A Decline in Prophets

October 3, 2016
Set in late 1932, Gentill’s lively second mystery featuring dashing Australian millionaire Rowland “Rowly” Sinclair (after A Few Right Thinking Men) takes place initially aboard the luxury cruise ship Aquitania, as it steams along toward Sydney. Members of the Theosophical Society, Roman Catholic priests and bishops, Indian mystics, casual Protestants, clairvoyants, and Freemasons mix and mingle as best they can with Rowly and his entourage of poets and artists, or as Rowly’s brother refers to them, “unemployed, subversive ne’er-do-wells!” When the honor of Rowly’s friend, the decidedly delectable sculptress and model Edna Higgins, is in danger, he steps in to defend her from her unwanted suitor. The latter’s subsequent murder has Rowly first cast as a suspect and then slipping into the role of detective. On the ship’s arrival in Sydney in time for the Christmas holidays, the murders continue, as do attempts on Rowly’s life. The witty and insightful glimpses of the Australian bourgeoisie of this period keep this mystery afloat.

October 1, 2016
A wealthy, bohemian Australian artist is forced to become an amateur sleuth. Rowland Sinclair and three of his close friends are on their way home from a protracted trip to Europe just as Hitler is coming to power. The companions at their table on the RMS Aquitania include Annie Besant, World President of the Theosophical movement; Jiddu Krishnamurti, whos just resigned as the movements messiah; and Englishman Orville Urquhart, whos perhaps a bit too attentive to Rowlys friend and beautiful sculptress and model Edna Higgins. Left-leaning poet Milton Isaacs and artist Clyde Watson Jones get along well with their outlandish new acquaintances. Not so militant Bishop Hanrahan, who refuses to dine anywhere near them, and his minders, Father Murphy and Father Bryan, who are traveling with the bishop and his beautiful but apparently shy niece, Isobel. When Urquhart presses unwanted advances upon Edna, Rowly breaks his nose. So the discovery of Urquharts body in a lifeboat, stabbed with Rowlys broken walking stick, makes him the obvious suspect even though the captain believes him innocent. After an interesting visit in New York, where a wealthy artist friend of Rowlys puts them up in the Warwick and Edna dates up-and-coming actor Archibald Leach, they reboard the Aquitania for the trip to Australia. When Isobel makes determined overtures toward Rowly, his artists eye notes that shes pregnant. Things look bleak for Rowly when Isobels pushed overboard in Sydneys harbor, but a friend he made on the police force during his first adventure (A Few Right Thinking Men, 2016) allows him to go home, where his stuffy older brother tries to make him into a proper gentleman. Further complications ensue before Rowly can uncover a determined murderer. A delightful period piece.

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