On My Radar: Allison Montclair's Murder at the White Palace!

 

 

I've been enjoying Allison Montclair's Sparks & Bainbridge historical mystery series since the very first book, The Right Sort of Man. In fact, I've enjoyed them so much that two of them are on my annual Best Reads lists and none of them have been rated lower than an "A". Who knew two women running a marriage bureau in Post-World War II London could stumble into so many mysteries?

While the setting and the mysteries are first-rate, I have to admit that the two main characters are what I find absolutely compelling. It's no wonder that I got a big grin on my face when I learned that a new book in the series was being released this summer. Let me tell you more about it!

Available July 30, 2024!

Synopsis:

"In the immediate post-war days of London, two unlikely partners have undertaken an even more unlikely, if necessary, business venture―The Right Sort Marriage Bureau. The two partners are Miss Iris Sparks, a woman with a dangerous―and never discussed―past in British intelligence and Mrs. Gwendolyn Bainbridge, a genteel war widow with a young son entangled in a complicated aristocratic family. Looking to throw a New Year’s Eve soiree for their clients, Sparks and Bainbridge scout an empty building―only to find a body contained in the walls. What they initially assume is a victim of the recent Blitz is uncovered instead to be a murder victim―stabbed several times.

To make matters worse, the owner of the building is Sparks’ beau, Archie Spelling, who has ties to a variety of enterprises on the right and wrong sides of the law, and the main investigator for the police is her ex-fiancée. Gwen, too, is dealing with her own complicated love life, as she tentatively steps back into the dating pool for the first time since her husband’s death. Murder is not something they want to add to their plates, but the murderer may be closer to home than is comfortable, and they must do all they can to protect their clients, their business and themselves."

Murder at the White Palace certainly sounds like another excellent addition to this series, and I can't wait to read it. If you're fans already, you know what I mean. If you have yet to try one, I suggest that you start at the beginning with The Right Sort of Man because of the evolution of the characters. You won't want to miss a thing!