Paving the New Road - Gentill
3.5 stars

Everything about this book is overly contrived. I knew that would be true, because I’ve read two other books from this series. I tried to just go with it, and restrained my eyes from rolling out of my head. Mostly that worked for me. I enjoyed the continuing characters even when I couldn’t believe their ability to walk blindly into dangerous situations. I knew the amateur detectives turned spies would interact with an unlikely number of historical characters. It’s like Forrest Gump times 4. However, despite the over-used artistic license of the author, it was the historical context of this mystery that kept me reading.

It’s 1933. Rowland Sinclair & Co. are in Germany trying to divert the Australian fascist, Eric Cambell, from gaining an alliance with Hitler. The overriding goal is to prevent the growth of facism in Australia. Additionally, they are looking into the possible murder of another Australian who had been sent to Germany on a similar mission. Germany in 1933 is a very scary place. There were far too many narrow escapes as the clueless four bumble their way through the assignment. I know there was meant to be humor in some of the situations, but for me it wasn’t enough to break the tension. I did laugh at the art that was purchased to support their cover story of being international art dealers. Much of it was ridiculous fictional surreal art, but the author did slip in an authentic Joan Miro.

There’s a fairly long list of famous names in this book beginning with notable Australian aviators, and including Eva Braun, Unity Mitford, and Albert Goring. Between the author’s notes and google search I learned interesting facts about all of them. ( )

During the 1930s, it was possible to imagine several countries allying with Germany. In the United States, many Republicans supported the Nazis. In the United Kingdom, there was active support. It is possible if Edward III had not been forced to abdicate, he would have pushed toward an alliance with Germany and in exile, the Duke and Duchess were Nazi sympathizers. The same threat was rising in Australia and Australian politician Eric Campbell wanted to bring fascism to Australia, arguing that democracy had failed.

Campbell went to Germany seeking support and alliances. This is real history, but in Paving the New Road, the fictional Rowland Sinclair and his friends Edna, Milton, and Clyde fly to Germany to foil his plans, replacing a man who drowned while swimming–though Rowlie comes to suspect that he may have been murdered. Their mission is to foil Campbell’s attempts to meet with high-ranking Nazis. They operate less like spies, though, and more like Merry Pranksters.

I like the series characters in these Rowland Sinclair mysteries by Sulari Gentill. I wish the plot was as fully realized as the characters are. The plot was thin gruel and, despite moments of jeopardy, felt more like a lark than a serious effort. They had altogether too much fun fighting the Nazis.

I don’t want to create the impression that Gentill makes light of or diminishes the evils of Nazism. I just think that their success relied on pranks, not so much espionage or investigation. It is also at the beginning of the Reich, where all its evil is not yet manifest, is just beginning to take form. The anti-semitism is present, there are concentration camps, but the Final Solution is not yet in place.

The mystery of his predecessor’s murder is solved by revelation, though suspicions had formed. Also, as in A Decline in Prophets, a photo served as the crucial clue to the solution. I’ve read two books by Gentill and a photo has revealed critical information twice which would be cool if Rowlie were a photographer. I hope the next Rowlie Sinclair mystery is one where he figures things out without seeing a single photo.

And yes, even though I thought this book needs a strong plot, I am looking forward to the next in the series, because I like Rowlie, Edna, Milton, and Clyde and hope to visit with them soon.

I received an e-galley of Paving the New Road from the publisher through NetGalley.

Paving the New Road at Poisoned Pen Press
Sulari Gentill author site

https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpress.com/2018/01/26/9781464206894/ ( )

Miles and his companions are dragooned into going to Nazi Germany to try to stop their own home-grown Aussie fascist leader from gaining any credibility from his association and interaction there.
It's sort of like watching Forest Gump as you bump into famous person after famous person.
Miles and his bohemian friends find themselves in a series of very nasty situations as they try to accomplish the disruption and also investigate the murder of the agent whose place Miles was taking. Pleasant read. ( )

This title has sat in my TBR shelves for far too long. In it the author cleverly reminds of what is happening in the world in 1933: Germany rapidly heading into fascism; that there are those who would like to see Australia heading the same way. When Rowland Sinclair agrees to go to Germany instead of his brother Wilfred, Rowland's bohemian friends decide to accompany him. And how else to get there quickly other than in Kingsford-Smith's Southern Cross?

I loved the way some now famous names came to life in this story including Kingsford-Smith, Eva Braun, Hermann Goering and Nancy Wake, just to name a few.

Although the action of the story really is improbable, it makes a captivating tale, and excellent reading. ( )

The reader of my reviews will know I've become a bit of a fan of the Rowland Sinclair series (which is quite surprising for somebody who normally prefers to lurk deep on the dark side), so PAVING THE NEW ROAD was a welcome arrival. Basing the story in 1933, sending Sinclair and his companions to Germany all sounded rather interesting. Although I will confess that one of my pet peeves - the inclusion of high profile real-life figures in fiction - made me somewhat nervous. Having said that, if you're going to include a real-life figure, then why not somebody famous for being around somebody really famous (as opposed to the really famous person themselves)... If that seems to be ridiculously coy, then my apologies, but sometimes avoiding spoilers in reviews requires Herculean effort.

Given this is now the 4th Sinclair book, I'll leave out mentioning who Rowland Sinclair and his group of companions are and how they came to be. As with all of the series, you could read them on their own, but you really would be better off to go back to the start if you need to, as the background to these characters is part of their attraction.

This book, in particular, is littered with real-life references that are very recognisable. From Charles Kingsford-Smith providing transport for Sinclair's group to Europe, Adolph Hitler (although he's more referred to, as opposed to incorporated into the story), through Eric Campbell himself (who I was somewhat surprised to find died as recently as 1970 in Canberra), there's a smattering of other names throughout the book that are instantly going to give this story some very firm grounding in a time, and a society, that had such a massive impact on the rest of the world in the years that followed.

There is quite a leap of allegiance in this book as Sinclair reluctantly heads to Germany on a commission from old enemies, although the leap is nicely explained, and given some lovely light touches as Sinclair's friends, masquerading as art dealers, manage to take their revenge with some rather eccentric purchases. What's also very well done is the weaving together of Sinclair's role in Germany - essentially as that of spy - with the solving of the death of the man in whose footsteps he is following. Granted the spying aspects of the plot take up a lot more time than the investigation, but that wasn't in any way unsatisfying or annoying. There's also a very strong sense of the place - 1933 Germany is a worrying place to be in this book - the build up of Nazi fanaticism is stark and frightening, not just because we read about it knowing the ultimate outcome.

Part of the attraction of this series is the combination of historical facts, with a great ongoing cast of characters, all handled with great aplomb by a master storyteller. Who must be good at what she does - littered with references to dresses and clothes, incorporating a pet peeve of this reader, and a combined spy thriller and crime investigation - and I still thoroughly enjoyed PAVING THE NEW ROAD.

http://www.austcrimefiction.org/review/paving-new-road-sulari-gentill ( )