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Rowland Sinclair #1
A Few Right Thinking Men
In Australia s 1930s, the Sinclair name is respectable and influential, yet the youngest son Rowland - an artist - has a talent for scandal. Even with the unemployed lining the streets, Rowland lives in a sheltered world... of wealth, culture & impeccable tailoring with the family fortune indulging his artistic passions & friends... a poet, a painter & a brazen sculptress. Mounting political tensions fuelled by the Great Depression take Australia to the brink of revolution. Rowland Sinclair is indifferent to the politics... until a brutal murder exposes an extraordinary & treasonous conspiracy. The real enemy is Labor s Jack Lang and the Communist hordes into whose hands he plays... What say I introduce you to some chaps? What chaps? Right thinking men. Loyalists who love this country... Rowland, I think you could be moving with the wrong crowd.
349 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2010
581 people are currently reading
3178 people want to read
About the author
Sulari Gentill
26 books1,704 followersOnce upon a time, Sulari Gentill was a corporate lawyer serving as a director on public boards, with only a vague disquiet that there was something else she was meant to do. That feeling did not go away until she began to write. And so Sulari became the author of the Rowland Sinclair Mysteries: thus far, ten historical crime novels chronicling the life and adventures of her 1930s Australian gentleman artist, the Hero Trilogy, based on the myths and epics of the ancient world, and the Ned Kelly Award winning Crossing the Lines (published in the US as After She Wrote Hime). In 2014 she collaborated with National Gallery of Victoria to write a short story which was produced in audio to feature in the Fashion Detective Exhibition, and thereafter published by the NGV. IN 2019 Sulari was part of a 4-member delegation of Australian crime writers sponsored by the Australia Council to tour the US as ambassadors of Australian Crime Writing.
Sulari lives with her husband, Michael, and their boys, Edmund and Atticus, on a small farm in Batlow where she grows French Black Truffles and refers to her writing as “work” so that no one will suggest she get a real job.
THE WOMAN IN THE LIBRARY, Sulari’s latest novel will be released on 7 June 2022.
Sulari lives with her husband, Michael, and their boys, Edmund and Atticus, on a small farm in Batlow where she grows French Black Truffles and refers to her writing as “work” so that no one will suggest she get a real job.
THE WOMAN IN THE LIBRARY, Sulari’s latest novel will be released on 7 June 2022.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 488 reviews
February 17, 2018
This was a very interesting introduction to a series which I think I am going to like very much. Why only three stars then?
The three stars are for:-
* The characters, especially Rowland who has the makings of being a book hero. He is charming, rich, honest, thoughtful and smart. What more could you ask for? His friends and family are all interesting characters as well.
* The period setting 0f Australia during the Depression years. We get to visit the city and the outback and see the vast difference at that time between social classes.
* That beautiful, perfectly appropriate cover.
The loss of two stars is due to the fact that the author placed her fictional story into a big chunk of historical fact, which would have been great except that it was political fact. And I hate politics, current and past! So sadly I found a big chunk of the book boring.
The good thing is that I can look forward to more of the charming Rowland and (hopefully anyway) less of the political stuff in the next book!
The three stars are for:-
* The characters, especially Rowland who has the makings of being a book hero. He is charming, rich, honest, thoughtful and smart. What more could you ask for? His friends and family are all interesting characters as well.
* The period setting 0f Australia during the Depression years. We get to visit the city and the outback and see the vast difference at that time between social classes.
* That beautiful, perfectly appropriate cover.
The loss of two stars is due to the fact that the author placed her fictional story into a big chunk of historical fact, which would have been great except that it was political fact. And I hate politics, current and past! So sadly I found a big chunk of the book boring.
The good thing is that I can look forward to more of the charming Rowland and (hopefully anyway) less of the political stuff in the next book!
February 8, 2024
A Few Right Thinking Men (Rowland Sinclair, #1) by Sulari Gentill
Synopsis /
Meet Rowland Sinclair, gentleman and artist living in 1931 Sydney. Friend of the Left, son of the Right, he paints in a superbly tailored, three-piece suit and houses friends who include a poet, a painter, and a feminist sculptress whom he has painted nude and hung it in the drawing room. Is he perhaps in love with Edna? If so, she isn't having any.
Sinclair's fortune and his indifference to politics shelter him from the mounting tensions of the Great Depression roiling Australia and taking it near the brink of revolution.
One day in December 1931 comes terrible news: Uncle Rowly has been murdered in his home by unknown assailants. The murder prompts Roland to infiltrate the echelons of the old and new guard. Among them are a few "right thinking men," a cadre of conservatives who became convinced of a Communist takeover and have formed a movement to combat it. In time, Rowland's investigation exposes an extraordinary conspiracy with direct personal consequences.
My Thoughts /
I finished this one a week ago but house/pet sitting duties for my daughter got in the way of posting my review, because….well… priorities. Now if y'all would look at me with puppy dog eyes, wiggle your butt and do a little excited wee on the floor every time you see me I 'might' have posted this earlier, but then again, probably not.
1930's Australia was one of hardship. Bookended by the stock market crash on Wall Street in 1929 and the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, the term ‘1930s’ is used almost interchangeably with ‘the Great Depression’. They were years characterised by economic upheaval, skyrocketing unemployment rates, political and social unrest, and the shattered promise of the 1920s Australian dream.
It's this time period (1930s) that author, Sulari Gentill, has set her Rowland Sinclair series, of which, A Few Right Thinking Men is book #1.
The story opens with a newspaper article taken from The Sydney Morning Herald, dated December 11, 1931, in which the Herald details the report of a shocking murder scene found in one of Sydney's affluent suburbs. The deceased gentleman, Mr Rowland Sinclair, died in his own home, after or during a brutal attack.
After my initial what the heck shock moment that the namesake of the series is found dead in the first paragraph of the first book (!) I realised that the deceased Rowland Sinclair was, in fact, our MC's uncle. Oh, phew, first crisis averted.
For this series, the author has created a wonderful cast of eclectic characters, from Bohemian artists to upper class gentry. Politically, it's a time of great upheaval. The tension between the Proto-Fascists and the Communists is very high, and both factions are committed to an armed rebellion. Then, there's our MC, Rowland Sinclair. The youngest son of an extremely wealthy and influential farming family, Rowly is a gentle man, an artist, an amateur sleuth with wit, heart, and a knack for solving inscrutable crimes.
As the popularity of the Communist Party had risen through the Depression, so too had patriotic organisations at the other extreme. The daily papers often carried the severe images of the Fascist leaders in ascendancy in Europe. In Italy there was Mussolini and, in Germany, Hitler was becoming ever more powerful. Mosley was pushing the Fascist cause in Britain. In New South Wales, Eric Campbell had come to prominence. Rowland was aware of the popularity of the New Guard, chiefly among the wealthy, but he was not particularly interested in politics. He had in any case always regarded Campbell and his followers as a bit of a joke.
The police don't seem to be taking the death of his uncle very seriously, so Rowly takes it upon himself to unravel the mystery surrounding his uncle's murder. Using both his family's wealth and influence, Rowly infiltrates the ranks of the new guard, and with help from his roommates, Edna, Milton and Clyde they infiltrate both factions in a desperate and risky attempt to draw out the murderer and find justice for his uncle.
The author's research into the time-period is thorough, as such the reader will have no trouble finding authenticity with the story. Gentill combines her fictional characters with real-life people and events, and each chapter is prefaced with the inclusion of an historical newspaper clipping, which relates to something mentioned in or at the end of the previous chapter.
CAUSES OF CRIME SYDNEY, Wednesday According to Reverend H.S. Craik, chairman of the Congregational Union, the present crime wave is not due only to leniency of punishment, or the educational system, or the lack of home education or moving pictures, but to the four combined and underlying all are evil thoughts.
— The Canberra Times, 10 December 1931
For lovers of Kerry Greenwood's Phryne Fisher series, I think you would enjoy Gentill's 1930s male counterpart Rowland Sinclair.
Synopsis /
Meet Rowland Sinclair, gentleman and artist living in 1931 Sydney. Friend of the Left, son of the Right, he paints in a superbly tailored, three-piece suit and houses friends who include a poet, a painter, and a feminist sculptress whom he has painted nude and hung it in the drawing room. Is he perhaps in love with Edna? If so, she isn't having any.
Sinclair's fortune and his indifference to politics shelter him from the mounting tensions of the Great Depression roiling Australia and taking it near the brink of revolution.
One day in December 1931 comes terrible news: Uncle Rowly has been murdered in his home by unknown assailants. The murder prompts Roland to infiltrate the echelons of the old and new guard. Among them are a few "right thinking men," a cadre of conservatives who became convinced of a Communist takeover and have formed a movement to combat it. In time, Rowland's investigation exposes an extraordinary conspiracy with direct personal consequences.
My Thoughts /
I finished this one a week ago but house/pet sitting duties for my daughter got in the way of posting my review, because….well… priorities. Now if y'all would look at me with puppy dog eyes, wiggle your butt and do a little excited wee on the floor every time you see me I 'might' have posted this earlier, but then again, probably not.
1930's Australia was one of hardship. Bookended by the stock market crash on Wall Street in 1929 and the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, the term ‘1930s’ is used almost interchangeably with ‘the Great Depression’. They were years characterised by economic upheaval, skyrocketing unemployment rates, political and social unrest, and the shattered promise of the 1920s Australian dream.
It's this time period (1930s) that author, Sulari Gentill, has set her Rowland Sinclair series, of which, A Few Right Thinking Men is book #1.
The story opens with a newspaper article taken from The Sydney Morning Herald, dated December 11, 1931, in which the Herald details the report of a shocking murder scene found in one of Sydney's affluent suburbs. The deceased gentleman, Mr Rowland Sinclair, died in his own home, after or during a brutal attack.
After my initial what the heck shock moment that the namesake of the series is found dead in the first paragraph of the first book (!) I realised that the deceased Rowland Sinclair was, in fact, our MC's uncle. Oh, phew, first crisis averted.
For this series, the author has created a wonderful cast of eclectic characters, from Bohemian artists to upper class gentry. Politically, it's a time of great upheaval. The tension between the Proto-Fascists and the Communists is very high, and both factions are committed to an armed rebellion. Then, there's our MC, Rowland Sinclair. The youngest son of an extremely wealthy and influential farming family, Rowly is a gentle man, an artist, an amateur sleuth with wit, heart, and a knack for solving inscrutable crimes.
