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Rowland Sinclair #3
Miles Off Course
In early 1933, Rowland Sinclair and his companions are ensconced in the superlative luxury of The Hydro Majestic - Medlow Bath, where trouble seems distant indeed.And then Harry Simpson vanishes.Croquet and pre-dinner cocktails are abandoned for the High Country where Rowland hunts for Simpson with a determination that is as mysterious as the disappearance itself. Stockmen, gangsters and a belligerent writer all gather to the fray, as the investigation becomes embroiled with a much darker conspiracy.Murder, Treason, Trespass, Kidnapping, Betrayal...Again, Rowland Sinclair finds himself in the middle of it all.
350 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2012
67 people are currently reading
467 people want to read
About the author
Sulari Gentill
24Ìýbooks1,585ÌýfollowersOnce upon a time, Sulari Gentill was a corporate lawyer serving as a director on public boards, with only a vague disquiet that there was something else she was meant to do. That feeling did not go away until she began to write. And so Sulari became the author of the Rowland Sinclair Mysteries: thus far, ten historical crime novels chronicling the life and adventures of her 1930s Australian gentleman artist, the Hero Trilogy, based on the myths and epics of the ancient world, and the Ned Kelly Award winning Crossing the Lines (published in the US as After She Wrote Hime). In 2014 she collaborated with National Gallery of Victoria to write a short story which was produced in audio to feature in the Fashion Detective Exhibition, and thereafter published by the NGV. IN 2019 Sulari was part of a 4-member delegation of Australian crime writers sponsored by the Australia Council to tour the US as ambassadors of Australian Crime Writing.
Sulari lives with her husband, Michael, and their boys, Edmund and Atticus, on a small farm in Batlow where she grows French Black Truffles and refers to her writing as “work� so that no one will suggest she get a real job.
THE WOMAN IN THE LIBRARY, Sulari’s latest novel will be released on 7 June 2022.
Sulari lives with her husband, Michael, and their boys, Edmund and Atticus, on a small farm in Batlow where she grows French Black Truffles and refers to her writing as “work� so that no one will suggest she get a real job.
THE WOMAN IN THE LIBRARY, Sulari’s latest novel will be released on 7 June 2022.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 141 reviews
November 24, 2018
I am stll loving this series and I am very happy that there are so many more books to go! Rowland Sinclair is an excellent main character and he carries these books with his honesty and charm.
begins in the Hydro Majestic in Medlow Bath in the Blue Mountains and then moves to the high country around Tumut. The descriptions of the country and the weather are spot on. Then there are the wonderful historical details. Each chapter is preceded by an excerpt from a newspaper of the time and the event it describes is somehow introduced into the story.
The book ends with a delightful mention in the epilogue of who the female author included in the story really was. I had been trying to guess all the way through and was a bit cross with myself that I did not get it. I am already looking forward to book 4!
begins in the Hydro Majestic in Medlow Bath in the Blue Mountains and then moves to the high country around Tumut. The descriptions of the country and the weather are spot on. Then there are the wonderful historical details. Each chapter is preceded by an excerpt from a newspaper of the time and the event it describes is somehow introduced into the story.
The book ends with a delightful mention in the epilogue of who the female author included in the story really was. I had been trying to guess all the way through and was a bit cross with myself that I did not get it. I am already looking forward to book 4!
September 20, 2019
5�
�‘But you did know Communists at Oxford?�
Rowland glared at him. ‘Y±ð²õ.â€�
‘Your friends, Mr. Sinclair…� Middlemiss waved his cigarette at Rowland.
‘What about them?�
‘They are not the kind of people one would expect a man of your breeding to associate with.�
‘What can I say…they’re willing to overlook my breeding.��
Wealthy Rowland Sinclair is an artist whose work has led him to mix with some very colourful people in 1930s Sydney. He has a coterie of friends, real people who have various talents but no money. They share his fancy home, Woodlands, to the disapproval of his older brother, Wilfred, who lives on the family pastoral estate with his wife and children.
This is a great romp in picturesque locations, but not without danger. The artists have gone to the Hydro-Majestic Hotel in Medlow Baths in the Blue Mountains of NSW to escape the heat of a Sydney summer and to paint (or be inspired, in the case of resident poet, Milt).
The Hydro-Majestic, back in the day
Rowly, of course, is footing the bill. An old schoolmate of Rowly’s turns up, a nervous, cowering chap, who clings to Rowly as he did at school in England when he was being bullied by others. He can’t say enough about what a terrific protector Rowly was, and he is every bit the sort of man you knew he would be if you’d known him as the snivelling, unattractive boy he once was. But he’s now The Honourable Humphrey Abercrombie.
This story has the political background that the previous books have had, but I think the politics feels more natural than before � perfect! I like a story that fits into its time, and the author does this particularly well. Rowland’s brother Wil is very much the Sinclair family patriarch now, more like their strict father rather than their loveable, rascally Uncle Rowland, and he’s a political animal who loathes communists and has terrible trouble putting up with Rowland’s radical friends.
He’s also not happy about his younger brother’s wheels, a bright yellow Mercedes Benz. Their older brother was killed in the war when Rowly was a little boy, so along with communists, Wil is vehemently opposed to buying German products. I imagine it looked something like this, a real head-turner!
1930 Mercedes-Benz Ss Tourer, painting by Jack Pumphrey
But when Wil needs help finding missing Aboriginal stockman Harry Simpson, who's practically part of the family and who’s been managing their cattle on the Snowy Mountain leases, it’s his younger brother and questionable mates who dive in, boots and all. Diving? Well, they do get pretty wet, boots and all.
Each chapter is introduced with the representation of a real newspaper clipping from the period, and it’s only later that we discover the connection with the story. It may be a society event which the Sinclairs attend and mix with the actual people of influence at the time. Another time, it’s a brothel owner who, it turns out, was well-known to Uncle Rowly!
This one was certainly new to me.
Headline and article from 1920 about buck jumping in Sydney’s Hyde Park
They obviously did establish it, which explains a city boy’s surprising horsemanship when they get down to the Snowies!
Rowly is still being followed by enemies from earlier, and his sooky “friend� claims to have people hunting him down as well. The high country proves to be quite an adventure, and we meet Clyde’s family on their property � another interesting look.
At the stock camp in the mountains, Rowly faces new challenges when he’s introduced to what I know as back-of-the-stove soup.
�’We’ll leave the magic stew behind for you tomorrow,� Lofty Cassidy said congenially.
‘The magic stew?�
‘In the camp oven. Just add a few spuds and whatever’s in the rabbit traps to it each day and you’ll never reach the bottom . . . it’s been feeding us all for weeks now.� The stockman laughed at the look of horror on Rowland’s face.
Milton nudged Rowland and grinned. ‘Close your mouth, Rowly, your silver spoon may fall out.�
Clyde was similarly unperturbed. ‘The flavour really improves after a few days,� he assured Rowland, who was no convinced they would all die of disease within the week.�
His silver spoon certainly gets a little tarnished, what with all the privations of the camps, the drenching rains, the bad guys with guns, the kidnapping attempts, the general excitement. We need that and the politics, but just as much we need the warmth and humour and affection � sometimes rough, sometimes gentle � between these friends.
All men love Edna, especially Rowly, and while she is staunchly independent, we know she carries an equally simmering torch. She is soft-hearted and an easy mark for the weak, childish Englishman, insisting that Rowly invite him home to stay in Sydney.
