Allison Montclair

Theophilos is now installed as the Chief Fool of Toulouse, still working on the plan of bringing Fosc in as the new bishop there. But first, a stranger arrives, claiming to be the Count’s long-lost full brother, a brother the Count of Toulouse did not know he had. Envoys are sent to Paris to discover the truth about this man, but in the meantime the stranger is found one morning at a bordello in bed with a prostitute, a very dead prostitute killed by his own ornate knife. Something about show more this sits wrong with Theophilos, so he decides to investigate, stirring up more trouble than even he had counted on….This is the eighth and, alas, the last of the Fools’ Guild Mysteries by Alan Gordon (at least, I assume it’s the last as there have been no new entries since this one, published in 2010). Theo, his jester wife Claudia, their brilliant apprentice Helga and their almost-a-toddler daughter Portia are all vividly drawn and entirely believable in this medieval setting; there is time spent on the casual cruel deflowering of servant girls by careless aristocrats and on the difficult conditions of prostitutes in this world, but there is also time spent on family togetherness and friendship bonds. Oh, and intrigue and murder and lots of foolery too. I recommend this series very highly, especially if the medieval period in Europe interests you, but please start at the beginning (“Thirteenth Night”) and carry on from there! show less

"So she lived in the Bainbridge house, a very large, very well-appointed house indeed, and watched her son as he basked in the care of a governess and a tutor, and was allowed to interact with him as much as a mother might while having absolutely no maternal authority over his existence whatsoever. And she thought if she hadn’t been driven mad before, this velvet prison might very well do the trick on its own."

Gwen Bainbridge is a widow with a young son and when her affluent husband died show more in the war, she was placed in an asylum by her mother-in-law who proceeded to sue for custody of Gwen's son. This left Gwen no choice but to stay in her in-laws' home to be near her son. The Right Sort Marriage Bureau is her form of control and her uncanny ability to read people is her strength in helping those who have not found their perfect mate.

"Your damn protocol plays havoc on a girl’s nerves. You’ve been in Cologne and Paris, based on your shopping spree. Where else?” “Can’t tell you. Let me help you with that.” “Thanks. Does Poppy know you’re back?” “Rang her up. Told her I was exhausted from the flight and would be staying in town.” “Mistress before wife. I’m honoured."

Iris holds secrets in her past that have something to do with the war. One of those secrets is she is having an affair with a colleague who is a married man. She brings her quick wit and social skills to the business. In other words, she can charm the socks off everyone.

The time and location of this book is what caught my eye. I have not read many books based in post-war London and Ms. Montclair describes the scenes of London in that era in evocative and plausible detail.

Though they have very different backgrounds, the rapport between Iris and Gwen is genuine and their uncanny ability to bounce ideas off of each other is enjoyable. Iris' friend Sally, the playwright, bodyguard, and thug, is a real hoot as well and when he gave Gwen a script to confront her nasty mother-in-law, I was cheering her on.

I enjoyed the mystery of finding the real killer of one of their clients. Ms. Montclair sends the reader in many interesting directions with several colorful suspects. If you like cozy mysteries, you will enjoy this book. Highly recommend!

Thank you to Ms. Montclair, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to review this book with no expectations of a positive review given. show less

This fourth Sparks & Bainbridge mystery continues the adventures of Iris Sparks and Gwendolyn Bainbridge.

When a woman comes to the Right Sort Marriage Bureau, it is under false pretenses she'd really like to find Iris's former lover. Iris had dumped him some months earlier but is still living in the apartment he provided when she was his mistress. When he shows up again, she leaves to stay with Gwen. But when that woman's body is discovered in the apartment, the first thought is that it is show more Iris. It is soon discovered that Iris is still alive and now she's a suspect in the woman's death.

Since both her ex-lover and the woman are spies, there is little that Iris can do to help the police in their investigations. Iris has cut ties with her intelligence gathering past and now that past has cut ties with her leaving her alone to solve the problem.

Meanwhile, Gwen is in the process of trying to prove her competency after her nervous breakdown at the death of her husband. She needs to stay out of trouble if she wants to regain her independence, her fortune, and her son. All of them are under the control of her father-in-law. But she can't abandon Iris in her time of need.

I enjoyed this mystery. The setting is well drawn and the characters well-rounded. The dialog is crisp and snappy. I enjoyed the way the characters are both trying to rebuild their lives after World War II. show less

It’s deeply weird to me that Cold War era murder mysteries featuring challenging relationships and deep injustice towards women are my comfort reads right now, but I love these. Gwen and Iris give me hope and power my fierceness. This one was amazing because over the course of it Iris begins to value herself again and that is really uplifting. And Gwen is also coming into herself. It’s a joy to see.