Obviously, I am a big fan of royal history and historical fiction. So, I was thrilled to find a book that was a combination! Princess Elizabeth and Prince Phillip were an interesting couple, but given that they have been married for so long, we don’t hear much about their engagement anymore. If you are looking for a fantastic book to read on your next day off, A Royal Affair is perfect!
A Royal Affair, Allison Montclair – Publishes 28 July 2020
In London 1946, The Right Sort Marriage Bureau is just beginning to take off and the proprietors, Miss Iris Sparks and Mrs. Gwendolyn Bainbridge, are in need of a bigger office and a secretary to handle the growing demand. Unfortunately, they don’t yet have the necessary means. So when a woman arrives—a cousin of Gwen’s—with an interesting and quite remunerative proposition, they two of them are all ears.
The cousin, one Lady Matheson, works for the Queen in “some capacity” and is in need of some discreet investigation. It seems that the Princess Elizabeth has developed feelings for a dashing Greek prince and a blackmail note has arrived, alluding to some potentially damaging information about said prince. Wanting to keep this out of the palace gossip circles, but also needing to find out what skeletons might lurk in the prince’s closet, the palace has quietly turned to Gwen and Iris. Without causing a stir, the two of them must now find out what secrets lurk in the prince’s past, before his engagement to the future Queen of England is announced. And there’s more at stake than the future of the Empire —there is their potential new office that lies in the balance.
Why You Should Read This…
I really enjoyed this mystery- most books involving the British Royal Family in the first half of the twentieth century are focused on either of the World Wars. However, this is a refreshing change, and is looking at the post-war period when the young Princess Elizabeth is engaged to marry a somewhat unknown Greek prince. It isn’t your standard cozy mystery, there are quite a few twists and turns, and you have to work to keep up with them. It is worth it though, and it is one of the most intelligent mysteries I’ve read in several years! This is the second book in the Sparks and Bainbridge series, but I wasn’t lost without having read the first book.
Also, if you are a fan of The Marriage Bureau by Penrose Halson, that looked at the post-war matchmaking service that helped men and women find suitable partners, you will enjoy A Royal Affair! The majority of the book is the mystery, but you do still get hints of the bureau, and dating life in post-war London.
Are you going to be picking up A Royal Affair?
Cheers,
The Historian
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