Iris Sparks and Gwen Bainbridge are the owners of The Right Sort Marriage Bureau operating in London in 1946. Since the new year is approaching, they decide to host a New Year's Eve party for all of their clients. However, finding a venue isn't easy until Iris's beau Archie Spelling tells them that he has purchased and is renovating a club.

Archie and Iris's relationship is deepening. He has asked her to his nephew's wedding which will entail meeting his family. And she has asked him to dinner with her mother who is an MP and with whom Iris has a difficult relationship. Archie's criminal past - and present - makes the relationship that is growing between them a bit problematic.

When they inspect the club to see if it will be suitable for the party, Gwen encounters a man she met and was attracted to on an earlier case. Then, she didn't feel that she had enough control of her life to begin dating again. Now, he's the one who's engaged. Just as they are exchanging some words, a wall Des is demolishing falls and reveals a body. Unfortunately, the body was not a victim of the Blitz but was stabbed to death and walled up more than twenty years earlier. And Iris's ex from Scotland Yard is on the case which creates a lot of tension for Iris.

Meanwhile, Gwen, who has regained control of her financial life but not yet custody of her young son, is house hunting and dipping her toes back into the dating pool. She has dated their friend Sally a few times, but nothing has clicked for her. The man who was her Friend in her court battle for her competence wants to date her. And she meets a pool shark at Archie's who looks to be someone she can have fun with except for his hidden agenda.

When Archie is shot at his nephew's wedding and almost dies, Iris and Gwen are determined to find out who wants him dead and why they do. They both believe that the shooting is because of the discovered body and the secrets around it, though Iris's ex and the detective assigned to Archie's shooting aren't so sure. Their investigations find a long-hidden enemy deep in Archie's organization.

I really enjoyed this story. Gwen's surprising talent for Snooker was a revelation. Her ability to read truth from lies when she is meeting with people had a number of uses in this episode. I also liked Iris's relationship with Archie which really tested Iris's limits.

The ending makes me really want to read the next book in this series which I hope is coming soon.

I believe Murder at the White Palace is the sixth installment of Allison Montclair’s Sparks and Bainbridge mystery series set in post-World War II London, in which feisty, fierce, fascinating, and foxy Iris and Gwen run a marriage bureau and find themselves dealing with murder and mayhem on the side.

I loved reading this immersive and entertaining tale. By turns humorous and heart wrenching, complex yet propulsive, the novel is very well crafted, with crisp and witty dialogue. The pacing is generally good, though for my taste the novel includes too many detailed descriptions of snooker, which at times interfered with the rythym of the story. The characters of Iris and Gwen are beautifully developed, with each woman portrayed as having smarts and gumption but also plenty of relatable flaws and fears. The large cast of secondary characters is vividly drawn. The extent of Montclair’s research is additionally apparent, as she once again manages to utterly transport the reader to postwar London, with just enough period specific details sprinkled throughout. I look forward to discovering Iris and Gwen’s future shenanigans and life choices in the next installment of this series.

Highly recommended, particularly to anyone seeking intelligent historical mysteries featuring strong, interesting women.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for a complimentary ARC. Opinions are my own.

I love this series so so much and it feels like every book gets better. I hope it keeps going on as long as possible. And wow, after that ending I can’t wait for the next one!

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for an ARC of this novel. This is the sixth installment of the lively Sparks and Bainbridge mystery series. Former British intelligence agent Iris Sparks and Gwen Bainbridge, RAF widow, duchess and single mother, are the co-owners of the Right Sort Marriage Bureau and loyal friends despite their very different backgrounds and personalities. Iris, usually called just ´Sparks’ because she is daring and extroverted, undoubtedly learned a few tricks working in covert operations during the recently-ended Second World War, including some formidable snooker skills, which she uses to her benefit in her new social circle. Her current beau is Archie Spelling, an unapologetic ´spiv’ (gangster) who is highly respected in spiv circles. An equally unlikely match, the two are also devoted to each other.

Although the war ended two years earlier, it is not entirely over for Londoners who still face bombed out buildings and rationed goods. Spivs like Archie thrive in black market dealings. Luckily for the marriage brokers, who want to host a New Year’s Eve extravaganza for their clients at a time when such party supplies and spaces are in short order, Archie and his mates can provide. So it is that the women inspect his newly acquired but bomb damaged nightclub, the White Palace of the title.

In the course of her inspection, Gwen happens upon the dashing Dexter Brown, one of Archie’s childhood friends, now a carpenter hired to help with the renovations. Gwen and Dex have had earlier encounters; despite mutual attraction, Gwen’s too-recent bereavement prevented romantic involvement. She must devote herself to raising her young son and upholding the noble Bainbridge name. Dex would be an inappropriate, even scandalous, choice in a rigidly hierarchical society. In any event, Dex is now engaged.
Their sudden reunion is immediately complicated when a wall that Dex is working on collapses, revealing a shrivelled arm. The police quickly dispel the initial assumption that the body to which it is attached is a Blitz. The man is, in fact, a murder victim. The fact that the police team is led by Michael Kinsey, formerly engaged to Sparks and now married, is a further complication.

