I am always delighted to settle in for another visit with Rowly, Edna, Clyde and Milton. Each of these characters is eccentric and interesting. We have an aristocrat, an artist, a poet and an artisan. Together they form a formidable quartet.

The Rowland Sinclair mysteries take place in the run up to WWII and in a world that feels rather ominous. Ms. Gentill always does her research and brings authenticity to both the setting and the background history of her stories. This time, I learned about Chiang Kai Shek, those who were pro or anti-Communist and the troubled relations between Japan and China. This history adds verisimilitude to the story.

The story begins as Rowly’s brother ( a more conventional sort) wants to send him and his friends to Shanghai to meet with those who may want to purchase Sinclair wool. Rowly is firmly instructed to equivocate in all of his business dealings. Can he?

The Shanghai that the protagonists visit is depicted as a city of immigrants and locals with many classes and nationalities in its society. For example, Rowly has a Chinese butler and an Indian driver.

As readers of the series know, where Rowly goes, trouble follows. In this novel, he meets a “taxi girl” named Sasha. She is reputedly from the Russian aristocracy. Alexandra now sells dances with her to those at the Cathay Hotel. This is quite a step down from her former life in her own country. Rowly dances with her…when the worst happens to Sasha and she is found dead in Rowly’s hotel room, there is a case to be solved.

This is an intricate and involving story. It is part of a series but can be read as a standalone. I do think, though, that many readers will want to explore all of the titles after they finish this book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for the copy. This was my first time reading the Rowland Sinclair mysteries and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The plot was well written. It was suspenseful as well as fun. The historical background was well researched and the setting was described beautifully. The story was full of twists and turns and it had kept me hooked. I was guessing throughout. The ending connected everything together and was very satisfying. The characters were all likeable and unique. Also there were some pretty amusing scenes and I really liked that.

Sulari Gentill’s Rowland Sinclair series has been masterfully crafted from the beginning. Shanghai Secrets, previously released as All The Tears in China, rises easily to the standard set by the previous eight installations. The writing is excellent and the story telling marvelous.

Gentill researches well her settings, weaving historical accuracies into the work, allowing the characters to interact with authentic locations and personalities in an easily acceptable manner. The story is believable and immersive. Not only is it entertaining, the reader just might learn a bit about history.

Wonderful adventure, enjoyable read. High recommendation.

Rowland “Rowly” Sinclair agrees to travel from Sydney to Shanghai to take his brother’s place in negotiations pertaining to the wool trade. He brings along his friends Milton, Clyde, and Edna, and they all check in to the fanciest hotel in Shanghai, where Rowly meets a Russian “taxi girl” who soon thereafter is found murdered in his hotel room. With the help of some colorful local characters, the gang must investigate the crime to clear Rowly’s name. There’s plenty to keep everyone busy, what with people on both sides of the law threatening Rowly and his friends, an aggressive suitor who won’t take Edna’s no for an answer, and unsubtle pressure from various parties to move forward in the wool negotiations. The 1930’s Shanghai setting is well-defined in both the text and the scene-setting news clippings that begin each chapter, and who can resist reading about the posh lifestyle of these artsy well-to-do friends? The tension increases towards the end, when the physical danger to Rowly escalates, and that’s when the book goes from leisurely historical reading to a more compelling story. The ending is satisfying and ties everything together nicely. I look forward to reading more adventures featuring this team.

Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and Netgalley for a digital advance review copy.

When wealthy Rowland Sinclair is asked by his brother to do business in China for the family's wool trade, he is rather hesitant. But his good friends Clyde, Milton and the beautiful Edna decide to travel with him to Shanghai, making the trip more endurable. Shanghai in the 1930s is filled with shady characters and gangsters, however, not to mention Japanese spies everywhere! Rowland soon finds himself in trouble when he finds a Russian princess, who has been working as a taxi-girl, dead in his luxury suite. Rowland finds himself accused of her murder...

A complex murder story, likeable characters, an exotic setting and adventure make this an enjoyable novel. Rowland is a lovely character and a deep thinker who occasionally quotes poetry. It's fun to read about the 'high life' that these characters live - luxury hotels, ballgowns and servants are just part of the scenery for them! Sulari Gentill captures the exoticism, elegance and mix of cultures of old Shanghai with its undercurrent of menace. Some notes on her research would have made this novel even more interesting!

