A review by archytas
A Murder Unmentioned by Sulari Gentill

adventurous informative mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

In my review of the previous entry to this series, I noted that Gentill had firmly landed on the side of fun history cameos, and lighter character tone (to balance heavier political material). Here, of course, she proves me wrong by centring firmly at the heart of the series: the Sinclairs and the book is probably the strongest in the series yet. Gentill explores both the privilege of the family and the trauma that has created such a strong sibling bond. The plot is directly related to the relationships - most murder mysteries rely on the characters being inexplicably dense, but here Gentill plays the reticence of the family - born both of a ruling-class set of mores and the nature of abusive families - to parlay the plot into adequate realism. The book also fleshes out Ernie, the young nephew of Rowland, recognising the child's scene-stealing potential. It is hard to write children well, but Ernie lands in the mind's eye from a joyous run. This series has been a great pleasure to discover, and I have been madly recommending it lately, hoping this quality continues.