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Scobie Malone #5
Now And Then, Amen
A nun is found murdered on the steps of the Quality Couch, Sydney's most expensive house of ill repute. She was Sister Mary Magdalene, an idealistic young woman who previously had worked at a mission in Nicaragua. Detective Inspector Scobie Malone, that most human of cops, picks up the trail when he discovers that her real name was Teresa Hourigan -- the illegitimate granddaughter of Fingal Hourigan, one of Australia's most powerful businessmen, who is currently entertaining some rich contras at his palatial home.
As Detective Malone uncovers more and more political involvement by the Church and more and more crime in Australian big business, it becomes clear that this is a case of corruption spanning continents and decades.
As Detective Malone uncovers more and more political involvement by the Church and more and more crime in Australian big business, it becomes clear that this is a case of corruption spanning continents and decades.
330 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1988
6 people are currently reading
29 people want to read
About the author
Jon Cleary
128 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 - 7 of 7 reviews
August 6, 2019
I had hoped to enjoy this book, but I didn't. The death of the nun is a very weak hook to hang the rest of the story on, and a mixed-up story it is. The title sounds humorous; unfortunately it apparently refers to the author's penchant for skipping back and forth in time and telling his tale inside out. One minute it's the 1980s, then the 20s, then whoops, no, it's the 1950s or the sixties or back in the eighties again! Ramble and bumble and make the ending entirely predictable, since Cleary's idea of rounding out the action is to tell the scenes from the beginning of the book from a different character's POV. We won't even mention the ridiculous character names--Jonathan Tewsday--why? Wasn't Mundy good enough for Cleary?--and Borsolino, the millionaire's lieutenant. Seriously? I guess so.
What a waste of reading time. This book doesn't know if it's a police procedural, international intrigue (anything but) or Godfather wannabe. In the end, it is none of those things. I skimmed my way through the predictable end just to finish it, though why I bothered I have no idea. A star and a half. I won't be looking for any more of Cleary's work.
What a waste of reading time. This book doesn't know if it's a police procedural, international intrigue (anything but) or Godfather wannabe. In the end, it is none of those things. I skimmed my way through the predictable end just to finish it, though why I bothered I have no idea. A star and a half. I won't be looking for any more of Cleary's work.
March 6, 2021
The second Jon Cleary novel that I have read. The Scobie Malone series is set in Sydney, my home town. I read this book over a series of days when I was commuting and committed the dreadful act of discarding pages as I progressed through the book. Detective Malone may yet arrest me for crimes to books!
On niggling issue presented in this novel: the interview of Mr Paredes and Mr Domecq is completed as joint interview. No right thinking detective would ever conduct a joint interview as much is to be gained when the individuals are interviewed separately.
Scobie Malone is a strong character. I like how he remains a loyal husband and father and is keen to ensure that he is home for dinner. These family qualities are sadly lacking from many novels these days.
On niggling issue presented in this novel: the interview of Mr Paredes and Mr Domecq is completed as joint interview. No right thinking detective would ever conduct a joint interview as much is to be gained when the individuals are interviewed separately.
Scobie Malone is a strong character. I like how he remains a loyal husband and father and is keen to ensure that he is home for dinner. These family qualities are sadly lacking from many novels these days.
November 9, 2025
3.5 stars rounded down to 3. I really enjoy the Scobie Malone police procedurals and love Malone’s honest but pragmatic character and family faithfulness. Perhaps this early one in the series tries to do a bit too much… reaching back to Chicago gangs, across to Nicaraguan ‘contras’ and to the Vatican from dirty Australian big business. Still I enjoyed reading it even if 30 pages of my otherwise beautifully bound English edition hard cover found secondhand turned out to be missing - fortunately it seemed to be from the flashback section and I did not seem to miss too much essential plot line.
July 23, 2013
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.
May 5, 2013
Another standard good Aussie based mystery ; Police/politics and the vatican and well explained and tied up Cleary as Scobie gets to the bottom of yet another murder or three !
January 30, 2016
Like to read a book with different terminology for common US things. Aussie words and inferences are interesting. He writes books with compelling plots that create curiosity along the way.
January 24, 2014
A little bit old fashioned but still a good read.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews