Review ~ A Testament of Character by Sulari Gentill

 

Crime and Mystery Club
29 October 2020

My thanks to Oldcastle books for my copy of this book

In fear for his life, American millionaire Daniel Cartwright changes his will, appointing his old friend Rowland Sinclair as his executor. Soon murder proves that fear well founded. When Rowland receives word of Cartwright’s death, he sets out immediately for Boston, Massachusetts, to bury his friend and honour his last wishes. He is met with the outrage and anguish of Cartwright’s family, who have been spurned in favour of a man they claim does not exist. 

Artists and gangsters, movie stars and tycoons all gather to the fray as elite society closes in to protect its own, and family secrets haunt the living. Rowland Sinclair must confront a world in which insanity is relative, greed is understood, and love is dictated; where the only people he can truly trust are an artist, a poet and a passionate sculptress.

My thoughts..

This is the tenth book in the Rowland Sinclair series and the author is now well established in this crime genre, and it is definitely something that she does particularly well. I am sure that if you have followed this series from the beginning you will find much to enjoy in this latest book in the series.

I was taken in, first of all, by the extremely colourful book cover, which is so reminiscent of the 1930s which is the era in which the story is set. I particularly enjoyed how the author began each chapter with a little news snippet which sets the scene perfectly and places the story in a fascinating time in history, as  does the inclusion of some real life historical figures.

In this latest mystery, Sinclair finds himself in Boston, Massachusetts investigating the mysterious death of his friend, millionaire, Daniel Cartwright, who has recently changed his will and appointed Sinclair as his executor. What then follows is an intricately crafted crime mystery which moves along at an interesting pace with more than enough twists and turns to keep you guessing until the end. Rowland Sinclair is a fascinating character, and even though this is the first time I have come across him, I immediately warmed to his way of dealing with whatever mystery is thrust upon him. 

I do feel that I have missed out on an exciting set of adventure stories by coming into the series so late in the day and when it is so well established but that is easily remedied as I have a treat in store by starting at the beginning and working my way through the titles in book order. 😉 

About the Author

Sulari Gentill is the author of the award-winning and best-selling Rowland Sinclair Mysteries, the Greek mythology adventure series The Hero Trilogy, and winner of the Best Crime award at the 2018 Ned Kelly Awards, Crossing the Lines. She set out to study astrophysics, graduated in law, and then abandoned her legal career to write books instead of contracts. Born in Sri Lanka, Sulari learned to speak English in Zambia, grew up in Brisbane and now lives in the foothills of the Snowy Mountains of NSW. 

Twitter @SulariGentill #ATestamentOfCharacter

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@OldcastleBooks