When local solicitor Will Rockne is found in his car by his wife - shot through the head - it seems a baffling and motiveless murder. However, Scobie Malone, newly assigned to the case, has his suspicions. Despite his daughter Claire's shy romance with young Jason Rockne, Scobie and his wife Lisa's encounters with Will and Olive Rockne at school functions have always been a little disconcerting...Will had been determined to convince them that he was more than just a suburban lawyer. But when a huge amount of cash is found in a safe in Rockne's office, Scobie discovers that he wasn't just boasting; he would seem to have been caught up in something big - big enough to involve Bernie Bezrow, Sydney's largest bookmaker, the mysterious Shahriver offshore bank, and an elusive, undoubtedly dangerous Russian. Somewhere in this labyrinth lies the key to a ruthless murder, and Scobie is determined to pursue it to the end...until his investigation is thwarted by an unexpected source and he is met with a wall of deceit and evasiveness. To break it down will demand all of his skills and experience and will put the lives of young Claire and Jason in terrible danger. Bleak Spring contains all the hallmarks of Jon Cleary's masterful novels: a gripping murder story, wonderfully shrewd observations on the dark underside of contemporary world events, and a remarkably vivid portrait of modern Australian society.
From the award-winning Jon Cleary, a novel featuring Sydney detective Scobie Malone.
When local solicitor Will Rockne is found in his car by his wife – shot through the head – it seems a baffling and motiveless murder. However, Scobie Malone, newly assigned to the case, has his suspicions. Despite his daughter Claire's shy romance with young Jason Rockne, Scobie and his wife Lisa's encounters with Will and Olive Rockne at school functions have always been a little disconcerting… Will had been determined to convince them that he was more than just a suburban lawyer. But when a huge amount of cash is found in a safe in Rockne's office, Scobie discovers that he wasn't just boasting; he would seem to have been caught up in something big – big enough to involve Bernie Bezrow, Sydney's largest bookmaker, the mysterious Shahriver offshore bank, and an elusive, undoubtedly dangerous Russian.
Somewhere in this labyrinth lies the key to a ruthless murder, and Scobie is determined to pursue it to the end…until his investigation is thwarted by an unexpected source and he is met with a wall of deceit and evasiveness. To break it down will demand all of his skills and experience and will put the lives of young Claire and Jason in terrible danger. Bleak Spring contains all the hallmarks of Jon Cleary's masterful novels: a gripping murder story, wonderfully shrewd observations on the dark underside of contemporary world events, and a remarkably vivid portrait of modern Australian society.
**
From Publishers Weekly
With his latest Scobie Malone case, after Dark Summer , Cleary confirms his standing as Australia's Ed McBain. Cleary's novels, like McBain's 87th Precinct series, are model procedurals whose casts of colorful characters and intricate plots are webbed with a fine dry humor: "A good deal of police detection is taken up with thinking and discussion, which are often indistinguishable from malingering." Inspector Malone of the Sydney PD is in charge of investigating the murder of Will Rockne, a suburban lawyer shot to death in a parking lot. Olive, the flighty widow, seems to be taking things calmly, closely supported by glamorous Queen's Counsel Angela Bodalle. When $5 million is found in Rockne's safe, the case takes on a new cast. Some shady bankers, a flashy bookmaker, a menacing Russian and a lowlife car thief play parts in the puzzle, whose dark secrets, once revealed, spin out to damage quite a few lives, some innocent. Cleary's sure grip on the brisk plot is equaled by his grasp of psychological motivations. This is first-rate storytelling.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
YA-Homicide Detective Scobie Malone heads the inquiry into the murder of Will Rockne. When bank records reveal the victim to be worth over $5 million, his shocked widow becomes a suspect, as do several former clients with very shady pasts. Cleary paints the Aussie directness, humor, and colorful expressions along with the landscape of New South Wales. Two characters stand out: Jay Rockne, a teenager struggling to control his volatile emotions and to accept his new role as man of the house; and Scobie, an endearing hero. Malone's traditional family contrasts with Rockne's dysfunctional one, with its atypical arrangements that include a lesbian relationship central to the plot. Mature YAs will enjoy the suspense of this well-crafted crime story and will be on the lookout for further Scobie Malone mysteries. Judy Sokoll, Fairfax County Public Library, VA
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Description:
When local solicitor Will Rockne is found in his car by his wife - shot through the head - it seems a baffling and motiveless murder. However, Scobie Malone, newly assigned to the case, has his suspicions. Despite his daughter Claire's shy romance with young Jason Rockne, Scobie and his wife Lisa's encounters with Will and Olive Rockne at school functions have always been a little disconcerting...Will had been determined to convince them that he was more than just a suburban lawyer. But when a huge amount of cash is found in a safe in Rockne's office, Scobie discovers that he wasn't just boasting; he would seem to have been caught up in something big - big enough to involve Bernie Bezrow, Sydney's largest bookmaker, the mysterious Shahriver offshore bank, and an elusive, undoubtedly dangerous Russian. Somewhere in this labyrinth lies the key to a ruthless murder, and Scobie is determined to pursue it to the end...until his investigation is thwarted by an unexpected source and he is met with a wall of deceit and evasiveness. To break it down will demand all of his skills and experience and will put the lives of young Claire and Jason in terrible danger. Bleak Spring contains all the hallmarks of Jon Cleary's masterful novels: a gripping murder story, wonderfully shrewd observations on the dark underside of contemporary world events, and a remarkably vivid portrait of modern Australian society.
