always enjoy reading from another time period. I didn’t read the previous novels but I now am more curious about these characters.

Murder unexpected!

Sparks & Bainbridge mysteries just keep coming up winners. The tension, the plots within plots, like a Russian doll, all waiting to be revealed.
Post-war Britain, Cold War beginnings—times are changing. British intelligence and Russian agents are engaging.
Iris Sparks and Gwen Bainbridge co-owners of the Right Sort of Marriage Bureau have been making a go of their business, even as they’re occasionally interrupted by murder investigations and / or the intelligence services.
Both have had trauma in their lives and each in their own way is slowly and steadily making psychological and emotional gains. I love their therapist. He’s continually shaking his head as things just keep happening around these two.
Life is trundling along until a few different factors collide. A young Polish woman is not accepted as a candidate for the marriage bureau, Iris’ ex-lover Andrew, an intelligence officer, turns up in Iris’ flat (that he still pays for) much to her annoyance. Archie is present but laying low when police become involved. A young woman’s dead body is found at the flat. Thus the game begins.
Gwen is making headway with her independence and her bid to gain guardianship of her son and access to her fortune.
I’m rather liking Detective Cavendish’s reflections from time to time.
Admittedly I was on the edge of my seat with this post war thriller. Montclair delivers and our two ladies are still standing, despite some hair raising moments.
We and our characters are never quite sure who is doing what, who the intelligence service is hanging out to dry, and who had gone rogue. I did not see the ending coming and felt some sympathy for the perpetrator who’d been deceived all the way.
Another mighty episode from Montclair.

A St. Martin's Press ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

This was such a perfect mystery. Loved the vibes, loved the plot, loved the characters. This book confirms for me a general rule of thumb: former lady spies make the best protagonists. I hadn't actually read any of the prior books in this series, but this book stands alone really well (and makes me want to go back and read the others). There were enough characters, complexities, and relationships that this book stayed compelling and never dragged. I was pulled in by every element.

The setting--1940's post-war London--was well-crafted. The characters' wit and repartee was fun, too.

All in all, this was a light, twisty, well-written, and absorbing mystery. Highly recommend!

Up front-I'm a huge fan of this series set in post-WWII London and featuring a unique pair of women. Upfront as well, it would be hard to slip into it at this stage in the story and fully appreciate everything that's happening to Iris Sparks, a Cambridge grad who worked with the SOE, and Gwen Bainbridge, a wealthy woman who was so bereft at the loss of her husband that her in-laws had her declared a lunatic. Yes they run a dating service but what they really do is solve murders and in this latest installment, murder is very close to home. Iris doesn't know why she's being followed until she discovers that her ex, the married man whose flat she lives in, is back from his clandestine exploits aboard and in hiding. And who is Helena, the pregnant woman who ends up shot to death in the flat? This becomes more a spy novel than a murder mystery as Iris's past comes back to haunt her. Luckily, she's got Gwen by her side, a woman far more intrepid than anyone gave her credit for. I adore the characters, who become more well rounded with each installment (even Gwen's in-laws) and some of whom will surprise you. Montclair has a terrific touch and a great deal of sympathy for them (especially Gwen) . Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. No spoilers as it a complex and complicated tale that I found very rewarding. I'm eagerly awaiting the next one.

This series goes from strength to strength. Set in just post WWII London, Iris Sparks and Gwen Bainbridge run The Right Sort, a marriage bureau (apparently something that existed at the time). Iris worked in intelligence during the war, and Gwen, a daughter of privilege, is a bereaved widow who lives with her in-laws and young son as they have had her declared mentally incompetent. The two find solace and purpose in running a business together, and my only actual quibble with this book was that there was really none of the marriage bureau in the plot (or very little).

Like the other books, however, the story begins when a woman shows up at The Right Sort supposedly looking for a match. To Iris’ surprise, Gwen turns her down, and she follows the woman out the door. It turns out she’s pregnant. That’s something The Right Sort doesn’t handle.

Then there’s the matter of a dead body in the apartment Iris lives in, leased for her by her ex, Andrew. When he turns up again, Iris calls in reinforcements in the form of her gangster boyfriend, Archie, and takes off for Gwen’s place to wait out Andrew’s infestation of her apartment. Through a clever series of events, the dead woman is mistaken for Iris, and then Iris in turn is suspected of killing her.

Gwen, who is petitioning the court to be declared once again legally competent, has been advised to keep out of investigations as it makes her look bad. Archie is hands off after Iris is arrested, as he can’t have the police turning up at his place of business. So Iris, who has also been disavowed by the intelligence community, is on her own and must find a way to figure out just who the dead woman was and what has happened to her.

Montclair is excellent at illustrating the post war world. The dead woman was Polish, so we, as readers, learn about the state of Poles not only in Europe but in England as well, where they certainly feel aggrieved, with very good reason. We learn about the slow return of “normal”, as Gwen visits an exhibition of the “new” with her son and sees all kinds od wonderful gadgets and ideas that will be used in the future. It’s a strange time of hope on one side and the lingering grief and despair left by the war on the other. What comes from that dichotomy will certainly be “new.”

What’s also excellent are the characters, the bond Iris and Gwen share, and the snap of dialogue and plot. These are incredibly intelligent, well written novels that hinge on plot as much as they do on character. The complications introduced make way for a solid solution, one that has some interesting twists to it. Montclair is also keeping to her title: Iris is “unkept” by literally everyone; Gwen is seeking a way to be “unkept” by the courts. I enjoyed every minute of this thoughtful, entertaining journey.

This has become one of my favorite series. The post WWII marriage bureau team of Sparks and Bainbridge with their intelligently snappy dialogue is tremendously appealing.

Iris Sparks was an intelligence operative during the war and has some demons which sometimes insert themselves into the present. Gwen Bainbridge is a mother and war widow who came unglued when her husband was killed and consequently has been labelled as unstable. She is fighting to regain control of her life and her son against the moneyed influence of her in-laws.

They do actually run a marriage bureau, but somehow become tangled up in more serious criminal and murder cases. This time around Gwen is getting ready to legally win back full custody of her son and can't afford to get mixed up in any shady cases. Iris' married ex-boyfriend has shown up and it isn't long before a dead body is found.

The two female leads have a strong and resilient friendship and the supporting cast is wonderfully painted. These are a great pleasure to read and I recommend you start at the first one and enjoy your way through all of them. Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.