�‘You’ll regret it� Clyde said from behind The Sydney Morning Herald.
‘No doubt, but I can’t have Edna thinking I’m mean.�
Edna ruffled his hair fondly. ‘You’re not mean, Rowly, you’re really very sweet.�
Milton shook his head. ‘You know, mate, there’s something particularly sad about a hen-pecked bachelor.�
Rowly returned to his mail. ‘Yes, I know.��
Enough said. On to the next episode in !
P.S. Adding the caves at Yarrangobilly for Carolyn. :)
�‘But you did know Communists at Oxford?�
Rowland glared at him. ‘Y±ð²õ.â€�
‘Your friends, Mr. Sinclair…� Middlemiss waved his cigarette at Rowland.
‘What about them?�
‘They are not the kind of people one would expect a man of your breeding to associate with.�
‘What can I say…they’re willing to overlook my breeding.��
Wealthy Rowland Sinclair is an artist whose work has led him to mix with some very colourful people in 1930s Sydney. He has a coterie of friends, real people who have various talents but no money. They share his fancy home, Woodlands, to the disapproval of his older brother, Wilfred, who lives on the family pastoral estate with his wife and children.
This is a great romp in picturesque locations, but not without danger. The artists have gone to the Hydro-Majestic Hotel in Medlow Baths in the Blue Mountains of NSW to escape the heat of a Sydney summer and to paint (or be inspired, in the case of resident poet, Milt).
The Hydro-Majestic, back in the day
Rowly, of course, is footing the bill. An old schoolmate of Rowly’s turns up, a nervous, cowering chap, who clings to Rowly as he did at school in England when he was being bullied by others. He can’t say enough about what a terrific protector Rowly was, and he is every bit the sort of man you knew he would be if you’d known him as the snivelling, unattractive boy he once was. But he’s now The Honourable Humphrey Abercrombie.
This story has the political background that the previous books have had, but I think the politics feels more natural than before � perfect! I like a story that fits into its time, and the author does this particularly well. Rowland’s brother Wil is very much the Sinclair family patriarch now, more like their strict father rather than their loveable, rascally Uncle Rowland, and he’s a political animal who loathes communists and has terrible trouble putting up with Rowland’s radical friends.
He’s also not happy about his younger brother’s wheels, a bright yellow Mercedes Benz. Their older brother was killed in the war when Rowly was a little boy, so along with communists, Wil is vehemently opposed to buying German products. I imagine it looked something like this, a real head-turner!
1930 Mercedes-Benz Ss Tourer, painting by Jack Pumphrey
But when Wil needs help finding missing Aboriginal stockman Harry Simpson, who's practically part of the family and who’s been managing their cattle on the Snowy Mountain leases, it’s his younger brother and questionable mates who dive in, boots and all. Diving? Well, they do get pretty wet, boots and all.
Each chapter is introduced with the representation of a real newspaper clipping from the period, and it’s only later that we discover the connection with the story. It may be a society event which the Sinclairs attend and mix with the actual people of influence at the time. Another time, it’s a brothel owner who, it turns out, was well-known to Uncle Rowly!
This one was certainly new to me.
Headline and article from 1920 about buck jumping in Sydney’s Hyde Park
They obviously did establish it, which explains a city boy’s surprising horsemanship when they get down to the Snowies!
Rowly is still being followed by enemies from earlier, and his sooky “friend� claims to have people hunting him down as well. The high country proves to be quite an adventure, and we meet Clyde’s family on their property � another interesting look.
At the stock camp in the mountains, Rowly faces new challenges when he’s introduced to what I know as back-of-the-stove soup.
�’We’ll leave the magic stew behind for you tomorrow,� Lofty Cassidy said congenially.
‘The magic stew?�
‘In the camp oven. Just add a few spuds and whatever’s in the rabbit traps to it each day and you’ll never reach the bottom . . . it’s been feeding us all for weeks now.� The stockman laughed at the look of horror on Rowland’s face.
Milton nudged Rowland and grinned. ‘Close your mouth, Rowly, your silver spoon may fall out.�
Clyde was similarly unperturbed. ‘The flavour really improves after a few days,� he assured Rowland, who was no convinced they would all die of disease within the week.�
His silver spoon certainly gets a little tarnished, what with all the privations of the camps, the drenching rains, the bad guys with guns, the kidnapping attempts, the general excitement. We need that and the politics, but just as much we need the warmth and humour and affection � sometimes rough, sometimes gentle � between these friends.
All men love Edna, especially Rowly, and while she is staunchly independent, we know she carries an equally simmering torch. She is soft-hearted and an easy mark for the weak, childish Englishman, insisting that Rowly invite him home to stay in Sydney.
�‘You’ll regret it� Clyde said from behind The Sydney Morning Herald.
‘No doubt, but I can’t have Edna thinking I’m mean.�
Edna ruffled his hair fondly. ‘You’re not mean, Rowly, you’re really very sweet.�
Milton shook his head. ‘You know, mate, there’s something particularly sad about a hen-pecked bachelor.�
Rowly returned to his mail. ‘Yes, I know.��
Enough said. On to the next episode in !
P.S. Adding the caves at Yarrangobilly for Carolyn. :)
September 10, 2019
I really enjoy this historical Australian series set in the 1930s in the period between world wars. The main character, charming and elegant Rowland (Rowly) Sinclair, younger son of wealthy station owners has been leading an artist's life in Sydney and abroad with an entourage of artistic friends, some with communist leanings. Rowland's older brother Wilfred is trying to get Rowly to become more responsible (and respectable) and take more interest in the family business. When their trusted stockman Harry goes missing in the high country of the Snowy Mountains while checking on their cattle operation, Wilfred asks Rowly to go and look for him, unknowingly sending him into grave danger.
What makes these novels so enjoyable is the author's sense of time and place. She describes in detail all the places and scenery that Rowly and his friends stay in the Blue Mountains and on their way to the Snowy Mountains, as well as the types of activities that visitors to these regions would have enjoyed. Extracts from newspapers at the time of interesting events also help to add context and flavour at the start of each chapter. Also the inclusion of real people from all walks of life (political leaders, a snake remedy salesman, artists and a well known author writing under a pseudonym) also helps to ground the books firmly in time and place.
What makes these novels so enjoyable is the author's sense of time and place. She describes in detail all the places and scenery that Rowly and his friends stay in the Blue Mountains and on their way to the Snowy Mountains, as well as the types of activities that visitors to these regions would have enjoyed. Extracts from newspapers at the time of interesting events also help to add context and flavour at the start of each chapter. Also the inclusion of real people from all walks of life (political leaders, a snake remedy salesman, artists and a well known author writing under a pseudonym) also helps to ground the books firmly in time and place.
March 21, 2019
I finished this one with a smile on my face! Loved it, and in my opinion, the best so far in this series. The final paragraph in the Epilogue was brilliant!
It was 1933 in Sydney, and Rowland Sinclair and his friends, Edna, Milton and Clyde were up to their usual shenanigans when Rowly’s brother Wilfred asked his help in locating a worker up in the High Country. They set out in Rowly’s bright yellow Mercedes with all the trappings for roughing it in the bush, while searching for Harry Simpson, who’d been mustering the cattle when he went missing.
