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enswbl's review against another edition
4.0
a bit on the slow side for me but very enjoyable, love the characters and the detail of the surrounding story.
thereadingritual's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
annarella's review against another edition
5.0
What an interesting book! More historical fiction than mystery, it's well written retelling of some historical facts of Australian history.
The cast of characters is really interesting and lively, the plot is entertaining and informative at the same time.
It starts a bit slow but once hooked you cannot put the book down.
Strongly recommended, especially if you love history.
Many thanks to publisher and Netgalley
The cast of characters is really interesting and lively, the plot is entertaining and informative at the same time.
It starts a bit slow but once hooked you cannot put the book down.
Strongly recommended, especially if you love history.
Many thanks to publisher and Netgalley
abbyp96's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
jessmanners's review against another edition
3.0
Maybe 3.5? This ended up leaning more towards historical fiction than mystery--the actual investigation all feels pretty MacGuffin-y--but that's not necessarily a bad thing.
I don't know if I prefer historical fiction about topics I'm really familiar with (then I get annoyed when it feels like the author is overstating the obvious, or, even worse, when they get things wrong), or about topics I know literally nothing about (the problem then is that I can't tell what's supposed to be significant ("ho ho! that historical figure has just appeared! I know what THAT means!") or what's, well, what's fiction and what's historical.
This was firmly in the second camp. I know nothing about Australia or its history, and was only able to hold on because of my loose knowledge of the 1930s and fascism in very general terms.
So, I may very well have missed lots of nuances or telling references, but this was a pleasant enough thing to listen to. I liked the central characters, and could keep them distinct in my mind, which is more than I can say for...well, basically any other character.
This is a series, I guess? I might go back to it. She seems to have exhausted this particular historical train of thought, so maybe the next one will be more mystery-heavy?
I don't know if I prefer historical fiction about topics I'm really familiar with (then I get annoyed when it feels like the author is overstating the obvious, or, even worse, when they get things wrong), or about topics I know literally nothing about (the problem then is that I can't tell what's supposed to be significant ("ho ho! that historical figure has just appeared! I know what THAT means!") or what's, well, what's fiction and what's historical.
This was firmly in the second camp. I know nothing about Australia or its history, and was only able to hold on because of my loose knowledge of the 1930s and fascism in very general terms.
So, I may very well have missed lots of nuances or telling references, but this was a pleasant enough thing to listen to. I liked the central characters, and could keep them distinct in my mind, which is more than I can say for...well, basically any other character.
This is a series, I guess? I might go back to it. She seems to have exhausted this particular historical train of thought, so maybe the next one will be more mystery-heavy?
novel_nomad's review against another edition
4.0
I throughly enjoyed this mystery novel that delved into the political struggles in 1930s Sydney in the midst of the depression. It was a brilliant read and I was fascinated by Rowland Sinclair’s pursuit and expertise in painting - such a different occupation compared to other amateur detectives.
mamaorgana80's review against another edition
4.0
This read more like historical fiction than mystery, and I learned so much.
barmyjen's review
adventurous
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
appalonia's review against another edition
4.0
This is more a historical novel than mystery, delving into Australia's political organizations in the 1930's: Old Guard, New Guard, Communism. A little less description of politics and a little more story would have benefited the book. Still the characters were engaging enough that I plan to pick up the second book at some point. I would give this 3.5 stars.
polyhy_14's review against another edition
3.0
This is one of the many occasions where I wished GR provided the option of 1/2 stars. I didn't feel this book rated 4, but it's certainly better than 3. It took me a while to get into it, but the characters are engaging and the historical and political background of the Sydney in which my parents grew up was fascinating. Well researched too. I look forward to reading the remaining 4 books in the series.