Gentlemen Formerly Dressed by Sulari Gentill is a murder mystery featuring Rowland Sinclair. It is the fifth in the series. I haven’t read any of the others and this was not a problem. Sinclair becomes involved in a murder investigation when he realizes their prime suspect, a young girl, is most unlikely to have committed the crime.
The story is a little slow moving at times, but quite interesting as it is set at a significant time in British history shortly before World War 2. The author has cleverly used this history as a backdrop. I probably would have enjoyed it more if I had a better appreciation of British politics and of the peerage. Many of the characters had more than one name due to the fact they had received a title which was a little confusing at times. Each chapter began with a historical newspaper cutting from the era. Some of these I found added to the story but others were a bit long and distracting. Despite these minor issues I did enjoy the story. The main characters were believable and well-drawn and I found the interplay between characters well done.
I also liked the humour, not that it was laugh out loud funny, but rather subtle and well placed. It kept the book on a light hearted note rather than being bogged down with politics and history.
I read this as part of a book club and overall it was an enjoyable read.
