An entertaining and evocative historical murder mystery
A Testament of Character(also published as Where There's a Will) is an engrossing historical mystery, the tenth instalment in Sulari Gentill's popular Rowland Sinclair series. It's a new series to me, and I'm hooked! The book opens in late 1935, with Australian artist-amateur detective Rowland and his coterie - beautiful sculptress Edna Higgins, poet Milton Isaacs and fellow artist Clyde Watson Jones - in Singapore, on their way back to Australia after the events of the previous book, All the Tears in China. Rowland receives a telegram bearing the devastating news of the death of his Oxford friend Danny Cartwright, in Boston. To add to Rowland's shocked disbelief, Danny has unexpectedly appointed him as executor of his substantial estate. Upon arrival in the United States, Rowland faces another shocking situation - not only has Danny been murdered, but he's left the bulk of his wealth to a shadowy figure by the name of Otis Norcross, a man whose identity and whereabouts are an apparent mystery to all who knew Danny. Having been ruined by the 1929 financial crash, Danny's surviving siblings relied upon him for their financial security, and are none too pleased to discover he's effectively disinherited them. Poor Rowly is trapped between his grief for his friend, his desire to carry out Danny's last wishes to the best of his abilities and the substantial pressure being applied by the surviving Cartwrights to resolve the estate in their favour. As our antipodean quartet track down leads, both to find Otis Norcross and to solve Danny's murder, they face increasingly brazen interference and physical attacks from those who want them to fail. They're tailed by thugs, kidnapped by gangsters and face a couple of shootouts in their quest for the truth. Along the way, they hobnob with members of Boston's social and showbiz set, including Marion Davies, William Randolph Hurst, Orson Welles, Errol Flynn, Joseph Kennedy and a teenaged John F. Kennedy. They attend a Lindy Hop competition at the famed Savoy Ballroom in Harlem, witnessing a performance by Ella Fitzgerald. During a trip south to North Carolina, they make the acquaintance of a declining F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda Fitzgerald. These vignettes of well-known historical figures add verisimilitude to the 1930s setting. The story comes to a dramatic finale as a ruthless villain with a complex motive is unmasked, and Rowland weighs up his duties as Danny's executor. The tying up of loose ends intriguingly sets the scene for future adventures awaiting the courageous foursome, as they're finally able to head home to Australia. I found Sulari Gentill's writing energetic and evocative of her inter-war setting. She cleverly weaves contemporary international issues, such as the rise of facism in Europe, into the narrative, whilst also encouraging the reader to reflect on the impact of social attitudes of the time on several of the protagonists. I particularly appreciated the character of Edna Higgins, who steadfastly strives not to be defined or restricted by her relationship to any man, defying the social norms of the time. While foreshadowing the rise of feminism, this character device also enables Gentill to maintain a sizzling sexual tension between Edna and our hero, Rowland. A Testament of Character was my entrée to the Rowland Sinclair series, so I'm late to the party, but will be endeavouring to catch up on earlier instalments in the near future. I can assure any reader who, like me, hasn't yet encountered the series that A Testament of Character reads well as a standalone, although I imagine having read the earlier books would give a broader understanding of the relationships of the central recurring characters. I'd highly recommend A Testament of Character to any reader who seeks high quality reads within the historical mystery genre.
Sarah, 27/01/2022
