Sparks and Bainbridge…welcome back! Readers are in for a treat in this fifth entry in a most enjoyable historical mystery series. It may be best to read this books in order but readers will be okay if they just begin where they want. Enough information is given to ground the reader.
Who are these women? Iris Sparks is pretty sparky. For one thing, she is dating a gangster. Gwendolyn Bainbridge is a widow and mother who was declared mentally incompetent but is making her way back to full control of her life as the story opens.
These two run a marriage bureau in post war England. Their work often leads to their involvement in murders.
A main plot in this book centers on a client who comes in to look for a second wife for her husband as she is dying of an illness…but will her actual death be a natural one? Readers will turn the pages as the case is solved.
Mrs. Remagen’s husband/widower is a unique character. An entomologist, hewants to return to the field. Miraculously, a good match is found for him but will it go forward?
Over the course of the novel, readers also deepen their understanding of Sparks and Bainbridge. This adds to the reader’s enjoyment.
I very much liked this entry in the series and already can’t wait for what comes next!
Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for this title. All opinions are my own.
Pub date: 07 July 2023
Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too! 