That was to be the start of something much more dangerous than anyone had imagined. And with someone intent on murdering Rowly, the danger to his friends was also in the mix. Would Rowly get out of trouble this time? Would any of them escape the people determined to do Rowly harm?
Miles Off Course by Aussie author Sulari Gentill was an excellent read. Full on action from the first page right through to the last. Twists and turns, deception and conspiracy lace the story, plus the usual arguments between the brothers, Rowly and Wil. Fabulous! I’ll be starting the next soon. Highly recommended.
It was 1933 in Sydney, and Rowland Sinclair and his friends, Edna, Milton and Clyde were up to their usual shenanigans when Rowly’s brother Wilfred asked his help in locating a worker up in the High Country. They set out in Rowly’s bright yellow Mercedes with all the trappings for roughing it in the bush, while searching for Harry Simpson, who’d been mustering the cattle when he went missing.
That was to be the start of something much more dangerous than anyone had imagined. And with someone intent on murdering Rowly, the danger to his friends was also in the mix. Would Rowly get out of trouble this time? Would any of them escape the people determined to do Rowly harm?
Miles Off Course by Aussie author Sulari Gentill was an excellent read. Full on action from the first page right through to the last. Twists and turns, deception and conspiracy lace the story, plus the usual arguments between the brothers, Rowly and Wil. Fabulous! I’ll be starting the next soon. Highly recommended.
January 12, 2020
Miles Off Course is the third book in the Rowland Sinclair series by award-winning Australian author, Sulari Gentill. Already a sojourn for creative pursuits has been interrupted by an attempt to kidnap gentleman artist, Rowland Sinclair; now, it will be aborted when his older brother, Wilfred turns up at the Hydro Majestic in Medlow Bath requiring Rowly to urgently find a missing family employee. Of course, his ever-loyal artistic friends (Edna the sculptress, Milton the poet and Clyde the artist) insist on participating.
Wilfred Sinclair’s aboriginal stock manager, Harry Simpson was sent to oversee the autumn stock muster on their snow lease in the high country, but has disappeared. For this trusted employee, such behaviour is completely out of character, and while virtually every person they speak to maintains that Harry has just walked off, as their type do, neither Wilfred nor Rowly is convinced. Something else is going on, but what?
Head stockman Ned Moran and his men are wary, and do all they can to discourage Rowly from riding to the snow lease, especially with his friends, including Edna and a very insistent incognito female writer with some Sinclair family history. They are not to be deterred, although Rowly is again frustrated by his ineffectual dissuasive powers over these fiercely independent women.
In another riveting instalment of twists, red herrings and drama, Gentill includes plenty in interesting historical detail, gives several well-known figures cameos, and manages to include buck jumping, four kidnap attempts, limestone caves, grave looters, a rooftop scramble, a burning hut, a fevered kiss (or two), cattle stealing, and a very big hint about certain Sinclair blood relations. And has Rowly, late in the story, finally hit upon an effective way to dissuade Edna from tagging along in dangerous situations?
Quotes from press articles of the time that preface the chapters cleverly serve the purpose of providing information pertinent to the text that follows. As always, Gentill flawlessly captures the era. This is a superlative dose of Australian historical crime fiction, and readers who enjoy it will be pleased to know they can look forward to a further seven (at least) instalments of this award-winning series, beginning with Paving The New Road.
Wilfred Sinclair’s aboriginal stock manager, Harry Simpson was sent to oversee the autumn stock muster on their snow lease in the high country, but has disappeared. For this trusted employee, such behaviour is completely out of character, and while virtually every person they speak to maintains that Harry has just walked off, as their type do, neither Wilfred nor Rowly is convinced. Something else is going on, but what?
Head stockman Ned Moran and his men are wary, and do all they can to discourage Rowly from riding to the snow lease, especially with his friends, including Edna and a very insistent incognito female writer with some Sinclair family history. They are not to be deterred, although Rowly is again frustrated by his ineffectual dissuasive powers over these fiercely independent women.
In another riveting instalment of twists, red herrings and drama, Gentill includes plenty in interesting historical detail, gives several well-known figures cameos, and manages to include buck jumping, four kidnap attempts, limestone caves, grave looters, a rooftop scramble, a burning hut, a fevered kiss (or two), cattle stealing, and a very big hint about certain Sinclair blood relations. And has Rowly, late in the story, finally hit upon an effective way to dissuade Edna from tagging along in dangerous situations?
Quotes from press articles of the time that preface the chapters cleverly serve the purpose of providing information pertinent to the text that follows. As always, Gentill flawlessly captures the era. This is a superlative dose of Australian historical crime fiction, and readers who enjoy it will be pleased to know they can look forward to a further seven (at least) instalments of this award-winning series, beginning with Paving The New Road.
March 16, 2024
A very enjoyable series. This one is a little heavy on the politics for me, but it is necessary to understand just how paranoid people were about the 'red menace' in the 1930s. The local history is fascinating - I had to look up Mark Foy's folly, what a relief for his descendants that they didn't have to pay for his mountain tomb -, & I love the real articles from the period at the beginning of each chapter. The character interactions are very amusing & make reading these books a pleasure. Rowly is a darling. I picked Sarah Brent fairly early on () but I didn't know she'd collaborated with Lindsay - I had to glance at his illustrations for it because they're always fun.
February 17, 2019
A round yard had been erected close to the guesthouse, with a rough bush fence which straddled the trees. There were a few horses within the yard. Several stockmen perched on the fence, and followed the yellow Mercedes with slow, hat-shadowed eyes.
This was the first of the Rowland Sinclair novels I had read, so it took a while to get into the style. Set in NSW of 1933, each chapter is prefaced with a press clipping, of persons or political events, which forms the basis of that chapter. But I quickly grasped that the fictional Rowland is a Sydney-based artist of naked women (a contemporary of Norman Lindsay) who shares a bohemian lifestyle with Edna (sculptor and sometimes model), Milt (a poet who quotes the works of others), and Clyde who produces watercolours that rarely sell, all living off the proceeds of the family business.
There is tension between Rowly and elder brother Wilfred (the businessman of the show), while the death of the eldest brother Aubrey in the Great War still casts a long shadow. Then there is Harry Simpson, the half-brother sired by Henry Sinclair to a Wiradjuri woman. The central story is that Harry has gone missing from where he was supervising the snow leases (high country grazing out of Tumut / Adaminaby) and Wilfred wants Rowly to find him. Naturally his mates fall in behind.
I was in two-minds about this one: the story meanders at first but I really enjoyed the sections in the high country and the (local) characters who live and work there - (surely the author could have thrown in a Flame Robin for good measure?), but I hated the pompous English twit the Hon. Humphrey Abercrombie, who Rowly should have decked early in the piece. Rowly evades kidnap attempts, beatings, snakes and narrowly misses getting shot, but is as resourceful as his brother is shrewd. I liked Edna and Milt but many of the other characters were ‘wallpaper�, adding little to the narrative, or plain irritating. The social scene in Sydney was a big yawn. It is only at the end that the identity of the annoying writer (and the hidden meaning in the title) is revealed.
Verdict: clever, well-researched, but somewhat annoying.
This was the first of the Rowland Sinclair novels I had read, so it took a while to get into the style. Set in NSW of 1933, each chapter is prefaced with a press clipping, of persons or political events, which forms the basis of that chapter. But I quickly grasped that the fictional Rowland is a Sydney-based artist of naked women (a contemporary of Norman Lindsay) who shares a bohemian lifestyle with Edna (sculptor and sometimes model), Milt (a poet who quotes the works of others), and Clyde who produces watercolours that rarely sell, all living off the proceeds of the family business.
There is tension between Rowly and elder brother Wilfred (the businessman of the show), while the death of the eldest brother Aubrey in the Great War still casts a long shadow. Then there is Harry Simpson, the half-brother sired by Henry Sinclair to a Wiradjuri woman. The central story is that Harry has gone missing from where he was supervising the snow leases (high country grazing out of Tumut / Adaminaby) and Wilfred wants Rowly to find him. Naturally his mates fall in behind.
I was in two-minds about this one: the story meanders at first but I really enjoyed the sections in the high country and the (local) characters who live and work there - (surely the author could have thrown in a Flame Robin for good measure?), but I hated the pompous English twit the Hon. Humphrey Abercrombie, who Rowly should have decked early in the piece. Rowly evades kidnap attempts, beatings, snakes and narrowly misses getting shot, but is as resourceful as his brother is shrewd. I liked Edna and Milt but many of the other characters were ‘wallpaper�, adding little to the narrative, or plain irritating. The social scene in Sydney was a big yawn. It is only at the end that the identity of the annoying writer (and the hidden meaning in the title) is revealed.
Verdict: clever, well-researched, but somewhat annoying.
December 15, 2020
Miles Off Course is the third book in the Rowland Sinclair series by award-winning Australian author, Sulari Gentill. The audio version is narrated by Rupert Degas. Already a sojourn for creative pursuits has been interrupted by an attempt to kidnap gentleman artist, Rowland Sinclair; now, it will be aborted when his older brother, Wilfred turns up at the Hydro Majestic in Medlow Bath requiring Rowly to urgently find a missing family employee. Of course, his ever-loyal artistic friends (Edna the sculptress, Milton the poet and Clyde the artist) insist on participating.
Wilfred Sinclair’s aboriginal stock manager, Harry Simpson was sent to oversee the autumn stock muster on their snow lease in the high country, but has disappeared. For this trusted employee, such behaviour is completely out of character, and while virtually every person they speak to maintains that Harry has just walked off, as their type do, neither Wilfred nor Rowly is convinced. Something else is going on, but what?
Head stockman Ned Moran and his men are wary, and do all they can to discourage Rowly from riding to the snow lease, especially with his friends, including Edna and a very insistent incognito female writer with some Sinclair family history. They are not to be deterred, although Rowly is again frustrated by his ineffectual dissuasive powers over these fiercely independent women.
In another riveting instalment of twists, red herrings and drama, Gentill includes plenty in interesting historical detail, gives several well-known figures cameos, and manages to include buck jumping, four kidnap attempts, limestone caves, grave looters, a rooftop scramble, a burning hut, a fevered kiss (or two), cattle stealing, and a very big hint about certain Sinclair blood relations. And has Rowly, late in the story, finally hit upon an effective way to dissuade Edna from tagging along in dangerous situations?
Quotes from press articles of the time that preface the chapters cleverly serve the purpose of providing information pertinent to the text that follows. As always, Gentill flawlessly captures the era. This is a superlative dose of Australian historical crime fiction, and readers who enjoy it will be pleased to know they can look forward to a further seven (at least) instalments of this award-winning series, beginning with Paving The New Road.
Wilfred Sinclair’s aboriginal stock manager, Harry Simpson was sent to oversee the autumn stock muster on their snow lease in the high country, but has disappeared. For this trusted employee, such behaviour is completely out of character, and while virtually every person they speak to maintains that Harry has just walked off, as their type do, neither Wilfred nor Rowly is convinced. Something else is going on, but what?
Head stockman Ned Moran and his men are wary, and do all they can to discourage Rowly from riding to the snow lease, especially with his friends, including Edna and a very insistent incognito female writer with some Sinclair family history. They are not to be deterred, although Rowly is again frustrated by his ineffectual dissuasive powers over these fiercely independent women.
In another riveting instalment of twists, red herrings and drama, Gentill includes plenty in interesting historical detail, gives several well-known figures cameos, and manages to include buck jumping, four kidnap attempts, limestone caves, grave looters, a rooftop scramble, a burning hut, a fevered kiss (or two), cattle stealing, and a very big hint about certain Sinclair blood relations. And has Rowly, late in the story, finally hit upon an effective way to dissuade Edna from tagging along in dangerous situations?
Quotes from press articles of the time that preface the chapters cleverly serve the purpose of providing information pertinent to the text that follows. As always, Gentill flawlessly captures the era. This is a superlative dose of Australian historical crime fiction, and readers who enjoy it will be pleased to know they can look forward to a further seven (at least) instalments of this award-winning series, beginning with Paving The New Road.
January 30, 2012
Not sure what's weirder, talking to fictional characters, or the feeling that you actually know those fictional characters... Either way, you have to think it's quite a feat for a writer to get you to the stage where you're more than happy to regard her characters as real people. MILES OFF COURSE is now the third book from Sulari Gentill featuring Rowland Sinclair and his band of supporters - Edna, Milton and Clyde and that feeling of connection, of reality and authenticity continues ... in spades.
The connection is probably helped by the way that Gentill sets her characters and her stories in differing, and frequently real settings. Whilst MILES OFF COURSE starts out at the luxury Hydro Majestic Hotel and spa, it ends up deep in the High Country, often in significantly less luxurious circumstances, although one property owner's pride in the running water and other mod cons was particularly illustrative of the difference in times (this book is set in 1933 after all). But the move to the High Country and the Tumut valley in particular comes as Rowly's brother Wilfred despatches him in search of their missing foreman, Wiradjuri man Harry Simpson, a long time and much trusted employee of the Sinclair family who has disappeared in highly unsatisfactory circumstances. As Rowly, and his entourage move into this environment, it's very obvious that we're in a part of the world that the author knows and loves. The sense of place becomes almost palpable and there's a real feeling for how the High Country looks, feels and grows into and around the story.
I have been a fan of these books since the first one was released, but intriguingly in MILES OFF COURSE I think I see a little deepening of character, a few glimpses of, maybe not so much internal crisis, as conflicts. Not surprising really as Gentill's light touch with the storytelling should not be misread as light-weight. Whilst there is humour and a certain insouciance that seems to fit with the born to wealth and privilege background of Rowly, there were points at which something deeper revealed. Whether it was the internal bored playboy peeking out from under the mantle of social conscience, or whether it was deeper, private passions more starkly drawn, Rowly is not everything he seems. Nor is his brother Wilfred quite the stuffed shirt he seems; Milton as shallow; Edna as assured or Clyde as confident about his choices in life.
Given that this is now the third book in the series, to be honest I can't make a definitive statement about whether or not you would be better to read the earlier ones first. Whilst there is ongoing character development, and you will get more from the series understanding the relationships between Rowly and his family, and his entourage the books would work on their own. But if you haven't read the earlier books in the series, you really should. Gentill's combination of factual events and places, built around the fictional undertakings of her cast of characters help to give the books a fantastic grounding, and a firm sense of place. Done, mind you, with the lightest of touches, and with the flair of a real storyteller, the books "feel" right and real and authentic, the stories are fast paced, nuanced, often funny, frequently insightful and just flat out darned good yarns.