As the popularity of the Communist Party had risen through the Depression, so too had patriotic organisations at the other extreme. The daily papers often carried the severe images of the Fascist leaders in ascendancy in Europe. In Italy there was Mussolini and, in Germany, Hitler was becoming ever more powerful. Mosley was pushing the Fascist cause in Britain. In New South Wales, Eric Campbell had come to prominence. Rowland was aware of the popularity of the New Guard, chiefly among the wealthy, but he was not particularly interested in politics. He had in any case always regarded Campbell and his followers as a bit of a joke.
The police don't seem to be taking the death of his uncle very seriously, so Rowly takes it upon himself to unravel the mystery surrounding his uncle's murder. Using both his family's wealth and influence, Rowly infiltrates the ranks of the new guard, and with help from his roommates, Edna, Milton and Clyde they infiltrate both factions in a desperate and risky attempt to draw out the murderer and find justice for his uncle.
The author's research into the time-period is thorough, as such the reader will have no trouble finding authenticity with the story. Gentill combines her fictional characters with real-life people and events, and each chapter is prefaced with the inclusion of an historical newspaper clipping, which relates to something mentioned in or at the end of the previous chapter.
CAUSES OF CRIME SYDNEY, Wednesday According to Reverend H.S. Craik, chairman of the Congregational Union, the present crime wave is not due only to leniency of punishment, or the educational system, or the lack of home education or moving pictures, but to the four combined and underlying all are evil thoughts.
— The Canberra Times, 10 December 1931
For lovers of Kerry Greenwood's Phryne Fisher series, I think you would enjoy Gentill's 1930s male counterpart Rowland Sinclair.
October 23, 2021
4★
“‘Don’t you do anything?’ asked Edna.
He smiled. ‘I’m the youngest son, Ed. . . My role is to keep bad company and squander the family fortune.’”
And Rowland Sinclair does. Well, he keeps some pretty questionable company, and although he’s not squandering the family fortune, he’s housing several dissident artists in one of his wealthy family’s homes in Sydney. By dissident, I mean left-leaning and Communist (far left) activists who love nothing better than orating from soapboxes in the park. Rowly goes along to sketch the crowd.
He’s a talented artist who's seldom separated from his notebook and generally sports paint spots on his clothes and in his hair. He also drives a yellow, supercharged Mercedes Benz, while many other people have put their cars up on blocks rather than try to afford to keep them running.
This is 1932, during the depression and the Jack Lang government (left) of NSW. The Sydney Harbour Bridge has just been built and is about to be officially opened. If you’re interested in Australian political history, you’d enjoy this. If you’re not, you can just enjoy it for the characters and the warmth of the extended family of artists, left, right and in-between.
This story hinges on the exploits of several political factions.
After a conversation with his grazier brother, Wilfred Sinclair, on the family’s rural property, Rowland asks him
“‘What was that all about?’
‘The Riverina Movement is full of good men, many of them ours,’ Wilfred responded curtly. ‘But Hardy is making alliances with Campbell, and Campbell is as dangerous as the bloody Communists.’
‘Oh.’ It occurred to Rowland that perhaps these good men were confused as to which secret Fascist army they belonged, but he decided against voicing this.”
Those good men weren’t the only ones who were confused! It’s like trying to figure out the different factions within today’s political parties. Right and Left both incorporate sliding scales from the centre to the lunatic fringes, and whoever isn’t of your particular mindset is classed as anything from a bit misguided to dangerously unhinged.
There’s the Old Guard (right thinking), the New Guard (extreme right thinking), the Communists (extreme left), the NSW Labor Government (left), and oh, I don’t remember who belongs to what, but some of them are armed and dangerous, so it pays to stay awake!
“‘Thought we might go out and look at Ernest's new pony,’ Wilfred said curtly. Dressed for a day on the property, he wore a tweed waistcoat and jacket over his crisp white shirt; his wool trousers pushed into knee-high gumboots. It was early, but already the day was hot.
‘Yes of course,’ Rowland replied, standing. . . .
‘Don't you want your jacket?’
‘For God's sake, Wil, it's over a hundred degrees!’
‘If you wish to be taken for one of the shearers . . . ’
Rowland groaned. He'd never seen a shearer dressed as he was and he didn'r really care, but it was clear that Wilfred did . . . ‘I'm not wearing gumboots,’ he muttered. ‘It hasn't rained in six weeks - you look like you're going for a walk in the marshes at bloody Balmoral.’”
Wil is definitely one of the Old Guard (“the Riverina Movement”), bless their traditional hearts. Many are returned soldiers from the Great War, but Rowland was too young to serve, which puts him at a disadvantage. They’re determined to be prepared to defend their traditions against any Communist activity bound to be coming from the unions and the Labor Party.
Then there’s the New Guard (“as dangerous as the bloody Communists”), who obviously subscribe to the adage that the best defence is a good offence. They are armed and belligerent and pro-active. What’s more, they seem to have a secret offshoot of shadowy vigilantes who are taking matters into their own murderous hands.
The Sinclair family suffers a murder early in the book, and as the police investigation seems to drag, Rowland is convinced to infiltrate the New Guard as a spy using another identity. His well-known family name opens many doors, but they're the wrong doors for finding the vigilantes who are probably responsible for the murder.
Intrigue, spies, political mayhem, rallies, meetings and beatings, and, oh yes, sly grog shops. This little history has it all. Sydney had 6 o’clock closing in those days (the six-o'clock swill, as it was referred to with men drinking as fast as possible before being sent home for dinner). No liquor was sold after 6pm – but there were various private clubs where a password got you in, the girls were plentiful, and patrons snorted freely from the bowls of “angie” – cocaine - on the tables.
But our Rowly isn’t interested in these girls. His heart belongs (secretly, he would like to think) to Ed – Edna – a beautiful, talented sculptress who often models for the other artists in the house. Yes, she’s one of the boys, so to speak, and they all adore her. Lively, fun, quick-witted. What’s not to love? Her father has raised her to be independent and never rely on a man for anything. Don’t give up her art as her mother did for him. So she doesn’t. But the author lets us see her secretly pining a bit for Rowly.
I enjoyed the story and the history. I’ve seen such good reviews of subsequent books that I wanted to start at the beginning, and I’m glad I did. Not only did I learn something, but I also got attached to these people, surely a good sign for a series.
P.S. If you're interested in the historical aspect of it, the Governor of NSW eventually dismissed the Lang government for various misdeeds and installed the opposition (right thinking) in its stead, in the same way the Governor General of Australia dismissed the Whitlam Labor government (left) in 1975 in an affair known widely as The Dismissal. Here are a couple of Wikipedia articles if you get serious about it.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_La...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1975_Au...
UPDATE: I've just discovered that an alt-right fascist group in Australia calls themselves the New Guard. Now there's a development that we could do without.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-10-1...
P.P.S. I have loved all the following books in the series so far - just so you know. :)
“‘Don’t you do anything?’ asked Edna.
He smiled. ‘I’m the youngest son, Ed. . . My role is to keep bad company and squander the family fortune.’”
And Rowland Sinclair does. Well, he keeps some pretty questionable company, and although he’s not squandering the family fortune, he’s housing several dissident artists in one of his wealthy family’s homes in Sydney. By dissident, I mean left-leaning and Communist (far left) activists who love nothing better than orating from soapboxes in the park. Rowly goes along to sketch the crowd.
He’s a talented artist who's seldom separated from his notebook and generally sports paint spots on his clothes and in his hair. He also drives a yellow, supercharged Mercedes Benz, while many other people have put their cars up on blocks rather than try to afford to keep them running.
This is 1932, during the depression and the Jack Lang government (left) of NSW. The Sydney Harbour Bridge has just been built and is about to be officially opened. If you’re interested in Australian political history, you’d enjoy this. If you’re not, you can just enjoy it for the characters and the warmth of the extended family of artists, left, right and in-between.
This story hinges on the exploits of several political factions.
After a conversation with his grazier brother, Wilfred Sinclair, on the family’s rural property, Rowland asks him
“‘What was that all about?’
‘The Riverina Movement is full of good men, many of them ours,’ Wilfred responded curtly. ‘But Hardy is making alliances with Campbell, and Campbell is as dangerous as the bloody Communists.’
‘Oh.’ It occurred to Rowland that perhaps these good men were confused as to which secret Fascist army they belonged, but he decided against voicing this.”
Those good men weren’t the only ones who were confused! It’s like trying to figure out the different factions within today’s political parties. Right and Left both incorporate sliding scales from the centre to the lunatic fringes, and whoever isn’t of your particular mindset is classed as anything from a bit misguided to dangerously unhinged.
There’s the Old Guard (right thinking), the New Guard (extreme right thinking), the Communists (extreme left), the NSW Labor Government (left), and oh, I don’t remember who belongs to what, but some of them are armed and dangerous, so it pays to stay awake!
“‘Thought we might go out and look at Ernest's new pony,’ Wilfred said curtly. Dressed for a day on the property, he wore a tweed waistcoat and jacket over his crisp white shirt; his wool trousers pushed into knee-high gumboots. It was early, but already the day was hot.
‘Yes of course,’ Rowland replied, standing. . . .
‘Don't you want your jacket?’
‘For God's sake, Wil, it's over a hundred degrees!’
‘If you wish to be taken for one of the shearers . . . ’
Rowland groaned. He'd never seen a shearer dressed as he was and he didn'r really care, but it was clear that Wilfred did . . . ‘I'm not wearing gumboots,’ he muttered. ‘It hasn't rained in six weeks - you look like you're going for a walk in the marshes at bloody Balmoral.’”
Wil is definitely one of the Old Guard (“the Riverina Movement”), bless their traditional hearts. Many are returned soldiers from the Great War, but Rowland was too young to serve, which puts him at a disadvantage. They’re determined to be prepared to defend their traditions against any Communist activity bound to be coming from the unions and the Labor Party.
Then there’s the New Guard (“as dangerous as the bloody Communists”), who obviously subscribe to the adage that the best defence is a good offence. They are armed and belligerent and pro-active. What’s more, they seem to have a secret offshoot of shadowy vigilantes who are taking matters into their own murderous hands.
The Sinclair family suffers a murder early in the book, and as the police investigation seems to drag, Rowland is convinced to infiltrate the New Guard as a spy using another identity. His well-known family name opens many doors, but they're the wrong doors for finding the vigilantes who are probably responsible for the murder.
Intrigue, spies, political mayhem, rallies, meetings and beatings, and, oh yes, sly grog shops. This little history has it all. Sydney had 6 o’clock closing in those days (the six-o'clock swill, as it was referred to with men drinking as fast as possible before being sent home for dinner). No liquor was sold after 6pm – but there were various private clubs where a password got you in, the girls were plentiful, and patrons snorted freely from the bowls of “angie” – cocaine - on the tables.
