"Allison Montclair returns with the fourth Sparks and Bainbridge mystery, The Unkept Woman: London, 1946, Miss Iris Sparks - currently co-proprietor of the Right Sort Marriage Bureau - has to deal with aspects of her past exploits during the recent war that have come back around to haunt her.

The Right Sort Marriage Bureau was founded in 1946 by two disparate individuals - Mrs. Gwendolyn Bainbridge (whose husband was killed in the recent World War) and Miss Iris Sparks who worked as an intelligence agent during the recent conflict, though this is not discussed. While the agency flourishes in the post-war climate, both founders have to deal with some of the fallout that conflict created in their personal lives. Miss Sparks finds herself followed, then approached, by a young woman who has a very personal connection to a former paramour of Sparks. But something is amiss and it seems that Iris's past may well cause something far more deadly than mere disruption in her personal life. Meanwhile, Gwendolyn is struggling to regain full legal control of her life, her finances, and her son - a legal path strewn with traps and pitfalls.

Together these indomitable two are determined and capable and not just of making the perfect marriage match."

Because life, and marriage, are always in need of investigative assistance.

I had read and enjoyed the previous 3 books in this series, so I was delighted to have the opportunity to read an advance copy of the latest installment, thanks to the publisher and Netgalley. This book was excellent and didn't disappoint in any way. I enjoyed seeing how the lives of the characters are evolving, and I appreciated learning about life during this time period as well. The mystery was clever, and I was completely surprised by the ending. I highly recommend this book, and I encourage readers to read the series in order.

The beginning of the book made me nervous, but as the multiple plots unfolded, the history lessons began, and the humor returned, I was right back in the thick of it with Iris and Gwen and loved every minute of The Unkept Woman.

I find Sparks & Bainbridge to be hidden gems and hope Allison Montclair will give us more of this duo and their antics. Not sure where they will go next, but one thing is for sure -- I won’t be disappointed.

This is the fourth installment in this series. I have read the first book and then skipped on to this book. I recommend you read them all in order as a lot is happening in each book with character development. However, I still enjoyed this book very much. It wasn’t too hard to follow the story and figure out what I had missed. It’s a great mystery and snapshot of London right after WWII. I can’t wait to see where this story takes us in the upcoming installments.

Thank you to NetGalley, and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

”We’ve all got scars.”

The Unkept Woman is the fourth novel featuring Gwen and Iris, proprietors of a “marriage bureau” matchmaking service who in every book end up involved in a murder investigation.

Set just after WWII, and with one main character a former spy, these historical mysteries are some of my favorites and this installment was no exception.

Iris is the prime suspect after a woman is killed in her apartment and Gwen has been told to stop getting involved in snooping and let the cops handle it. There’s even a possible new tall friend introduced. There’s plenty of spy craft and a small bit of romance that is mild and off the page. Ongoing characters Archie, Sally, and little Ronnie all grace this novel’s pages.

Fun novel and probably my second favorite of the four in the series thus far.

I love this series and this installment was one of the best. As always, it's a great mystery -- I absolutely did not see the dénouement coming. What really makes this book (and the whole series, in fact) stand out, though, is the well researched and immersive historical component. I always truly feel myself in late-40's Britain when I read one of these. I love the snappy dialogue (which also adds to that '40s feel) and I'm just crazy about both Gwen and Iris, who are just badasses, for lack of another term.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC copy for my review.

This fourth Sparks & Bainbridge mystery continues the adventures of Iris Sparks and Gwendolyn Bainbridge.

When a woman comes to the Right Sort Marriage Bureau, it is under false pretenses she'd really like to find Iris's former lover. Iris had dumped him some months earlier but is still living in the apartment he provided when she was his mistress. When he shows up again, she leaves to stay with Gwen. But when that woman's body is discovered in the apartment, the first thought is that it is Iris. It is soon discovered that Iris is still alive and now she's a suspect in the woman's death.

Since both her ex-lover and the woman are spies, there is little that Iris can do to help the police in their investigations. Iris has cut ties with her intelligence gathering past and now that past has cut ties with her leaving her alone to solve the problem.

Meanwhile, Gwen is in the process of trying to prove her competency after her nervous breakdown at the death of her husband. She needs to stay out of trouble if she wants to regain her independence, her fortune, and her son. All of them are under the control of her father-in-law. But she can't abandon Iris in her time of need.

I enjoyed this mystery. The setting is well drawn and the characters well-rounded. The dialog is crisp and snappy. I enjoyed the way the characters are both trying to rebuild their lives after World War II.

