A Royal Affair, Allison Montclair
A Royal Affair, Allison Montclair
List: $19.95 | Sale: $13.97
Club: $9.97

A Royal Affair

Author: Allison Montclair

Narrator: Sarah Nichols

Unabridged: 9 hr 4 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 09/26/2020


Synopsis

More goes wrong than could be imagined when Iris Sparks and Gwendolyn Bainbridge of the Right Sort Marriage Bureau are unexpectedly engaged to dig into the past of a suitor of a royal princess.In London 1946, the Right Sort Marriage Bureau is just beginning to take off, and the proprietors, Miss Iris Sparks and Mrs. Gwendolyn Bainbridge, are in need of a bigger office and a secretary to handle the growing demand. Unfortunately, they don’t yet have the necessary means. So when a woman arrives—a cousin of Gwen’s—with an interesting and quite remunerative proposition, they two of them are all ears.The cousin, one Lady Matheson, works for the Queen in “some capacity” and is in need of some discreet investigation. It seems that the Princess Elizabeth has developed feelings for a dashing Greek prince and a blackmail note has arrived, alluding to some potentially damaging information about said prince. Wanting to keep this out of the palace gossip circles, but also needing to find out what skeletons might lurk in the prince’s closet, the palace has quietly turned to Gwen and Iris. Without causing a stir, the two of them must now find out what secrets lurk in the prince’s past, before his engagement to the future Queen of England is announced. And there’s more at stake than the future of the Empire—there is their potential new office that lies in the balance.

About Allison Montclair

Allison Montclair grew up devouring hand-me-down Agatha Christie paperbacks and James Bond movies. As a result of this deplorable upbringing, Montclair became addicted to tales of crime, intrigue, and espionage. She now spends her spare time poking through the corners, nooks, and crannies of history, searching for the odd mysterious bits and transforming them into novels of her own. Montclair is the author of The Right Sort of Man, the first Sparks & Bainbridge mystery.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Mark on September 03, 2024

Someone has sent Princess Elizabeth a letter hinting at a scandal in the past of Prince Philip. The letter was intercepted, and Iris Sparks and Gwen Baingridge have been approached to find out if there is any truth to the scandal or not. Since it is believed that the two royals are heading for an en......more

Goodreads review by "Avonna on March 22, 2024

Check out all my reviews at: [URL not allowed] A ROYAL AFFAIR (A Sparks and Bainbridge Mystery Book #2) by Allison Montclair is an exciting historical mystery addition to the Sparks and Bainbridge Mystery series featuring the owners of The Right Sort Marriage Bureau in post WWII Londo......more

Goodreads review by The Lit Bitch on June 28, 2020

After reading the first book in this new historical mystery series last year at about this same time, I was eager to read the next installment and see how well the next mystery satisfied. I remembered really enjoying the relationship between the two main characters, Iris and Gwen. I thought they were......more

Goodreads review by Nora on May 21, 2023

I chose to read this book this month just because I wanted to read a light and fluffy mystery so it was surprising that King Charles Coronation was in the same month! This book is the second book in the Sparks and Bainbridge Mystery series and it was just exactly what the doctor ordered. This time,......more

Goodreads review by Laurie • The Baking Bookworm on April 14, 2022

A few weeks ago, I read The Right Sort of Man, the first book in the Sparks and Bainbridge series and I absolutely loved it. It had mystery, history, strong female characters and great banter! This second book in this historical mystery picks up right after the first book left off when Iris Sparks a......more


Quotes

“Mixes blackmail and murder, spies and servants, aristocrats and gangsters, all of which Montclair relates with believability, verve and dark humor. And her evolving portraits of intrepid heroines Iris and Gwen glow with originality and depth.” Fredericksburg Freelance-Star

“Brava! Brava! Bravissima!…The charming characters and twisty plot simply beg to become a screenplay. But it’ll be hard to improve on these fast-turning pages.” Historical Novel Society

“Stellar…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.” Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Through the sterling performance of Sarah Nichols, listeners will immerse themselves in both the seedy and the high-society worlds of 1946 London….Nichols creates suspense as the investigation unfolds. A dramatic confrontation at the end will have listeners on the edge of their seats.” AudioFile

“It’s refreshing to see believable female friends in a historical mystery…Fans of period mysteries by authors such as Ashley Weaver and Deanna Raybourn will appreciate this gutsy duo.” Library Journal

“Written with flair and lots of snarky humor, this is great fun for British mystery fans.” Booklist

“An irresistible mix of period thrills, international intrigue, unquenchable friendship, and a royal betrothal.” Kirkus Reviews