I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It takes place in London after WWII and two ladies decide to start a matrimonial bureau. One is aristocracy and the other a former spy in the war. They match a man with what they think will be his perfect mate but she ends up dead and he is the prime suspect. However, the ladies believe he is innocent and set out to prove it. Thus ensues a wild romp with twists and turns and a whole cast of characters who are all characters in their own right. The book moves at a fast pace and keeps the reader engaged throughout. It is written with great wit and skill.
The characters are very realistic and the postwar London is so well described one feels as if one were actually there.
I immediately figured out who the murderer was and was ever so sure as one after another suspect was eliminated. I heartily congratulated myself on my keen detective skills and almost broke my arm patting myself on the back. So, imagine my surprise when it turned out to be someone entirely different that was not even on my radar.
It is a cracking good mystery and I didn't want it to end. I hope there will be sequels and if so I will be first in line. This is one of those books that you wish you hadn't read so you could have the pleasure of reading it again for the first time.

A terrific start to a new series featuring Iris Sparks and Gwendolyn Bainbridge. They operate The Right Sort of Man marriage bureau. It's post World War II and it's time to get back to the important things in life - matrimony and the ladies are prepared to match couples until murder intrudes.

The Right Sort of Man was a fun, romping murder mystery with thoroughly enjoyable leading ladies. Ivy Sparks, a rebellious, outspoken war veteran teams up with Gwen Bainbridge, a soft-spoken, widowed genteel to run a marriage service for men and women after the conclusion of World War II. Things quickly go awry when a young woman that signs up for their services turns up dead - and the murder weapon shows up in the home of the man Sparks and Bainbridge arranged for her to meet. Convinced the young man is innocent, the two women begin a crusade to prove his innocence that takes them into the poorer parts of London and into contact with some of it's shadier inhabitants. The lead characters are fantastic and unconventional, particularly Sparks. Their sidekick, Sally, is unexpected and perfect. And there is plenty of humor and twists to this book to keep it interesting and entertaining from beginning to end.

When the story started, I was thoroughly confused as to what was going on and who was who, but as the story progressed everything got straightened out in my head and I couldn't stop reading it. I love that as the story progressed Gwen stands up to her mother-in-law and decides to start fighting for her son. Looking forward to the next book in the series, I'm hoping the The Right Sort of Marriage Bureau will match some people up and there will be some weddings.

This review is based on an ARC from NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher. All opinions are my own.

It is 1946 in London, and the war is over. But for some of the survivors, there are new challenges to making their way after many losses. For Gwendolyn Bainbridge and Iris Sparks, starting over with The Right Sort, a matchmaking business, was the beginning of a side venture of finding out who killed one of their clients. With humor and sass, these two women are appealing characters in a book I recommend. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

This was a fun debut to read, and I am looking forward to reading more in this new series! I especially loved the main characters, Gwen and Iris. They were a perfect duo, opposites in many ways, yet both strong, funny, and relatable. They had excellent chemistry and were both interesting and complex individually.

The setting of London recovering from World War II was the perfect backdrop. The historical setting enhanced the story, with enough details to transport me effortlessly into the book. I found the marriage bureau business started by Iris and Gwen to be a fresh and intriguing spin on this era.

There were also some great secondary characters, including potential male love intetests, Sally, Archie, and Des, who I can't wait to read more about in future books. I recommend this to readers who enjoy historical mysteries, especially those set immediately after WW II in London, and are looking for a series with strong female leads and a romantic element.

The Right Sort of Man by Allison Montclair is a delightful read. The characters are so compelling that you almost forget what they are trying to accomplish. Iris an Gwen are from two different worlds, yet you immediately want to know more about them and wish that they were real so they could be your friends. The storyline runs from fish out of water, to mystery to coming of age and back as these two strong women find themselves and each while helping those around them. And on top of all the great story, theater understanding of what it must have been. Like after WWII in London threads the tale with realism and history.

3.5 star read. While I loved the setting of the book and the premise of historical fiction, I think it is a book that is more fiction than historical fiction. Loved the 2 main characters Iris and Gwen! Great dialog between them and enjoyed several of the situational events that they were put in. The story follows a murder of one of their clients and Gwen and Iris' plans to find the real killer. And while that was a decent story, I think the middle section of the book gets a little too detailed with new characters and situations that take a away from the main plot. But overall a good story with great lead characters!

