The Matchmaker's Lonely Heart. Nancy Campbell Allen. 2021. 336 pages. [Source: Review copy]
First sentence: My dear Miss Franklin, I can only imagine the despondency you must feel at your mother's insistence that you entertain Mr. B's suit. Of course you may continue writing to me for advice or commiseration! You and I know of your desire to marry for love, but your mother is clearly of the elder generation who prefer to err on the side of practicality. Perhaps you might consider a blunt approach, as the elderly often require direct speaking, whether due to hearing loss or lack of compassion brought on by age, one can only speculate...Letter from Miss A. Hampton
Premise/plot: Miss Amelie Hampton, our heroine, works for her aunt's paper, The Marriage Gazette. Detective Michael Baker is still haunted by the death of a young woman. He suspects her husband, Mr. Harold Radcliffe, of murder. But there wasn't enough evidence--at least without an autopsy--to continue the investigation let alone bring charges against him. But Detective Baker has his eyes on Mr. Radcliffe...which leads him directly to Miss Amelie Hampton.
Miss Hampton met Mr. Radcliffe at a book club. She's more than a little smitten with his dashing ways. But she had no idea he was "Mr. Dashing" (if memory serves) who has written into The Marriage Gazette looking for love. It is only when she is spying on Miss Franklin's first meeting with her new match (Mr. Dashing) that she recognizes him and realizes his true identity.
His date with Miss Franklin was a failure, but his interests soon turn to Amelie herself. But she's surrounded by doubters--including Detective Baker--who feel that here is a man with many, many secrets. Perhaps deadly secrets. As she grows closer to Mr. Radcliffe, she's also growing closer to Detective Baker. Soon she'll have to decide whom she trusts...
My thoughts: I really enjoyed this one! It's a blend of history, mystery, and romance. It's a straight forward story. There aren't many twists and turns; few--if any--red herrings. At least in terms of WHO is guilty of murder. There are a few surprises not related to the identity of the murderer.
I think what I enjoyed most about this one was that while the heroine was strong and feisty, she wasn't obnoxiously, over-the-top, intentionally stupid sort of strong and feisty. There were always reasons for the whys and hows of her dangerous situations. Her decisions lined up with her inner motivations and character. I did yell at her in a few places NO, DON'T DO IT. I suppose everything is relative. I've read so many books with heroines that annoy me to no end because they seem to go to all extremes to put themselves in danger. They seem incapable of making a logical, rational, common sense decision. They exist for the sole purpose of being saved by others. Amelie wasn't like that.
I also appreciated the unfolding of the romance.
© 2021 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
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