A Royal Affair

I really like the characters in Allison Monclair's inaugural outing, The Right Sort of Man, so I went after this second book in the "Sparks and Bainbridge" series. I just discovered that Allison Montclair is pseudonym for author Alan Gordon. Hmmm.

Not surprisingly, our two intrepid protagonists are asked to vet a potential suitor for a client--who just happens to be Princess Elizabeth. Well, not exactly the Princess herself is asking; rather, her minions--who intercept the Princess's mail--are asking, because they have received a letter threatening to embarrass the Royals if money is not forthcoming. So once again Iris and Gwen are up to their ears in a highly secret and off the books investigation. And yet every lead they develop is either foiled by the SOE getting there first or, in one case, the murder of the blackmailer--and they're being framed to take the blame. Montclair continues to build on the characters as s/he carries forward a very labyrinthine plot. This book was equally as enjoyable as the first.

Booklist notes that "all is explained in a smart, Agatha Christie--style finale in which friends and foes are gathered to hear who did what and why. One of the series strengths is the focus on the personal lives of Iris and Gwen, both of whom are struggling, Iris with the consequences of her activities during the war, Gwen with battling for custody of her son. Written with flair and lots of snarky humor, this is great fun for British mystery fans."

Library Journal agrees. "Outside the office, Sparks navigates a possible romance with a charming gangster, while Bainbridge focuses on her mental health in order to regain custody of her young son, Ronnie. Pseudonymous author Montclair carefully reveals more about her two main characters, as their friendship strengthens and they learn to balance each other's skills. It's refreshing to see believable female friends in a historical mystery. Montclair doesn't neglect secondary characters either, particularly Sparks's loyal friend Sally and the aforementioned Ronnie...Fans of period mysteries ...will appreciate this gutsy duo." 

And Publishers Weekly calls this a "stellar sequel," going on to conclude "Montclair successfully combines the insightful characterizations of Jacqueline Winspear with the witty banter of Hammett's Nick and Nora Charles. Fans of the British royal family will have fun."