This series continues to deliver an engaging journey, making each book a compelling read. Iris and Gwen have shown incredible growth since their first adventure, developing not only their friendship but also their individual personalities. At the beginning of the latest installment, my heart was truly broken as we faced the emotional fallout surrounding Archie. His absence will surely be felt, and I can't help but hope that Iris finds someone who can fill that space in her heart. The mystery element, as always, is rich with interesting twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat. Just when you think you have it all figured out, the plot takes a surprising turn that adds depth to the story. Furthermore, readers are treated to the fascinating inception of broadcasting, which adds a new layer of intrigue to the narrative. The author skillfully intertwines these elements, creating a captivating tale that resonates with themes of friendship, love, and personal growth. Overall, this installment not only progresses the overarching story but also leaves us eager for what is to come, proving that the series knows how to keep its audience invested.

Another winning installment of Sparks and Bainbridge adventures. Full of laughs and poignant moments. I love that each book reveals a little more of the main characters personalities and how I strengthens the bond between the two women. I feel the characters have grown with each book. The stories are always intriguing and full of detail about the 1940s. I love reading these books. Ms. Montclair doesn’t disappoint.

An Excellent Thing in a Woman is the latest Sparks and Bainbridge mystery by Allison Montclair. I really enjoy this series that is set in London in the years right after World War II. It has been fascinating to watch the characters recover from WWII and try to build lives in what remains of post war London. Both main characters have really come into their own as strong independent women who can take care of themselves and still help others including the police. This book’s mystery was focused on Sally and involves elements of the French resistance, Sparks’ previous career and really shines a light on the emotional scars of WWII. I enjoyed trying to figure out the mystery and really hope this series continues for a long time. It is great fun to read, but watch out for the first sentence in the book! It's a heartbreaker.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book. All opinions are my own.

Sparks & Bainbridge are back and in fine form in An Excellent Thing in a Woman. The arena has shifted from organized crime (though the rat-a-tat banter is still in full force) to the resurfaced sins of Nazi sympathizers, with the action largely set within the BBC’s Alexandra Palace (aka “Ally Pally”). While Bainbridge continues to make progress in her now fully self-determined life, Sparks is pulled back into her past, with more revealed about her role during the war. As always, there is much artfully applied texture of historical fact and context, this time primarily about the BBC, the primitive early days of television, and the restoration of Alexandra Palace after the war, including the painstaking attempt to reconstruct its Rose Window, ultimately abandoned for a new design, but not before providing an essential vantage point to observe a key moment in the crime at hand. There was one seemingly unlikely twist at the end related to the Official Secrets Act, but presumably it is fully in service to future plots. As always, I was very happy to encounter these old friends again and very sorry to see them go when the last page was turned.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher.

This series is sticking to a very short time span - this is #7 and we are in 1947, so the events and aftereffects of WWII are still very much remembered and felt. Iris is struggling to get over Archie but Gwen is happily dating Sally, at least until he is suspected of murder and she and Iris must swing into action to prove his innocence. The story is set at Alexandra Palace where Sally works in the very early days of broadcast television - Gwen is an early adopter and once scene features her aerial being put up on the roof. The marriage bureau is going strong, although the date they set up for a colleague of Sally's is a disaster.

I thought this was one of the stronger instalments, all the better for Gwen's troubles being behind her. Very entertaining.

This one started out with a shocker, if you had read the last book. I was really disappointed this was the resolution with Archie. I almost didn’t want to keep reading. My immediate fears were judgy Mike coming back or Iris living in the bottom of a bottle.

I still enjoyed this latest installment in the series. The mystery stands alone but the characters are best enjoying you’ve read along from the beginning. Lots of banter and well-plotted as always. I’m loving how we learn more about Iris’s past and it’s great to see Gwen slowly coming into her own.

I really enjoyed this latest in this series of Sparks and Bainbridge. There are lots of things that keep me engaged in this series including excellent character development, interesting plots, post WWII circumstances in England, and the two protagonists from totally different backgrounds who continue to search for happiness and independence while running The Right Sort marriage bureau. My sincere thanks to the author and Severn House publishing for allowing me to read an ARC of this book. Highly recommend to any reader who is interested in any of the themes included in these novels, which are best read in order.

I love the partnership of Bainbridge and Sparks, both professionally and personally. Their relationship continues to evolve and grow with each new title in the series. WWII continues to cast a shadow on post-war London. Iris' covert work during the war continues to help the duo solve murders, assisted by Gwen's ability to sense whether someone is telling the truth.

A French dancer in London for a performance on the newly broadcasting network, BBC, is murdered, just hours after seeking the matchmaking skills of Bainbridge and Sparks. The wartime activities of the dancer and other members of the touring group lead both Iris and Gwen to further delve into and reconcile their complicated pasts and learn to trust each other more.

The behind-the-scenes setting of the BBC broadcasting from the Alexandra Palace, or Ally Pally, adds a unique atmosphere! I eagerly look forward to each new title in this series and was thrilled to have the opportunity to read an eARC courtesy of NetGalley!

#AnExcellentThinginaWoman #NetGalley

Another riveting story in the Sparks and Bainbridge series. Memories of the War are never for away but no one expects them to pop-up during a rehearsal for a BBC variety show. While part of a series, you could pick this up as a standalone.

Gwen, Iris and the two boys are visiting Sally at Alexandra Palace (the BBC headquarters) where he is working to look around behind the scenes and see the filming of a show. But while looking around backstage (as it were) Iris finds the dead body of a young woman, even worse she recognises her as a young French woman who had approached them looking for a husband only a few days ago. When all evidence points to Sally being the murderer, Gwen and Iris must do their own sleuthing and their investigation seems to have some connection to a French resistance group during WW2.

