Allison Montclair

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.

I have only read a couple of the previous novels in this series and I felt at a disadvantage at times - there were constant references to things that had happened in the past, and characters appeared without much backstory as if the reader was supposed to know who they were already. I am glad that poor Gwen is no longer technically a Lunatic. Here she seems to be something of a superwoman - able to tell when people are lying to her, a whizz at snooker (of which there was far too much - it's not that exciting to watch, let alone read about, ball by ball).

Gwen and Iris spent most of the book contemplating their own romantic lives and didn't make a single match, so I hope their business survives. The mystery surrounding the body found in Iris' gangster-boyfriend's club was a historic one and didn't grip me hugely. If I were Iris, I would be contemplating the fact that my boyfriend had flat-out lied to me about things that were very important to him.

Still, the tone was light and humorous in the right places and there was a strong sense of the period in which it was set. Recommended, but perhaps read them in order to get the most out of the series.… (meer)