But our Rowly isn’t interested in these girls. His heart belongs (secretly, he would like to think) to Ed – Edna – a beautiful, talented sculptress who often models for the other artists in the house. Yes, she’s one of the boys, so to speak, and they all adore her. Lively, fun, quick-witted. What’s not to love? Her father has raised her to be independent and never rely on a man for anything. Don’t give up her art as her mother did for him. So she doesn’t. But the author lets us see her secretly pining a bit for Rowly.
I enjoyed the story and the history. I’ve seen such good reviews of subsequent books that I wanted to start at the beginning, and I’m glad I did. Not only did I learn something, but I also got attached to these people, surely a good sign for a series.
P.S. If you're interested in the historical aspect of it, the Governor of NSW eventually dismissed the Lang government for various misdeeds and installed the opposition (right thinking) in its stead, in the same way the Governor General of Australia dismissed the Whitlam Labor government (left) in 1975 in an affair known widely as The Dismissal. Here are a couple of Wikipedia articles if you get serious about it.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_La...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1975_Au...
UPDATE: I've just discovered that an alt-right fascist group in Australia calls themselves the New Guard. Now there's a development that we could do without.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-10-1...
P.P.S. I have loved all the following books in the series so far - just so you know. :)
March 21, 2019
Rowland Sinclair – Rowly to his friends – was dining with his elderly uncle, Rowland Sinclair and as usual, enjoying the lively banter between the two of them. But when Rowly was informed a day or two later by the police that his uncle had been murdered, he was shocked and saddened. With the police seemingly doing nothing to find his killer/s, Rowly vowed to find them himself.
With the country in the throes of tensions caused by the Depression, and agitators on both sides of Parliament firing things up, Rowly was setting himself up for trouble. His straight-laced and staid brother Wilfred, who had returned from the Great War, not entirely unaffected, was at his wit’s end with his younger brother. Wilfred had certain views and expected Rowly to follow his ideals. But Rowly was on the bench; he had no leanings either way.
For this artistic, peace-loving gentleman, it seemed scandal was about to hit in a big way. Rowly was prepared to take risks – but would he take one too many?
A Few Right Thinking Men is the first in the Rowland Sinclair series by Aussie author Sulari Gentill, and is one I thoroughly enjoyed. Mystery made more interesting by it being set in Sydney in the 1930s when the Great War is over, and the Depression is in full swing. The character of Rowland Sinclair is an excellent one – a gentle man who has no hesitation in using his considerable wealth to help those less fortunate, especially his dearest friends, Edna, Milton and Clyde. A new series for me to start, and I’m looking forward to the next! Highly recommended.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my digital copy to read and review.
With the country in the throes of tensions caused by the Depression, and agitators on both sides of Parliament firing things up, Rowly was setting himself up for trouble. His straight-laced and staid brother Wilfred, who had returned from the Great War, not entirely unaffected, was at his wit’s end with his younger brother. Wilfred had certain views and expected Rowly to follow his ideals. But Rowly was on the bench; he had no leanings either way.
For this artistic, peace-loving gentleman, it seemed scandal was about to hit in a big way. Rowly was prepared to take risks – but would he take one too many?
A Few Right Thinking Men is the first in the Rowland Sinclair series by Aussie author Sulari Gentill, and is one I thoroughly enjoyed. Mystery made more interesting by it being set in Sydney in the 1930s when the Great War is over, and the Depression is in full swing. The character of Rowland Sinclair is an excellent one – a gentle man who has no hesitation in using his considerable wealth to help those less fortunate, especially his dearest friends, Edna, Milton and Clyde. A new series for me to start, and I’m looking forward to the next! Highly recommended.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my digital copy to read and review.
December 30, 2018
I enjoyed this introduction to Rowland Sinclair and his artistic friends. Set in the Great Depression of the 1930s with high unemployment and poverty, political factions (communist, fascist, conservative) are competing for power and either trying to disrupt or defend the current government. As the son of a wealthy grazier, Rowland doesn't want for money but lives a bohemian life as an artist, sharing his wealthy home with fellow artists and poets. When his favourite uncle is assaulted and killed in his own home, Rowland must infiltrate a fascist organisation called the New Guard to find the perpetrators.
As well as liking Rowland and his friends, Milton, Edna and Clyde, I enjoyed the newspaper excerpts inserted at the start of each chapter as well as the insertion of real life characters into the plot which both gave context to the unfolding events. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series, particularly as Rowland and his friends have just embarked on a cruise to Europe.
As well as liking Rowland and his friends, Milton, Edna and Clyde, I enjoyed the newspaper excerpts inserted at the start of each chapter as well as the insertion of real life characters into the plot which both gave context to the unfolding events. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series, particularly as Rowland and his friends have just embarked on a cruise to Europe.
October 5, 2019
This is the first book in the Rowland Sinclair series which covers the doings of the rich, charming, talented artist Rowland Sinclair and his group of equally talented and artistic dissident friends in the Australia of 1930s which is in the midst of both an economic Depression and a potential political revolution. I enjoyed the historical, social and cultural aspects of this era; the political aspect not so much but it's only because I personally don't like politics.
Also, the cover picture is gorgeous!
My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher Pantera Press and the author Sulari Gentill for giving me an e-ARC of the book. 3.5* rating.
Also, the cover picture is gorgeous!
My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher Pantera Press and the author Sulari Gentill for giving me an e-ARC of the book. 3.5* rating.
July 17, 2019
DNF. I gave up after 150 pages. It's very slow going, so much so that I really got annoyed with it and the subject of politics didn't help.
March 20, 2022
I have been looking forward to reading this series. I hoped it to be a cozy murder mystery. It is not. The murder was early in the book and very very secondary. I started the book being entertained as the descriptions of Australia during the depression and post WWI were interesting. Then came the middle and it was all about the politics of the time. I just could not get interested in the different factions of communist, fascist, and 2 groups that were the old guard and skimmed. So, this is one of those books that the writing is good....but not what I thought it would be.
May 10, 2022
4.5*
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this well-researched mystery-thriller-adventure set in Depression-era NSW, Australia. Having recently read a later instalment in Sulari Gentill's Rowland Sinclair series, it was good to go back to the series opener, A Few Right Thinking Men.
The book opens, rather shockingly for series aficionados, with a news report of the violent death of none other than ... Rowland Sinclair. It transpires that our hero has (or had) an eponymously-named uncle, somewhat of a rebel, with whom he enjoys the occasional lunch at an exclusive Sydney gentlemen's' club.
A Few Right Thinking Men takes place against the backdrop of a period of social and cultural turmoil in Australia. The ravages of the First World War were followed by a decade of change and nation-building, but by 1931, when the novel is set, the Great Depression had begun, fuelling discontent among the underprivileged working classes and conflict with the remnants of the landed gentry and upper echelons of society. Rowly and his posse of artists and poets hold quite egalitarian views, but others of his class are pushing to protect their comfortable status quo from the perceived threat of Communism. Some are looking to Europe, and taking their lead from the burgeoning fascist movement, and are willing to go to extreme ends to achieve their purpose.
As socialist soap-boxers face attack from right-wing militia groups in central Sydney, Rowland's uncle is discovered dead, following a home-invasion by hooded miscreants. Can the motive for the attack be found in Rowland Sr.'s business interest in a seedy nightclub, or might it be closer to home?
At the behest of his pompous elder brother, Wilfred Sinclair, Rowland returns to the family property, Oaklea, located near the town of Yass, in the Southern Tablelands region of NSW. Resisting his brother and sister-in-law's attempts to match him with eligible local women, Rowland makes some intriguing observations during his time at Oaklea, and in the process becomes concerned about the company his brother is keeping.
There's plenty of drama as Rowland, Edna, Clyde and Milton pool their talents to infiltrate a right-wing cell, eavesdrop at society cocktail parties, co-operate with undercover police officers and confront brutal gangsters. Will they uncover the culprit in Uncle Rowland's death before their own lives are placed on the line?
As with later books in the series, there's plenty of subtle humour, a cast of engaging characters and a comprehensive historical backbone to the story. Rowland's privileged existence as a gentleman artist provides the basis for lush settings, fashion and transport. However, he's a man ahead of his time, respectful of all, regardless of social status or gender, and open to new ideas around social and cultural advancement.
This is an engaging series, to which A Few Right Thinking Men makes a fitting introduction.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this well-researched mystery-thriller-adventure set in Depression-era NSW, Australia. Having recently read a later instalment in Sulari Gentill's Rowland Sinclair series, it was good to go back to the series opener, A Few Right Thinking Men.
The book opens, rather shockingly for series aficionados, with a news report of the violent death of none other than ... Rowland Sinclair. It transpires that our hero has (or had) an eponymously-named uncle, somewhat of a rebel, with whom he enjoys the occasional lunch at an exclusive Sydney gentlemen's' club.
A Few Right Thinking Men takes place against the backdrop of a period of social and cultural turmoil in Australia. The ravages of the First World War were followed by a decade of change and nation-building, but by 1931, when the novel is set, the Great Depression had begun, fuelling discontent among the underprivileged working classes and conflict with the remnants of the landed gentry and upper echelons of society. Rowly and his posse of artists and poets hold quite egalitarian views, but others of his class are pushing to protect their comfortable status quo from the perceived threat of Communism. Some are looking to Europe, and taking their lead from the burgeoning fascist movement, and are willing to go to extreme ends to achieve their purpose.
As socialist soap-boxers face attack from right-wing militia groups in central Sydney, Rowland's uncle is discovered dead, following a home-invasion by hooded miscreants. Can the motive for the attack be found in Rowland Sr.'s business interest in a seedy nightclub, or might it be closer to home?
At the behest of his pompous elder brother, Wilfred Sinclair, Rowland returns to the family property, Oaklea, located near the town of Yass, in the Southern Tablelands region of NSW. Resisting his brother and sister-in-law's attempts to match him with eligible local women, Rowland makes some intriguing observations during his time at Oaklea, and in the process becomes concerned about the company his brother is keeping.
There's plenty of drama as Rowland, Edna, Clyde and Milton pool their talents to infiltrate a right-wing cell, eavesdrop at society cocktail parties, co-operate with undercover police officers and confront brutal gangsters. Will they uncover the culprit in Uncle Rowland's death before their own lives are placed on the line?
As with later books in the series, there's plenty of subtle humour, a cast of engaging characters and a comprehensive historical backbone to the story. Rowland's privileged existence as a gentleman artist provides the basis for lush settings, fashion and transport. However, he's a man ahead of his time, respectful of all, regardless of social status or gender, and open to new ideas around social and cultural advancement.
This is an engaging series, to which A Few Right Thinking Men makes a fitting introduction.
