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Scobie Malone #6
Babylon South
Scobie Malone encounters much resistance, and even a fresh corpse, when he resumes the twenty-year-old investigation into the murder of Australian judge Sir Walter Springfellow
464 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1989
11 people are currently reading
28 people want to read
About the author
Jon Cleary
127 books24 followersAustralian popular novelist, a natural storyteller, whose career as a writer extended over 60 years. Jon Cleary's books have sold some 8 million copies. Often the stories are set in exotic locations all over the world or in some interesting historical scene of the 20th century, such as the Nazi Berlin of 1936. Cleary also wrote perhaps the longest running homicide detective series of Australia. Its sympathetic protagonist, Inspector Scobie Malone, was introduced in The High Commissioner (1966). Degrees of Connection, published in 2003, was Scobie's 20th appearance. Although Cleary's books can be read as efficiently plotted entertainment, he occasionally touched psychological, social, and moral dilemmas inside the frame of high adventure.
Jon Stephen Cleary was born in Sydney, New South Wales, into a working class family as the eldest of seven children. When Clearly was only 10, his father Matthew was condemned to six months' imprisonment for stealing £5 from his baker's delivery bag, in an attempt have money to feed his family. Cleary's mother, Ida, was a fourth-generation Australian. From his parents Cleary inherited a strong sense of just and unjust and his belief in family values.
Cleary was educated at the Marist Brothers school in Randwick, New South Wales. After leaving school in 1932, at the age of fourteen, he spent the following 8 years out of work or in odd jobs, such as a commercial traveler and bush worker – "I had more jobs than I can now remember," he later said of the Depression years. Cleary's love of reading was sparked when he began to help his friend, who had a travelling library. His favorite writers included P.G. Wodehouse. Before the war Clearly became interested in the career of commercial artists, but he also wrote for amateur revues. In 1940 he joined the Australian Army and served in the Middle East and New Guinea. During these years Cleary started to write seriously, and by the war's end he had published several short stories in magazines. His radio play, Safe Horizon (1944), received a broadcasting award.
Cleary's These Small Glories (1945), a collection of short stories, was based on his experiences as a soldier in the Middle East. In 1946 Cleary married Joy Lucas, a Melbourne nurse, whom he had met on a sea voyage to England; they had two daughters. His first novel, You Can’t See Round Corners (1947), won the second prize in The Sydney Morning Herald’s novel contest. It was later made into a television serial and then into a feature film. The Graham Greene-ish story of a deserter who returns to Sydney showed Cleary's skill at describing his home city, its bars, and people living on the margin of society. Noteworthy, the book was edited by Greene himself, who worked for the publishing firm Eyre & Spottiswoode and who gave Cleary two advices: "One, never forget there are two people in a book; the writer and the reader. And the second one was he said, 'Write a thriller because it will teach you the art of narrative and it will teach you the uses of brevity.'" (In an interview by Ramona Koval, ABC Radio program, February 2006)
Jon Stephen Cleary was born in Sydney, New South Wales, into a working class family as the eldest of seven children. When Clearly was only 10, his father Matthew was condemned to six months' imprisonment for stealing £5 from his baker's delivery bag, in an attempt have money to feed his family. Cleary's mother, Ida, was a fourth-generation Australian. From his parents Cleary inherited a strong sense of just and unjust and his belief in family values.
Cleary was educated at the Marist Brothers school in Randwick, New South Wales. After leaving school in 1932, at the age of fourteen, he spent the following 8 years out of work or in odd jobs, such as a commercial traveler and bush worker – "I had more jobs than I can now remember," he later said of the Depression years. Cleary's love of reading was sparked when he began to help his friend, who had a travelling library. His favorite writers included P.G. Wodehouse. Before the war Clearly became interested in the career of commercial artists, but he also wrote for amateur revues. In 1940 he joined the Australian Army and served in the Middle East and New Guinea. During these years Cleary started to write seriously, and by the war's end he had published several short stories in magazines. His radio play, Safe Horizon (1944), received a broadcasting award.
Cleary's These Small Glories (1945), a collection of short stories, was based on his experiences as a soldier in the Middle East. In 1946 Cleary married Joy Lucas, a Melbourne nurse, whom he had met on a sea voyage to England; they had two daughters. His first novel, You Can’t See Round Corners (1947), won the second prize in The Sydney Morning Herald’s novel contest. It was later made into a television serial and then into a feature film. The Graham Greene-ish story of a deserter who returns to Sydney showed Cleary's skill at describing his home city, its bars, and people living on the margin of society. Noteworthy, the book was edited by Greene himself, who worked for the publishing firm Eyre & Spottiswoode and who gave Cleary two advices: "One, never forget there are two people in a book; the writer and the reader. And the second one was he said, 'Write a thriller because it will teach you the art of narrative and it will teach you the uses of brevity.'" (In an interview by Ramona Koval, ABC Radio program, February 2006)
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 1, 2022
It's been a long time since I've these books, some of which I had to buy from overseas, but I sure loved following Scobie Malone and he journeyed through his career and raised his children. It was sad when the series was finished, and sadly, Jon is gone, along with many of my other favorite authors.
May 1, 2024
I’m enjoying tracking down these classic Scobie Malone crime fiction novels. Malone loves his family. He’s supportive of his team of detectives. He’s honest and humane.
And Cleary gives us a sense of Sydney with a window back to the times - in this case late 1987, although the story starts back in 1966 with a bit of ASIO mystery.
I’ll keep looking for others in the series in secondhand bookshops for sure.
And Cleary gives us a sense of Sydney with a window back to the times - in this case late 1987, although the story starts back in 1966 with a bit of ASIO mystery.
I’ll keep looking for others in the series in secondhand bookshops for sure.
August 27, 2020
This actually turned out to be a very good read however it did take a degree of perseverance at the start. Very slow to get going and I honestly don't think I'd have kept reading if it hadn't come highly recommended.
August 3, 2017
Good solid fiction, set back when proper police work involved a lot of intuition. The surprise comes far enough from the end to allow a few more twists.
April 6, 2024
This book started off slow but got better. I liked it. This is my second book by the Aussie author. Good mystery.
August 12, 2013
I liked this one because it threw me a couple of curveballs I didn't see coming. I wasn't sure who the killer in either murder was, although I had suspects both of which were of course wrong.
It provides an interesting picture of Australia in the 80s during a market crash. We get to see how the rich are viewed by ordinary cops and how everyone has their own prejudices.
I like this series in general, but this is one of the better installments.
It provides an interesting picture of Australia in the 80s during a market crash. We get to see how the rich are viewed by ordinary cops and how everyone has their own prejudices.
I like this series in general, but this is one of the better installments.
March 29, 2009
Set during the market crash of 1987, the former head of the Australian Security Force has been missing for twenty years and when a body turns up Scobie draws the case. Interesting look at both a cold case and how the economic highs and lows of the eighties affected Australia.
January 12, 2016
I listened to this on AudioGo, read by Shaun Grindell. This format is not showing on "goodreads".
The tale is engrossing, with many twists and turns. For Australians, I recommend you read rather than listen.
The tale is engrossing, with many twists and turns. For Australians, I recommend you read rather than listen.
April 6, 2016
Scobie is an interesting detective and has great plots and subplots. I like how the author con-volutes all his books and includes Scobie's family into the books as well. Seems to be quite human.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews