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balthazarlawson's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Homicide detective, Scobie Malone, is called in to help with a murder, but when the main suspect disappears the case goes onto the back burners. It sits there until the suspect is spotted four years later and apprehended. Of course the suspect says he is innocent, which Scobie doesn't believe. That is until a witness comes forward and makes a comment that changes everything for him and puts in a difficult situation.
Scobie is also involved in another case, a kidnap murder, which has nothing to do with the first case and at times feels like it is just padding. If the case never existed the story would still be better.
I feel there is a breakdown in the logic when blame is transferred from one to another, in both cases, as it comes down to an unexplained feeling. That is where this story is a bit of a let down. The ending is also a bit of let down but sometimes you can't always get what you want.
Scobie is also involved in another case, a kidnap murder, which has nothing to do with the first case and at times feels like it is just padding. If the case never existed the story would still be better.
I feel there is a breakdown in the logic when blame is transferred from one to another, in both cases, as it comes down to an unexplained feeling. That is where this story is a bit of a let down. The ending is also a bit of let down but sometimes you can't always get what you want.
carolsnotebook's review against another edition
3.0
There are two unconnected mysteries here, the old case that seems wrapped up and the new one involving Lucybelle and her family. Both present dilemmas for Malone. In the Glaze case he comes to believe Glaze is not guilty, but his suspicious seem at best unprovable. In the Lucybelle case, those most upset about the Lucybelle's death may be the ones responsible, but were they sane at the time?
Every series has its own downfalls. One I've found in the Cleary's series is that too often the suspect is discovered early, no other possibilities exist and in the end it's right. One of the reasons I like this one is because the suspect in the Glaze case was found early and none other looked at, but it was maybe not the right solution, and Malone has to deal with the repercussions of that, of having an innocent man on trial.
There are clues, but the Malone books don't tend to be ones where you add up the clues and find the culprit. We're either told early and watch as Malone finally gets there or he gets there before us and the clues just support his suspicions. Not that it matters to me; generally I'm not one who strives to guess who the killer is.
The setting, Sydney right before the Olympics is interesting. It's different from old Australia as Cleary seems to lament, but still a step back in time for the modern reader/listener.
It's not a deep mystery, doesn't touch your heart, so to speak. Even if you have children, Lucybelle's fate doesn't really affect you, because her life and family are outside the norm, the air there is rarefied and yet rotten. But it's interesting and I do like Malone. He's trying to do the best he can and, unlike several fictional detectives I can think of, has the full support of his staff and his superior.
Every series has its own downfalls. One I've found in the Cleary's series is that too often the suspect is discovered early, no other possibilities exist and in the end it's right. One of the reasons I like this one is because the suspect in the Glaze case was found early and none other looked at, but it was maybe not the right solution, and Malone has to deal with the repercussions of that, of having an innocent man on trial.
There are clues, but the Malone books don't tend to be ones where you add up the clues and find the culprit. We're either told early and watch as Malone finally gets there or he gets there before us and the clues just support his suspicions. Not that it matters to me; generally I'm not one who strives to guess who the killer is.
The setting, Sydney right before the Olympics is interesting. It's different from old Australia as Cleary seems to lament, but still a step back in time for the modern reader/listener.
It's not a deep mystery, doesn't touch your heart, so to speak. Even if you have children, Lucybelle's fate doesn't really affect you, because her life and family are outside the norm, the air there is rarefied and yet rotten. But it's interesting and I do like Malone. He's trying to do the best he can and, unlike several fictional detectives I can think of, has the full support of his staff and his superior.
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