December 10, 2020
This was a good start to a series based in 1930s Australia. Rowland Sinclair is the youngest son of a wealthy, conservative family. Rather than follow tradition, Rowland hangs out with artists, is an accomplished painter, and finds himself watching his country descend into communist and fascist camps, in the form of angry men in each of these groups plotting against each other and the government. Rowland has never troubled himself with any particular political belief, and finds himself alarmed by various individuals around him trying to pull him in their sides.
Rowland would probably have continued to ignore everything, painting furiously everyday, and hanging out and drinking every night with his artist, poet and sculptress friends, if his uncle, with whom Rowland shares a name, hadn’t been beaten to death one night. When the police show no interest in really investigating, Rowland takes it upon himself, with his artist friends, to start poking around the politically-based groups, and finds that there are many people unhappy with where they see Australia going during the Depression, the impact of Russia's revolution still reverberating through the country, unemployed and maimed soldiers still recovering from WW1, and the technological and other effects of the war on society, scaring every -ism camp.
Rowland’s wealth has insulated him from a lot of nastiness, so he sometimes comes across as naïve, but he’s also a caring, kind person, and is not interested in his family’s deep conservatism and equally uninterested in the radical sentiments of the other camps, but also aware of the poverty and discontent towards people of his class. That doesn’t mean Rowland, and his artist friends Edna Higgins, Clyde Watson Jones and Milton Isaacs, don’t mind the trappings of his class, like his big house, and Rowland’s beloved yellow Mercedes Benz.
What’s particularly interesting about the sentiments and actions of people in the various camps is how familiar some of their arguments feel, particularly with the rise in fascism and anti-immigrant rhetoric in the populist movements around the world over the last several years. Though I wasn’t totally clear on a few of the political motives the author ascribes to various characters, I liked the descriptions of this period between the two World Wars. The murder investigation describes the complexity of feelings and attitudes of the early 1930s Sydney surrounding Rowland, and I look forward to reading more of Sulari Gentill’s work.
Rowland would probably have continued to ignore everything, painting furiously everyday, and hanging out and drinking every night with his artist, poet and sculptress friends, if his uncle, with whom Rowland shares a name, hadn’t been beaten to death one night. When the police show no interest in really investigating, Rowland takes it upon himself, with his artist friends, to start poking around the politically-based groups, and finds that there are many people unhappy with where they see Australia going during the Depression, the impact of Russia's revolution still reverberating through the country, unemployed and maimed soldiers still recovering from WW1, and the technological and other effects of the war on society, scaring every -ism camp.
Rowland’s wealth has insulated him from a lot of nastiness, so he sometimes comes across as naïve, but he’s also a caring, kind person, and is not interested in his family’s deep conservatism and equally uninterested in the radical sentiments of the other camps, but also aware of the poverty and discontent towards people of his class. That doesn’t mean Rowland, and his artist friends Edna Higgins, Clyde Watson Jones and Milton Isaacs, don’t mind the trappings of his class, like his big house, and Rowland’s beloved yellow Mercedes Benz.
What’s particularly interesting about the sentiments and actions of people in the various camps is how familiar some of their arguments feel, particularly with the rise in fascism and anti-immigrant rhetoric in the populist movements around the world over the last several years. Though I wasn’t totally clear on a few of the political motives the author ascribes to various characters, I liked the descriptions of this period between the two World Wars. The murder investigation describes the complexity of feelings and attitudes of the early 1930s Sydney surrounding Rowland, and I look forward to reading more of Sulari Gentill’s work.
March 31, 2019
4.5 ★s
A Few Right Thinking Men is the first book in the Rowland Sinclair series by award-winning Australian author, Sulari Gentill. When gentleman artist Rowland Sinclair’s favourite uncle dies following a savage beating in his own home, the police seem fixated on his elderly housekeeper at the expense of doing any real investigating. Information volunteered by the victim of a similar attack leads Rowly to suspect that it’s the work of the New Guard, the face of an increasing fascist presence in the country, but his uncle wasn't a communist, Rowly was certain, so why was he targeted?
With his quirky artistic friends (Edna the sculptress, Milton the poet and Clyde the artist), he devises a clever, if perhaps dangerous, way to learn more about those he suspects. But then it comes to light that his old uncle had a certain asset indicating an unsavoury connection, which muddies the waters a bit.
Soon, he finds himself, much to his older brother’s disapproval, deeply involved in what looks like becoming a civil war. When ultimately, they do discover who was responsible for the attack, Rowly and co are a little slow to figure out the why of it, and then events overtake them before they have time to react.
Gentill gives the reader an excellent plot with an exciting climax and a believable ending. While none are perfect, most of Gentill’s characters are endearing, with a few despicable ones to even things out. And of course, there’s Rowland: an appealing, can-do sort of guy, intelligent, a bit unconventional but full of integrity, which is reflected by loyalty of the friends he attracts.
Quotes from press articles of the time that preface many of the chapters cleverly serve the dual purpose of providing some of the background political climate and giving the reader a clear timeline of events.
Gentill's extensive research is apparent on every page, but this is no dry history lesson: the facts drop into the story unobtrusively; there’s also plenty of humour, especially in the banter between the friends. And she bestows on the reader a front-row seat for an infamous event of 1932.
As always, Gentill captures the era perfectly. This is a superb dose of Australian historical fiction, and readers who enjoy it will be pleased to know they can look forward to a further eight (at least) instalments of this award-winning series, beginning with A Decline In Prophets.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Pantera Press
A Few Right Thinking Men is the first book in the Rowland Sinclair series by award-winning Australian author, Sulari Gentill. When gentleman artist Rowland Sinclair’s favourite uncle dies following a savage beating in his own home, the police seem fixated on his elderly housekeeper at the expense of doing any real investigating. Information volunteered by the victim of a similar attack leads Rowly to suspect that it’s the work of the New Guard, the face of an increasing fascist presence in the country, but his uncle wasn't a communist, Rowly was certain, so why was he targeted?
With his quirky artistic friends (Edna the sculptress, Milton the poet and Clyde the artist), he devises a clever, if perhaps dangerous, way to learn more about those he suspects. But then it comes to light that his old uncle had a certain asset indicating an unsavoury connection, which muddies the waters a bit.
Soon, he finds himself, much to his older brother’s disapproval, deeply involved in what looks like becoming a civil war. When ultimately, they do discover who was responsible for the attack, Rowly and co are a little slow to figure out the why of it, and then events overtake them before they have time to react.
Gentill gives the reader an excellent plot with an exciting climax and a believable ending. While none are perfect, most of Gentill’s characters are endearing, with a few despicable ones to even things out. And of course, there’s Rowland: an appealing, can-do sort of guy, intelligent, a bit unconventional but full of integrity, which is reflected by loyalty of the friends he attracts.
Quotes from press articles of the time that preface many of the chapters cleverly serve the dual purpose of providing some of the background political climate and giving the reader a clear timeline of events.
Gentill's extensive research is apparent on every page, but this is no dry history lesson: the facts drop into the story unobtrusively; there’s also plenty of humour, especially in the banter between the friends. And she bestows on the reader a front-row seat for an infamous event of 1932.
As always, Gentill captures the era perfectly. This is a superb dose of Australian historical fiction, and readers who enjoy it will be pleased to know they can look forward to a further eight (at least) instalments of this award-winning series, beginning with A Decline In Prophets.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Pantera Press
April 29, 2023
My second Gentill novel and it will be my last. My IRL book club selected it, and I thought perhaps I’d been unduly harsh in my view if book 4 in this series, but no. The pacing is excruciatingly slow, and the main character grates on my last nerve. There are far better, engaging, well-written historical mystery series out there. Pick any one of them instead.
March 24, 2020
They were all of a generation who could not possibly have seen war service, but who were marked by the lack of it all the same. Certainly, he was aware it lessened him in Wilfred’s eyes.
Just over a year since I read Miles Off Course - third in the Rowland Sinclair series of cosy historic fiction, set in New South Wales, which left me with mixed views. I liked the cover and paper ‘aged’ with the ‘30’s touch and the historical newsprint, but I found the central character far too much the gentleman to stand up to a crashing bore from his Oxford days.
This, the first in the series was a slow starter, and for me the background on wealthy Rowland (the painter), living in Woollahra, in Sydney’s eastern suburbs with his artistic friends, while his elder brother Wilfred, resides at the family’s estate near Yass, went on a bit too long. The story opens with the murder of flamboyantly dissolute uncle (Rowland Sinclair senior), an unsolved crime four months after the event, with the police suspecting complicity of the elderly housekeeper.
About 40% into the book Rowly gets word of who might have been responsible, members of a paramilitary movement called the “New Guard” - (a few rights thinking men) intent on dismissing the Jack Lang led Labor state government. He goes undercover, posing as his friend Clyde to infiltrate the movement – ostensibly to paint the leader Eric Campbell’s portrait for entry to the Archibald Prize, while searching for evidence of the murderers.
As with the other book, I was slightly underwhelmed: too much politicking / too transparent storyline, where I prefer mystery. The descriptions of public transport and the contrast between conspicuous wealth and those struggling through the depression was – well, depressing. The endless shifting between grand houses, humbler homes and country estates, plus a race course or two grated after a while. Like a circus without clowns. It was redeemed for me by the “showdown” at the opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge in 1932.
The series has received rave reviews and won the author a loyal following. I haven’t given up on it yet: I’m just glad I did not start with this one. Fewer pages in a larger sized font would have made a considerable difference.
Just over a year since I read Miles Off Course - third in the Rowland Sinclair series of cosy historic fiction, set in New South Wales, which left me with mixed views. I liked the cover and paper ‘aged’ with the ‘30’s touch and the historical newsprint, but I found the central character far too much the gentleman to stand up to a crashing bore from his Oxford days.
This, the first in the series was a slow starter, and for me the background on wealthy Rowland (the painter), living in Woollahra, in Sydney’s eastern suburbs with his artistic friends, while his elder brother Wilfred, resides at the family’s estate near Yass, went on a bit too long. The story opens with the murder of flamboyantly dissolute uncle (Rowland Sinclair senior), an unsolved crime four months after the event, with the police suspecting complicity of the elderly housekeeper.
About 40% into the book Rowly gets word of who might have been responsible, members of a paramilitary movement called the “New Guard” - (a few rights thinking men) intent on dismissing the Jack Lang led Labor state government. He goes undercover, posing as his friend Clyde to infiltrate the movement – ostensibly to paint the leader Eric Campbell’s portrait for entry to the Archibald Prize, while searching for evidence of the murderers.
As with the other book, I was slightly underwhelmed: too much politicking / too transparent storyline, where I prefer mystery. The descriptions of public transport and the contrast between conspicuous wealth and those struggling through the depression was – well, depressing. The endless shifting between grand houses, humbler homes and country estates, plus a race course or two grated after a while. Like a circus without clowns. It was redeemed for me by the “showdown” at the opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge in 1932.
The series has received rave reviews and won the author a loyal following. I haven’t given up on it yet: I’m just glad I did not start with this one. Fewer pages in a larger sized font would have made a considerable difference.
January 28, 2018
Life throughout the world was unsettled in the 1930s, with the Great Depression, mass unemployment and political unrest. In Australia, depending on your own circumstances, you were a part of, or feared, Communism, Facsicm or the Old Guard conservatives who wished to maintain the status quo established pre-World War One.
The story of these unsettled times in New South Wales is told through Rowland Sinclair, wealthy young gentleman who has turned his back on his privileged upbringing and works as an artist. His comfortable home in one of Sydney’s best suburbs is also home to several other artists who are down on their luck. Well, they were until Rowland invited them in, anyway.
His older brother, Wilfred, who served in the war, is stongly aligned with the Old Guard, while friend and house-mate Milton leans toward Communism. Wilfred remonstrates with Rowland on his life-style, demanding he live up to his family name and support the lifestyle men fought for, and for which his eldest brother Aubrey died. When Rowland’s uncle, also named Rowland and another who lives a ‘scandalous’ life, is beaten to death in his home, young Rowland fumes at the lack of police progress in solving the killing. He suspects that the Fascist New Guard is involved and he infiltrates their ranks, posing under the name of fellow artist Clyde, painting a portrait of the Facsict leader Eric Campbell for the Archibald. His double identity lands him in trouble from both sides of the political spectrum, who either see him as a spy or of betraying his own kind.
One of the problems of compressing a period of history into book length is that the issues can feel over-tressed. The distrust, the belief of each group that it alone is right, the violence towards those who think differently is unrelenting throughout the first half. I don’t say that this is a fault, or can be avoided, but it meant I had to take a breather and read something lighter before I could finish. That probably says more about this reader than about the book. It is in fact an excellent rendition of the period, well written, well told, well constructed. It works on the level of history as well as mystery. Recommended.
I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley for an honest review.
The story of these unsettled times in New South Wales is told through Rowland Sinclair, wealthy young gentleman who has turned his back on his privileged upbringing and works as an artist. His comfortable home in one of Sydney’s best suburbs is also home to several other artists who are down on their luck. Well, they were until Rowland invited them in, anyway.
His older brother, Wilfred, who served in the war, is stongly aligned with the Old Guard, while friend and house-mate Milton leans toward Communism. Wilfred remonstrates with Rowland on his life-style, demanding he live up to his family name and support the lifestyle men fought for, and for which his eldest brother Aubrey died. When Rowland’s uncle, also named Rowland and another who lives a ‘scandalous’ life, is beaten to death in his home, young Rowland fumes at the lack of police progress in solving the killing. He suspects that the Fascist New Guard is involved and he infiltrates their ranks, posing under the name of fellow artist Clyde, painting a portrait of the Facsict leader Eric Campbell for the Archibald. His double identity lands him in trouble from both sides of the political spectrum, who either see him as a spy or of betraying his own kind.
One of the problems of compressing a period of history into book length is that the issues can feel over-tressed. The distrust, the belief of each group that it alone is right, the violence towards those who think differently is unrelenting throughout the first half. I don’t say that this is a fault, or can be avoided, but it meant I had to take a breather and read something lighter before I could finish. That probably says more about this reader than about the book. It is in fact an excellent rendition of the period, well written, well told, well constructed. It works on the level of history as well as mystery. Recommended.
I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley for an honest review.
June 17, 2022
I think my problem with this book is my very high expectations having no long ago read The Woman in the Library as my first experience with this author. However, given that I am still keen to continue with this series as I expect the series will evolve and I respect the opinions of others who are much further into the series than I.
The story is set in Sydney in the early 30's where the depression is biting and there are many embittered ex-servicemen looking for a new cause. Communism is seen as a huge threat and a 'New Guard' forms to keep the 'reds at bay'.
Rowland Sinclair is a wealthy young artist who has landed nicely on his feet and who choses to surround himself with fellow artists who share his views and are more than happy to benefit from his wealth and charitableness. When Rowland's uncle, who he was named after, is found dead in his home Rowland decides to investigate himself as the police don't seem to be that determined to look past his uncles housekeeper.
There is a lot of detail in the book and it didn't move with a pace that I normally enjoy in a murder mystery but I did enjoy the historical fiction elements. 3.5 stars from me and I will hunt out book 2.
The story is set in Sydney in the early 30's where the depression is biting and there are many embittered ex-servicemen looking for a new cause. Communism is seen as a huge threat and a 'New Guard' forms to keep the 'reds at bay'.
Rowland Sinclair is a wealthy young artist who has landed nicely on his feet and who choses to surround himself with fellow artists who share his views and are more than happy to benefit from his wealth and charitableness. When Rowland's uncle, who he was named after, is found dead in his home Rowland decides to investigate himself as the police don't seem to be that determined to look past his uncles housekeeper.
There is a lot of detail in the book and it didn't move with a pace that I normally enjoy in a murder mystery but I did enjoy the historical fiction elements. 3.5 stars from me and I will hunt out book 2.
January 23, 2021
Enjoyed this immensely. From the descriptions of these post WWI times in Australian history, to the opening of the Sydney Harbor Bridge, to the country towns, the illegal nightclubs, the horse races, the Depression, the stroll through Australian artists of the time. Great!!
Rowland Sinclair is a talented artist and the younger son from a wealthy sheep farming family who spent some years in Oxford and London amongst the more bohemian artist set.
He's returned to Australia occupying the family Sydney home in the very wealthy suburb of Woollahra, turning it into an artist's commune. Of course some of the occupants have a socialist/communist bent. Amongst those living with him is his life model Edna, a sculptress, who is a fabulous character. Rowly is in love with her, but knows it's hopeless.
When his 'black sheep of the family' uncle of the same name is attacked in his home and killed Rowly, dissatisfied with the police inquiries decides to take a hand. Really Gentil is exploring the "radical right wing movements of the 193o's" in Australia and some of the plots and counterplots as politically opposed groups raised their private armies. Rowly goes undercover in one of these organizations, the New Guard. Gentill's research is impressive, using actual newspaper bylines.
This novel is just so very Australian, set at a fascinating time, and I loved every minute of it. I now simply must read more in the series
Rowland Sinclair is a talented artist and the younger son from a wealthy sheep farming family who spent some years in Oxford and London amongst the more bohemian artist set.
He's returned to Australia occupying the family Sydney home in the very wealthy suburb of Woollahra, turning it into an artist's commune. Of course some of the occupants have a socialist/communist bent. Amongst those living with him is his life model Edna, a sculptress, who is a fabulous character. Rowly is in love with her, but knows it's hopeless.
When his 'black sheep of the family' uncle of the same name is attacked in his home and killed Rowly, dissatisfied with the police inquiries decides to take a hand. Really Gentil is exploring the "radical right wing movements of the 193o's" in Australia and some of the plots and counterplots as politically opposed groups raised their private armies. Rowly goes undercover in one of these organizations, the New Guard. Gentill's research is impressive, using actual newspaper bylines.
This novel is just so very Australian, set at a fascinating time, and I loved every minute of it. I now simply must read more in the series
April 24, 2019
Sulari Gentill’s historical mystery series featuring Rowland Sinclair has long been on my radar. I regret that it has taken me a decade to start it, though on the plus side, there are a further eight books ahead of me to enjoy.
A Few Right Thinking Men is set in New South Wales, Australia during the early 1930’s. It is a period of great political upheaval where, in the wake of The Great Depression, tensions are mounting resulting in the rapid growth of extremist organisations.
Rowland Sinclair, affectionately known as Rowly to his friends, is content to stay out of politics. As the youngest son of the wealthy and influential Sinclair family, he has largely been left to his own devices, allowing him to pursue his passion for painting, and support a revolving cast of fellow artists at his well appointed home, Woodlands House, on Sydney’s North Shore.
That is until Rowly’s uncle, for whom he is named, is killed during a home invasion, and rumour places the blame on an aggressive group within the New Guard, a far right political organisation focused on destroying the ‘red threat’ of communism.
Till now, he had crowded his mind with his work and with things more mundane, but as he stood where his uncle had died, he was staggered by a deep sense of loss, and outrage.
Though Rowly’s goal is to bring uncle’s murderer to justice, the mystery surrounding his death is not really the focus of this novel. With the local detective reluctant to investigate, Rowly is convinced by his friends and houseguests Milton, Clyde and Edna to take on Clyde’s identity and infiltrate the New Guard, unwittingly putting himself at the epicentre of the dissent. It is the clandestine machinations of the various political organisations that is center stage here.
He’d just have to hope to God that democracy would survive all these right thinking men.
The authors research is meticulous, sadly I’m almost wholly ignorant of my country’s past, but it’s understandable that Gentill would enthusiastically delve into this ‘fascinating and ludicrous’ period of Australian history. The situation, as the conflict between the spectrum of ideologies escalates, would be farcical if not for the seriousness with which they regard themselves. Each is convinced they are the only ‘right thinking men’ fit to lead the state, if not the entire country.
“You are who you are. Given your gilded background, you could be insufferable, but you’re not. I wouldn’t have you be anything else.”
I thought the characterisation of both the main and supporting characters was very well done. Rowly is kind, generous, thoughtful and loyal. For the most part apolitical, Rowly is well aware that his background makes him an enemy of the far left, and his lifestyle pits him against the far right. His older brother Wilford is contemptuous of his youngest brother’s ways, but Rowly is wonderfully supported by Edna, a beautiful sculptress with whom he is in love, communist poet Milt, and fellow painter, Clyde, and not just because he funds their modus vivendi.
A Few Right Thinking Men is an entertaining and astute novel, rich with history, drama, and engaging characters. I’m looking forward to continuing with the series.
A Few Right Thinking Men is set in New South Wales, Australia during the early 1930’s. It is a period of great political upheaval where, in the wake of The Great Depression, tensions are mounting resulting in the rapid growth of extremist organisations.
Rowland Sinclair, affectionately known as Rowly to his friends, is content to stay out of politics. As the youngest son of the wealthy and influential Sinclair family, he has largely been left to his own devices, allowing him to pursue his passion for painting, and support a revolving cast of fellow artists at his well appointed home, Woodlands House, on Sydney’s North Shore.
That is until Rowly’s uncle, for whom he is named, is killed during a home invasion, and rumour places the blame on an aggressive group within the New Guard, a far right political organisation focused on destroying the ‘red threat’ of communism.
