Gentlemen Formerly Dressed

The Fifth Book of the Acclaimed Rowland Sinclair Mysteries Handsome, the epitome of stoicism and dignity, wry and witty despite his impeccable manners, protagonist Rowland Sinclair is an Oxford educated gentleman artist in his late 20s who enjoys being the black sheep of his conservative and wealthy family. Rowland has narrowly escaped Germany, damaged - physically and emotionally. Having spent time in Germany as a young man in the 1930s, he is horrified by the changes that have come about under the Nazi government. The country which he knew as the centre of modern art and culture is now, under Hitler, oppressed and brutalised. For the first time, he is moved to take a stance, to try and sway the political thought of the time. He doesn't really know what he is doing, or what should be done, but he is consumed with a notion that something should be done. A bizarre murder plunges the hapless Australians into a queer world of British aristocracy, Fascist Blackshirts, illicit love, scandal and spies. A world where gentlemen are not always what they are dressed up to be. Aristocrats with secrets. Scandalous rogues clad in tailcoats and sensational gowns. Danger is formally dressed. And Edna, siren, emancipated sculptress, the object of Rowland's deepest, unspoken desires, is by his side and yet out of his reach.