The wonderful pun of the title drew me in but the wit and the story kept me there! Great throwback to the mysteries of old. I loved it. I received a copy from NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

I had no idea until the epilog that this was a book in a series. Likely the tag line “A Rowland Sinclair Mystery #5” should have given it away. OK, I didn’t read that part. But the book does not read as a serial. Rather, the characters go about their business with little reference to the past beyond what is necessary to the plot and it is delivered in such a way it feels natural instead of necessary.

Sulari Gentill spins an intriguing tale from the beginning wherein the reader meets the heroes of the story just as they have escaped from Nazi Germany in its infancy where the rumblings of the evil to come were only becoming known – and placated away.

The story reads more like real life than a typical fiction mystery. Gentill relates normal goings on of the characters, not just those activities pertinent to solving the crime. While such a practice can become tedious, Gentill skillfully avoids this pitfall, weaving a story that is engaging, intelligent, historically accurate and enjoyable.

I suppose Gentlemen Formerly Dressed could be classified by some as a “cozy” mystery, but it does not read as lightly or with the level of humor commonly found in such novels. Certainly the main character was not a woman. The story was excellent. To fans of historical mysteries, I would highly recommend Gentlemen Formerly Dressed, perhaps begin with book 1 of the series, but if the others are as this one, it is not really necessary.

Rowland Sinclair and his crew of Bohemian Aussie friends are back for another adventure. Having just escaped from Nazi Germany, they land in Britain at the same time as Rowland's stodgy but interesting brother Wilfred.

I was a fan of the first several books. I liked Rowly's casual attitude toward his wealth and social standing, his loyalty to his friends, and the unusual Australian between-the-war setting.

This time, the usual actual historic figures are mixed in: Winston Churchill, the Mosleys and the Mitfords, Wallis Simpson etc. But I found this plot to be over the top unbelievable rather than charmingly quirky. And I have to say, I am thoroughly sick of Rowly and Edna and their will-they-or-won't-they relationship, full of meaningful gestures, many sighs, and great longing on Rowly's side.

I'm not sure where there is left to go in this series. Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in return for my honest review.

There’s something about these books that is starting to annoy me. Don’t get me wrong -- I enjoy the breadth of the author’s research behind the plotting of her books, and the quality of the writing and characterization is superb. What’s starting to grate is the growing expectation that Sinclair is going to get roughed up/then beat up/nearly killed in every single one. That’s what certainly happened in the book before this, and what’s happening to Rowly and his band of merry friends in this one, as he comes up against members of the “brown shirts,” the Oswald Mosley group in Britain that advocated fascism and anti-Semitism -- and which might have succeeded if Hitler hadn’t put a kibosh on those plans. This is all a sidebar to the murder of a socially prominent peer, found in a compromising position.

Certainly names are dropped again -- H.G. Wells, the aforementioned Mosley, his henchman William Joyce, the male members of the royal family, ergo of course Mrs. Wallis Simpson(!), Evelyn Waugh (whom the author seems to have taken a particular dislike to), even Winston Churchill. They all figure in one way or another to further the storyline -- which mentioning here would amount to a spoiler. Suffice it to say that the denouement of the reasons for the murder and its aftermath is rather distasteful, even if it has a basis in history. Much is explained in the epilogue and the author’s afterword.

Thankfully, Sinclair and his friends are on their way back Down Under at the end of the book. Where he will no doubt find something else to nearly lose his life over.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the copy of this book, in exchange for this review.

This is another engaging book in the series. The characters are excellently crafted, an exciting plot, and a good mix of history and fictional details enrich my reading experience.

I only gave the book a 4-star because there are moments when the plot did not move fast enough.

I love how the author includes newspaper cuttings or something similar at the very beginning of each chapter. They provide historical background on the chapters and help to separate fiction from actual history.

Another great book in the series. Anyone who enjoys quality historical mysteries will find Rowland Sinclair's adventures extremely engrossing and engaging.