Till now, he had crowded his mind with his work and with things more mundane, but as he stood where his uncle had died, he was staggered by a deep sense of loss, and outrage.
Though Rowly’s goal is to bring uncle’s murderer to justice, the mystery surrounding his death is not really the focus of this novel. With the local detective reluctant to investigate, Rowly is convinced by his friends and houseguests Milton, Clyde and Edna to take on Clyde’s identity and infiltrate the New Guard, unwittingly putting himself at the epicentre of the dissent. It is the clandestine machinations of the various political organisations that is center stage here.
He’d just have to hope to God that democracy would survive all these right thinking men.
The authors research is meticulous, sadly I’m almost wholly ignorant of my country’s past, but it’s understandable that Gentill would enthusiastically delve into this ‘fascinating and ludicrous’ period of Australian history. The situation, as the conflict between the spectrum of ideologies escalates, would be farcical if not for the seriousness with which they regard themselves. Each is convinced they are the only ‘right thinking men’ fit to lead the state, if not the entire country.
“You are who you are. Given your gilded background, you could be insufferable, but you’re not. I wouldn’t have you be anything else.”
I thought the characterisation of both the main and supporting characters was very well done. Rowly is kind, generous, thoughtful and loyal. For the most part apolitical, Rowly is well aware that his background makes him an enemy of the far left, and his lifestyle pits him against the far right. His older brother Wilford is contemptuous of his youngest brother’s ways, but Rowly is wonderfully supported by Edna, a beautiful sculptress with whom he is in love, communist poet Milt, and fellow painter, Clyde, and not just because he funds their modus vivendi.
A Few Right Thinking Men is an entertaining and astute novel, rich with history, drama, and engaging characters. I’m looking forward to continuing with the series.
December 1, 2020
4.5 ★s
A Few Right Thinking Men is the first book in the Rowland Sinclair series by award-winning Australian author, Sulari Gentill. The audio version is read by Rupert Degas. When gentleman artist Rowland Sinclair’s favourite uncle dies following a savage beating in his own home, the police seem fixated on his elderly housekeeper at the expense of doing any real investigating. Information volunteered by the victim of a similar attack leads Rowly to suspect that it’s the work of the New Guard, the face of an increasing fascist presence in the country, but his uncle wasn't a communist, Rowly was certain, so why was he targeted?
With his quirky artistic friends (Edna the sculptress, Milton the poet and Clyde the artist), he devises a clever, if perhaps dangerous, way to learn more about those he suspects. But then it comes to light that his old uncle had a certain asset indicating an unsavoury connection, which muddies the waters a bit.
Soon, he finds himself, much to his older brother’s disapproval, deeply involved in what looks like becoming a civil war. When ultimately, they do discover who was responsible for the attack, Rowly and co are a little slow to figure out the why of it, and then events overtake them before they have time to react.
Gentill gives the reader an excellent plot with an exciting climax and a believable ending. While none are perfect, most of Gentill’s characters are endearing, with a few despicable ones to even things out. And of course, there’s Rowland: an appealing, can-do sort of guy, intelligent, a bit unconventional but full of integrity, which is reflected by loyalty of the friends he attracts.
Quotes from press articles of the time that preface many of the chapters cleverly serve the dual purpose of providing some of the background political climate and giving the reader a clear timeline of events.
Gentill's extensive research is apparent on every page, but this is no dry history lesson: the facts drop into the story unobtrusively; there’s also plenty of humour, especially in the banter between the friends. And she bestows on the reader a front-row seat for an infamous event of 1932.
As always, Gentill captures the era perfectly. This is a superb dose of Australian historical fiction, and readers who enjoy it will be pleased to know they can look forward to a further eight (at least) instalments of this award-winning series, beginning with A Decline In Prophets.
A Few Right Thinking Men is the first book in the Rowland Sinclair series by award-winning Australian author, Sulari Gentill. The audio version is read by Rupert Degas. When gentleman artist Rowland Sinclair’s favourite uncle dies following a savage beating in his own home, the police seem fixated on his elderly housekeeper at the expense of doing any real investigating. Information volunteered by the victim of a similar attack leads Rowly to suspect that it’s the work of the New Guard, the face of an increasing fascist presence in the country, but his uncle wasn't a communist, Rowly was certain, so why was he targeted?
With his quirky artistic friends (Edna the sculptress, Milton the poet and Clyde the artist), he devises a clever, if perhaps dangerous, way to learn more about those he suspects. But then it comes to light that his old uncle had a certain asset indicating an unsavoury connection, which muddies the waters a bit.
Soon, he finds himself, much to his older brother’s disapproval, deeply involved in what looks like becoming a civil war. When ultimately, they do discover who was responsible for the attack, Rowly and co are a little slow to figure out the why of it, and then events overtake them before they have time to react.
Gentill gives the reader an excellent plot with an exciting climax and a believable ending. While none are perfect, most of Gentill’s characters are endearing, with a few despicable ones to even things out. And of course, there’s Rowland: an appealing, can-do sort of guy, intelligent, a bit unconventional but full of integrity, which is reflected by loyalty of the friends he attracts.
Quotes from press articles of the time that preface many of the chapters cleverly serve the dual purpose of providing some of the background political climate and giving the reader a clear timeline of events.
Gentill's extensive research is apparent on every page, but this is no dry history lesson: the facts drop into the story unobtrusively; there’s also plenty of humour, especially in the banter between the friends. And she bestows on the reader a front-row seat for an infamous event of 1932.
As always, Gentill captures the era perfectly. This is a superb dose of Australian historical fiction, and readers who enjoy it will be pleased to know they can look forward to a further eight (at least) instalments of this award-winning series, beginning with A Decline In Prophets.
July 28, 2011
I was given this book as a gift; I have no working knowledge of Australian history, so I felt a little intimidated, but that disappeared as soon as I read, "Rowland wiped his hands on his waistcoat. Not so many months ago, it had been a quality item of gentleman's attire. Now, it was stained with paint and smelled of turpentine. Rowland preferred it that way. He looked again at the painting with which he had battled all day and which, in the end, had defeated him."
This is Rowland Sinclair, a young, compelling man possessing eyes of intense blue, incredibly generous and friendly, open-minded, casual, a committed artist, who yearns for the love of the bohemian sculptress, Edna, but keeps his mouth shut about it. He's thrown open his house to Edna and other artists who have fallen on hard times during the 30s Depression, for his family comes from wealth and status. Rowland, the embarrassment of his right-thinking brother, lives life as he wants to live it, rather than obeying the rules attached to the higher classes. He doesn't realize until he's fallen deep into the pit how history will affect him personally, will drag him into the thick of things, although his only desire is to live life in peace and acceptance of others, whatever their beliefs.
It all begins when his friend, Milton, drags him to a Communist meeting. From there the reader is pulled into history with Rowland; we delve into the New Guard, a fascist group run by the historical figure, Eric Campbell, who, along with his compatriots, want to turn Australia into a fascist state. Then there's the Old Guard, the original group from which Campbell split, the group loyal to King and Country, Traditionalists all.
Against the backdrop of this history, (impeccably researched) we flow along with Rowland and his friends as they try to get to the bottom of a brutal murder, and end up discovering more than they ever dreamed of. Their very lives fall into jeopardy as the politics of the times overtakes and surrounds them.
One of the highlights for me was the wit, the humor, and the dialogue between these characters. This is all masterful, and I was guffawing even in the midst of a grim reality that could have ultimately changed Australia from the lovable place we know (albeit filled with the world's most poisonous snakes and spiders, not to mention crocs and jellyfish) to a place of dictatorship. Thank God that didn't happen!
Quotes: "You don't need to worry about my discretion, Wil," Rowland said angrily. "I'm not about to tell anyone that my brother is raising some clandestine, tweed-jacketed army because he thinks Stalin is heading south!"
"Ernest nodded solemnly. "Are you going to see the King?"
"Shall I give him your regards?"
"Don't be silly, Uncle Rowly, King George has his own guards...with big furry black hats."
"Civil war! Who would..." Milton clapped his hand on his forehead in realisation. "Bloody Catholics! I knew the Tykes were planning something...all that bloody Hail Marying!"
Clyde, who was a Catholic of sorts, clipped the side of Milton's head as he got up to refill his glass.
As far as the romance between Rowland and Edna...well, I'll let the reader discover that for him or herself. A Few Right Thinking Men could have been a dark account, almost a documentary, one event leading into the next. But the addition of Rowly, Wilfred, Ernest, Kate, Edna, Clyde and especially Milt (I love him) and their enduring friendship, the barely contained romance (which is masterfully done,) draws one in and makes this a story where the reader is completely invested in the lives, emotions, and outcomes of these people. From the first page to the last, everything flows, woven perfectly, so that we see the big picture of Australian politics in the 30s along with the microcosm of Rowland's life, friendships and family.
A Few Right Thinking Men merely introduces Rowland and his friends. Rowland's adventures, I'm happy to report, will continue on in future books.
This is Rowland Sinclair, a young, compelling man possessing eyes of intense blue, incredibly generous and friendly, open-minded, casual, a committed artist, who yearns for the love of the bohemian sculptress, Edna, but keeps his mouth shut about it. He's thrown open his house to Edna and other artists who have fallen on hard times during the 30s Depression, for his family comes from wealth and status. Rowland, the embarrassment of his right-thinking brother, lives life as he wants to live it, rather than obeying the rules attached to the higher classes. He doesn't realize until he's fallen deep into the pit how history will affect him personally, will drag him into the thick of things, although his only desire is to live life in peace and acceptance of others, whatever their beliefs.
It all begins when his friend, Milton, drags him to a Communist meeting. From there the reader is pulled into history with Rowland; we delve into the New Guard, a fascist group run by the historical figure, Eric Campbell, who, along with his compatriots, want to turn Australia into a fascist state. Then there's the Old Guard, the original group from which Campbell split, the group loyal to King and Country, Traditionalists all.
Against the backdrop of this history, (impeccably researched) we flow along with Rowland and his friends as they try to get to the bottom of a brutal murder, and end up discovering more than they ever dreamed of. Their very lives fall into jeopardy as the politics of the times overtakes and surrounds them.
One of the highlights for me was the wit, the humor, and the dialogue between these characters. This is all masterful, and I was guffawing even in the midst of a grim reality that could have ultimately changed Australia from the lovable place we know (albeit filled with the world's most poisonous snakes and spiders, not to mention crocs and jellyfish) to a place of dictatorship. Thank God that didn't happen!
Quotes: "You don't need to worry about my discretion, Wil," Rowland said angrily. "I'm not about to tell anyone that my brother is raising some clandestine, tweed-jacketed army because he thinks Stalin is heading south!"