From the award-winning Jon Cleary, a novel featuring Sydney detective Scobie Malone.
When local solicitor Will Rockne is found in his car by his wife – shot through the head – it seems a baffling and motiveless murder. However, Scobie Malone, newly assigned to the case, has his suspicions. Despite his daughter Claire's shy romance with young Jason Rockne, Scobie and his wife Lisa's encounters with Will and Olive Rockne at school functions have always been a little disconcerting… Will had been determined to convince them that he was more than just a suburban lawyer. But when a huge amount of cash is found in a safe in Rockne's office, Scobie discovers that he wasn't just boasting; he would seem to have been caught up in something big – big enough to involve Bernie Bezrow, Sydney's largest bookmaker, the mysterious Shahriver offshore bank, and an elusive, undoubtedly dangerous Russian.
Somewhere in this labyrinth lies the key to a ruthless murder, and Scobie is determined to pursue it to the end…until his investigation is thwarted by an unexpected source and he is met with a wall of deceit and evasiveness. To break it down will demand all of his skills and experience and will put the lives of young Claire and Jason in terrible danger. Bleak Spring contains all the hallmarks of Jon Cleary's masterful novels: a gripping murder story, wonderfully shrewd observations on the dark underside of contemporary world events, and a remarkably vivid portrait of modern Australian society.
**
From Publishers Weekly
With his latest Scobie Malone case, after Dark Summer , Cleary confirms his standing as Australia's Ed McBain. Cleary's novels, like McBain's 87th Precinct series, are model procedurals whose casts of colorful characters and intricate plots are webbed with a fine dry humor: "A good deal of police detection is taken up with thinking and discussion, which are often indistinguishable from malingering." Inspector Malone of the Sydney PD is in charge of investigating the murder of Will Rockne, a suburban lawyer shot to death in a parking lot. Olive, the flighty widow, seems to be taking things calmly, closely supported by glamorous Queen's Counsel Angela Bodalle. When $5 million is found in Rockne's safe, the case takes on a new cast. Some shady bankers, a flashy bookmaker, a menacing Russian and a lowlife car thief play parts in the puzzle, whose dark secrets, once revealed, spin out to damage quite a few lives, some innocent. Cleary's sure grip on the brisk plot is equaled by his grasp of psychological motivations. This is first-rate storytelling.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
YA-Homicide Detective Scobie Malone heads the inquiry into the murder of Will Rockne. When bank records reveal the victim to be worth over $5 million, his shocked widow becomes a suspect, as do several former clients with very shady pasts. Cleary paints the Aussie directness, humor, and colorful expressions along with the landscape of New South Wales. Two characters stand out: Jay Rockne, a teenager struggling to control his volatile emotions and to accept his new role as man of the house; and Scobie, an endearing hero. Malone's traditional family contrasts with Rockne's dysfunctional one, with its atypical arrangements that include a lesbian relationship central to the plot. Mature YAs will enjoy the suspense of this well-crafted crime story and will be on the lookout for further Scobie Malone mysteries.
Judy Sokoll, Fairfax County Public Library, VA
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.