This is a very quick run-through of the setting, cast and plot for the mystery in which this ‘at-odds’ cast of characters becomes involved. It’s the kind of story reminiscent of both the postwar ‘noir’ detective genre and the period’s witty romantic comedies. The dialogue is sharp and clever, and the female leads are particularly compelling amateur sleuths. Their friendship is tight and true, and no man can come between them. The humour enhances the darker storyline, and the mystery and its resolution are engaging. The romantic resolution, given the ´odd couple ´ nature of the various relationships, and the various triangles involved, is not as predictable as it might first appear. The result is a thoroughly enjoyable caper, whether or not you’ve read the previous installments.

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for a review.
I loved this book and didn’t want it to end. Gwen and Sparks are such a great team. It is so great to see Gwen move forward, making brave decisions. Can’t wait to see what’s next. Sparks and Archie also moving forward before he is shot, never guessed who was the shooter! They will have a rough road for recovery. Looking forward to the next book.

What a fun addition to this series. The parallel story lines were effective, the surprises kept coming and there were lots of “Easter eggs” throughout. The series just keeps getting better. I’ve enjoyed seeing how the characters develop and adjust to changing situations. One scene is memorable, where a driver is moving through the streets of London you could imagine you were in the car.! That’s the sign of a good writer.
I can’t wait for the next book in the series!

Another great one in the Sparks & Bainbridge series. The characters are great - flawed, real, likeable, believable. The setting is really engaging, too, and Montclair's dialogue is tops.

Iris and Gwen are two of my favorite sleuths, and I look forward to each installment of this series. The novels are fast-paced and fun—a good balance of the current mystery and longer-running plot lines. This book is no different. I enjoyed following Gwen as she explored life after lunacy. Would definitely recommend (although it’s best enjoyed as part of the series)!

Now that Gwen is officially a lunatic no longer, she wants to exert her independence and kick loose. What better way than a party for the clients of the Right Sort Marriage Bureau? Of course, when a body tumbles out of the wall of the renovated nightclub they plan to book, it seems that they will have bigger problems than just getting enough champagne for the New Year's Eve toast. Wonderful series with two strong female leads!

Writing: 3/5 Plot: 4/5 Characters: 4/5

Book six of the Sparks and Bainbridge historical mystery series. These books are just fun — a combination of novel, historical interest, and always an interesting body or two that unravel into quirks and twists and plenty of opportunity for the two women to evolve personally. Set in post-WWII London, the two have started the Right Sort Marriage Bureau. Iris Sparks, with a mysterious past in British Intelligence, and Gwendolyn Bainbridge, a genteel war widow who has recently been pronounced “sane” after an extensive engagement with the lunacy courts. I’ve only read book five so I’ll have to go back and start from the beginning to get all the details, but the author does a decent job of giving you enough background to make sense of the present.

In this episode, Gwen has fun with some bad boys and turns out to be a snooker shark (I’m afraid I skimmed over the snooker scenes — all I got was that it is played on a table with some balls) and has the uncanny ability to tell when someone is lying. Iris is dating a charming man whom we love instantly along with her, though he has ties to the underworld that should be unattractive. A body is found that ties back to history and an old bank robbery, and both women take some pretty interesting twists in their love life. They don’t actually match anyone in this story so (as a fellow reviewer pointed out) we have to hope that they manage to stay in business and nobody is paying them to solve mysteries!

Very entertaining and just the right amount of “cozy” for me.

I thank the author, St. Martin's Press/Minotaur, and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this novel.

This series has skyrocketed to the top of my favorite, eagerly anticipated mystery stories. Ms. Montclair is not gentle with her characters, as she explores social, economic and legal issues while England begins to recover from its war years. The actual mystery here sweeps back to World War I, and its impact on their current time brings shocking loss and pain.

Our heroines continue to grow, in their confidence in their business and in their ability to trust and form new friendships. The new characters are people I want to see in future installments, along with stalwart friends from the beginning of this series. The sense of place and time is very well done, without overplaying modern sensibilities.

Ms. Montclair has charted the six novels in the series in a most assured manner, keeping us interested in the people, rooting for their successes and hoping that they can find happiness. I look forward to the next volume.

Five stars

Book #6 in the Sparks & Bainbridge Mysteries by Allison Montclair is a worthy addition to this absorbing historical mystery series, set in post-World War II London. Iris Sparks and Gwen Bainbridge are the owners and proprietors of The Right Sort Marriage Bureau and pride themselves in making excellent matches, but they often get involved with crime investigations. Iris served in intelligence during the war, while Gwen lost her husband in the conflict and then the custody of her young son when she had to be institutionalized.

