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A Decline in Prophets (Rowland Sinclair #2)

Sulari Gentill

Why we're reading this: The second book in a historical crime series set in 1930's Australia…more
[close] The second book in a historical crime series set in 1930's Australia

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Jul 05, 2019 PattyMacDotComma rated it really liked it

Shelves: chcc-library, australian-author, mystery-crime-thriller, politics-culture-social-war, historical-fiction

4.5★
“‘Well’, Rowland shook his head, ‘we’ve managed to narrow it down to anybody on board the ‘Aquitania.’
Madding’s lips pursed. ‘Yes, a sterling piece of deduction.’”

Rowland Sinclair and his pals are aboard the ‘Aquitania’ on a pretty grand tour of the world. There has been a murder on board, so of course Captain Madding is a little less than impressed with Rowland’s observation. But it’s the following conversation that intrigues me.

“‘Both Scotland Yard and the New York Police Department are a ...more

40 likes · Like · see review

Jan 17, 2019 Brenda rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-mystery, 2017-release, aussie-authors, borrowed-from-library, mystery

Well that was fun! A rollicking tale set on an elegant cruise liner, plus in New York and Australia, with trouble finding Rowly wherever he went!

1932 and Rowland Sinclair and his friends, Clyde, Milton and Edna were finally heading home after spending some months in Europe. They were aboard the RMS Aquitania headed for New York, where they would stay a few days, catching up with a good but eccentric friend before reboarding and continuing on to Sydney.

After a journey marred by tragedy, the frie ...more

31 likes · Like · see review

Jan 13, 2024 Catsalive rated it it was amazing

Shelves: aww, 2024

This is a cracking good yarn. I enjoyed the first book, A Few Right Thinking Men, but this one was much more entertaining. The writing & the pacing is excellent, the humour dry (mostly) & well-placed, & often at Rowly's expense. I love the little snippets of news at the beginning of each chapter that give us insight into the period & locale, & a hint about the content to come.

Rowland Sinclair, comes from a wealthy, land-owning family, is an artist, and a generous, amiable, thoroughly likable cha ...more

20 likes · Like · see review

Feb 03, 2016 Tien rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: australian-author, own, historical-fiction, mystery, signed-by-author, australia, giveaway

I seem to be entrenched in 1930s Australia! It began, of course, with the first book of the Rowland Sinclair series, A Few Right Thinking Men, For Love of Country, The Big Smoke, then Razor: Tilly Devine, Kate Leigh and the Razor Gangs and now, this book! I was excited though to see a couple of the Razor gangs crims showing up in A Decline in Prophets -it was within the right setting, of course, time and location wise. I guess I was a lot more excited because I’ve just finished the book, Razor, I seem to be entrenched in 1930s Australia! It began, of course, with the first book of the Rowland Sinclair series, A Few Right Thinking Men, For Love of Country, The Big Smoke, then Razor: Tilly Devine, Kate Leigh and the Razor Gangs and now, this book! I was excited though to see a couple of the Razor gangs crims showing up in A Decline in Prophets -it was within the right setting, of course, time and location wise. I guess I was a lot more excited because I’ve just finished the book, Razor, so they are very familiar historical personages.

This review is in relation of the second book in the Rowland Sinclair series but there won’t be any spoilers from book 1

This novel opens with the return journey of Rowland Sinclair and his friends from abroad. They have been away for 8 months and are keen to return home to Sydney. This journey over the seas, though filled with interesting characters, was fraught with danger especially to Rowland. He found himself, yet again & again, implicated in matters that blacken his family name; to the displeasure of his older brother.

My first impression of this series was that it could’ve been a mix between Lord Peter Wimsey and Phryne Fisher. This series is set roughly around the same era (1930s) though in Sydney and there are familiar traits in characters etc however whilst Miss Fisher styled herself as an investigator, Rowland Sinclair just happened to have the knack of being at the wrong place at the wrong time at a criminal rate. He is rather an amateur sleuth which, at times, rather frustrated me as a reader. And being rather conservative myself, I’m leaning towards his brother and at times, just do not understand their chosen lifestyles which made it harder to sympathise with these characters. I am not judging anybody their chosen lifestyles as I’m sure you’ll wonder at my chosen lifestyle. However, I just want to be clear that this is the reason I like rather than love this novel, in that I found it hard to put myself in their perspectives.

A most pleasant surprise, however, is the humour. I actually chuckled out loud a couple of times and this rarely ever happens with my reading. I don’t recall the first book being this humorous. I think there were probably real historical personages in book 1 too except that I wasn’t that familiar with political characters... but these 2 factors are what I enjoyed most so far in the series, the historical personages popping in and the humorous interaction between Rowland and his friends. ...more

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Jun 24, 2017 Cathleen Ross rated it it was amazing

I've enjoyed this book and its quirky characters. I enjoy the politics and history as it allows me to think back what was current in Australia in the 1930s. The addition of the theosophists was interesting but I have a hard time imagining Charles Leadbeater dancing around with bells on his toes. I'd have liked to see more of his perspective based on reality rather than simply painting him as mad. It did make for a funny read though. ...more

1 like · Like · see review