A Decline in Prophets
Sulari Gentill
A Rowland Sinclair Novel
In 1932, the RMS Aquitania embodies all that is gracious and refined, in a world gripped by crisis and doubt.
Returning home on the luxury liner after months abroad, Rowland Sinclair and his companions dine with a suffragette, a Bishop and a retired World Prophet. The Church encounters less orthodox religion in the Aquitania’s chandeliered ballroom, where men of God rub shoulders with mystics in dinner suits.
The elegant atmosphere on board is charged with tension, but civility prevails… until people start to die. Then things get a bit awkward.
And Rowland finds himself unwittingly in the centre of it all.
“I’m afraid, Sinclair has a habit of being in the wrong place every possible time. I would think twice about standing next to him.”
“God forbid, Rowland, you should return home without some sort of scandal… leading some kind of insane cult!”
*Winner of Davitt Award for Best Adult Crime Fiction 2012
The Sydney Morning Herald
"impressive stories set against the politics of the 1930s... cleverly picked up by the small Pantera Press..."
Women's Weekly
"...An elusive killer, a charming sleuth and a historical setting, A Decline in Prophets is glossy, original and appealingly Australia."
The Age
"Sulari Gentill's A Decline in Prophets continues the sparkling crime series that began with A Few Right Thinking Men...Gentill writes charming Australian historical crime. There's an Evelyn-Waugh-meets-Agatha-Christie feel about this series, though it perhaps bears closer comparison to the celebrated contemporary author of period crime, the Russian Boris Akunin"
Booktopia
"The sequel to A Few Right Thinking Men: A Decline in Prophets - a heady mix of religion, murder and scandal... the inner workings of an international cult (the Theosophical Movement), luxury boats, seances and mystics and the Masons - in short, the grace, charm and contradiction of the 1930s (plus a rather alarming body count), all put together with Gentill's now trademark light-hearted irony." Click here to buy it at Booktopia
ABC Radio National's The Book Show
"A historical crime series featuring a wiley detective makes us think of Miss Marple or Inspector Poirot..."
ABC Radio 666 Drive Canberra
“This is a very entertaining and lovely book… what is so lovely about it is the characters and the historical detail… People who love Kerry Greenwood’s books featuring Phryne Fisher, the very wealthy flapper in 1928 in Melbourne, well, Rowland is your equivalent and these books are very reminiscent… that same attention to the history… that same attention to the luxury and having a central character who has money and is able to go anywhere in the world as a consequence… and we’re in these extraordinary places… I was much more interested in the colour, movement, light history, the sense of Sydney in the 1930s, the sense of place… that is what I loved…” (Sue Turnbull) Click here to listen to the podcast
Books Plus (Bathurst)
"This richly detailed historical mystery, beautifully bringing 1930s society to life, is a terrific read."
Crime Space
"If you've not caught up yet with Rowly Sinclair... where on earth have you been? ... great story telling. Good characters, a believable plot, both of which transport the reader to a place and a time that just feels right. A Decline in Prophets is just a fantastic book" (Karen).
Bendigo Weekly
"PICK OF THE WEEK... I zoomed through A Decline in Prophets..."
Angela Savage
"I'm inclined to describe A Decline in Prophets as ‘keen, snazzy, swell’ – an assured, engaging, highly entertaining novel from a talented and prolific author... To sum up in the language of the 1930s, Sulari is one cool broad whose juicy books will blow your wig."
Fair Dinkum Crime
"It looks like I’m set for another adventure which will bring to life some more little-known events in Australian history and combine my interests in things artistic and political. How delicious."
Fair Dinkum Crime
"... the relationships between the various members of the group are a real highlight of this book... a gripping mystery... thoughtfully drawn characters, gentle but clever humour and the obvious love Gentill has for the story she wants to tell and the time period in which it is set made this a very satisfying read for me and one I would recommend widely."
Sydney Morning Herald
"...the start of a promising new series set in 1930s Sydney about a character who is a little like a male Phryne Fisher. Rowland Sinclair is a gentleman artist who comes from a privileged background but whose sympathies are with bohemians, lefties and ratbags. It's a rich political and cultural era to explore and Gentill has a lot of fun with a hero who is always getting paint on his immaculate tailoring."
Mysteries in Paradise
"an interesting mix of fact and fiction... very satisfying read, good Australian flavour. 4.8 out of 5"
Heidi Reads - a Librarian's Blog
"I ADORED THIS... the inclusion of historical figures in this series is stunning... very looking forward to books three and four in this series"
A Few Right Thinking Men
Historical crime fiction at its best: gripping, beautifully-written and deeply-researched. The first in the ‘Rowland Sinclair’ series starts in Australia’s 1930’s Great Depression and is based on extraordinary yet real events.
Paving the New Road
Historical crime fiction at its best: gripping, beautifully-written and deeply-researched. The fourth book in the ‘Rowland Sinclair’ series set in the early 1930's and based on extraordinary yet real events.
Miles Off Course
Historical crime fiction at its best: gripping, beautifully-written and deeply-researched. The third book in the ‘Rowland Sinclair’ series set in the early 1930's and based on extraordinary yet real events.
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