MURDER AT THE WHITE PALACE

As Britain slowly recovers from the World War II years of horror and deprivation, a spunky pair of women find new reasons to mourn and quest.

The Right Sort Marriage Bureau is the brainchild of former spy Iris Sparks and war widow Gwendolyn Bainbridge, who’s recently been declared sane by the courts after her husband’s aristocratic family tried to wrest control of her life and her son from her. Inspired by their success in matching clients looking for love, Gwen comes up with the idea of a New Year’s Eve dance that will bring customers together in a romantic setting. But finding a venue proves difficult until Iris’ current swain, Archie Spelling—whose many business enterprises are mostly on the wrong side of the law—suggests a nightclub he’s renovating. When they visit the club, they see that a brick wall is being removed from the basement. Its collapse nearly flattens Gwen and reveals a mummified man wearing an unusual ring that later vanishes. Unfortunately, the police officer sent to the scene is Iris’ former fiance, DS Mike Kinsey, who has no love for Archie and has been involved in several other murder cases involving Iris and Gwen. Gwen tries out dating Rodman Hilliard, a brash young man she beat at snooker, and Iris invites Archie to meet her prickly mother, a Member of Parliament. When Archie is shot and his recovery looks uncertain, Iris and Gwen resolve to find out who did it.

A page-turning mystery full of local color and angst-filled romances.