I hope to read more Rowland Sinclair books.

I received this free ebook from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

EDITION Paperback
ISBN 9781464213618
PRICE $15.99 (USD)

5★
“He had never before been invited to dine by a client, but neither had he been asked to drive a getaway vehicle. It was all rather thrilling. The only person about whom he wasn’t entirely sure was the Chinese butler.” Ranjit Singh, Shanghai taxi driver

Shanghai, 1935. Well, this was a pretty nervous read! We are reminded throughout that Shanghai is a dangerous place with people from all over the world doing all kinds of business, legal, illegal, and lethal. Rowly and his friends are reminded by everyone to be very careful.

“I do need you to understand the danger in which you’ve put yourself and your companions. This is Shanghai. Business dealings here are not always polite. Coercion, extortion, and retribution are as commonplace as drinks before dinner.”

Rowland Sinclair has been sent to Shanghai to meet with international wool merchants on behalf of the wool-growing Sinclair family’s stockpile. Mind you, he knows next to nothing about wool – he’s an artist, as are his three good friends who live with him. But the family needs to be represented, and his grazier brother Wil, who runs the family property, ‘Oaklea’, must remain in Australia at the moment.

Part of the fun in this series is vicariously experiencing Rowly’s wealthy, privileged lifestyle. It’s all dinner suits for Rowland, Clyde, and Milt with evening gowns for Edna, and fine dining and polite manners for them all. Of course his friends travel with him, and of course they stay in the famous Cathy Hotel.

“‘And as you are travelling without servants on this occasion, sir, I shall send up some chambermaids to see to your unpacking.’

‘Please don’t trouble yourself, Mr. Van Hagen. I’m sure we’ll manage.’

‘It’ll be no trouble, sir. This is the Cathay. We pride ourselves on the fact that our guests are not required to manage.’”

That’s all very well . . . until it isn’t. A girl is found murdered in Rowly’s suite and he and his friends are turfed out. Not on the street, mind you, but to a mansion, and later to another, where the food continues to make the mouth water.

Meanwhile, they have acquired a Chinese ‘butler’, Wing Zau, who wants to be a butler, and a chauffeur, Ranjit Singh, the get-away taxi driver of the opening quotation. They are each suspicious of the other, and in a book like this, nobody is above suspicion, except of course, Rowly and friends.

That’s not true. Rowly is suspected of murder and his friends of lying for him. There’s even a suggestion that Ed murdered the girl out of jealousy! Ed, known as ‘the sculptress’ is the love of Rowly’s life, (though neither will admit it to the other), adding romantic tension as a delicious side-attraction to the main story.

The accusations by the police create a rather frightening scenario that reminds me of their escapades in Germany and their run-ins with the Nazis. There are Nazis here, too, and Japanese, whose reputation for cruelty is growing. The air is thick with intrigue over who does business with whom, and who will be offended if you do business with their enemy.

Rowly’s been told he is to make no deals regarding selling the wool, just fill the family seat at the table, but the pressure gets pretty heavy. He is learning quickly to be wary of these friends of the Nazis.

“Japan had left the League of Nations and continued on its own course. News of Japanese atrocities and the plight of the White Russians, as well as the Chinese, in Manchuria had been widely reported in Australia, sparking a kind of removed outrage and occasional fits of fundraising.”

The story includes Aussies, Russians, Germans, English, Americans, Japanese, Indians, and of course, the Chinese. (I'm sure I've omitted some.) Gentill’s history seems faultless to me. Each chapter is introduced with a newspaper or magazine “clipping” from this period of history that gives some background to the action. It’s wonderful stuff!

Of course I haven’t mentioned the desperate situations Rowly gets himself into, or the chase scenes or the close calls. He is attacked, punched, beaten and smashed (with a violin at one point!) more times than I can remember. He is very nearly done for – by “the authorities”.

As I said, Shanghai is a dangerous place. No wonder we use the name for the kidnapping of sailors. [In Australia, a shanghai is a catapult or slingshot, but apparently that comes from an old Scots word, shangan, for a cleft stick. I do find myself down some interesting rabbit holes.]

This was originally published in 2019 as All the Tears in China, and there are plenty of tears in it still. But I haven’t given a sense of how well Gentill describes the spell that Shanghai casts, so I’ll end with one of her descriptive passages.

“Rowland Sinclair cast his eyes across an Eastern Babylon.

Colour was muted by fog, which seemed also to soften the cacophony of sound. On the water, Chinese junks fluttered around steamships like exotic birds, light and graceful against the lumbering momentum of the liners. The port was busy this morning, disembarking passengers and cargo. The waterfront teemed with movement and purpose, scuttling rickshaws, traders, locals in both traditional attire and the Western fashions, amidst the grand buildings of the international settlement. Taxi cabs vied for custom but the Australians had already been warned about the dangers of bandit drivers.”

Bandit drivers! Welcome to Shanghai! This is one of my favourite series. Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press, for the preview copy.

I love Rowland Sinclair mysteries and have always high expectations because it's one of my favorite historical mystery series.
This one was no exception and I thoroughly enjoyed.
The historical background is well researched and vivid as usual and I was happy to catch up with the characters.
The mystery is full of twists and turns and kept me guessing.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Australian amateur detective Rowland Sinclair is sent to Shanghai China in 1935 by his wealthy brother to negotiate a wool contract on behalf of their family firm. An artist by inclination, he is accompanied by a coterie of close friends who live with him. Altogether it's a group of eccentric individuals.
Once in Shanghai they set up shop in a luxurious suite at the swank Cathay Hotel and start to explore the pleasures of a cosmopolitan city, a free port inhabited by people of many colours, creeds and nationalities.
The story begins when Rowland discovers the body of a taxi girl in his suite. It was a violent death as her throat was slit. He was supposed to host her for tea at the hotel, an arrangement made the previous evening in the hotel's jazz club. She was a penniless White Russian working to support herself in Shanghai.
This discovery sets off a chain of events that takes Rowland and his friends all over Shanghai as they investigate the death. A police inspector is convinced Rowland killed her and threatens to imprison him. Rowland and friends are convinced the only way out is to find the real killer. Their investigation leads them into all corners of the city and brings a suspense and adventure to the storytelling. Rowland is put in harm's way several times, adding to the excitement.
The exotic city provides an atmospheric background for the story. Plenty of intrigue provides a stage for a cast of characters to perform. There's a shadowy British spy, overbearing Japanese businessmen, a menacing Chinese gangster, a Chinese butler, a Sikh taxi driver, a wealthy hotel owner and his journalist girlfriend (and her pet monkey). Together with Rowland and his friends they carry the story along at a good clip.
This is the ninth in a series featuring Rowland and his friends, Previous stories have taken them elsewhere in the world for adventure. For example, a dangerous excursion to Nazi Germany is referenced several times during this story. Rowland encounters a variety of trouble on his travels.
The chapters are short which provides a brisk pace to the story. Each is prefaced by a short excerpt from a newspaper on a topic related to the chapter. This introduces some whimsy despite being a distraction to the flow of the story.
It's a good traditional detective story made noteworthy by the antics of Rowland and the cast of eccentric characters. It's made interesting for the story to told from an Australian point of view.
Recommended.
Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and Netgalley for providing a complementary advanced reader's copy of the eBook.

I’m checking in on Rowland two-ish in-story years later than I last did, or several instalments after book one, which I read relatively recently. I did not feel that I had missed too much as Sulari Gentil makes small references to earlier events, helping me to understand changes in behaviour or progress in relationships.
Rowland Sinclair is sent by his elder brother Wilfred to Shanghai for two reasons: get him away from people in Sydney who are anti-Communist, and take Wilfred’s place at some wool trade negotiations.
Of course Rowly’s friends Edna Higgins, Milton Isaacs and Clyde Watson Jones go with him.
Almost as soon as they arrive they’re in trouble: from a foiled kidnapping attempt, a dead taxi girl in their hotel suite, getting kicked out of their swank hotel room, Rowland under suspicion of the murder, and to fraught negotiations with the Japanese and Germans, so it’s never a dull moment with the Australian friends.
Rowland’s friends would no doubt have ended up in much worse trouble, but for the help of Wing Chau, Rowland’s hotel-assigned butler/valet, and their driver Harjit Singh. As it is, the gang manages to barely keep their heads above water, as one bad thing after another happens.
There seems no reason behind the murder, though my suspicions grew about a particular motive as events grew more chaotic and dire for Rowland.

