A royal affair

The second installment in Montclair's Sparks and Bainbridge series (following The Right Sort of Man, 2019) features a royal plot that fully engages the partners in the Right Sort Marriage Bureau. Iris Sparks, former British intelligence officer, and Gwen Bainbridge, upper-crust widow, are succeeding at their high-end matchmaking business in post-WWII London, but once again, crime intrudes. A palace insider asks the duo to vet Philip of Greece, who is courting Princess Elizabeth. It seems a blackmailer possesses letters indicating that Philip's parentage may be in question, and it's up to Iris and Gwen to authenticate the letters and find the blackmailers. That, naturally, leads to murder, but all is explained in a smart, Agatha Christie--style finale in which friends and foes are gathered to hear who did what and why. One of the series strengths is the focus on the personal lives of Iris and Gwen, both of whom are struggling, Iris with the consequences of her activities during the war, Gwen with battling for custody of her son. Written with flair and lots of snarky humor, this is great fun for British mystery fans.

In Montclair's stellar sequel to 2019's The Right Sort of Man, former British intelligence operative Iris Sparks and widow Gwen Bainbridge, who teamed up after WWII to run a business seeking to match up prospective spouses, are offered a highly sensitive assignment in 1946 London. Gwen's titled cousin, Lady Patience Matheson, who works for Queen Elizabeth, the consort of George VI, wants the partners of the Right Sort of Marriage Bureau to vet Prince Philip, the intended of the heir apparent, the future Elizabeth II. The then-princess has received an anonymous letter, intercepted by her protectors, stating "I have what Talbot found in Corfu" and that there will be a price for returning "them" to Alice, Philip's mother. Iris and Gwen agree to investigate what the message is referring to, so that Lady Matheson can assess whether the prince is a suitable mate for the princess. Montclair successfully combines the insightful characterizations of Jacqueline Winspear with the witty banter of Hammett's Nick and Nora Charles. Fans of the British royal family will have fun. (July)

In their second adventure set in post-World War II England (after The Right Sort of Man), The Right Sort Marriage Bureau founders Iris Sparks and Gwendolyn Bainbridge have been asked by the royal family to quietly look into the background of one of Princess Elizabeth's suitors. Is there something shady about Philip or the way his family escaped from Greece back in 1921? Our intrepid heroines are on the case! Outside the office, Sparks navigates a possible romance with a charming gangster, while Bainbridge focuses on her mental health in order to regain custody of her young son, Ronnie. Pseudonymous author Montclair carefully reveals more about her two main characters, as their friendship strengthens and they learn to balance each other's skills. It's refreshing to see believable female friends in a historical mystery. Montclair doesn't neglect secondary characters either, particularly Sparks's loyal friend Sally and the aforementioned Ronnie. VERDICT Fans of period mysteries by authors such as Ashley Weaver and Deanna Raybourn will appreciate this gutsy duo. [See Prepub Alert, 11/18/19.]--Laurel Bliss, San Diego State Univ. Lib.

Former undercover operative Iris Sparks and well-bred war widow Gwendolyn Bainbridge team up for their second high-stakes, highbrow caper in postwar London. Iris' spy training and Gwendolyn's society connections give them the ability to nose out the perfect opportunities for their marriage bureau, The Right Sort. Having chimed wedding bells for nine pairs of clients so far, they have their eyes on upgrading to finer office quarters when Gwen's cousin Lady Patience Matheson calls with the ultimate suitor to vet. Prince Philip of Greece has won the affections of Princess Elizabeth, heir to the throne. At first glance, he should be entirely suitable, a distant cousin descended from Queen Victoria in service in the British navy. But someone has cast doubt upon the match by sending an anonymous blackmail letter, demanding money for mysterious things Philip's mother, Princess Alice, left with someone named Talbot on the island of Corfu. Gwen and Iris learn that Talbot was the British attaché who helped the Greek royal family, including Princess Alice and the infant Philip, escape the Greek revolution, stopping at the royal estate on Corfu as they fled to Switzerland. In between flirting with playwrights and gangsters, Iris and Gwen track down the ship's captain and a lady's maid to the royal family and realize that the lost item could be love letters between Princess Alice and her brother-in-law that would call into question Prince Philip's legitimacy and scuttle his chances to marry Elizabeth. When the assignation to trade for the letters turns deadly, it takes all of Iris' and Gwen's cleverness and nerve to save their business, the crown, and true love in a daring midnight confrontation. An irresistible mix of period thrills, international intrigue, unquenchable friendship, and a royal betrothal. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.