Should you interfere? Iris Sparks & Tillie Bainbridge run the Right Sort Marriage Bureau and they have had some success in getting some married but that all changes when one of their clients is murdered by another client. But they both don't believe that the young man killed anyone but how can they prove it? Tillie knows that Dickie Trower didn't kill Miss La Salle but the police won't listen as they have their man. They both decide to do some digging and they find out that there were so much more to Miss La Salle she wasn't so innocent. But before they can figure things out Tille is dragged into more problems with her mother in law and now she wants to send her son away but Tillie knows that she can't do anything to stop it unless she fights for custody but can she win? She misses her late husband so much and after his death, she had a breakdown and her in-laws were given custody of her son and now she has no choice but to follow their rules for now.
Sparks knows that she is playing with danger but she is used to that, her years in the home office allowed her to learn certain skills and she is about to walk into trouble but she can handle it. She needs to keep Tillie out of harm's way and their former female client was mixed up with some dangerous people. But who is going to keep her safe?
Can they find out who really killed their client and hopefully free an innocent man? Will Tillie be able to find the peace that she is looking for and will Sparks e honest with her about her past? A good read very interesting. I was lucky enough to receive a copy via NetGalley & the publishing house n exchange for my honest review.

An interesting historical mystery set in post-war London, featuring two strong women, both dealing with their own struggles.
I liked the gallery of characters, especially Gwen, and her poignant fight for the custody of her son, and how the author, Allison Montclair, left in the world of possibility the improbable romance with Des.
The effects of bombing in London during World War II and the depiction of this era are impressive and realistic.
The story relies a lot upon dialogue, which isn’t my favorite dimension in fiction.

I really enjoyed this book. Gwen and Sparks are such fun characters. It is nice to see women solving crimes in the 1940s. Sparks seems like such an fun character to write. There is so much of her past to explore. She is smart and creative. Gwen was so sweet and clever. Your hearts breaks for her as she struggles with the grief of having lost her husband during the war. I would have liked to see more of the matching making abilities of these ladies, but I appreciate how brave and intelligent both of these women are.

This was a fun book to read and I think that the author had fun writing it. I hope to see more of Gwen and Sparks in the future.


I received an ARC from NetGalley and Minotaur Books.

In ravaged, post WWII London, unmarried Miss Iris Sparks teams up with practical widow Mrs. Gwendolyn Bainbridge to launch a matchmaking business in Mayfair and attempt to achieve some real independence. They're off to a solid start until their newest client, Tillie La Salle, turns up murdered and it seems another of their clients, Dickie Trower, with whom they'd matched her, appears to be the culprit. Convinced of the client's innocence, Iris and Gwen decide they'll find out who really murdered Tillie using their own skills and acquaintances.

This is a far cry from what I've been typically reading lately, but the description stood out to me and since mysteries used to be my bread and butter, plus it's historical, I decided to give it a go. I'm so glad I did. This book is so well-written and the descriptions so well-drawn that it felt a bit like a movie, I was really drawn into the scenes right along with the characters. The characters were all well-developed, even secondary characters, and had quite a bit of depth to be further explored in later installments of this new series. I especially enjoyed our dashing female main characters and it was lovely to see them develop and grow along with their investigation.

The mystery was engaging and well-threaded with a turbulent time in history. This book really had everything: engaging mystery, good writing, some romance and likable characters I would like to hear more from. It's original, emotional, poignant, hopeful, entertaining, and hilarious. It made me tear up on one page and laugh on the next and I really can't say enough good things about this book. This was a superlative debut and I'll definitely be following any further installments.

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

What a phenomenal debut! Everything about this mystery worked for me. There was strong character development, great use of setting, tons of historical detail, and a solid and strongly plotted mystery. The writing was fabulous, with perfect touches of humor scattered throughout. This author has now been promoted to auto-buy status for me, and I cannot wait for the next in the series! Highly recommend, especially for fans of Charles Todd, Jacqueline Winspear and Susan Elia Macneal.

Thank you so much Netgalley for my free advanced copy. I never would have discovered this gem otherwise!

This was a very enjoyable read. I am looking forward to more in the series as I am very keen to see if the 2 heroines get their happy ever after.

London is recovering from World War II and two plucky young women are determined to make sure love is in the air and they become empowered businesswomen. As different as night and day, Iris and Gwen are quirky, yet smart, completely endearing!

Welcome to “The Right Sort of Marriage Bureau” where these two guarantee, for a fee, to find you the love of your life. All was wonderful until one young lady ends up murdered, not married and the gentleman she was meeting with is the prime suspect. It will be up to Iris and Gwen to prove his innocence and save their business.

THE RIGHT SORT OF MAN by Allison Montclair is a light, yet very English mystery that is perfect for a trip to the pool or beach! Adorably clueless, yet earnest, these two are about to turn the small village of Mayfair on its ear, or should we say heart? Fun, fast and clever!

I received a complimentary ARC edition from Minotaur Books!

Series: The Right Sort of Marriage - Book 1
Publisher: Minotaur Books (June 4, 2019)
Publication Date: June 4, 2019
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Print Length: 336 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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After World War II, Iris Sparks and Gwendolyn Bainbridge start a matchmaking business. Gwen is a widow with a young son whose life was forever changed when her husband didn't come home from the war. Iris is secretive with a quick mind that served her well working for the intelligence branch during the war. Iris and Gwen are opposites who combine innocence and experience to become good friends and even better detectives when a client is murdered and another is blamed. Wading into the shady side of town and relying on some impressive acting skills, the girls skirt the edge of danger trying to save their business and an innocent client while solving not one but two cases. The characters are fun, interesting, and smart with the right touch of sass to make the story interesting and the pages fly by. I enjoyed the twisty and original whodunit and look forward to more of Iris and Gwen. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from Netgalley.

I absolutely loved this book. I am beyond grateful to the publisher for inviting me to read this and providing a free copy through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. I laughed and cried throughout this historical mystery. It was completely worth dropping all of my other current reads to pick up.

Gwen Bainbridge and Iris Sparks run the Right Sort Marriage Bureau, providing matchmaking services for men and women in post-WWII London. When one of their clients ends up murdered and the person they matched her up with is arrested as the culprit, things look bad for women and their fledgling business. Convinced of his innocence and desperate to save their company, Gwen and Iris put their detective skills to the test.

These two are brilliant. They are intelligent, sassy, and determined. It was also a joy to read a murder mystery that did not have graphic, violent scenes. The cast of secondary characters is fantastic as well and I really hope this is the start to a long series, because I want so much more of Gwen and Iris and their adventures. I will absolutely be buying a finished copy and enthusiastically recommending this to all my friends. 4 1/2 stars.

This delightful historical mystery is sure to appeal to fans of Jacqueline Winspear or Rhys Bowen. I can't wait for more books to be published in this series!

THE RIGHT SORT OF MAN was an amazing historical mystery. Set in London in 1946, it stars two very different young women as they try to set up a matrimonial agency.

Iris Sparks is quick-witted and seems to have too much of a taste for danger. She is still guilty about what she did during the war - most of which is covered under the Official Secrets Act. She is in the role of "other woman" to a man who is still spying in Europe.

Gwen Bainbridge is an aristocratic young widow who lost her husband at a battle in Italy and had a nervous breakdown. The breakdown allowed her in-laws to sue for custody of her six-year-old son. She is forced to live in her in-laws home if she wants any contact with her child. She is still deeeply grieving for the loss of her beloved husband.

The two met at a wedding and learned that they were both instrumental in bringing the couple together. They decided to start their matrimonial agency to play on their talents and bring some happiness into the world.

When one of their clients is murdered - possibly by another of their clients that they matched with her, Iris and Gwen need to investigate both to gain justice for the man and also to save their fledgling business.

I loved the setting and dialog in this story. I keep visualizing the black and white movies of the 40s with suave, smart, and sassy characters. The dialog was pitch-perfect for the time as were the attitudes of the characters. The mystery was nicely done and realistic. I liked the depth the author brought to both Gwen and Iris which easily showed that the cost of war wasn't only borne by the soldiers who fought it.

4.5 stars

I don't remember when I last enjoyed a mystery series debut novel so much. The Right Sort of Man was fun, intelligent and poignant all at the same time.

Gwen Bainbridge, a window with a young son, and Iris Sparks, a free spirit who did something mysterious and spy-like during the War, have opened a marriage bureau in post-World War II London. When one of their female clients is murdered, and one of their male clients (whom they had proposed as a match) is arrested for the crime, the two women feel obligated to find out the truth.

Their investigation takes them into some murky criminal circles in London. In the meantime, Gwen struggles with the aftermath of a nervous breakdown which has forced her to live with her judgmental and controlling mother-in-law in order to participate in her son's upbringing. And Iris has problems stemming from war-time incidents which shadow her personal life. Despite their challenges, these are two capable, strong and determined women and it's a pleasure to spend time with them.

But their genuine affection for each other shines through and their relationship and repartee is highly entertaining. The different threads of the mystery are well done and the plotting and narrative pace is right on target. I am already looking forward to the next entry. Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.