Scan barcode
kcfromaustcrime's review against another edition
5.0
Sulari Gentill’s award-winning historical crime series is written with verve and spirit, the fiction woven seamlessly into actual events of the time.
Review of Give the Devil His Due, and the entire Rowland Sinclair series at Newtown Review of Books
reneesmith's review against another edition
5.0
Another stellar entry in this series! (I know, I'm writing the same things again & again
annarella's review against another edition
5.0
I'm huge fan of this series and I love the well balanced mix of fiction and historical facts.
This instalment was excellent and it kept me hooked till the last page.
It was great to meet again Rowland and his friends and read about the development in their life, it's like to meet a group of old friends. The cast of characters is as likeable and well thought as usual.
The well crafted plot and the solid mystery that kept me guessing were gripping and entertaining.
It was an excellent read, strongly recommended.
Many thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
This instalment was excellent and it kept me hooked till the last page.
It was great to meet again Rowland and his friends and read about the development in their life, it's like to meet a group of old friends. The cast of characters is as likeable and well thought as usual.
The well crafted plot and the solid mystery that kept me guessing were gripping and entertaining.
It was an excellent read, strongly recommended.
Many thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
polyhy_14's review against another edition
4.0
I love the historical research in these books, the way in which interesting clips from old newspapers are woven into the narrative and the blending of historical and fictional characters. The author makes the Sydney of the 1930s come alive with her descriptions and strong characters and this book is equally as good as the previous ones in the series.
wendycherie's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
tasmanian_bibliophile's review against another edition
4.0
‘Rowland Sinclair’s dealings with the press were rarely so civil.’
This is the seventh novel in Ms Gentill’s historical crime series which features Rowland Sinclair and is set during the 1930s. Rowland Sinclair is a wealthy gentleman artist who lives in a Woollahra mansion with his greyhound Lenin and an assortment of bohemian friends including Edna Higgins, a sculptor for whom he has feelings, and Clyde Watson Jones, a landscape painter, who can also be handy with his fists.
In this novel, Rowland Sinclair is planning to race his yellow 1927 Mercedes S-Class at the Maroubra speedway for a charity race in aid of the Red Cross. When a journalist who interviews him is killed, Rowland Sinclair is caught up in the mystery surrounding his murder. Sinclair was one of the last people to see the journalist alive. Who killed the journalist, and why?
The story, which incorporates some real characters such as the young Rosaleen Norton (known in later years as the ‘Witch of King’s Cross’), the poet Kenneth Slessor, the actor Errol Flynn, the painter Norman Lindsay and Arthur Stace ( Sydney’s ‘Eternity’ man), moves at a rapid pace. The journalist’s murder is only the first, and it seems that someone is after Rowland Sinclair as well.
I really enjoyed this novel. There are plenty of twists and turns as Sinclair and his friends try to find out who killed the journalist. Ms Gentill has a great mix of characters, and the use of actual newspaper articles from the period as chapter openings serves to reinforce the setting. I loved the depiction of Errol Flynn (he fits right in, naturally) and wanted to know more about Arthur Stace. While some aspects of the story clearly draw on facts established in earlier novels, it is possible to read (and enjoy) this novel on a standalone basis. Across this series, Ms Gentill has drawn on the political unrest that followed the Great Depression. Her exploration of the tensions between the communist and fascist sympathisers, her blending of history and fiction provide an intriguing setting.
But back to the mystery: it’s a great read, and I’m looking to read the rest of the series.
Note: My thanks to Pantera Press for providing me with a copy of the novel for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
This is the seventh novel in Ms Gentill’s historical crime series which features Rowland Sinclair and is set during the 1930s. Rowland Sinclair is a wealthy gentleman artist who lives in a Woollahra mansion with his greyhound Lenin and an assortment of bohemian friends including Edna Higgins, a sculptor for whom he has feelings, and Clyde Watson Jones, a landscape painter, who can also be handy with his fists.
In this novel, Rowland Sinclair is planning to race his yellow 1927 Mercedes S-Class at the Maroubra speedway for a charity race in aid of the Red Cross. When a journalist who interviews him is killed, Rowland Sinclair is caught up in the mystery surrounding his murder. Sinclair was one of the last people to see the journalist alive. Who killed the journalist, and why?
The story, which incorporates some real characters such as the young Rosaleen Norton (known in later years as the ‘Witch of King’s Cross’), the poet Kenneth Slessor, the actor Errol Flynn, the painter Norman Lindsay and Arthur Stace ( Sydney’s ‘Eternity’ man), moves at a rapid pace. The journalist’s murder is only the first, and it seems that someone is after Rowland Sinclair as well.
I really enjoyed this novel. There are plenty of twists and turns as Sinclair and his friends try to find out who killed the journalist. Ms Gentill has a great mix of characters, and the use of actual newspaper articles from the period as chapter openings serves to reinforce the setting. I loved the depiction of Errol Flynn (he fits right in, naturally) and wanted to know more about Arthur Stace. While some aspects of the story clearly draw on facts established in earlier novels, it is possible to read (and enjoy) this novel on a standalone basis. Across this series, Ms Gentill has drawn on the political unrest that followed the Great Depression. Her exploration of the tensions between the communist and fascist sympathisers, her blending of history and fiction provide an intriguing setting.
But back to the mystery: it’s a great read, and I’m looking to read the rest of the series.
Note: My thanks to Pantera Press for providing me with a copy of the novel for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
gawronma's review
4.0
I truly enjoy this series. It is thought provoking while still being read. Sinclair and friends are a joy to visit. The mystery was interesting and there was some nice humorous moments.
vesper1931's review
4.0
1934, Sydney. Artist and wealthy gentleman, Rowland Sinclair has agreed to enter a motor car race. A race on a track, the Maroubra Speedway, whch is famous for the number of people killed while racing.
Soon the bodies appear, meanwhile Rowland wants to expose to the country the evils of the Hitler movement. Trouble also comes the way of Rowland and his friends from other sources.
An enjoyable slow-paced mystery, a well-written story with its cast of well-drawn characters.
A NetGalley Book
Soon the bodies appear, meanwhile Rowland wants to expose to the country the evils of the Hitler movement. Trouble also comes the way of Rowland and his friends from other sources.
An enjoyable slow-paced mystery, a well-written story with its cast of well-drawn characters.
A NetGalley Book