Where There’s a Will (Rowland Sinclair WWII Mysteries, 10)
Daniel Cartright was a complicated man, brilliant, troubled, a millionaire, and gay, but one thing is indisputable—he’s dead, and his will is about to unfurl a litany of disaster. This is the premise for Gentill’s 10th Rowland (Rowly) Sinclair mystery, set in 1930s Boston, the protagonists being the four Australians: artist Rowly, muse and sculptress Edna, fellow artist Clyde, and poet Milton. This eclectic group is summoned to Boston by Cartright’s lawyers because, unbeknownst to Rowly, he has been named executor. What he encounters are multiple complications―an heir who doesn’t exist, and four Cartright siblings who all have their reasons for wanting more than the measly $10,000 bequeathed by their dead brother. The foursome soon find themselves targets in a deadly game which becomes so complicated it is hard to know who is siding with whom, as they set out to locate the will’s heir and honour their friend’s final wishes.
Gentill’s novel is a thoroughly enjoyable read, evenly paced with rounded characters, a close-knit circle with whom I relished spending time. Although it’s a satisfactory standalone, reading some of the previous adventures might lend an even more nuanced tone to the relationships. As a British expat living in Canada, I was amused by the Australians being mistaken for British, as I have been mistaken for Australian and South African. Gentill’s humour is displayed in references to the Americans being ‘very British’, and the Australians are congratulated on their command of English! The novel explores homosexuality in the 1930s and the lengths to which families would go to remove these ‘degenerates’ from their lives. My one disappointment was figuring out the bad guy too soon, but not the reason, and this did not detract from a very entertaining read. More please!
