Fire Must Burn - (Sparks and Bainbridge Mystery) by Allison Montclair (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

The owners of The Right Sort Marriage Bureau are back, and more determined than ever to bring love matches to the residents of Post-WWII London . . . so something as trivial as being dragged into a spy mission isn't going to stop them!

Sparks fly when an old friend comes to town . . .

London, 1947. After recent events have left the normally steadfast Iris Sparks thoroughly shaken, she's looking forward to some peace. With The Right Sort doing well, she and business partner Gwen Bainbridge are due a holiday. Until Iris's former boss enlists their help for a secret mission.

Iris, who left British intelligence after the war, is being recruited for her Cambridge connection to one Anthony Danforth. She hasn't seen Tony in almost ten years, yet she and Gwen must manipulate him into hiring their marriage service.

Tony's suspected of being a Soviet operative, and an undercover agent posing as his perfect match could discover the truth. Despite her reluctance at being dragged back into the world of espionage, Iris agrees. After all, Tony was once a very good friend. If he's innocent, she'll happily prove it. If not? Well, no one ever said being a spy was easy . . .

Those who enjoy reading Kerry Greenwood's Phryne Fisher Mysteries and Dorothy Sayers will adore this warm and witty historical mystery!

Review Quotes

A believable postwar tale with troubled heroines who must juggle lovers, spies, and an unexpected villain-- "Kirkus Reviews on The Unkept Woman"

A page-turning mystery full of local color and angst-filled romances-- "Kirkus Reviews on Murder at the White Palace"

A riveting, fast-paced mystery full of wartime secrets, romance, and psychological trauma-- "Kirkus Reviews on An Excellent Thing in a Woman"

Along with providing a solid cast of characters, Montclair does a swell job of bringing 1946 London to life-- "Booklist on The Unkept Woman"

Intriguing characters and two mysteries are intertwined with little-known regulations on mental health in postwar England-- "Kirkus Reviews on The Lady from Burma"

Montclair seamlessly blends fair-play detection, immersive period detail, and dashes of humor in her latest historical-- "Publishers Weekly on An Excellent Thing in a Woman"

Montclair's capable, funny, and fully developed leads set a gold standard for the amateur sleuth subgenre. Dorothy Sayers's fans will hope this series has a long run-- "Publishers Weekly Starred Review of The Unkept Woman"

Set in 1946 London, Montclair's sixth whodunit featuring matchmakers Iris Sparks and Gwen Bainbridge (after The Lady from Burma) is another winning blend of humor and mystery-- "Publishers Weekly on Murder at the White Palace"

The banter between Iris and Gwen remains brisk and hilarious, and Montclair does a particularly good job throwing readers off the culprit's scent. Series fans will be over the moon-- "Publishers Weekly on Murder at the White Palace"

This is one of the best series going at the moment . . . this installment retains the freshness and originality of the very first-- "Deadly Pleasures Mystery Magazine on An Excellent Thing in a Woman"