I enjoyed this, I half guessed the murderer early on, but seeing how all the pieces came together was a treat as always.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

Wow - I will be looking out for more books from this author and want to read other books in this series. Allison Montclair writes great characters that you want to know more about and plots intriguing stories. I stayed up to finish this book over two days because I was so engrossed. The author gives you a clear sense of what life must have been like in post WW2-Europe. You will get more out of this book if you'd read other books in the series but don't let that put you off reading what is a really engaging story.

This series continues to deliver. Iris and Gwen have evolved so much since book 1, both their friendship and as individuals. The beginning broke my heart and I'm going to miss Archie and hope that Iris finds someone to love. The mystery as always had plenty of interesting twists and turns and you get to see the inception of broadcast TV.

#AnExcellentThinginaWoman #NetGalley

I have been a fan of this series from its beginning, so I was delighted to get the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book thanks to the publisher and NetGalley. This book is a great addition to the series. I highly recommend that the books be read in order to fully appreciate the parts of the book about the main characters' personal lives. The author did a great job bringing the time period to life; I particularly enjoyed learning about the beginning of the television industry in England. I also liked the parts about the Official Secrets Act which continued post-war. As always, there were many twists and turns in solving the murders which occurred, and I was surprised by the ending. I highly recommend this book and the series, and I look forward to the next installment.

Allison Montclair's "The Right Sort" series is so good- it hits all the right notes: interesting characters, perfectly crafted plot, the pacing is faultless, and there is a vivid sense of time and place. The series takes place in London in the years shortly after the second World War, but the story/characters/dialogue do not seem dated in any way. I have read every one of the books in this series, and expect that to continue.
The most recent entry: An Excellent Thing in a Woman is to the same high standard as previous books in series. You do not need to read all the prior books in the series to pick this one up, but I recommend you read them anyway. The two main characters are each dealing with some life changes, but their friendship (the heart of the series) is as strong as ever.
The mystery at the heart of An Excellent Thing... is directly related to the marriage bureau they run together (The Right Sort). The victim's story leads the amateur detectives back to a mystery from WWII, and we learn more of everybody's back story and what they really did in the war. This is a feature of all the books, and it it particularly well handled here. The Right Sort books do not shy away from the toll that military service exacts from the men and women who serve, especially those in the clandestine services.
I am reluctant to say too much, as there is a very satisfying plot twist in this one (whichI did not see it coming). I also feel like I am gushing a bit. I do sincerely love this series, and I loved this book. Allison Montclair REALLY knows how to write a mystery.
No criticisms.
Highly Recommend.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!

Despite an interesting setting and some interesting characters, I found myself mostly underwhelmed and sometimes bored reading this book. The premise is interesting but for me this book didn't work. It started with an interesting hook with Iris' partners death and how she deals but most things that came after felt a bit sluggish

Allison Montclair's Sparks & Bainbridge Mystery series is one of my favorites. In the 7th entry, An Excellent Thing in a Woman, set in London in 1947, Iris Sparks and Gwen Bainbridge are proprietors of The Right Sort marriage bureau. They feel that one of their clients may be a good match for a young Parisian dancer who claims she needs to get married quickly so she doesn't have to return to France. But they are unnerved when the woman's dead body is discovered--the third of their customers to be murdered since they opened the bureau. Could it be that an unsatisfactory first date ended in tragedy, or are there other intrigues in play? At the same time, the pair are facing compelling personal issues. Iris is desolate after the murder of her boyfriend, Archie, and Gwen is in the throes of a new intimate relationship with Salvatore (Sally), a good friend of Iris's since their Cambridge days.

I loved the depiction of early television, as the BBC cobbles together diverse programs for those few who have purchased a TV. Sally is the stage manager for a show that is intended to entertain British viewers with a look at dancers, singers, and puppeteers from across the Channel and finds himself the number one suspect in the young dancer's murder. I marveled at the way Iris and Gwen once again get involved in a police investigation and are able to put together clues, suspicions, knowledge, and personal experience to help solve the mystery, sometimes in the face of personal danger. It was also fascinating to learn more about what Iris did in World War II--still protected by the British government--and how incidents from her past might be clues to a current mystery.

I think Sparks & Bainbridge are one of the most engaging duos in historical mysteries--both in their personal lives and in their chosen career, which often becomes entangled with law enforcement. And Allison Montclair, who is actually Alan Gordon, has managed to very effectively create and develop these females into admirable, relatable characters who never fail to engage and delight me. I'm not sure what the title means, nor why this book is substantially shorter than its series predecessors, but neither affected my satisfying reading experience.

My thanks to Severn House and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.

An Excellent Thing in a Woman, the seventh installment in the Sparks and Bainbridge mystery series is a very good and compelling read. As in all the books in this series which centers around Iris Sparks and Gwen Bainbridge, co owners of The Right Sort Marriage Bureau, there is a mystery involving a client searching for their future mate. There is a rather complicated plot involving a troupe of Parisian dancers, the start of BBC television and Iris Spark’s secret past involvement in WWII operations. If you liked the previous books (which I did) you will like this book. The mysteries are always well thought out and well plotted.

This was a strong seventh book in the Sparks & Bainbridge Mystery series, it had that mystery element that I was looking for and enjoyed the overall story being told. The characters had that overall concept that I was looking for and enjoyed getting through this. Allison Montclair has a strong writing style and was invested in what was going on.