The Right Sort of Man
Allison Montclair
Minotaur Books, June 2019
325 pages, Kindle, Hardcover, Audiobook, Audio CD
Historical Novel, Cozy mystery
Provided by NetGalley
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The combination of colors on the cover is what caught my eye when I saw it. It felt like an old photograph. The font was perfect for a post-WWII story with its cross between old type and handwriting. Then they threw in Iris’ knife for the cross of the ‘t’.
The story was amazing. It turned into many stories in one. There was Iris’ story that was really never quite revealed of what she did during the war. There was Gwen’s story of loss and emotional breakdown followed by her in-laws’ enforced commitment of her and taking her son away from her. The two women start their own business as marriage brokers pairing men and women. Unfortunately, one of their pairs seems to go wrong. The poor girl ends up dead and the poor guy ends up in jail for having done it. Iris and Gwen don’t think their client did it, so they set out to prove him innocent. They meet gangsters, forgers, go black market, solve another case, Gwen meets a nice young man, Iris loses a lover and sets an old flame straight all in the course of getting Mr. Trower out of jail. And then it’s business as usual at the Right Sort Marriage Bureau.
The pace was steady, at times quite brisk, depending on what was going on. The tension was always there in the background keeping you worried about things and wondering about what could possibly go wrong next. There was a sadness about the past and some of the present, but there was a lightness about it as well. The author added enough hope to make it about changes and progress, not maudlin at all, even when people were feeling sorry about themselves. I did feel that the ending was a bit abrupt, but everything was tied up and the ladies had to get on with their lives so that was that. I highly recommend you try this one when it comes out in a few weeks, June 4, 2019. See if you don’t end up feeling like hanging a picture of a narwhal somewhere in your house just for the fun of it!
a thoughtful reveal 