Murder at the White Palace

Sparks & Bainbridge Mysteries, Book 6

By: Allison Montclair

Narrated by: Polly Lee

In post-WWII London, the matchmakers of The Right Sort Marriage Bureau are involved in yet another murder.

In the immediate post-war days of London, two unlikely partners have undertaken an even more unlikely business venture-The Right Sort Marriage Bureau. The two partners are Miss Iris Sparks, a woman with a dangerous-and never discussed-past in British intelligence and Mrs. Gwendolyn Bainbridge, a genteel war widow with a young son entangled in a complicated aristocratic family. Looking to throw a New Year's Eve soiree for their clients, Sparks and Bainbridge scout an empty building-only to find a body contained in the walls. What they initially assume is a victim of the recent Blitz is uncovered instead to be a murder victim-stabbed several times.

To make matters worse, the owner of the building is Sparks's beau, Archie Spelling, who has ties to a variety of enterprises on the right and wrong sides of the law, and the main investigator for the police is her ex-fiance. Gwen, too, is dealing with her own complicated love life, as she tentatively steps back into the dating pool for the first time since her husband's death. Murder is not something they want to add to their plates, but the murderer may be closer to home than is comfortable, and they must do all they can to protect their clients, their business, and themselves.

©2024 Allison Montclair (P)2024 Tantor

Beautifully written and read

Among my most favorite series, the author tells tales and mysteries about women. The real, the frightened, the sad and the spirited. They are courageous, frustrated, intelligent, full of faults, yet strive to continuously be better people. Hurrah.

The best one in the series so far!

The partnership of Bainbridge and Sparks continues to entertain and delight me. I enjoy the clever, sarcastic dialogue between these two wonderful friends. The complex plot in this latest adventure kept me guessing until the end. I hope the next book in the series will be coming out soon.

Excellent story line

Loved this Bainbridge book. It was the best one so far. The development of Gwen and Iris was deep and the ending a surprise leaving me wanting more. Highly recommend.

Slow and weak story

This entry wasn't nearly as strong as the previous books. The mystery in the book is slow and felt almost like an afterthought. Montclair did not balance the action with Gwen and Iris's personal lives nearly as well as earlier books. While the narrator does an adequate job, I also missed the original narrator when character's voices were spoken in the wrong accent. All in all, probably the weakest book of the series.

What happened to this previously great series?

I almost never review but was compelled after suffering thru this book. I loved the other 5 in the series. Liked the main characters. But this 6th book is off the rails. Confusing at best, wandering at worst. I recommend you skip this one. I am returning it before finishing it because…I don’t care to know how it ends. The narrator is God awful and I can always hang in for any narration.