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carolsnotebook's review
3.0
I've heard of the Contras but wasn't paying much attention to world events in the 80s, so I didn't know as much going into Now and Then, Amen as I probably should have, but that didn't diminish my enjoyment of the story. I also always thought of Australia as a Protestant country, I'm not sure why, but apparently they have a large Roman Catholic population too.
I think my favorite part of the story wasn't the mystery, to be honest I was a little disappointed in the whodunit(s), but the mix of religion and politics was, as always, intriguing. The Hourigans are ambitious, all of them, and even for the Archbishop and the nun, their "calling" never felt like the reason for their actions. Maybe it was hers, she died too early to be sure, but for him it's about money and power.
I don't really have much to say. Scobie is the series character and he's a good, honest detective. He'll follow the leads wherever they take him, even to the Vatican. I wish he didn't feel so bad about how is job effects his family, but it makes sense. I liked how, in the midst of the mystery, it traced the Hourigans from Capone's time in Chicago through to the current, which in this case is the 1980s, through flash backs and reminiscences, giving kind of an overview of history. The plot moved along at a good pace, even when Scobie doesn't have much to go on.
It's a solid story, not outstanding, but good.
I think my favorite part of the story wasn't the mystery, to be honest I was a little disappointed in the whodunit(s), but the mix of religion and politics was, as always, intriguing. The Hourigans are ambitious, all of them, and even for the Archbishop and the nun, their "calling" never felt like the reason for their actions. Maybe it was hers, she died too early to be sure, but for him it's about money and power.
I don't really have much to say. Scobie is the series character and he's a good, honest detective. He'll follow the leads wherever they take him, even to the Vatican. I wish he didn't feel so bad about how is job effects his family, but it makes sense. I liked how, in the midst of the mystery, it traced the Hourigans from Capone's time in Chicago through to the current, which in this case is the 1980s, through flash backs and reminiscences, giving kind of an overview of history. The plot moved along at a good pace, even when Scobie doesn't have much to go on.
It's a solid story, not outstanding, but good.
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