The connection is probably helped by the way that Gentill sets her characters and her stories in differing, and frequently real settings. Whilst MILES OFF COURSE starts out at the luxury Hydro Majestic Hotel and spa, it ends up deep in the High Country, often in significantly less luxurious circumstances, although one property owner's pride in the running water and other mod cons was particularly illustrative of the difference in times (this book is set in 1933 after all). But the move to the High Country and the Tumut valley in particular comes as Rowly's brother Wilfred despatches him in search of their missing foreman, Wiradjuri man Harry Simpson, a long time and much trusted employee of the Sinclair family who has disappeared in highly unsatisfactory circumstances. As Rowly, and his entourage move into this environment, it's very obvious that we're in a part of the world that the author knows and loves. The sense of place becomes almost palpable and there's a real feeling for how the High Country looks, feels and grows into and around the story.
I have been a fan of these books since the first one was released, but intriguingly in MILES OFF COURSE I think I see a little deepening of character, a few glimpses of, maybe not so much internal crisis, as conflicts. Not surprising really as Gentill's light touch with the storytelling should not be misread as light-weight. Whilst there is humour and a certain insouciance that seems to fit with the born to wealth and privilege background of Rowly, there were points at which something deeper revealed. Whether it was the internal bored playboy peeking out from under the mantle of social conscience, or whether it was deeper, private passions more starkly drawn, Rowly is not everything he seems. Nor is his brother Wilfred quite the stuffed shirt he seems; Milton as shallow; Edna as assured or Clyde as confident about his choices in life.
Given that this is now the third book in the series, to be honest I can't make a definitive statement about whether or not you would be better to read the earlier ones first. Whilst there is ongoing character development, and you will get more from the series understanding the relationships between Rowly and his family, and his entourage the books would work on their own. But if you haven't read the earlier books in the series, you really should. Gentill's combination of factual events and places, built around the fictional undertakings of her cast of characters help to give the books a fantastic grounding, and a firm sense of place. Done, mind you, with the lightest of touches, and with the flair of a real storyteller, the books "feel" right and real and authentic, the stories are fast paced, nuanced, often funny, frequently insightful and just flat out darned good yarns.
May 4, 2025
As befits an academic author the story is very well researched and the portrayal of life in 1930s Australia is realistic. Where it struggles a little is that the novel consists of two stories for the price of one and those stories have very little to connect them other than having the same main characters. The search for Harry Simpson, the Sinclair family's most trusted stockman, up in the Blue Mountains, is the more entertaining. The machinations of foreign Communist infiltrators and their determination to kidnap Rowland and bring Australia fair into the hands of Stalin's new Russian empire brings to mind a John Buchan-style adventure tale but struggles to maintain its pace.
Rowland Sinclair and his arty mates work well enough � Edna Higgins stands out � but being Australians the three blokes have to keep proving their manliness by getting into fights and walloping their way out of them. It must be a tough life being an Australian artist, poet, sculptress. Any sign of flamboyant bohemianism or intellectual thought must lead to derision � or in this book denouncement as a Communist sympathiser � unless prowess in a damn fine fistfight can be shown. Rowland's older brother, the very wealthy Wilfred, shows disturbing signs of being an Anglophile but is otherwise fairly muted. Of the remainder of the cast Miss Brent and her monkey book blooms quite handily for a while and then fades away, while Humphrey Abercrombie should really have had a prominent role in the second story, but it is in the first that he has more purpose as a comic turn. At the end he proves to be a link to a probable sequel and little else.
I struggled to see much point in the first story other than it being a fast-paced adventure. Even Harry Simpson's disappearance was a bit confusing. Moran and his little gang needed him out of the way while they searched for a lost bushwhacker hoard and did a bit of cattle rustling on the side. Clearly not nice people but, for villains, curiously shy of bloodletting. They could never be compared to Ned Kelly and his ilk and are certainly no match for Rowly and his pals. The second story was getting a little too bogged down in the politics and business world of the time making Rowly's exploits too rushed. Of the two stories I would have preferred the second, spy story, to have been enlarged and made into a separate novel. The first, as I said, was more entertaining but the second had more scope for expansion into a very good espionage tale.
A somewhat disjointed cozy mystery in the end, well written and entertaining but not demanding.
Rowland Sinclair and his arty mates work well enough � Edna Higgins stands out � but being Australians the three blokes have to keep proving their manliness by getting into fights and walloping their way out of them. It must be a tough life being an Australian artist, poet, sculptress. Any sign of flamboyant bohemianism or intellectual thought must lead to derision � or in this book denouncement as a Communist sympathiser � unless prowess in a damn fine fistfight can be shown. Rowland's older brother, the very wealthy Wilfred, shows disturbing signs of being an Anglophile but is otherwise fairly muted. Of the remainder of the cast Miss Brent and her monkey book blooms quite handily for a while and then fades away, while Humphrey Abercrombie should really have had a prominent role in the second story, but it is in the first that he has more purpose as a comic turn. At the end he proves to be a link to a probable sequel and little else.
I struggled to see much point in the first story other than it being a fast-paced adventure. Even Harry Simpson's disappearance was a bit confusing. Moran and his little gang needed him out of the way while they searched for a lost bushwhacker hoard and did a bit of cattle rustling on the side. Clearly not nice people but, for villains, curiously shy of bloodletting. They could never be compared to Ned Kelly and his ilk and are certainly no match for Rowly and his pals. The second story was getting a little too bogged down in the politics and business world of the time making Rowly's exploits too rushed. Of the two stories I would have preferred the second, spy story, to have been enlarged and made into a separate novel. The first, as I said, was more entertaining but the second had more scope for expansion into a very good espionage tale.
A somewhat disjointed cozy mystery in the end, well written and entertaining but not demanding.
December 23, 2019
What's not to love! This time Rowly is sent up into the High Country (Australian Alps) to check on the disappearance of their trusted leading drover Harry Simpson who is pasturing a mob of cattle up in the mountains. The complicated lease of this land is fascinating. Having walked some of that area it took me back. But of course nothing is that simple when Rowland becomes involved. The rest of his companions decide (as one would expect) to journey with him. As usual there's numerous other plots developing. Between the communists and the facists Rowly is getting quite a reputation.
I loved the comment about Rowland's poet friend Milton and why Rowland always answers Milton's poetic bursts with the source, feeling that they should be acknowledged.
"Milton owed his reputation as a poet to his ability to quote the great bards at will, and without acknowledgement. It was unlikely that he had ever penned a line of original verse. It had become a tradition of sorts for Rowland to make the attributions Milton blithely omitted."
I am intrigued by Edna's observations when they finally catch up with Harry, "It was hard to miss the intense blue of his eyes, a cobalt gaze so like the one that Edna had known for years."
So much crammed into Gentill's excellent series. And the literary, artistic and political characters met reads like a Who's Who of Australian History in the 1930's.
Another wonderful read!
I loved the comment about Rowland's poet friend Milton and why Rowland always answers Milton's poetic bursts with the source, feeling that they should be acknowledged.
"Milton owed his reputation as a poet to his ability to quote the great bards at will, and without acknowledgement. It was unlikely that he had ever penned a line of original verse. It had become a tradition of sorts for Rowland to make the attributions Milton blithely omitted."
