Fire must burn / Allison Montclair.

By:

Montclair, Allison [author.]

Material type: Text

text

Media type:

unmediated

Carrier type:

volume

ISBN:

144831593X
9781448315932

Subject(s):

Genre/Form:

DDC classification:

813/.6 23/eng/20251111

LOC classification:

PS3613.O54757 F57 2026

Summary: London, 1947. Iris Sparks is eager for a break after recent turmoil, but peace has to wait. Her old intelligence boss recruits her and her partner, Gwen Bainbridge, for a covert mission involving Iris's former Cambridge friend, Anthony Danforth--now suspected of spying for the Soviets. To uncover the truth, they must draw Tony into hiring their matchmaking service so an undercover agent can get close to him. Reluctant but loyal, Iris agrees, determined to clear Tony's name if she can--or expose him if she must. Being a spy, she learns once again, is never simple.

List(s) this item appears in: Coming Soon | New Adult Fiction Fiction notes: Click to open in new window

Average rating: 0.0 (0 votes)

Holdings
Item type	Current library	Collection	Shelving location	Call number	Status	Date due	Barcode	Item holds
Adult Book	Phillipsburg Free Public Library	Adult Fiction	New Books	FIC MONTCLAIR	Checked out	02/12/2026	36748002640813

Total holds: 0

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

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!

Includes bibliographical references (page [248]).

London, 1947. Iris Sparks is eager for a break after recent turmoil, but peace has to wait. Her old intelligence boss recruits her and her partner, Gwen Bainbridge, for a covert mission involving Iris's former Cambridge friend, Anthony Danforth--now suspected of spying for the Soviets. To uncover the truth, they must draw Tony into hiring their matchmaking service so an undercover agent can get close to him. Reluctant but loyal, Iris agrees, determined to clear Tony's name if she can--or expose him if she must. Being a spy, she learns once again, is never simple.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Publishers Weekly Review

A jaw-dropping twist and sophisticated character development mark Montclair's exciting seventh mystery featuring Iris Sparks and Gwen Bainbridge, proprietors of London's Right Sort Marriage Bureau (after An Excellent Thing in a Woman). In 1947, the Brigadier, Sparks's former superior in British intelligence, asks for her help with a sensitive assignment. Anthony Danforth--whom Sparks knew at Cambridge in the 1930s--has recently arrived in England from Shanghai and been assigned to a high-ranking position under the British Foreign Secretary. The Brigadier suspects him of being a traitor. To get more information, he asks Sparks to enlist Danforth--a bachelor--as a client of her and Bainbridge's matchmaking business, then pair him up with a covert operative who could ascertain his true loyalties. Convinced that her country is at risk, Sparks agrees, but things get more complicated when somebody close to the operation is nearly killed. Montclair's wit, top-notch pacing, and obvious affection for her characters ensure that readers will be on tenterhooks for the next installment. This is a treat. Agent: Mitchell Waters, Brandt & Hochman Literary. (Jan.)

Kirkus Book Review

Finding a wife for an old college friend turns out to be far more dangerous than Iris Sparks ever imagined. Iris had her share of madcap adventures at Newnham College, Cambridge, in the 1930s, but by the '40s, she's settled quietly into running The Right Sort Marriage Bureau in London with her partner, Gwen Bainbridge. That is, until the Brigadier, a shadowy figure from her past, demands to use the bureau as cover for a secret government agent who will test her friend Tony Danforth's loyalty to the Crown. Iris assures the Brigadier that she and Tony were never lovers, so her impartiality in the matter will remain intact. But her immediate dislike of Evelyn Lowle, the agent the Brigadier chooses to pose as Tony's marital prospect, casts doubt on Iris' claim that she and Tony are just good friends. A brutal attack on Tony forces Iris to take action, but her ties to the Brigadier prevent her from revealing the truth to Parham, the sharp and dedicated detective superintendent investigating case. Montclair hits her marks throughout. Her characters are varied and well-rounded, with a combination of strengths and shortcomings that help readers invest in their fate. Her humor leavens the mood without diminishing the seriousness of the threat to the characters' safety. Both her London narrative and her Cambridge backstory establish a strong sense of place. Most important of all, her puzzle is ingenious, with surprises along the way that mesh beautifully at the end. A first-rate entry in Montclair's engaging series. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.