A Testament of Character by Sulari Gentill

Publisher's Synopsis

In fear for his life, American millionaire Daniel Cartwright changes his will, appointing his old friend Rowland Sinclair as his executor.

Soon murder proves that fear well founded.

When Rowland receives word of Cartwright’s death, he sets out immediately for Boston, Massachusetts, to bury his friend and honour his last wishes. He is met with the outrage and anguish of Cartwright’s family, who have been spurned in favour of a man they claim does not exist.

Artists and gangsters, movie stars and tycoons all gather to the fray as elite society closes in to protect its own, and family secrets haunt the living. Rowland Sinclair must confront a world in which insanity is relative, greed is understood, and love is dictated; where the only people he can truly trust are an artist, a poet and a passionate sculptress.

My Review of A Testament of Character by Sulari Gentill

A Testament of Character is a historical mystery thriller set in 1935 and featuring the highly effective artist and altruist Rowland Sinclair. The effects of the 1929 stock market crash are still being felt and it’s this little fact that makes what Rowly and his friends are about to walk into so very difficult.

Rowland receives word that good friend from his Oxford days, Daniel Cartwright, has died in Boston. More distressingly, Danny was murdered, shot to death in a boathouse. 

Curiously, he named Rowland as executor of his will. Rowland immediately leaves for the US and his friends, Edna, Clyde and Milton come too.

Danny has two brothers and a sister, but he clearly didn’t trust them to disperse his estate. These suspicions are quickly confirmed when the two brothers angrily confront Rowland with a warning to “do what’s right” and disperse their brother’s estate to his family as is fitting.

But Rowly is a man of integrity and is determined to accede to Danny’s wishes as is fitting. It turns out that at the will reading it’s revealed that Danny left small endowments to each of his siblings but the rest is to go to a man named Otis Norcross. Unfortunately, Norcross cannot be found and so, Rowland and his friends set about trying to identify the man so that the estate can be properly dispersed.

There’s also the matter of Danny’s murder to deal with and Rowland is painfully aware that the killer is out there somewhere and should be brought to justice.

As has become somewhat the norm when it comes to Rowland Sinclair’s adventures, trouble has a way of finding him. He and his friends cross paths with gangsters, kidnappers and standover men as they try to find Norcross and hold off the wrath of Danny’s family. But with the capable help of Clyde and Milt they manage to make progress on their search. 

The antagonistic brothers make repeated appeals to Rowland and they appear to have connections with underworld figures. Both parties seem dependent on getting their hands on Danny’s fortune and threats soon turn to actual violence. Being an executor is no walk in the park and being the friend of an executor is no picnic either.

From Boston the trail leads them south to North Carolina, crossing paths with both F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald who become instrumental in helping them find their man.

The Rowland Sinclair series is consistent in bringing the time period setting to rich and colourful life while also providing a strong and thought provoking mystery. Equally, there’s a great balance of sparkling humour, good natured banter between the friends and inevitable life threatening moments. 

Sulari Gentill continues to do a remarkable job of extracting the mood of the time period, not to mention her ability to convey the difficult political rumblings that were prevalent at the time and weaving them into the story. There’s also the matter of Danny’s sexual preferences and the outrage they had caused, playing no small part in the utter loathing coming from his family.

Up and down the US east coast, Rowland and his friends trek in a bid to carry out their friend’s final wishes. They encounter all manner of dangers in a breezy, fast-moving mystery that continues to be delightfully constructed. The friendships of the central four continue to remain strong, even developing and strengthening as they’re put through ever increasingly rigorous tests.

A Testament of Character (published as Where There’s A Will in the US) will prove to be extremely satisfying reading for all those who have been along for the journey of the previous 9 books of the series. If you’re encountering Rowland Sinclair for the first time, you’re in for a strong mystery with a clever twist or two. You should also sit back and admire Rowland’s single-minded determination to always do the right thing by others.

Other Reviews

Amazon Review

Rowland Sinclair is always getting into trouble and here he gets into some of the worst, and in Boston of all places. There are gangs after him and gangs after each other. There is a very unpleasant woman who thinks he has jilted her even though we know it is just his innate politeness that causes the problem. There is a family after his blood as he tries to deal fairly with the execution of a Will. He even manages to dip into the awfulness which was the law and public opinion about homosexuality at that time. Read full Review

GoodReads Review

This is another excellent mystery sprinkled with famous characters including Randolph Hearst, Joe Kennedy and his young son John, F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda as well as the leaders of warring Italian and Irish gangs. The plot moves along at a good pace with plenty of action as Rowly and co. try to stay one step ahead of those who would persuade them to give up and go home. As always, I love the news clippings at the start of each chapter which provide interesting and often delightful background details of the fashions and issues of the mid 1930s. Read all GoodReads reviews