I am intrigued by Edna's observations when they finally catch up with Harry, "It was hard to miss the intense blue of his eyes, a cobalt gaze so like the one that Edna had known for years."
So much crammed into Gentill's excellent series. And the literary, artistic and political characters met reads like a Who's Who of Australian History in the 1930's.
Another wonderful read!
August 30, 2024
Sulari Gentill has set this series in NSW in the early 1930s, when there were powerful forces on the extreme right of politics who supported ‘strong government�, approved of Fascism and feared the rise of Communism.
Her hero, Rowland Sinclair, is the youngest son of a wealthy pastoral family, an artist whose close friends are all unorthodox, and definitely not part of the establishment to which his older brother is firmly committed.
In this, the third of the series, we’re taken from Sydney to the family property, to the high country in the Great Divide where he there are cattle rustlers, kidnappers and political plotters.
Rowley is like one of those toy figures on rounded bases - he’s hit, knocked down, the rises again, albeit bruised and bandaged.
The historical background is well done, and why I’ve given this 4 stars.
Her hero, Rowland Sinclair, is the youngest son of a wealthy pastoral family, an artist whose close friends are all unorthodox, and definitely not part of the establishment to which his older brother is firmly committed.
In this, the third of the series, we’re taken from Sydney to the family property, to the high country in the Great Divide where he there are cattle rustlers, kidnappers and political plotters.
Rowley is like one of those toy figures on rounded bases - he’s hit, knocked down, the rises again, albeit bruised and bandaged.
The historical background is well done, and why I’ve given this 4 stars.
June 16, 2013
Once again Sulari Gentill has immersed the reader in the wonderful High Country of Australia. The search for missing Harry Simpson takes many a surprising and fascinating twist and turn. Rowly Sinclair and his friends embark on this search and come face to face with the hard riding and tough residents of this spellbinding country.
The story is well crafted with excellent intrigue and little flashbacks to previous books .
The character of Rowley is fleshed out and we wonder at the relationship between he and the delightful Edna. The setting is the dark days of the Depression � 1930’s � in Australia and the harsh realities of that era. Well research as usual and a fascinating glimpse into our exciting past.
An excellent read and I look for more from this talented author.
The story is well crafted with excellent intrigue and little flashbacks to previous books .
The character of Rowley is fleshed out and we wonder at the relationship between he and the delightful Edna. The setting is the dark days of the Depression � 1930’s � in Australia and the harsh realities of that era. Well research as usual and a fascinating glimpse into our exciting past.
An excellent read and I look for more from this talented author.
June 9, 2022
I recently acquired a book entitled 'Australian Landfall' by a German/Czech writer by name Egon Erwin Kisch in which the author is banned from entering Australia in 1934 due to his supposed communist sympathies. What I did not know was that there was a very strong anti-communist feeling in Australia at that time because there were thought to be communist cells in existence. I was glad to have discovered this when I began reading Sulari Gentill's 'Miles Off Course' which has an underlying scenario of communist cells in the country.
The novel is set in 1033 with Rowland Sinclair and his companions are enjoying themselves in the luxury of The Hydro Majestic Hotel in Medlow Bath. Any thought of trouble seemed very distant indeed. But trouble is exactly what they got themselves into after one of Rowland's hands on his cattle ranch, Harry Simpson, vanishes.
Rowland decides that he must find his valuable worker and sets out, with a selection of his dilettante friends, one a poet, who rarely writes much but quotes plenty from the greats, a fellow painter and a sculptress who poses for some of Rowland's, much-vaunted in some quarters, paintings.
The croquet and pre-dinner cocktails are quickly abandoned as the searchers set out for the High Country of the Snowy Mountains where the search for the mysteriously disappeared employee begins.
Rowland meets up, surprisingly to him, with a former university friend, Humphrey Abercrombie, who was at Cambridge with him and before too long trouble develops. There is a suggestion of cattle rustling as Rowland discovers stockmen over-branding his cattle with their brand markings and suggestions of communist views among some of the main characters and, more to the point, some of those in power, begin to surface.
With murder, treason, trespass, betrayal and even kidnapping as Rowland and his sculptress friend are apprehended, rearing their ugly heads, the search becomes more and more difficult. The array of characters interact between themselves reasonably well until it becomes obvious that one of them is the ringleader in the abduction, and more, of Simpson.
Fortunately Rowland is able to free himself and eventually work it all out with a surprising ending in store.
The only thing that puzzled me about the blurb for the book was the ABC Radio comment, 'This wily detective makes us think of Miss Marple or Inspector Poirot.' I am afraid I just could not come to terms with that comment!
The novel is set in 1033 with Rowland Sinclair and his companions are enjoying themselves in the luxury of The Hydro Majestic Hotel in Medlow Bath. Any thought of trouble seemed very distant indeed. But trouble is exactly what they got themselves into after one of Rowland's hands on his cattle ranch, Harry Simpson, vanishes.
Rowland decides that he must find his valuable worker and sets out, with a selection of his dilettante friends, one a poet, who rarely writes much but quotes plenty from the greats, a fellow painter and a sculptress who poses for some of Rowland's, much-vaunted in some quarters, paintings.
The croquet and pre-dinner cocktails are quickly abandoned as the searchers set out for the High Country of the Snowy Mountains where the search for the mysteriously disappeared employee begins.
Rowland meets up, surprisingly to him, with a former university friend, Humphrey Abercrombie, who was at Cambridge with him and before too long trouble develops. There is a suggestion of cattle rustling as Rowland discovers stockmen over-branding his cattle with their brand markings and suggestions of communist views among some of the main characters and, more to the point, some of those in power, begin to surface.
With murder, treason, trespass, betrayal and even kidnapping as Rowland and his sculptress friend are apprehended, rearing their ugly heads, the search becomes more and more difficult. The array of characters interact between themselves reasonably well until it becomes obvious that one of them is the ringleader in the abduction, and more, of Simpson.
Fortunately Rowland is able to free himself and eventually work it all out with a surprising ending in store.
The only thing that puzzled me about the blurb for the book was the ABC Radio comment, 'This wily detective makes us think of Miss Marple or Inspector Poirot.' I am afraid I just could not come to terms with that comment!
March 31, 2024
book has 382pp.
Another brilliant historical novel featuring the charming Roland Sinclair.
Another brilliant historical novel featuring the charming Roland Sinclair.
November 20, 2017
There is a cleverness in this series linking real events/people with Rowly Sinclair and his off-beat gang. In this book, Miles Franklin and Norman Lindsay get a run, along with a few lesser remembered politicians. Then with each chapter starting with a newspaper clipping of the time that links to some event that occurs in the following pages, these books have a lot of fun in them. I think the author had fun with the names of the places and towns in Australia's high country.
The story is another missing person, murder that rolls along with the now standard last 20 or so pages when something seems to happen. But Rowly is starting to become a bit grating with his numerous escapes, ability to naive half of the time and then incredibly astute for the other half, and his love/hate relationship with his brother.
The story is another missing person, murder that rolls along with the now standard last 20 or so pages when something seems to happen. But Rowly is starting to become a bit grating with his numerous escapes, ability to naive half of the time and then incredibly astute for the other half, and his love/hate relationship with his brother.