Montclair's historical mystery series features two women who open a matchmaking marriage bureau in post-WWII London and keep getting caught up in murder cases. Her writing is getting better with each book, and I thoroughly enjoyed this fourth entry in the series. Iris Sparks and Gwen Bainbridge both have to reckon with their past choices and actions in this novel, and a small (fortunately short-lived) wedge is driven between them as well. These characters are well-developed and each new book brings more layers to their personalities. Although I didn't love the plot, which surrounded a married ex-lover of Iris's, it made sense in the arc of the series and needed to happen to give Iris's character needed growth. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for a digital review copy.

What first drew me to this series was the strong relationship/friendship between Sparks and Bainbridge along with the witty, smart, and fast-paced dialog. These characters continue to grow and I find myself completely immersed in their daily lives, thoughts, and emotions. In the first book Sparks was closed off emotionally and a bit of a mystery. The more I learn about her, the more I like her. This book (and really the entire series) deals so well with the emotional toll these women went through during the war and in the aftermath of the war. For me the mystery aspect is secondary to the character and how they cope with the day to day. That's not to detract from the story line and mystery. It's all very well done.

I enjoyed my introduction to the ladies of the RIght Sort Marriage Bureau! This is part of a series, but I read it without having read any of the previous entries (of course, now I've put the first three on my TBR list!). Lots of intrigue, and engaging characters make for a strong historical mystery. Worth your time!

Thanks to St Martin's Press for access to a digital ARC on NetGalley.

The Unkept Woman is the latest in the Sparks & Bainbridge mystery series. Iris Sparks and Gwen Bainbridge are co-owners of The Right Sort Marriage Bureau, helping single Londoners find suitable matches in post-WWII London. Sparks is a former intelligence officer (not that she can tell anyone that), and Bainbridge is a widow with a son, who had a mental breakdown after her husband's death. Bainbridge's in-laws took custody of her son, and she is living with them and trying to get back custody of her son and control of her (substantial) fortune.

In this book, a woman named Helena Jablonska comes to their office to sign up for their service, but Gwen turns her down because she is pregnant. When Mrs. Jablonska is found murdered (in Iris' flat, no less), the women are embroiled in another murder mystery. Iris is a suspect, as is her former lover Andrew, who had taken over her flat (after all, he paid for it) during the time of the murder. After the murder, he has disappeared and Iris doesn't know if that is because he killed Jablonska (who wasn't who she was presenting herself to be) or because he, too, is in danger. Of course, Iris and Gwen must use their formidable skills to find the murderer and keep them from killing anyone else.

I really like this series because I enjoy reading about the wave of "modern women" after WWII, like Sparks and Bainbridge, who were trying to escape the confines of traditional women's roles. These women weren't ashamed to have relationships with men, jobs that fulfilled them, and friendships that broke society's rigid rules.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy of this great mystery. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

My interest in this series was piqued when I saw the title of the first book - The Right Sort Of Man - and read that it was a mystery series featuring two women who run a marriage bureau. I read it and was hooked. I read it really quickly. I enjoyed the marriage bureau idea, I enjoyed the mystery that ensued, and I enjoyed the private lives of the two women that begged to be delved into further.

I enjoyed this book in the series, the fourth, just as much and for the same reasons. You could read this book as a stand-alone, but it’s probably better to read the others in the series first, to know the backstory. I am just sad that I will have to wait quite some time for the next one in the series, considering that this one isn’t even out yet!

Note: I received an advance copy of this book through Netgalley.

The fourth book in the Sparks & Bainbridge series delves further into Iris Sparks. An old flame of Iris’s shows up, and soon a woman is murdered in Iris’s apartment, making Iris find out the truth about her old love.

This series is always fun to read. Iris is brilliant and quick to figure out when she’s being tailed and how to get information. Gwen is growing in every book, and her relationship with her in-laws has improved. It’s still horrific how she was treated when she found out about her husband’s death and how she’s still dealing with the repercussions. On the romance front, one is going forward and another is taking a side trip.

This review is based on an advanced reader copy provided through Netgalley for an honest review.

Another fabulous installment of the Sparks and Bainbridge series. In this installment, Gwen is preparing to go to trial to gain her independence. Iris gets an unwelcome surprise when she arrives at home to find Andrew has taken up residence in her apartment. There is a tense moment when Archie and Andrew come face to face, but Iris is having none of it and heads to the Bainbridge residence to stay until Andrew leaves. There are Russian spies, a relentless tail that will not leave Iris alone, and a visit to a museum. Not a lot of matchmaking in this installment, but the adventure more than makes up for it. A must read for fans of the series. Thank you @netgalley for allowing me to read this book.

