The Scobie Malone series written by Jon Cleary is probably Australia's best known and most popular police procedural series. Certainly it is the longest running series with this first book, The High Commissioner having been published in 1966 and continued for a further 19 books with the last published in 2004.

The first Scobie Malone book introduces us to a young, slightly raw Detective Sergeant who is about to be taken from his comfortable environment in Sydney, Australia and placed in a more unfamiliar locale in London.

The job assigned to Scobie is a daunting one, particularly for a guy who has never been far from home for any length of time. He is to quietly slip in to London and arrest the Australian High Commissioner for murder. The arrest is to be done quickly and with as little fuss as possible for fear of tarnishing Australia's reputation in the eyes of foreign dignitaries.

The strength of The High Commissioner is the character of Scobie Malone, an unassuming, likable man with a canny detective's nose. It was easy to feel for him as he was thrown into the unfamiliar world of international politics. A clear picture of his ideals and beliefs is assembled during the book through his conversations with Quenton and his wife ensuring that he is a character that I would to read more of. In fact, with the exception mentioned above, Cleary does an excellent job of depicting all of his characters, giving them all solid backgrounds, making them real and believable.

This is a taut thriller that starts with what appears to be a straightforward, if somewhat daunting task, and slowly progresses in complexity. The obstacles placed in Malone's path display his flair for adapting to his surroundings and his ability to make the most of difficult situations. His simple arrest turns into a longer than anticipated lesson in diplomacy.

The pace is sedate as befits a story filled with political intrigue, built around insightful conversations and the almost unnoticed gathering of facts by Malone. But it is also relentless with occasional flashes of extreme excitement thanks to the assassination attempts. It culminates in a terrific ending that is both unexpected as well as satisfying.

The High Commissioner is a strong opening to the Scobie Malone series, revealing just enough of the detective to whet the appetite to find out more. If he is this effective so far from his home patch in Sydney, I’d to find out just what he can achieve when he gets home.

This is a cut-down version of my longer review of The High Commissioner which can be found on the Australian Crime Fiction HQ website.1 Balthazar Lawson670 6

To exact political revenge Detective Sergeant Scobie Malone is sent to London to arrest the Australian High Commissioner for murder. What should be a simple task is turned on it's head when it becomes clear that someone is trying to kill the High Commissioner. So instead of arresting him, Scobie sets out to protect him as the High Commissioner cannot return to Australia immediately as he is in the middle of a conference trying to prevent war in Vietnam.

This book is over 50 years old but it has a timelessness to it that makes it enjoyable. Being so old during the process of digitizing there were many many mistakes. It reflects extremely badly upon the publisher of this book who need to take a good hard look at themselves.

Despite that this is an enjoyable read and the first in the Scobie Malone series. Anne Smith1 review

Jon Cleary, a fine Australian author

Have read many of Jon Cleary,s books.he is one of my most favourite authors.i admire his use of words to describe expressions,people and situations. John Coats1 reviewRead

When a book leads to reading a further 42 by the same Author, it has to strike a chord.
Cleary became one of a very few favourites. Lawrence Levine146 1 follower

Solid highly intelligent complex adventure novel- movie is better more exciting Rachelr55

While it is dated I still really enjoyed re-reading this. Catsalive2,145 21

http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/5...

Excellent reading. I'm glad I finally got around to one of the early Scobie Malones. The current events may have changed but everything else - politics, diplomacy, etc. - is probably very much the same as in the mid-60s.

"We want you to go to London," said the Premier, "and arrest the High Commissioner for murder..."

The Australian High Commissioner, John Quentin, seems about to achieve the diplomatic triumph of ending the war in Viet Nam. If he pulls it off, nothing can stop him rising to the highest political office, applauded by the gratitude of the world. But at this supreme moment, his own past catches him up. Twenty years earlier in New South Wales a man had murdered his wife and disappeared. Evidence now comes to light that establishes his identity as that of the High Commissioner.

But, for Quentin, the present as well as the past is suddenly alive with danger. Violence lurks in the shadows of the glittering, chattering world of ambassadors and ministers to the Court of St. James's. Caught in a whirlpool of emotions and confronted by an enemy whom he cannot help liking and admiring, Scobie Malone finds himslef doubling the roles of gaoler and bodyguard.

Made into a film in 1968, starring Rod Taylor, Christopher Plummer, Lilli Palmer, Camilla Sparv & Daliah Lav.2012 2016 Zuzu Burford377 34

Written in 1966. I enjoyed the plot with the twists and turns and the relationship that developed between the main characters. Having lived through the 60s, Cleary's observations of this period is taking a step back in time. The clash between the political, cultural,and conservative times after the war and the dramatic change gathering momentum during this period makes this book deja vu for anyone who lived though these heady moments. A great book four decades ago that is still a great read.australian-authors Mark71

This was a random pick when I decided to read a new author. I have great instincts, apparently. This was written in the 60's but was fresh and so very real. The best cop book I've read in a long long time, second to none in making you love the characters and, since it is centered on a Viet Nam peace conference, I could revisit the time.

And there are 19 more books in the series! Bittersweet12

the first of many, and the beginning of my crush on Scobie Malone. Peter Johnson284 2

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