Murder at the White Palace: Sparks & Bainbridge #6    by Allison Montclair Order:  USA  Can Minotaur, 2024 (2024) Hardcover, CD, e-Book      Reviewed by Hilary Williamson Murder at the White Palace is the sixth in Allison Montclair's charming and highly entertaining series starring an odd couple of PIs in post-WW II London. Genteel young widow Gwendolyn Bainbridge and ex-intelligence officer Iris Sparks, run The Right Sort Marriage Bureau, but somehow always end up with murders to investigate. At this point in the series, Gwen has won back guardianship of her small son Ronnie from her aristocratic in-laws, and feels ready to start dating again. Iris has been involved for some time with gangster Archie Spelling. Gearing up for the 1946 holiday season, Gwen and Iris plan a New Year's Eve event for their clients. Archie offers a club he's acquired that's under renovation, the White Palace. Checking out the basement, Gwen and construction worker Des Burton (to whom she was attracted in an earlier episode) find a stabbed body in a collapsing wall. They call in the coppers and Gwen's ex-fiance Mike Kinsey shows up. A ring is stolen from the corpse, with a connection to men in a picture after the Great War. Then, a shooting at a family wedding changes everything. Of course, Gwen and Iris investigate this and a colder case, and intervene to prevent a gang war along the way. The violence escalates, but they get their man, and soon the festivities commence. The episode ends on a cliffhanger, leaving fans anxious for more. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Mystery books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews