Aubrey Nye Hamilton Reviews: Fire Must Burn by Allison Montclair

  

My Christmas Eve read was an early copy of Fire Must Burn, the eighth book in the Sparks and Bainbridge series by Allison Montclair, which I was fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to read via NetGalley. The latest in this excellent historical mystery series is due to be released on 6 January 2026 by Severn House. Severn House has been a reliable source of good mysteries and thrillers for more than 40 years. I was concerned when I saw that the firm had been acquired recently by Joffe Books, since consolidation of publishing houses often means authors lose their contracts and readers lose favorite series. However, Joffe also has a considerable interest in crime fiction, I know because I subscribe to their newsletter, and my fingers are crossed that the author list at Severn House remains unchanged. Or expands. Expansion would be good, too.

Iris Sparks and Gwen Bainbridge continue on their quest to match the lovelorn members of the post-war London populace via their marriage bureau, The Right Sort. On the personal front, Gwen is settled into her own house away from her demanding in-laws and enjoying her flourishing relationship with Iris’s Cambridge friend Salvatore Danielli, or Sally, as everyone calls him. It is lovely to see her relaxed and enjoying life. Iris on the other hand is still grieving the loss of her fiancé and is drinking far more than she should.

Her life is further complicated when her manager from her wartime British Intelligence service contacts her and tells her that one of her Cambridge friends is suspected of being a Russian agent. The Brigadier wants Iris to find a way to coax her friend, recently returned from China, into subscribing to the services of The Right Sort and to match him with a British agent who can dig more deeply.

Neither Iris nor Gwen appreciate having their service exploited in this way but see no way of avoiding it. Iris has not seen Tony Danforth for nearly 10 years but she remembers him with affection and can’t believe that he would betray his country. She manages to visit a bookstore at the same time he does, he loves books too, and her assignment proceeds as expected. Until Tony’s apartment is bombed and he is severely burned. The questions of why and how become the next investigation of the intrepid Sparks and Bainbridge.

Flashbacks to the mid-1930s and Iris’s days at Cambridge describe her history with Danforth, which help explain her feelings about Danforth now. There are some informative bits about the status of women at Cambridge. Despite allowing women to study at the university, Cambridge did not award full degrees to women until 1948, about the time of this story.

As usual, Gwen and Iris combine their disparate skills and jointly work through the criminal problem as well as answer a couple of questions that arise along the way. Their developing friendship is a highlight of these books.

The societal inequities to which women were subjected during the first half of the 20^th century (and sometimes still are) is an ongoing theme for Montclair. Unfortunately she has no shortage of material. This title highlights some of those injustices while spinning a very good mystery with some fine plot twists. Starred review from Kirkus, and Publisher’s Weekly calls the book “a treat.”  Recommended!

 

·         Publisher: ‎Severn House

·         Publication date: ‎January 6, 2026

·         Edition: ‎Main

·         Language: ‎English

·         Print length: ‎256 pages

·         ISBN-10: ‎144831593X

·         ISBN-13: ‎978-1448315932

 

Amazon Associate Purchase Link:  https://amzn.to/4pVGpRe  

 

 

Aubrey Nye Hamilton ©2025 

Aubrey Hamilton is a former librarian who works on Federal It projects by day and reads mysteries at night.

Aubrey Nye Hamilton Reviews: An Excellent Thing in a Woman by Allison Montclair

Alan Gordon is turning out one fine book after another in his historical mystery series about two women at loose ends after the end of World War II. Gordon is a retired lawyer, author, lyricist, and librettist, who is no stranger to the demands of writing a convincing historical mystery series. Between 1999 and 2010 he wrote eight well-reviewed books in the Fool’s Guild mysteries, set in early 13th century Europe.

Under the name Allison Montclair, Gordon chose a completely different time and place for his current series. He created two compelling characters: Miss Iris Sparks, formerly of Cambridge and an intelligence unit, and Mrs. Gwendolyn Bainbridge, widow of an Air Force pilot from an aristocrat family. Both of them are looking for a fresh start when they meet and decide to form an agency to facilitate marriage among the lonely and unattached members of the London populace, a group to which they belong. The series earns consistent acclaim from critics and readers alike.

In the seventh title An Excellent Thing in a Woman (Severn House, 2025) Sally (Salvatore) Danielli, Iris’s long-time friend, has found work with the BBC and the new medium of television. He sends one of his new coworkers to Iris and Gwen for matrimonial assistance. Unfortunately both of them come under suspicion when a dancer from Paris is found strangled in a BBC props storage room.

The plot reaches deep into the past of several characters, including Iris, and their wartime service, reminding the reader that the war for many was not far away. As usual, Iris and Gwen swing into action to rescue their friends and clients. Their growing confidence in each other’s support is one of the deeply attractive aspects of the running story line, as is their amusing chatter. I found the details about the budding television industry of the late 1940s of especial interest. Gwen purchased a state-of-the-art model for her home with an impressive 12-inch screen. The installation of the rooftop antenna fascinated the neighborhood.

With this title, publication of this series transfers to Severn House. I am sorry that Minotaur did not see the value of retaining this popular and historically accurate series. I hope that Gordon and his agent find a way to keep it in print for years to come.

 

·         Publisher: Severn House; Main edition (February 4, 2025)

·         Language: ‎English

·         Hardcover: ‎224 pages

·         ISBN-10: ‎144831237X

·         ISBN-13: ‎978-1448312375

 

Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3CJtqyG

 

 

Aubrey Nye Hamilton ©2025

Aubrey Hamilton is a former librarian who works on Federal It projects by day and reads mysteries at night.