I continue to like and appreciate the news articles that preface each chapter, giving us a little insight to the time period, attitudes and conventions.
The characters are beset by multiple problems, making it hard for them to make headway in their plans to solve the murder. Even so, the plot moved well, and though I wondered occasionally where the many plot points would eventually resolve, I was engaged and interested in the resolution to all the gang’s problems.
I understand that Rowland has had a terrible time whilst in Germany in previous book(s); though it’s only referenced, I did wonder how Rowland had managed to retain such an open, and sometimes terribly naïve view of everyone he meets while in Shanghai. Though it sometimes turned out well, I was glad he had Milton’s more realistic attitude to protect, or at least extricate Rowland from some of his more gullible decisions.
I had to chuckle a little during a few scenes: Edna teaching Rowland how to make tea, and Clyde making breakfast for the gang. Little scenes like these are wonderful, amidst all the political and criminal activity swirling around the Australians. This was another entertaining entry in the Rowland Sinclair mysteries, and it’s encouraged me to read all the instalments I’ve missed.

I enjoy historical mysteries and this series is one of the very best. Rowland (Rowly) Sinclair is an artist and a man who attracts trouble as easily as he paints nudes. Being set upon and beaten is a common occurrence and such is the case in this case. He is attacked by three men when he returns to his flash car in the company of his young nephew. He manages to get out of the situation and they return home only to be met by his older brother, Wilfred. As good as Rowly is as a painter, Wilfred is as the head of the family wool company. In that capacity, Wilfred asks Rowly to go to Shanghai and be the place holder for a series of meetings. He tells him not to sign anything, just listen. As Rowly is feeling some political heat he decides that it's what he'll do and his friends Edna, Milton and Clyde will join him. Sounds like a nice sort of vacation. Shanghai in 1935 is the most exotic melting pot in Asia, also kn own as the Paris of the East. It has it all and then some, from legal to very illegal and even deadly. Everybody has a secret and it's hard to tell who one can trust.
As soon as they arrive Rowly is the victim of an attempted abduction but escapes with the help of some passersby. Then things get really dicey when a woman is found dead in their suite and the police focus on Rowly. What was meant to be a simple favor for his brother turns into a wild and intense situation but we know, somehow, Rowly will come out of it - he always does.
The mystery is peppered with historical facts and each chapter starts with a contemporary newspaper article which I enjoyed very much. Those helped set the tone. The plot, the characters and especially the setting worked together seamlessly to transport this reader to a fascinating period of pre World War II. There were lots of red herrings to keep me guessing, as well as several complex twists. I'm looking forward to reading the next in the series.
My thanks to the publisher Poisoned Pen Press and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Sulari Gentill has done it again! Another very good book from this author.

The whole story is based on a single premise. Rowland Sinclair is sent to Shanghai to represent his brother with a wool consortium, not to negotiate, not to purchase, not to sign anything but to show that by sending his brother, he gave the consortium the respect and the "face" that they deserve.

Rowland is accompanied by Clive and Milton and Edna on a first class journey and then a hotel in Shanghai. Rowland did not expect to face any serious threats enroute or in Shanghai but from the word go, he was assaulted, threatened and then faced with a murder charge and imprisoned. Most unfair and very brutal and all with the idea of using blackmail to get him to sign the agreements. When Rowland knew that Nazi influenced Germans were behind the Japanese bids, nothing on earth would prevail to get him to sign. Hence the punishment which almost left him for dead.

The findings were surprising. It was not just the Japanese consortium that wanted the Sinclair wool, but it was big brother Wilfred's best friend Gilbert Carmel who was desperate to get Rowland to sign and did not care if Rowland died after signing the agreement and who was the mastermind behind the whole scheme.

I finished the book in one go, always sad because I have nothing else from this author on my Kindle. Thats the bad part.