Happily, this book begins as Gwen is no longer considered a "lunatic" by the government and looks forward to making a home for herself and her son away from her in-laws' home. She has also finally acquired control over her inheritance from her wealthy husband, much to her relief. As they start scouting venues for a New Year's Eve dance for their clients, Gwen is present when a dead body is found in a crumbling wall of a building owned by Iris's gangster boyfriend, Archie Spelling. The story then morphs into a look at the London underworld from a historical perspective and in the late 1940s, with more mayhem ensuing.

However, I was most impressed by Gwen's evolving into the person she was meant to be, including dating several suitors, doing some snooker hustling, and becoming a bit more like Iris every day. Besides going through quite a bit of trauma, Iris has to decide whether she and Archie have a future together. I also loved the author's detailed depiction of the dance at the end of the novel. Clearly, there is more than one cliffhanger that needs to be resolved so I trust there will be more adventures to come.

My thanks to St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.

This is the first book by Allison Montclair I have read, and it was certainly not disappointing. As a stand alone mystery with two delightful characters, it presents good historical context; a matchmaking business, the Right Sort Marriage Bureau, run by two clever women; an "old" murder; and perhaps a bit too many descriptions of snooker. Iris Sparks, who has a shadowy past in intelligence that is never fully explained, and Gwen Bainbridge, a widow with highly developed skills at billiards, are an engaging pair. Iris' relationship with Archie, a charming man with ties to the underworld and an established criminal background establishes an intriguing romance.

When Iris and Gwen decide to set up a New Years' Eve event with the goal of improving their matchmaking business in a property owned by Archie, a walled-in body from a murder from long ago is discovered, and it is a pivotal part of the plot. Several characters are directly or tangentially connected to this crime, and who did it is of seminal interest to Gwen and Iris.

Gwen and Iris are intelligent and curious women, and as they go about solving the murder, they are also often humorous and entertaining. The plot of the book is tight and well-described, and the post WWII London setting is perfect for this genre.

Thanks to net Galley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC. I was excited to read the latest installment in the Sparks/Bainbridge series and was pleased that it did not disappoint! Iris and Gwen are an unlikely pair who formed The Right Sort Marriage Bureau in post WW2 London to match lonely hearts while dealing with their own lonely hearts-and solving murders along the way. I particularly enjoyed that this installment shows us new sides of both characters, with "Bad Gwen" making her first appearance and Iris showing a familial and empathetic side when her personal life takes a potentially fatal turn. Fans of Electra McDonnell as well as Pentecost & Parker will cheer for these heroine detectives as well. It's not necessary to have read the previous 5 books in this series to enjoy the latest one, but I highly recommend doing so to get the most out of the 6th book. I can't wait for the next book in the series!

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

I have only read a couple of the previous novels in this series and I felt at a disadvantage at times - there were constant references to things that had happened in the past, and characters appeared without much backstory as if the reader was supposed to know who they were already. I am glad that poor Gwen is no longer technically a Lunatic. Here she seems to be something of a superwoman - able to tell when people are lying to her, a whizz at snooker (of which there was far too much - it's not that exciting to watch, let alone read about, ball by ball).

Gwen and Iris spent most of the book contemplating their own romantic lives and didn't make a single match, so I hope their business survives. The mystery surrounding the body found in Iris' gangster-boyfriend's club was a historic one and didn't grip me hugely. If I were Iris, I would be contemplating the fact that my boyfriend had flat-out lied to me about things that were very important to him.

Still, the tone was light and humorous in the right places and there was a strong sense of the period in which it was set. Recommended, but perhaps read them in order to get the most out of the series.
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The latest Sparks & Bainbridge installment will please loyal readers and win new ones. Murder at the White Palace takes place largely in the sphere of organized crime and brings to the surface a long-ago coverup in ways tangentially but deftly spurred by the work of the Right Sort Marriage Bureau both past (the wedding of a successful match) and present (the need to find a venue for a New Year’s Eve dance for current clients searching for mates). It is cleverly constructed with the regular appearance of clues you know will play a significant role later, but don’t yet know how. You may learn more about snooker than you need to know, and both Sparks and Bainbridge’s attraction to figures from the world of organized crime seems a little unlikely, but all of the crackling intelligence and effortless wit is in ample supply, along with interesting details about WWI and post-WWII London. We also get to meet Sparks’s mother, who is, unsurprisingly, quite something; learn more about Sparks’s beau; and see Bainbridge continue to regain her footing and agency. The character development over time is well done in this series, and it is always a pleasure to spend time with these women.

I can't tell if the writing is better with each book, or it's simply that I love the characters more and more. I tried to not gulp the book down too quickly, but I liked it so much it was hard not to read it fast. Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I was eager to get my hands on this book and so happy that I got to read it early. A great combo of historical fiction and mystery with a storyline deeply connected to the beloved characters.

Another thoroughly enjoyable book in the Sparks and Bainbridge mystery series. This book focuses mostly on the personal lives of the proprietors of the Right Sort Marriage Bureau as Gwen revels in her new freedoms and Iris struggles to figure out the depth of her feelings for her gangster boyfriend. There is a rather complicated plot involving an unidentified dead man and lots of games of billiards. If you liked the previous books (which I did) you will like this book.