December 15, 2013
Still loving this series by Sulari Gentill. They are a joy to read, although some of the real newspaper stories added are a bit incomprehensible (but the following chapter makes sense of each clipping). Interesting that our history, via the journalism of the times, is the weirdest part. Have to agree with the "Evelyn Waugh meets Agatha Christie" and "a larrikin Lord Peter Wimsey, with a penchant for living la vie de boheme" quotes. If that doesn't make you want to read them, I don't know what will!
February 18, 2017
The story was good and well-written. The secondary characters were interesting and well-developed. However, the two main characters, Rowly and Ed, were just supremely annoying.
I'll see if the series progresses.
I'll see if the series progresses.
December 16, 2018
Another solid installment in this series. We meet Wilfred and Rowly’s half-brother, Harry Simpson, born to an Aboriginal mother - at least it is strongly implied that the late Sinclair patriarch sired him; Harry’s Sinclair blue eyes are pointed out. More of Wilfred’s personality opens to us; in spite of his stiffness and love of propriety, Wil is distressed when Harry goes missing and he sends Rowly to find him, showing his trust in Rowly.
Of course, Milt and Clyde and Edna insist on accompanying Rowly into the High country where they uncover a cattle rustling scheme, among other criminal activities. A group of unsavory fellows keep trying to abduct Rowly; Rowly gets snake-bitten; we attend a rodeo; Rowly runs into an old friend from school in England; and we witness a very interesting interlude between Rowly and Edna.
I really enjoy the scenes between Wilfred and Rowly. There is certainly tension because Rowly refuses to conform to Wil’s conservative lifestyle, and yet it’s clear that Wil loves and trusts his younger brother and in spite of his harsh words and eye-rolling, Wil doesn’t completely dislike Rowly’s friends. Clyde in particular plays an important role in this book - their search takes the group into Clyde’s stomping grounds. We get to meet Clyde’s mother and other members of his family.
Of course, Milt and Clyde and Edna insist on accompanying Rowly into the High country where they uncover a cattle rustling scheme, among other criminal activities. A group of unsavory fellows keep trying to abduct Rowly; Rowly gets snake-bitten; we attend a rodeo; Rowly runs into an old friend from school in England; and we witness a very interesting interlude between Rowly and Edna.
I really enjoy the scenes between Wilfred and Rowly. There is certainly tension because Rowly refuses to conform to Wil’s conservative lifestyle, and yet it’s clear that Wil loves and trusts his younger brother and in spite of his harsh words and eye-rolling, Wil doesn’t completely dislike Rowly’s friends. Clyde in particular plays an important role in this book - their search takes the group into Clyde’s stomping grounds. We get to meet Clyde’s mother and other members of his family.
December 11, 2020
I am completely enamoured with the Rowland Sinclair series. Focusing on the sinister disappearance of a loyal stockman, Harry Simpson, Rowland and his friends venture into the high country to discover what happened. Of course they come across a bumbling English Lord, a feisty feminist writer, dangerous stockmen and murder.
Also, loved the little sneaky revelation at the end of the book - how brilliant.
Also, loved the little sneaky revelation at the end of the book - how brilliant.
January 18, 2019
This is quickly becoming my favourite series. Obsessed
June 3, 2024
There is something very cosy about these murder mysteries in the Rowland Sinclair series; Miles Off Course is book three. If you have read any of the previous books, you will know they are entwined with historical characters, a little murder, and probably a little too much politics. This book is set in the high country, with Rowland looking into the disappearance of his lead stockman and family friend Harry. Obviously, the whole gang goes with him to investigate. What follows is a twisty plot, a mystery that needs unpicking, and lots of interesting characters they meet along the way. It was an enjoyable read, not quite as good as the first couple of books, but I’m still looking forward to following the series and Rowland and his friends on their next adventure.
March 21, 2017
I would like to thank Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an advance copy of Miles Off Course, the third novel to feature rich painter Rowland Sinclair and his artistic friends in early 1930s Australia.
Rowly as he is known is beholden to his brother Wilfred for the wealth that supports his lifestyle. Wilfred takes care of business and makes little claim on Rowly except making him take a directorship at Dangars and now going to find Henry Simpson, a friend and employee, who has disappeared while managing some cattle herding. It's all go as Rowly deals with these responsibilities and a couple of kidnap attempts, aided by his three friends, painter Clyde Watson Jones, poet Milton Isaacs and sculptor Edna Higgins.
Having read and enjoyed the first novel in the series, A Few Right Thinking Men, I was keen to read Miles Off Course. I am pleased to report that it doesn't disappoint and is an excellent read. The plot is a grand adventure with plenty of twists, turns and tight spots which held me glued to the pages throughout. It is more than just an adventure, however, as it as some interesting and in places real historical detail. Each chapter has an excerpt from contemporary articles at the start to highlight what will take place in it and it makes for fascinating reading. The novel is also peppered with real historical figures although this is lost on me as I know know nothing of the setting, fortunately the epilogue ties up much of this detail.
I was equally fascinated by the way the politics of 1930s Europe play out in Australia with the communists doing their best to destabilise the government and the fascists never far away. This is mirrored in the characterisation with the conservative, extremely right leaning Wilfred disapproving strongly and at times vociferously of Rowley and his communist friends. And yet family is family so on the whole they support each other, until they don't. It makes for some powerful scenes.
It may seem from my comments so far that Miles Off Course is a serious, heavyweight novel but this is far from the truth. As I said it is an adventure but above all else it is a story of friendship. The close bond between Rowly and his friends shines through with their banter, petty squabbles and unthinking support of each other. It is a joy to read.
Miles Off Course is an excellent read which I have no hesitation in recommending.
Rowly as he is known is beholden to his brother Wilfred for the wealth that supports his lifestyle. Wilfred takes care of business and makes little claim on Rowly except making him take a directorship at Dangars and now going to find Henry Simpson, a friend and employee, who has disappeared while managing some cattle herding. It's all go as Rowly deals with these responsibilities and a couple of kidnap attempts, aided by his three friends, painter Clyde Watson Jones, poet Milton Isaacs and sculptor Edna Higgins.
Having read and enjoyed the first novel in the series, A Few Right Thinking Men, I was keen to read Miles Off Course. I am pleased to report that it doesn't disappoint and is an excellent read. The plot is a grand adventure with plenty of twists, turns and tight spots which held me glued to the pages throughout. It is more than just an adventure, however, as it as some interesting and in places real historical detail. Each chapter has an excerpt from contemporary articles at the start to highlight what will take place in it and it makes for fascinating reading. The novel is also peppered with real historical figures although this is lost on me as I know know nothing of the setting, fortunately the epilogue ties up much of this detail.
I was equally fascinated by the way the politics of 1930s Europe play out in Australia with the communists doing their best to destabilise the government and the fascists never far away. This is mirrored in the characterisation with the conservative, extremely right leaning Wilfred disapproving strongly and at times vociferously of Rowley and his communist friends. And yet family is family so on the whole they support each other, until they don't. It makes for some powerful scenes.
It may seem from my comments so far that Miles Off Course is a serious, heavyweight novel but this is far from the truth. As I said it is an adventure but above all else it is a story of friendship. The close bond between Rowly and his friends shines through with their banter, petty squabbles and unthinking support of each other. It is a joy to read.
Miles Off Course is an excellent read which I have no hesitation in recommending.