Rowland Sinclair and his friends have managed to escape from Germany. But they are still not safe. Because of their experiences they feel a need to inform the authorities, so an initial meeting is arranged. Life becomes more complicated when they discover a body.
Sometimes I think Rowland is just a bit naive, but it was an enjoyable read. A mystery mixed in with the history of 1933.

murder, Nazis, Black-Shirts, historical-fiction, historical-figures, historical-places-events, historical-research, history-and-culture-----
Aussies in England 1933 after a rough time in Germany because they are artisans despite having wealthy connections in England. It's the time of the League of Nations, isolationism, and denial of the encroaching evil that is the Nazis and fascism. Amidst this backdrop, this group of talented friends finds themselves embroiled in a murder investigation, the peculiarities of the British aristocracy, meeting with some interesting historical personages, and toting around the wax head of a peer decommissioned from Mme Toussaud's. To top it off, the leader of this not always merry band is plagued by PTSD relating to the beating/broken right arm/swastika burned into his chest with cigarettes by the Nazis. Elaborate and well detailed, this excellent mystery is as convoluted as we could hope for! The publisher's blurb gives hints and there is no need for spoilers here.
I requested and received a free review copy courtesy of NetGalley. Thank you!

I didn't like the title, so I was surprised how much I enjoyed this quirky mystery. It was witty and interesting - full review coming for Shelf Awareness.

I have never been a fan of starting a book midway in a series. I usually feel like it makes me one of those hanger-ons at the outskirts of the 'in crowd' with their inside jokes. This book did none of those things. It was gently welcoming and friendly, sort of like how they were all with each other. The casual ease of the friends and even the families introduced( of our protagonist ) made it a refreshing read. 

Rowland Sinclair has just escaped with his life intact from Germany. It is 1933 and there is a feeling in the air of worse things to come than the depression they are facing. We are given enough information to feel the fear and indignation of the associated events. Once on British soil, the four Australian friends get entangled into a case of a man found murdered in his room at his club. Rowland also is trying to get the attention of any one in a position of power who might take his fears of the SA seriously. It packs a lot of random information from the time which lends its aura to the tale. It is very rare for a book like this to have such a nice protagonist, by nice I do not mean angelic, just someone who is a decent human being who shows how much he cares for his friends and family, all the while being treated like the younger privileged sibling who also happens to be an artist. 

I liked this book, and when time permits I will surely be looking into more of the series. If you are a fan of historical fiction which draws on real events, and has a mystery as well as good writing, this is a book to try!

I read the first book in this series and fell in love with the story and the characters.
This one is also very interesting with the usual mix of history and mystery.
I really appreciated the background and the plot as well as the development in the characters history.
Strongly recommended.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen

When old friends come around you make them welcome. You feed them and give them a drink. You catch up. You laugh and you.. you cry and you get angry if your dearest friends share something horrible with you.
I have not ‘seen’ Rowly since the very first book in the series (A Few Right Thinking Men), but I love him and care for him nevertheless. Rowly has taken up the same place in my heart and my mind of a polygamous reader as Sherlock Holmes, Miss Phryne Fisher and Erast Fandorin.

I love the man. I love his style. I love his friends and his adventures. But… there are some things I find hard to swallow. Like when my friend comes back broken and branded. When he needs people to listen but they are too busy playing nice with monsters.

5th installment in Rowland Sinclair adventures is like a book grown. Rowly has changed. His adventures have changed as well. Yes, they are still very much up market, impeccable in style, dressed to the nines and etc (all the usual trimmings). But now the goings on are much more sinister and gloomy.

Having an adventure of hindsight (we do know what happens in the late 30s in Europe) it is even more hurtful and heart-wrenching. It’s like letting your friends go to some dangerous place, without knowing if they return.

One of the thing that brought me both joy and annoyance, is tingling, ticking and buzzing thought ‘will they, won’t they’. Hell, they are running out of time. The war is coming. Will Edna and Rowly get together? How many more books Sulari will have to write before making it happen?

