Now And Then, Amen by Jon Cleary

Publisher's Synopsis

A nun is found murdered on the steps of the Quality Couch, Sydney's classiest brothel. She was Sister Mary Magdalene, an idealistic young woman who had previously worked at a mission in Nicuragua. Detective Inspector Scobie Malone begins to be suspicious when he learns that her real name is Teresa Hourigan - the granddaughter of Fingal Hourigan, one of Sydney's most powerful businessmen, who is currently entertaining some influential Contras at his palatial home.

The trail leads Malone deep into Hourigan's past and exposes the secret the old man has kept since 1929: the reason he hurriedly left Chicago for Australia in fear of his life. It also threatens to destroy the absurd ambition he cherishes to see his son, Archbishop Kerry Hourigan, hold the highest office at the Vatican and be the first ever Australian Pope. But Kerry's violent anti-Communism has already led him to acts which will fatally endanger his standing at Rome...

My Review 

The story opens with the discovery of a nun, found dead on the front step of Sydney's most high class brothel. Scobie is called out to take the case along with his ever-present partner Sergeant Russ Clements. A little bit of investigation gives the police the dead nun's name, Sister Mary Magdalene - the irony of where she has been found is not lost on them.

Sister Mary Magdalene is not just anyone though. Her real name is Teresa and she is the grand-daughter of Fingal Hourigan, one of the richest men in Australia. From here the intrigue begins, with Teresa having only just arrived back home after working as a missionary in Nicaragua. Coincidently, or maybe it's not a coincidence, her grand-father is entertaining a couple of Contras from Nicaragua at his house. The Contras are there as guests of Fingal's son (and Teresa's uncle) Archbishop Kerry Hourigan.

Kerry Hourigan has grand ambitions that culminate in a position, perhaps even THE position, at the Vatican. His path to such an exalted destiny lies through the battle against Communism, a fight that he is prepared to take on with an unhealthy zeal that borders on fanatacism.

Teresa, for her part, was an outspoken young woman who dared to question her uncle's involvement with the Contras seeing them as a threat to the safety of the villagers with whom she had been living for the past two years. Before she was killed she had had more than one heated argument with the archbishop.

Malone is confronted with a disturbing case made all the more difficult by the wealth and power of the family involved and the suspicion and hatred they hold for the police. He can see that he's got his work cut out for him if he is to get to the bottom of this murder.

What he doesn't count on is the desperation that whoever was involved in the murder has to remain undetected. Scobie Malone is used to dealing with delicate cases tied up in political intrigue but is completely unprepared for the attempts that are made on his life.

All is not as it seems in this murder investigation. As with all good mysteries there are a number of sub-stories running in parallel to the main investigation that appear to have little relevance to one another but are later tied in with precision. The links that everyone seems to have with Nicaragua can't be ignored. Neither can the presence of Sir Jonathan Tewsday, Fingal Hourigan's utterly ruthless number two who harbours a burning ambition to take over Hourigan's business one day. Finally, there is Fingal Hourigan himself and his shady past, a past that would not be looked upon favourably by the Catholic Church.

Jon Cleary goes to great pains to explore each of the main characters of the story, taking us back to their early days, allowing us to get wrapped up in their hopes and ambitions in order to explain how they have reached the present point in their lives. The result is that even when it comes to the villains of the story it was possible to feel a certain sympathetic affection for them.

Speaking of affection for a character leads me directly to Scobie Malone. He is an unflappable character who can handle the most heated verbal barrages that are thrown his way. His temperament is sorely tested by Fingal Hourigan and Fingal's housekeeper in this book and he comes through admirably. It's this composure and his self-effacing dedication to his job that makes him such a likable protagonist. But it's his role as a family man that makes him so human.

Now and Then, Amen is a compelling mystery that allows you to become completely involved with the characters. Cleary writes with a style that engages the reader mixing the more dramatic scenes with occasional lighter moments that are gently amusing. There is more going on than a straightforward murder investigation which adds a great deal of depth to the story and that keeps it fresh and interesting.