I was so excited to get an ARC for the new Sparks and Bainbridge mystery novel - I love these two warm, hilarious, and powerful ladies. This latest installment, thankfully, was just as good as previous books in the series. As always, I liked that Iris' and Gwen's friendship and business partnership is at the very center of things (though there wasn't enough match making in this one); they are such strong female characters, and funny ones, too. This one starts with what seems like a darker twist but everything is fine in the end. The story goes a bit deeper into Iris' background as well as continuing with what the previous novel revealed about Gwen's family; both of them also continue their therapy, which was great to see represented. Also perfect timing to read this as England is in the news everywhere with the Jubilee celebrations. Would definitely recommend, especially to mystery and women's fiction readers, as well as those interested in light (ish) stories about post WW2 London.

4.6/5 stars

The latest addition to the Marriage Bureau mysteries involves a possible spy.

Mrs. Gwen Bainbridge, a blue blooded widow, and Miss Iris Sparks, a former spy, are business partners running a Marriage Bureau. They provide matchmaking services to people who want to get married. When a war widow shows up at the Bureau to ask them to find her a husband, Mrs. Bainbridge notices that she is pregnant and has to reject her as a prospective match. Miss Sparks did not notice. And someone is following Miss Sparks.

Meanwhile, Miss Sparks' past and present show up at her flat in the form of a former lover (still married) Andrew Sutton and her current boyfriend who is connected to the underworld.

A dead body is discovered at the flat where Miss Sparks lives. There were many red herrings and misdirections. When Gwen accompanies her son to the Museum, a friendly lady strikes up a conversation with Gwen and claims to know Gwen from school.

This is a cozy /on the fence of thriller / mystery novel set right after the end of the Second World War in England.

Highly recommended for fans of mysteries set in 1940s England.

I had a hard time putting this book down. Red herrings and blind alleys abound. This mystery was nearly impossible to unravel, but Gwen did it! I am continually fascinated by the changes in Gwen since the first book. Her exchanges with her friend and business partner, Iris, are sharp and witty. Her confidence has grown exponentially. Iris exudes confidence and yet hers has suffered major blows in recent times. She is slowly coming to know herself and to understand why she has done some things that hurt herself and others. I can't wait to read what the ladies do next!

Many times, a promising series begins to fizzle out after several books. That is not the case with Allison Montclair's Sparks and Bainbridge mysteries. "The Unkept Woman" is fourth in what I hope is a long-running series, and is, if anything, as strong or even stronger than the other volumes.

This time, Gwen is preparing to regain the life stolen from her when she spiraled into depression after her husband's death during WWII. She is told that her behavior will not stand the scrutiny of the exam board, and that she needs to stick to matchmaking and avoid investigative work. Unfortunately, helping Iris with a ghost from her past may cost Gwen her son and her freedom.

This book authentically captures the struggles of working women of various classes. Even with all the war work women performed, they are still treated as second-class citizens and people with mental health issues aren't treated much better than they were in Bedlam days.

Gwen and Iris are strong, confident characters, and the books are worth reading for them (and Sally!) alone, but the personal relationships between them, and their larger group of friends and family, provide even greater depth and examination of the culture and mores of the post-WWII austerity years. Both women are damaged, both are flawed, but both rise to overcome their pasts and are determined to be masters of their own destinies.

5/5 stars - just doesn't get any better than this.

I received an advance copy from St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This was my first encounter with the Right Sort Marriage Bureau and I am glad to have found it. The founders of the Bureau are Gewndolyn Bainbridge, a widow with a position in society and Iris Sparks, a former intelligence operative This tale which takes place in post-ww2 London starts out with a murder. Has someone from Iris Spark's past put them in jeopardy, or is it her crime lord beau? The female characters are intriguing and do a good job of showing how women in post-war society had to deal with societal and legal restraints. It also does a nice job of showing how some men fail us and others come through, but self reliance is key.
This is a review of an eGalley provided by NetGalley.

The Sparks & Bainbridge mystery series just keeps getting better. Allison Montclair is on a roll. Bainbridge is starting to come into her own a little bit and figure out how to balance her desire to get free of her in-laws and have an independent life for herself and her son, and her equal and opposite desire to help Sparks out with mysteries and sticky situations and not have her professional life dictated by her psychologist and the court system.

The friendship between the two dectectives/marriage bureau proprietors is getting stronger, and more moving, with each volume in the series. Are there some romantic relationships with men looming on the horizon? As opposed to the liaisons that Sparks tends to have, that is?

The ending was the best ending so far. I was actually breathless.

These characters are so brilliantly drawn. And the dialogue! I can't stop laughing. Especially at Sparks.