[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Minotaur Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]
Summary
Iris Sparks and Gwen Bainbridge run a marriage bureau called The Right Sort in 1946 London. There’s no more London “Season,” and people need help finding a potential match. They’re good at what they do, and their business is growing. But that’s not why they’re approached by the Crown. It’s because they solved a murder.
Gwen’s cousin works at the Palace. The princess, Elizabeth, has fallen in love with Prince Philip. But there’s a blackmailer causing trouble. The Palace wants Iris and Gwen to figure out what’s going on so they can stop the blackmailer and protect the princess if needed. But Iris and Gwen suspect someone is not being straight with them. They’re hitting roadblocks in their investigation. And then someone is killed. Iris and Gwen start to think maybe they should have stuck to matchmaking.
Review
This was great! I haven’t read the first book, The Right Sort of Man, but it’s on my list now. I adored Iris and Gwen. They really made the book for me. There’s tons of sharp, quick banter between them. I kept turning pages – far later than I should have – because I wanted to spend more time with these two women and to see how they were going to sort this thing out.
The mystery here was extra twisty thanks to some of the folks involved in the blackmail scheme. I was guessing all the way up to the big reveal. The final scene of the book was perfection, too.
I am eager to go back and read about Iris and Gwen’s first case. It will have to tide me over while I wait for book 3 to find out how the events of this book will play out for the ladies in the future. Cozy fans and historic mystery fans should not miss this one!