November 15, 2011
A third fabulous instalment in the adventures of Rowland Sinclair! This series is developing into a trusty and consistent high quality read. Rowley and the crew are ensconced at the Hydro Majestic as part of Edna's recovery. When trouble at one of the Sinclair properties in the Snowy mountains results in a loyal staff member's disappearance Rowley is sent to investigate. Mountain shacks, musters, and Chinese treasure lead Rowley and his friends into unknown perils!
Once again the characters are well drawn, entertaining and interesting, the writing is fresh and the story well researched for the period in which it is set.
Can't believe how long a wait I have for book 4 - the down side of advanced reading copies!!
Once again the characters are well drawn, entertaining and interesting, the writing is fresh and the story well researched for the period in which it is set.
Can't believe how long a wait I have for book 4 - the down side of advanced reading copies!!
June 12, 2018
A completely different setting, bringing back some of the themes of the first book, along with some new aspects of 1930s Australian life. I really enjoyed that this wasn't your typical murder mystery arc and I didn't pick the ending! The characters are still fun, but I'm starting to feel that Rowly's friends need to do a bit more of their own thing rather than just follow Rowly about!
July 29, 2017
Set in Australia, this book makes a nice fist of a story, set in the "30s incorporating people, place and history - mountain cattle grazing, communists, mad Englishmen and plots.
This book made me smile - I like it very much - haven't had so much fun for a long time
This book made me smile - I like it very much - haven't had so much fun for a long time
April 21, 2017
I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press. Thank you.
Australian author Sulari Gentill has now written at least three novels in her Rowland Sinclair series set in the 1930s. This one is 1933 and takes place in New South Wales and the Snowy Mountains. It is quite an interesting mix of the outback cattle ranching and wealthy amateur sleuth themes. Her main character is an artist specializing in the "female form" and his group of friends include a poet (who doesn't write, just quotes from other poets), a watercolorist/sometime vagabond and a sculptor. The three friends are very fortunate in having Rowly for a friend because he is very wealthy so it would seem to take a lot of pressure off the other three to make a living from their art. I got a little confused sometimes and had to stop and ask myself who Ed was until I would remember that was what the others called Edna. There has been a spate of sons of wealthy society families kidnapped and held for ransom. When three men break into the suite Rowland is sharing with his friends and try to abduct him, the natural assumption of the group is that it was a kidnap for ransom attempt. Rowly's older brother wants him to undertake a job of finding out what has happened to the foreman of the cattle moving crew in the Snowy Mountains so this seems like a good time for Rowly and his friends to decamp and evade any further kidnap attempts.
I always enjoy reading mystery novels set in locations other than the United States because I tend to learn very interesting history of the places I'm visiting in the book. This novel was certainly no exception to the learning experience and the Australian slang and word phrasing put me right in the country. Political events were of immense importance at this time in Australia and the author really was able to show the Communist and Fascist influences by weaving in true historical people and events which would lead up to World War II and the stance the Australian government took. The beginning of each chapter has an excerpt or reproduction of printed material in newspapers of the day (or slightly more modern) which I feel confident were real and which cast insight on the content of that chapter. Altogether a very interesting reading experience and it is very nice to know there are already two previous novels I can read in the series.
Australian author Sulari Gentill has now written at least three novels in her Rowland Sinclair series set in the 1930s. This one is 1933 and takes place in New South Wales and the Snowy Mountains. It is quite an interesting mix of the outback cattle ranching and wealthy amateur sleuth themes. Her main character is an artist specializing in the "female form" and his group of friends include a poet (who doesn't write, just quotes from other poets), a watercolorist/sometime vagabond and a sculptor. The three friends are very fortunate in having Rowly for a friend because he is very wealthy so it would seem to take a lot of pressure off the other three to make a living from their art. I got a little confused sometimes and had to stop and ask myself who Ed was until I would remember that was what the others called Edna. There has been a spate of sons of wealthy society families kidnapped and held for ransom. When three men break into the suite Rowland is sharing with his friends and try to abduct him, the natural assumption of the group is that it was a kidnap for ransom attempt. Rowly's older brother wants him to undertake a job of finding out what has happened to the foreman of the cattle moving crew in the Snowy Mountains so this seems like a good time for Rowly and his friends to decamp and evade any further kidnap attempts.
I always enjoy reading mystery novels set in locations other than the United States because I tend to learn very interesting history of the places I'm visiting in the book. This novel was certainly no exception to the learning experience and the Australian slang and word phrasing put me right in the country. Political events were of immense importance at this time in Australia and the author really was able to show the Communist and Fascist influences by weaving in true historical people and events which would lead up to World War II and the stance the Australian government took. The beginning of each chapter has an excerpt or reproduction of printed material in newspapers of the day (or slightly more modern) which I feel confident were real and which cast insight on the content of that chapter. Altogether a very interesting reading experience and it is very nice to know there are already two previous novels I can read in the series.
May 14, 2021
2021 bk 88. The third book of a series is usually where the reader learns if the author has staying power - of where the skills will start to decline. Miles Off Course came across to me as stronger than books one or two. The characters are firmly established, but still have things to reveal. When a stockman goes missing in the Snowy Mountains, Wilfred asks Rowly to look into it. The prejudices of the day rear their heads when residents of the mountain question why Rowly and Miles would even consider being worried about an aboriginal stockman. Along the way, Rowly and his friends encounter an retired governess who unexpectedly has letters and writings from Rowly's deceased brother, another director from the company board Rowly sits on, and an old school friend from England. Cap this off with multiple attempts to abduct him leaves Rowly with a rather large target on his back. I loved the newspaper clippings of the day, the plotting of the author, and the constant state of suspense this book kept me in!
September 7, 2021
Rated 5 stars. This series gets better with each episode! There's quite a twist in the murder storyline. In fact I'm not going to comment on much of the plot as there would be too many spoilers.
This starts out as more of an adventure then a mystery but things get VERY intriguing about halfway through. As usual wonderful dialogue and characterizations mixed in with the politics and historical events of early 1930's Australia. Read this as an E-book through our library and was fortunate to also be able to listen to the Audio on Hoopla. Wonderful voice narration by Rupert Degas!
This starts out as more of an adventure then a mystery but things get VERY intriguing about halfway through. As usual wonderful dialogue and characterizations mixed in with the politics and historical events of early 1930's Australia. Read this as an E-book through our library and was fortunate to also be able to listen to the Audio on Hoopla. Wonderful voice narration by Rupert Degas!
March 21, 2021
I enjoy the historical content in these books along with Milt's penchant to try and verbally claim recognised writers 'sentences' as his own wit and genius.
The bad-guy was a little too obvious in this story, and I, sort of, agreed with Rowly's sentiments concerning him during a past encounter.
While Gentill includes the suggestion of racy 1930's content/conduct, there is nothing laid out in salacious detail: so glad about that, I just want to read a historical mystery crime story, not one that has open-door bedroom scenes, consensual or violent.
Extra: There is one kissing scene between Rowly and Edna when he is out of his senses with fever.
The bad-guy was a little too obvious in this story, and I, sort of, agreed with Rowly's sentiments concerning him during a past encounter.
While Gentill includes the suggestion of racy 1930's content/conduct, there is nothing laid out in salacious detail: so glad about that, I just want to read a historical mystery crime story, not one that has open-door bedroom scenes, consensual or violent.
Extra: There is one kissing scene between Rowly and Edna when he is out of his senses with fever.
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