Fans of this series know that Gentil has a wonderful way with settings- and in this case Shanghai 1935 springs to life immediately and strongly. If you haven't read the earlier books- don't worry- all you need to know is that Rowly, who has been sort of a black sheep for his brother Wilfred but. hero elsewhere, has a raft of amusing fiends and a nose for trouble. This time out, he's meant to be doing wool business but, of course,. he can't help but find himself in the soup. Alexandr Romanova, a Russian dancer, is found dead in Rowley's hotel suite; of course he didn't do it, but who did? More sophisticated than a cozy (but with the same elements = lots of people had reason to want her gone), this takes the reader through the wild times of that gorgeous city. Love Rowley, love his friends, find his relationship with his brother a hoot. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. For fans of historical mysteries.

I don’t know why I keep trying to read this author’s work. I enjoyed the first in this series, but then it devolved into far-fetched and didactic territory. I couldn’t get past the first few pages of this one. It’s an uneasy mix of traditional characters and leftist politics

Rowland Sinclair is in Shanghai as a representative of the family wool interests. Traveling with him as usual are his friends, artist Milton, poet Clyde, and sculptress Edna. His brother Wilfred wanted him to keep a low profile, but within a matter of days Rowly has found the body of a taxi girl in his suite and is the only suspect in her murder.

This is the ninth in the Rowland Sinclair Mystery Series. I’ve read and enjoyed the eight previous, and this installment did not disappoint!

With her intricate plot and intense atmosphere, Gentill paints a vivid picture of 1930s Shanghai. The story is populated with characters representative of that international city—wealthy British and American socialites, German and Japanese businessmen, White Russian refugees, and Chinese gangsters.

Gentill is again at her best, incorporating historical events and figures, as well as subplots and a diverse set of characters. The mixture adds a complexity to the story that made it hard to put down. And she does this all without overshadowing the mystery, allowing each event or individual to play a role in the investigation and the solution.

A very satisfying mystery, and I’m really looking forward to the next in the series.

Source—Review copy: Poisoned Pen Press via NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press

Shanghai Secrets, also published as All The Tears In China, is the ninth book in the Rowland Sinclair series by award-winning Australian author, Sulari Gentill. When wool trader, Wilfred Sinclair sends his younger brother, Rowland to Shanghai on business (with very specific instructions on what NOT to do or say), the added benefit is that he (and his left-leaning friends) will be out of Australia for a while, out of sight of the thugs whose political ire has been demonstrated several times with fists. Unfortunately, this backfires, as Rowland seems to attract trouble in China too.

Shanghai in 1935 has both extremes of luxury and lawlessness. When he is asked to leave the opulent Cathay Hotel due to unfortunate circumstances, Rowland gathers his own little team of useful locals around him and, as events spiral out of control, finds himself needing to investigate a brutal murder to clear his name. As well as murders (more than one), Rowly and his artistic friends encounter arson, attempted kidnapping and coercion.

Gentill’s setting, the international treaty city of Shanghai, allows her to populate her tale with a cast of interesting characters, full of quirks and national traits: refugee White Russians and German Jews, Japanese traders and ex-patriates of many nationalities. Also present: Communists, Bolsheviks and Nazis. An English baronet, a besotted journalist, an Indian taxi driver, a Chinese valet, a wool trader and an English spy all play their part. And of course, Rowland: an appealing, can-do sort of guy, intelligent, a bit impulsive but full of integrity, which is reflected by loyalty of the friends he attracts.

With her superb descriptive prose, Gentill really captures her setting well, enhancing it with quotes from press articles of the era prefacing each chapter. The action and excitement takes off from the first page and does not falter, although poor Rowly does get beaten up rather a lot before the story reaches a heart-stopping climax.

While this is the ninth book in Gentill's Rowland Sinclair series, it can easily be read as a stand-alone, although readers who are unfamiliar with Gentill's work are likely to seek out the back issues once they have had a taste. Gentill's extensive research is apparent on every page, but this is no dry history lesson: the facts drop into the story unobtrusively; there’s also plenty of humour, especially in the banter between the friends. The title is a charming (and meaningful) play on words. All this excellent historical fiction is contained inside a wonderfully colourful cover by Sofya Karmazina. Recommended!
This unbiased review is from a copy provided by NetGalley and Poisoned Press