4.5 ★s
A Few Right Thinking Men is the first book in the Rowland Sinclair series by award-winning Australian author, Sulari Gentill. When gentleman artist Rowland Sinclair’s favourite uncle dies following a savage beating in his own home, the police seem fixated on his elderly housekeeper at the expense of doing any real investigating. Information volunteered by the victim of a similar attack leads Rowly to suspect that it’s the work of the New Guard, the face of an increasing fascist presence in the country, but his uncle wasn't a communist, Rowly was certain, so why was he targeted?

With his quirky artistic friends (Edna the sculptress, Milton the poet and Clyde the artist), he devises a clever, if perhaps dangerous, way to learn more about those he suspects. But then it comes to light that his old uncle had a certain asset indicating an unsavoury connection, which muddies the waters a bit.

Soon, he finds himself, much to his older brother’s disapproval, deeply involved in what looks like becoming a civil war. When ultimately, they do discover who was responsible for the attack, Rowly and co are a little slow to figure out the why of it, and then events overtake them before they have time to react.

Gentill gives the reader an excellent plot with an exciting climax and a believable ending. While none are perfect, most of Gentill’s characters are endearing, with a few despicable ones to even things out. And of course, there’s Rowland: an appealing, can-do sort of guy, intelligent, a bit unconventional but full of integrity, which is reflected by loyalty of the friends he attracts.

Quotes from press articles of the time that preface many of the chapters cleverly serve the dual purpose of providing some of the background political climate and giving the reader a clear timeline of events.

Gentill's extensive research is apparent on every page, but this is no dry history lesson: the facts drop into the story unobtrusively; there’s also plenty of humour, especially in the banter between the friends. And she bestows on the reader a front-row seat for an infamous event of 1932.

As always, Gentill captures the era perfectly. This is a superb dose of Australian historical fiction, and readers who enjoy it will be pleased to know they can look forward to a further eight (at least) instalments of this award-winning series, beginning with A Decline In Prophets.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Pantera Press