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Paving The New Road
Sulari Gentill
Shortlisted for the Davitt Award for Best Adult Crime Fiction 2013
It’s 1933, and the political landscape of Europe is darkening.
Eric Campbell, the man who would be Australia’s Führer, is on a fascist tour of the Continent, meeting dictators over cocktails and seeking allegiances in a common cause. Yet the Australian way of life is not undefended. Old enemies have united to undermine Campbell’s ambitions. The clandestine armies of the Establishment have once again mobilised to thwart any friendship with the Third Reich.
But when their man in Munich is killed, desperate measures are necessary.
Now Rowland Sinclair must travel to Germany to defend Australian democracy from the relentless march of Fascism. Amidst the goosestepping euphoria of a rising Nazi movement, Rowland encounters those who will change the course of history. In a world of spies, murderers and despotic madmen, he can trust no-one but an artist, a poet and a brazen sculptress.
Plots thicken, loyalties are tested and bedfellows become strange indeed.
“Another great Rowley Sinclair adventure…a testament to Sulari’s writing skill.” – All Good Bookstore
Book 4 in the award-winning Rowland Sinclair Mystery Series
Sulari Gentill
“Another great Rowley Sinclair adventure full of great twists and turns as we have come to expect! The historical detail is fantastic – I found the Germany/Austria of 1933 a very unsettling time to be in (as it should be) and it’s a testament to Sulari’s writing skill.”
All Good Bookstore
“… was blown away by the excitement and the history. Nancy Wake, Somerset Maugham & the rise of Nazi Germany…kept me gripped from page 1 to the end. The Rowly Sinclair series just gets better and better.”
Scott Whitmont, Lindfield Bookshop
“… 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…”
Aust Crime
“… by the amazingly prolific Sulari Gentill… a rich mixture of history, crime and opulent living… The story is inventive and pleasingly different, while the historical detail is truly fascinating… In addition to the expected German figures, such as Herman Goering, there is also a diverse range of other real-life figures from Tilly Devine and Phil the Jew to Kingsford Smith and Nancy Wake and even Somerset Maugham… There is also a neat twist towards the end and the conclusion is gripping and surprisingly brutal.”
Jeff Popple, Canberra Times
“Much like the first three books in the series, Paving the New Road is a light and charming read full of adventure and humour. This book is pure fun. Better yet, it is consistently clever. One of the best aspects of this series is the imaginative way in which the author plays with the historical setting. Gentill is a master at seamlessly weaving real historical figures into her plot… Fans of television’s Underbelly:Razor will be tickled by cameo appearances from notorious Sydney madam Tilly Devine and gangster Phil “The Jew” Jeffs… [Many] notable historical figures play key roles… I cannot recommend the Rowland Sinclair novels enough. Paving the New Road is the most entertaining instalment yet in what was already a great series. Anyone with a taste for classic crime writers like Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers…”
Booktopia
“… Engaging, enlightening and downright entertaining… “
Angela Savage
“‘While the backdrop is one of growing evil, there’s also some fun to be had… breathtakingly tense.”
Leila McKinnon, The Australian Women's Weekly
“There is the usual fun, decadence and near-death adventures that readers of the series have come to expect… a superb example of the historical crime genre, with wonderful characters, a truly suspenseful story and an enveloping sense of time and place. It is highly recommended.”
Fair Dinkum Crime
“… stylish, well-paced murder mystery… cheeky plotline… this tale is told with such flair and feeling for those extraordinary times… Verdict: thrilling.”
The Herald Sun
“… a political thriller of a rather different kind… These amateur Australian spies get tangled up in more than they’ve bargained for and the people who have hired them prove less than helpful. The book is studded with encounters with real historical figures: Unity Mitford, Ernst Rohm, and Hermann Goering’s anti-Nazi brother Albert, to name some… the Sinclair series are a reading pleasure on a par with other excellent Australian historical crime offerings such as Kerry Greenwood’s Phryne Fisher mysteries or Robert Gott’s William Power series.”
The Australian
“A refreshing new voice in Australian crime writing.”
Bibliolathas
“…the fourth book in Gentill’s charming cosy, crime series featuring Rowland Sinclair and his three Bohemian friends…I have thoroughly enjoyed these books for their fun mix of history and fiction, their art deco flair and jazzy lifestyles… What’s not to love? The perfect rainy weekend book choice.”
