The Right Sort of Man

In spite of the title, which suggests a romance novel, this is a first-class historical mystery by Allison Montclair. Set in 1946 London, this is her debut novel featuring an intrepid pair of women, Iris Sparks and Gwendolyn Bainbridge, and I will seek out subsequent books in the series. Booklist offers this summary review:

"First Comes Love, Then Comes Murder. Now there's an unintended slogan that seems made to order for The Right Sort Marriage Bureau, a new enterprise in the heart of London's Mayfair in the years after WWII. Proprietors: the worldly Miss Iris Sparks, Cambridge-educated, with a hush-hush background in the secret service, and the sheltered Mrs. Gwendolyn Bainbridge, at the mercy of her late husband's wealthy family. The business is off to a successful start but becomes seriously compromised when a client is murdered, and the prime suspect is the very man with whom they matched her. The police see it as an open-and-shut case, but Iris and Gwen take it upon themselves to clear his name and salvage their reputation using the combined, somewhat odd assortment of contacts, talents, and survival skills acquired on their individual life journeys. Fans of M. C. Beaton will relish the wit, and followers of Susan Elia MacNeal and Jacqueline Winspear will enjoy the depth and the period detail. Readers will want to get on the reserve list for the next Iris and Gwen adventure."

Publishers Weekly also offers this recommendation: "Set in 1946 London, Montclair’s stellar debut and series launch introduces an unlikely pair of detectives. Gwen Bainbridge, whose husband died during WWII, lives with her late husband’s parents, who managed to get legal custody of her six-year-old son, Ronnie. Gwen and Iris Sparks, a former operative for British intelligence, run the Right Sort Marriage Bureau. Their innocuous business becomes less so after client Tillie La Salle is stabbed to death shortly after her particulars were provided to Dickie Trower, a shy accountant. Dickie is charged with Tillie’s murder, his purported motive anger over the cancellation of their first date. Convinced that the wrong person is behind bars and facing intensely negative press, Gwen and Iris investigate Tillie’s death. They soon find plausible alternative motives, including fallout from the dead woman’s involvement in the black market and a former beau’s jealousy. Both leads are complex, well-developed characters, whose penchant for humorous byplay never comes at the expense of the plot, which resolves itself in a clever fair play reveal. Fans of Maisie Dobbs and Bess Crawford will be delighted."