"Ernest nodded solemnly. "Are you going to see the King?"
"Shall I give him your regards?"
"Don't be silly, Uncle Rowly, King George has his own guards...with big furry black hats."
"Civil war! Who would..." Milton clapped his hand on his forehead in realisation. "Bloody Catholics! I knew the Tykes were planning something...all that bloody Hail Marying!"
Clyde, who was a Catholic of sorts, clipped the side of Milton's head as he got up to refill his glass.
As far as the romance between Rowland and Edna...well, I'll let the reader discover that for him or herself. A Few Right Thinking Men could have been a dark account, almost a documentary, one event leading into the next. But the addition of Rowly, Wilfred, Ernest, Kate, Edna, Clyde and especially Milt (I love him) and their enduring friendship, the barely contained romance (which is masterfully done,) draws one in and makes this a story where the reader is completely invested in the lives, emotions, and outcomes of these people. From the first page to the last, everything flows, woven perfectly, so that we see the big picture of Australian politics in the 30s along with the microcosm of Rowland's life, friendships and family.
A Few Right Thinking Men merely introduces Rowland and his friends. Rowland's adventures, I'm happy to report, will continue on in future books.
July 31, 2024
Wow! Loved this first book in a fascinating historical mystery series set in early 1930's Australia. There is a murder to be solved but I was more intrigued with the historical and political events. This is during the Great Depression and New South Wales is governed by the leadership of Jack Lang (Liberal/Left). There are many who are terrified that their lives will be taken over by the Communist sympathizers (The Red Scare). At this time in history Fascisim was gaining a hold in many countries (Hitler in Germany, etc.) In Australia the Right/Conservatives were influenced by The Old Guard and the more extreme New Guard.
The main character, Rowland Sinclair, is a younger son of a very wealthy family who are weathering the Depression just fine. A talented artist he associates with other liberal artists which concerns his older, very conservative brother. The dialogue between all of the characters is realistic and witty although the author doesn't let the reader forget that there are very disturbing, extreme political and historical events transpiring.
Loved how Rowland related to his artistic friends; Milton, Clyde and Edna. There is definitely a romantic attraction between Rowland and Edna that I hope will play out in the next book.
This was published in 2010 and takes place in 1930's. I was amazed at how the events mirror our current political events. In this book the leader of The New Guard, Campbell (actual historical figure) is scarily like Trump of today.
Highly recommend if you like your mystery reads to also educate you on past historical events. Really looking forward to reading #2, "A Decline in Prophets".
The main character, Rowland Sinclair, is a younger son of a very wealthy family who are weathering the Depression just fine. A talented artist he associates with other liberal artists which concerns his older, very conservative brother. The dialogue between all of the characters is realistic and witty although the author doesn't let the reader forget that there are very disturbing, extreme political and historical events transpiring.
Loved how Rowland related to his artistic friends; Milton, Clyde and Edna. There is definitely a romantic attraction between Rowland and Edna that I hope will play out in the next book.
This was published in 2010 and takes place in 1930's. I was amazed at how the events mirror our current political events. In this book the leader of The New Guard, Campbell (actual historical figure) is scarily like Trump of today.
Highly recommend if you like your mystery reads to also educate you on past historical events. Really looking forward to reading #2, "A Decline in Prophets".
October 23, 2017
The author has cleverly picked an interesting period of Australian history. The 1930s. The country is still recovering from WWI, is experiencing the great depression and there are patriots forming para-militias to fight the scourge of Communism. Amongst this setting Rowland Sinclair a man from a wealthy family and who lives well, but is also an artist and lives a life of Bohemian rhapsody. He has "adopted" three Communist aligned close friends, a sculptress, a painter and a poet. These three characters make the book; they have energy, loyalty and light heartedness.
There is a murder which Sinclair tries to solve. It's a rare ending where the bad guys seem to get way with things. It's also a very Australian story.
It's a book that was okay enough for me to try the next one in this series.
There is a murder which Sinclair tries to solve. It's a rare ending where the bad guys seem to get way with things. It's also a very Australian story.
It's a book that was okay enough for me to try the next one in this series.
June 17, 2021
In spite of the period correct historical references, the setting never came alive for me. Rowland Sinclair seems more like a precocious teen rather than an adult in his late twenties. His three hangers-on come across as more perceptive, which is okay given the difference in background. The novel plods along with the murder of Rowland's uncle barely a blip until half-way through when Rowland suddenly decides to look into it himself. The broad scope involving gangsters and prostitutes, communist sympathizers and agitators, home-grown fascists in two varieties, economic shenanigans, family squabbles, and the opening of the Sydney Harbor Bridge works against a story lacking in pace which begins to race only near the end, then resumes its former sedate nature as does the hero who leaves the scene on crutches.
March 18, 2024
I haven't had the opportunity to read much fiction featuring Australia and have to say I did not care for this book. I would pick it up and read as long as I could tolerate it and then kept putting it down, etc. Fascism is featured theme.
Library Loan
Library Loan
April 2, 2018
I enjoyed this book very much! Especially I liked the atmosphere of the New South Wales in the early 30s and the extremely likable bunch of characters. Rowley, Ed, Milt and Clyde are lovely misfits and I can't wait to read more about them.
What I loved most about this book were the characters and the dialogues. The main character is a wealthy artist Rowland Sinclair, known as Rowley to his friends. His friends are also artists, they are funny and charming. For the most of time they are just drifting through life, having fun, with no idea where they are heading. Edna is a sculptress and also a model, who doesn’t shy away from posing nude. Milton is a poet and Clyde is a painter, often forced to paint portraits of hideous clients for remuneration.
When I started reading this book I didn't know much about the political scene in New South Wales before the Second World War. Now, I know much more about the political fractions, the Great Depression in Australia and who Jack Lang was. What's more the information was given in such a way that it was easy to comprehend and it never got boring. The novel was lovingly crafted and rich with historically accurate details about the life in Australia in the early 30s. It was time full of political tensions and social unrest. The Great Depression bought unemployment and poverty to many families. It also caused rise of extremism on the right and the left side of the political scene. The Communists and the Fascist were preparing for revolution and coup d'état. Premier Jack Lang and his actions were very unpopular. The enemies of state were lurking on every corner.
photo of the opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge
photo of Premier Jack Lang in his office
As you can see from my comments this novel is so much more than a murder mystery! There is an ongoing murder investigation and it motivates many of the characters’ actions, but there is much more going on than simply solving the crime. I am curious how the characters are going to evolve in the next book in the series and what other adventures they are going to face.
I received "A Few Right Thinking Men" from the publisher via NetGalley. I would like to thank the author and the publisher for providing me with the advance reader copy of the book.
What I loved most about this book were the characters and the dialogues. The main character is a wealthy artist Rowland Sinclair, known as Rowley to his friends. His friends are also artists, they are funny and charming. For the most of time they are just drifting through life, having fun, with no idea where they are heading. Edna is a sculptress and also a model, who doesn’t shy away from posing nude. Milton is a poet and Clyde is a painter, often forced to paint portraits of hideous clients for remuneration.
When I started reading this book I didn't know much about the political scene in New South Wales before the Second World War. Now, I know much more about the political fractions, the Great Depression in Australia and who Jack Lang was. What's more the information was given in such a way that it was easy to comprehend and it never got boring. The novel was lovingly crafted and rich with historically accurate details about the life in Australia in the early 30s. It was time full of political tensions and social unrest. The Great Depression bought unemployment and poverty to many families. It also caused rise of extremism on the right and the left side of the political scene. The Communists and the Fascist were preparing for revolution and coup d'état. Premier Jack Lang and his actions were very unpopular. The enemies of state were lurking on every corner.
photo of the opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge
photo of Premier Jack Lang in his office
As you can see from my comments this novel is so much more than a murder mystery! There is an ongoing murder investigation and it motivates many of the characters’ actions, but there is much more going on than simply solving the crime. I am curious how the characters are going to evolve in the next book in the series and what other adventures they are going to face.
I received "A Few Right Thinking Men" from the publisher via NetGalley. I would like to thank the author and the publisher for providing me with the advance reader copy of the book.
October 27, 2015
As some of my review followers may be aware, I have begun to read more crime fiction over the last year or two. Generally it is crime fiction written in the forties and fifties and occasionally the odd Agatha Christie - more for setting than anything else and a break from the literary fiction I generally read.
When I came across a review for a Sulari Gentill (it wasn’t for the first in the series) I immediately took note. Here was an Australian woman writer, (I belong to the Australian Women Writers Challenge) the author of a crime fiction series set in Sydney in the 1930s! Perfect.
From the opening paragraph it was obvious that Gentill is an intelligent writer. Immediately I was drawn to Rowland Sinclair and his friends and the beautiful Woodlands House. I particularly enjoyed reading about Edna and would have liked more of her and their tricky relationship.
It’s obvious, too, that Gentill is amazing at combining characterisation and historical fact in one paragraph. I don’t know how she does it, but it is no mean feat. The only other writer who I have come across who does it so well is Sadie Jone.. See my review of Small Wars. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Here’s an example smoothly covering Rowly’s car, his social standing in England, the British attitude to Australians and Rowley’s mood:
“He climbed into his yellow Mercedes Benz, patting the bonnet affectionately as he did so. He had brought the supercharged tourer back with him from England. The car had once belonged to a Lord Lesley, with whom Rowland had played cards at Oxford. The Sinclairs meant very little to English society. There, they were looked down on as colonial upstarts of dubious breeding. Lord Lesley had been no exception, and made no secret that playing poker with an Australian was akin to dining with savages. The evenings were regularly peppered with barbed witticisms about convicts and bushrangers. Rowland had found it grating but he was playing poker. He kept his face closed.” Marvellous!
My only complaint (probably more an observation) that at 350 pages it does take a while for the mystery of Rowland’s uncle’s death to be solved. On the way though we are spending time with some wonderful characters who I’m sure I will be catching up with on a regular basis from now on.
When I came across a review for a Sulari Gentill (it wasn’t for the first in the series) I immediately took note. Here was an Australian woman writer, (I belong to the Australian Women Writers Challenge) the author of a crime fiction series set in Sydney in the 1930s! Perfect.
From the opening paragraph it was obvious that Gentill is an intelligent writer. Immediately I was drawn to Rowland Sinclair and his friends and the beautiful Woodlands House. I particularly enjoyed reading about Edna and would have liked more of her and their tricky relationship.
