Dilemma by Jon Cleary
Written: Apr 06 '06
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Strongly emotional drama
Cons: The ending of an earlier Scobie Malone is revealed.
The Bottom Line: The 16th Detective Inspector Scobie Malone mystery is a strong emotional drama.
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| damieng's Full Review: |
Since the 1960's, Scobie Malone has been a dedicated policeman with the New South Wales Police Force, required to solve a myriad of crime while tiptoeing through minefields created by the rich and powerful or political powerbrokers. He has reached the rank of Detective Inspector and heads the Homicide Division and by this 16th book in the series, has become used to making difficult decisions. Dilemma is the title of the novel and Malone will find himself facing two major dilemmas as he works on a couple of sticky cases.
With the two cases come two storylines and they occupy the Scobie Malone’s time completely. The first looks to be an open and shut case in which a man has been accused of murdering his wife. Norma Glaze was murdered 4 years earlier and her husband, Ron, disappeared that same night. He’s now been found living under another name in the small country New South Wales town of Collamundra. Scobie has to make the trip out to confront the man, get him to admit his real identity and bring him back to Sydney to stand trial. The thing with this case though is that we know that Ron Glaze didn’t murder his wife. We know that Scobie is wrong in his conviction that he has just arrested an innocent man. But further to that, we know that the real murderer, by an outrageous stroke of coincidence, is the prosecuting solicitor from the Department of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
The second case involves the kidnapping and subsequent murder of 5 year old Lucybelle Vanheusen, a child star who was the face of many advertising campaigns and the daughter of a fashion designer. When Malone delves into the lives of the Vanheusens he finds that the family life was not as perfect as outward appearances would have suggested. The further into the case he goes, the less he likes it and the more convinced that naming the murder will cause outrage. But as a policeman he’s got to be committed to pursuing his suspects no matter how distasteful it may be.
Once again we’re brought back to the DPP who will eventually be prosecuting the Vanheusen case. After a day in court at the Ron Glaze hearing, Scobie is approached by a woman who recognised the DPP solicitor, linking him to the night that Norma Glaze was murdered. He had been at the club that night 4 years ago and never mentioned it to Scobie. Suddenly, Malone has a new suspect, one who is in a position of power (a favourite theme of Jon Cleary’s), but he has little to no evidence and runs the risk of destroying a family if he is wrong. He’s left with the burning question of exactly how he should handle the situation.
This is a fairly routine police procedural mystery as far as the way the investigation is conducted and runs along the traditional lines that fans of the genre would be accustomed – interviews, research, more interviews. Through a lot of hard work and dogged determination, Scobie manages to get under the skin of his suspects and slowly unpeels the truth. Where this story differs, and where the fascinating appeal lies, is in just what he decides to do with that truth – in fact, how Scobie Malone deals with his dilemma.
Jon Cleary manages to cut straight to the heart of everyday Australians through insightful commentary and characters that you can relate to completely. There is always a slightly cynical edge to the Scobie Malone books, particularly when commenting on the attitudes of certain parts of the Australian culture. He ensures that you have to take a long hard look at yourself as he tackles class and racial issues with measured bluntness, hiding nothing.
I only had one qualm with the story and I actually found it quite astounding. For some reason in the course of the story, Jon Cleary chose to completely reveal the ending of one of his earlier Scobie Malone novels. Upon Scobie’s return to the fictional town of Collamundra, the setting of Pride’s Harvest, Scobie muses over the events that took place there. Effectively, every important point relating to the ending of Pride’s Harvest is revealed. So a warning to you, if you are planning on reading Pride’s Harvest, do so before tackling Dilemma.
Some might find this the kind of story that seems slow and the progress is almost non-existent, but in actual fact, the emotional drama involved is extremely intense. Readers who prefer an action-packed thriller will find Dilemma to be a bit of a drag, I fear, but if you enjoy being faced with solid social and ethical issues, this will prove to be a tasty treat.
The Scobie Malone series.
The High Commissioner (1966)
Helga’s Web (1970)
Ransom (1973)
Dragon’s At the Party (1987)
Now and Then, Amen (1988)
Babylon South (1989)
Murder Song (1990)
Pride's Harvest (1991)
Dark Summer (1992)
Bleak Spring (1993)
Autumn Maze (1994)
Winter Chill (1995)
A Different Turf (1996)
Endpeace (1998)
Five-Ring Circus (1999)
Dilemma (2000)
The Bear Pit (2000)
Yesterday's Shadow (2001)
The Easy Sin (2002)
Degrees of Connection (2004)
Originally published on the Australian Crime Fiction Database at www.crimedownunder.com
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
damieng
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Location: Sydney, Australia
Reviews written: 427
Trusted by: 94 members
About Me:
Stop thanking me for my patience...I don't have any.
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