Allison Montclair is out with the third installment, A Rogue's Company (#1,019), of her witty post-war mystery series set in bomb-ravaged London. (See my posts of 9/30/19 & 5/13/21.) How do the proprietors of The Right Sort Marriage Bureau manage to find themselves in such dangerous situations? Ladylike Gwen Bainbridge has decided she needs to acquire some of the same self-defense skills her partner Sparks learned during the War. Luckily, Sparks knows just the right person, and the pair pick up a new client in the bargain. But it's the other client who comes through their doors who adds an unexpected element to their business and sets off a perilous chain of events.
Lord Bainbridge is back from Africa, determined to send young Ronnie off to St. Frideswide's School, the place Gwen's husband hated so. She still has not been able to wrest back custody of Ronnie from her in-laws after her breakdown following Ronald's death. Since the Right Sort's new client is from Africa, and has been spotted watching the Bainbridge's house and following Lord Bainbridge's car, Gwen and Sparks' suspicions are aroused that Lord Bainbridge may have been up to something shady in Africa, especially after a body is found near his club.
Gwen will soon need those self-defense skills she's been practicing as she finds herself and her father-in-law the victims of a kidnapping. Can even Sparks rescue her this time?
The characters in this series are a wonderful blend; an aristocrat, secret agents, a crime boss and his gang, and a larger-than-life man of the world among others. This series is best read from the beginning to understand all the subtext and appreciate where the characters have been, although it's impossible to predict where they will find themselves next, all done with a droll sense of humor. Can't wait for the next one!
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