Well, there is a murder, there are many European aristocrats, there is even a dress up ball of very peculiar nature. There is so much in this story, reader will be kept interested and entertained.

If you want more and you will want more, read forward or backwards. I will do both.

Enjoy

This is the first, but will not be the last, book that I read by this author. Her novels are now being published by the wonderful Poisoned Pen Press, a great place to find new authors and series.
The Rowland Sinclair mysteries take place in the 30s and Rowly reminds me of that great thirties sleuth, Lord Peter Wimsey. He is an artist who is surrounded by his communist leading friends including the lovely Edna, a sculptress. This novel picks up where the prior one ended with the group escaping from Germany at a time when the Nazis were rising and brutal. They come to England where they try to alert the government to upcoming perils and to solve the mystery of an upper class man who is found dead. Subsidiary figures abound including H.G. Wells and Evelyn Waugh.
I truly enjoyed this novel and recommend it to fans of historical mysteries. I look forward to reading more. Thanks for this one, Poisoned Press and NetGalley.

"Gentlemen Formerly Dressed" is a mystery set in June and July 1933 in England. This is the fifth novel in a series. This story referred back to events that happened in previous books, especially the fourth book. The events that happened in Germany still impact the characters during this book, so I'd recommend reading that story before this one.

The main characters were interesting, caring people. Since an innocent girl was being accused of murder, they asked questions despite being warned off by people trying to hush up the crime. Since the murdered man was found in a woman's nightgown, they looked into a possible homosexual connection. There were enough clues that I could guess whodunit shortly before Rowley. The main characters also tried to warn people in Britain about Hitler and what's going on in Germany. Interesting historical details were woven into the the story and touch on the crime.

There was some bad language (if you're American) to a fair amount of bad language (if you count British/Australia bad words). There were no sex scenes. Overall, I'd recommend this interesting novel.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for a review copy of Gentlemen Formerly Dressed, the fifth novel to feature Australian painter Rowland Sinclair and his friends, Edna, Milton and Clyde.

Having barely escaped Nazi Germany with his life Rowlie and the gang are leaving Paris for London where he is determined to expose the Nazis' behaviour when they are almost caught. Once in London Rowlie is delighted for once to meet his brother, Wil, and enlist his help. Unfortunately the man Wil chooses to meet, Lord Pierrepont, is murdered before they can talk and it is they who find the body.

I thoroughly enjoyed Gentlemen Formerly Dressed which is another fine addition to a fascinating series. I love the mixture of historical detail and characters with an exciting adventure and the extracts from contemporary newspapers at the start of each chapter.

It is difficult to discuss the plot without issuing spoilers but it starts with a gory murder and widens into an adventure with a topical motive for the era. I admire the way Ms Gentill effortlessly weaves a very strong sense of era and the hot topics of the time into an exciting read. No reader can come away from the novel without a much better understanding of mid thirties Britain, the gossip, the politics, the economics and the thinking. The plot itself is faintly ridiculous to modern eyes with the liberal Rowlie tangling with the Right Wing in its many guises. I was glued to the pages as he slowly unravels Pierrepont's murder at some personal cost.

Much of the enjoyment in this series comes from the strong bond between Rowlie and his artistic friends, Edna, Milton and Clyde. It is rather muted in this novel as Rowlie is firmly centre stage, taking most of the action himself and leaving the others in a supporting role, except on one amusing occasion when Edna steps in.

Gentlemen Formerly Dressed is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.

I really had a difficult time getting into this book. I found the writing to be choppy, and the characters were not particularly well scripted out. Overall I give it at 3, it was decent read and amusing at times. But like I said, I kept putting it down and picking it up. It was just so difficult to get into. I don't know if it was my state of mind, or the book itself.

* I would like to thank the author, publisher, and netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in return for a fair and honest review*