It’s obvious, too, that Gentill is amazing at combining characterisation and historical fact in one paragraph. I don’t know how she does it, but it is no mean feat. The only other writer who I have come across who does it so well is Sadie Jone.. See my review of Small Wars. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Here’s an example smoothly covering Rowly’s car, his social standing in England, the British attitude to Australians and Rowley’s mood:
“He climbed into his yellow Mercedes Benz, patting the bonnet affectionately as he did so. He had brought the supercharged tourer back with him from England. The car had once belonged to a Lord Lesley, with whom Rowland had played cards at Oxford. The Sinclairs meant very little to English society. There, they were looked down on as colonial upstarts of dubious breeding. Lord Lesley had been no exception, and made no secret that playing poker with an Australian was akin to dining with savages. The evenings were regularly peppered with barbed witticisms about convicts and bushrangers. Rowland had found it grating but he was playing poker. He kept his face closed.” Marvellous!
My only complaint (probably more an observation) that at 350 pages it does take a while for the mystery of Rowland’s uncle’s death to be solved. On the way though we are spending time with some wonderful characters who I’m sure I will be catching up with on a regular basis from now on.
December 11, 2018
3.5 stars. This is a really fun first installment to an Australian crime fiction series roughly contemporary to the wonderful Phryne Fisher series by Kerry Greenwood. Like Phryne, Rowland Sinclair is from a posh conservative background but has, let’s say, more colourful friends.
Rowland is an artist, a serious one, not just a dilettante, and his closest friends in Sydney are from the artistic community. (In typical Aussie fashion, he is usually called Rowly.) These friends include Edna, a sculptor for whom he holds an unrequited love; Clyde, a fellow artist; and Milton, a poet (although he apparently has never published any original works) and avid Communist. All of them live at Woodlands House, a Sinclair family estate located in Woolahra, Sydney.
The story opens with the murder of Rowland’s uncle, also named Rowland Sinclair. He is the only other Sinclair who led a more Bohemian lifestyle and Rowland wonders if that was a factor in his death. The police are stuck on the idea that his housekeeper masterminded his murder to obtain valuable objets d’art, which Rowland finds ridiculous. He decides to look into the murder himself.
This takes him into the tumultuous political world of the early 1930s, which, due in large part to the worldwide Great Depression, ranged from Communists to Fascists to every stripe in between. We also meet Rowland’s remaining family: his mother, his brother, Wilfred, along with his wife and young son, Earnest, who was quite an appealing character.
Ms. Gentill weaves historical facts and characters into her story in a way that I found fascinating and far from boring. I look forward to reading more in the series.
Rowland is an artist, a serious one, not just a dilettante, and his closest friends in Sydney are from the artistic community. (In typical Aussie fashion, he is usually called Rowly.) These friends include Edna, a sculptor for whom he holds an unrequited love; Clyde, a fellow artist; and Milton, a poet (although he apparently has never published any original works) and avid Communist. All of them live at Woodlands House, a Sinclair family estate located in Woolahra, Sydney.
The story opens with the murder of Rowland’s uncle, also named Rowland Sinclair. He is the only other Sinclair who led a more Bohemian lifestyle and Rowland wonders if that was a factor in his death. The police are stuck on the idea that his housekeeper masterminded his murder to obtain valuable objets d’art, which Rowland finds ridiculous. He decides to look into the murder himself.
This takes him into the tumultuous political world of the early 1930s, which, due in large part to the worldwide Great Depression, ranged from Communists to Fascists to every stripe in between. We also meet Rowland’s remaining family: his mother, his brother, Wilfred, along with his wife and young son, Earnest, who was quite an appealing character.
Ms. Gentill weaves historical facts and characters into her story in a way that I found fascinating and far from boring. I look forward to reading more in the series.
May 31, 2015
There’s nothing quite like the bohemian life in 1930s Australia. Throw in a wealthy gentleman artist, Rowland Sinclair, a mix-match of creative types living in his palatial home, and the murder of a much-loved uncle and you have the setting for Sulari Gentell’s historical crime novel. While A Few Right Thinking Men starts out with a murder, it soon devolves into an examination of the politics of the time. Fascism, communism, The New Guard, the Old Guard, the landed gentry …. Yes, there’s a lot in this work, from the nasty political murderer, to soap boxes, class distinction and De Groot’s famous charge to cut the ribbon at the opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. However I must admit that at times I was looking for a bit more invention and a little less sticking to historical fact. Don’t get me wrong this book certainly entertains and like all good works of historical fiction I learnt things about the era as well. But I couldn’t help but think that a bit less historical meat and more invention may have helped Gentill win the Commonwealth Writer’s Prize that she was short-listed for.
January 11, 2018
3.5 stars.
Interesting and entertaining start to a series set in 1930s Sydney, Australia. The main characters are engaging young members of the bohemian art set. Rowland Sinclair is the one with money and a posh background--he's also a rather good painter. He shares the Sinclair family house with Edna, who works in sculpture, Milton, a poet and Clyde, who also paints. Milton is also a fervent Communist. Rowland's older brother Wilfred does not approve, at all, of the house guests.
While the murder of Rowland's elderly uncle is the mystery to be solved, it is the local politics that keeps the plot moving. The roiling conflict between the Left (the Communists) and the Right (the Fascist leaning New Guard) is well presented, helped along by the newspaper-clippings of the day that start each chapter.
I am so glad Poison Pen Press has decided to bring this series to an American audience. (Lucky Australian readers have had several years to enjoy these books.). I am eagerly awaiting the next entry.
Interesting and entertaining start to a series set in 1930s Sydney, Australia. The main characters are engaging young members of the bohemian art set. Rowland Sinclair is the one with money and a posh background--he's also a rather good painter. He shares the Sinclair family house with Edna, who works in sculpture, Milton, a poet and Clyde, who also paints. Milton is also a fervent Communist. Rowland's older brother Wilfred does not approve, at all, of the house guests.
While the murder of Rowland's elderly uncle is the mystery to be solved, it is the local politics that keeps the plot moving. The roiling conflict between the Left (the Communists) and the Right (the Fascist leaning New Guard) is well presented, helped along by the newspaper-clippings of the day that start each chapter.
I am so glad Poison Pen Press has decided to bring this series to an American audience. (Lucky Australian readers have had several years to enjoy these books.). I am eagerly awaiting the next entry.
Read
August 17, 2024This book started slow, in my opinion, so it took longer to read, but as it progressed, it got better. I was not too fond of the newspaper clippings at the beginning of the chapters, however, it was an interesting read. It was a battle between the Old Guard and New Guard, with the Old Guard being "A Few Right-Thinking Men. I don't understand politics, but I gathered that the jist of the story is that the New Guard was embracing Communism. Set in 1931-1932, in Australia, some of the men had come back from the war—the Great War as they called it.
Rowland(Rowly) Sinclair's uncle had been beaten and the next morning his housekeeper found him dead, but the beating did not kill him, it gave him a heart attack, which did. Rowland was an artist and he had other artsy people living with him. A sculptress named Edna (Ed), Clyde and Milton, another painter and a poet. Rowly's brother Wilfred was a veteran, and he was constantly trying to control him about his political views and their station in life. Don't sully the Sinclair name. Seriously, people of class worry about their reputation, although Rowly didn't seem to be as much of a snob about money as his older brother. He let the others live in his house rent-free.
Even though the book starts with Rowland Sinclair's murder (yes the uncle had the same name as the M/C, most of the book is about politics, and at the end, we find it is a case of mistaken identity, that they were supposed to beat up the younger Rowland Sinclair.
One of the MPGs of this book is Historical Fiction, and I don't know enough about Australian history to know how much of it is history, I have taken notes to do some further research once I catch up on my reading. I have the next book in the series "A Decline in Prophets on hold at the library, ready to be picked up, so hopefully I have found a new (to me) series to enjoy.
Rowland(Rowly) Sinclair's uncle had been beaten and the next morning his housekeeper found him dead, but the beating did not kill him, it gave him a heart attack, which did. Rowland was an artist and he had other artsy people living with him. A sculptress named Edna (Ed), Clyde and Milton, another painter and a poet. Rowly's brother Wilfred was a veteran, and he was constantly trying to control him about his political views and their station in life. Don't sully the Sinclair name. Seriously, people of class worry about their reputation, although Rowly didn't seem to be as much of a snob about money as his older brother. He let the others live in his house rent-free.
Even though the book starts with Rowland Sinclair's murder (yes the uncle had the same name as the M/C, most of the book is about politics, and at the end, we find it is a case of mistaken identity, that they were supposed to beat up the younger Rowland Sinclair.
One of the MPGs of this book is Historical Fiction, and I don't know enough about Australian history to know how much of it is history, I have taken notes to do some further research once I catch up on my reading. I have the next book in the series "A Decline in Prophets on hold at the library, ready to be picked up, so hopefully I have found a new (to me) series to enjoy.
March 26, 2020
In some ways this is the Australian version of Dorothy Sawyer's Lord Peter Whimsey detective series, although less renaissance in its literary references and more for the everyman in its setting and prose.
Each chapter begins with an epigraph, not a reference of excerpt from a Renaissance author but a relevant newspaper clipping which gives a bit of context to the narrative. The main character is from an aristocratic family, but is somewhat of a black sheep, spending more of his time with arty types and communists, painting rather than embracing his inherited role of gentleman farmer/politician. He gets involved in order to solve a crime that is personal to him, and his high position in society enables him to skirt the natural order of things, and gets him into places that he otherwise could not go. He has an unrequited love for a female character in his story, who does not come close to Harriet Vane in my opinion, but then there has not been much time to flesh her out. What we have seen so far of Edna does suggest that she is intelligent, loyal, brave, and able to show discretion in a variety of situations. Also she is an artist, in a mainly male world, making her way with great success. Maybe I have underestimated her, she could be a modern Australian Harriet Vane in the making.
I look forward to reading more in this series, highly recommended also for context in an era of Australian history about which I know virtually nothing!
Each chapter begins with an epigraph, not a reference of excerpt from a Renaissance author but a relevant newspaper clipping which gives a bit of context to the narrative. The main character is from an aristocratic family, but is somewhat of a black sheep, spending more of his time with arty types and communists, painting rather than embracing his inherited role of gentleman farmer/politician. He gets involved in order to solve a crime that is personal to him, and his high position in society enables him to skirt the natural order of things, and gets him into places that he otherwise could not go. He has an unrequited love for a female character in his story, who does not come close to Harriet Vane in my opinion, but then there has not been much time to flesh her out. What we have seen so far of Edna does suggest that she is intelligent, loyal, brave, and able to show discretion in a variety of situations. Also she is an artist, in a mainly male world, making her way with great success. Maybe I have underestimated her, she could be a modern Australian Harriet Vane in the making.
I look forward to reading more in this series, highly recommended also for context in an era of Australian history about which I know virtually nothing!
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