Scobie Malone
Encyclopedia
Scobie Malone is a fictional
Australian police detective
created by Jon Cleary
. Named after the jockey Scobie Breasley
, he made his first appearance in Cleary's 1966 novel The High Commissioner. Cleary did not originally intend to create a series but brought the character back later for Helga's Web (1970) and Ransom (1973). There was a long gap before Cleary started using the character again, but once he did he wrote for him regularly from the late 80s onwards. Other regular characters in the series included his wife Lisa and partner Sergeant Russ Clements.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
Australian police detective
Detective
A detective is an investigator, either a member of a police agency or a private person. The latter may be known as private investigators or "private eyes"...
created by Jon Cleary
Jon Cleary
Jon Stephen Cleary was an Australian author.-Biography:Cleary was born in Erskineville, Sydney. He wrote many books, among them The Sundowners , a portrait of a rural family in the 1920s as they move from one job to the next, and The High Commissioner , the first of a long series of popular...
. Named after the jockey Scobie Breasley
Scobie Breasley
Arthur Edward "Scobie" Breasley was an Australian jockey. He won the Caulfield Cup in Melbourne five times: 1942-45 consecutively on Tranquil Star, Skipton, Counsel and St Fairy; then on Peshawar in 1952...
, he made his first appearance in Cleary's 1966 novel The High Commissioner. Cleary did not originally intend to create a series but brought the character back later for Helga's Web (1970) and Ransom (1973). There was a long gap before Cleary started using the character again, but once he did he wrote for him regularly from the late 80s onwards. Other regular characters in the series included his wife Lisa and partner Sergeant Russ Clements.
Novels
- The High Commissioner (1966) - Scobie is sent to London to arrest the Australian High CommissionerHigh CommissionerHigh Commissioner is the title of various high-ranking, special executive positions held by a commission of appointment.The English term is also used to render various equivalent titles in other languages.-Bilateral diplomacy:...
who is in the middle of a peace conference for the Vietnam WarVietnam WarThe Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. - Helga's Web (1970) - set against the background of the construction of the Sydney Opera HouseSydney Opera HouseThe Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in the Australian city of Sydney. It was conceived and largely built by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, finally opening in 1973 after a long gestation starting with his competition-winning design in 1957...
. - Ransom (1973) - Scobie's wife is kidnapped while they are honeymooning in New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. - Dragons at the Party (1987)
- Now and Then, Amen (1988) - Scobie investigates the death of a nun discovered near a brothel.
- Babylon South (1989) - Scobie investigates the discovery of the remains of the one-time head of ASIOAustralian Security Intelligence OrganisationThe Australian Security Intelligence Organisation is Australia's national security service, which is responsible for the protection of the country and its citizens from espionage, sabotage, acts of foreign interference, politically-motivated violence, attacks on the Australian defence system, and...
who went missing over twenty years ago. - Murder Song (1990) - a sniperSniperA sniper is a marksman who shoots targets from concealed positions or distances exceeding the capabilities of regular personnel. Snipers typically have specialized training and distinct high-precision rifles....
serial killerSerial killerA serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
is on the loose in Sydney. - Pride's Harvest (1991) - Scobie investigates the death of a Japanese farm manager in a country town.
- Dark Summer (1992) - a dead body is found in Scobie's swimming pool.
- Bleak Spring (1993)
- Autumn Maze (1994)
- Winter Chill (1995)
- Endpeace (1996)
- Five Ring Circus (1998) - a mystery set during the lead up to the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
- Dilemma (1999)
- Bear Pit (2000)
- Yesterday's Shadow (2001)
- The Easy Sin (2002)
- Degrees of ConnectionDegrees of ConnectionDegrees of Connection is a 2003 Ned Kelly Award winning novel by the Australian author Jon Cleary.-Notes:*Dedication: "For Joy ".*This is the 20th, and so far last, novel in the author's Scobie Malone series....
(2003)
Film Adaptations
- Nobody Runs ForeverNobody Runs ForeverNobody Runs Forever also called The High Commissioner is a 1968 film directed by Ralph Thomas based on Jon Cleary's 1966 novel The High Commissioner. It stars Rod Taylor as Australian policeman Scobie Malone and Christopher Plummer as the Australian High Commissioner in England caught up in...
(1968), starring Rod Taylor, Christopher PlummerChristopher PlummerArthur Christopher Orne Plummer, CC is a Canadian theatre, film and television actor. He made his film debut in 1957's Stage Struck, and notable early film performances include Night of the Generals, The Return of the Pink Panther and The Man Who Would Be King.In a career that spans over five...
, Lilli PalmerLilli PalmerLilli Palmer , born Lilli Marie Peiser, was a German actress. She won the Volpi Cup, the Deutscher Filmpreis three times, and was nominated twice for a Golden Globe Award.-Life and career:...
and Camilla SparvCamilla SparvCamilla Sparv is a Swedish actress. She was briefly married to American film producer Robert Evans in 1965....
- based on The High Commissioner - Scobie Malone (1975), starring Jack ThompsonJack Thompson (actor)Jack Thompson, AM is an Australian actor and one of the major figures of Australian cinema. He was educated at University of Queensland, before embarking on his acting career. In 2002, he was made an honorary member of the Australian Cinematographers Society...
, Judy MorrisJudy MorrisJudy Morris is an Australian actress, film director and screenwriter, well known for the variety of roles she played in 54 different television shows and films, but most recently for co-writing a musical epic about the life of penguins in Antarctica which became Happy Feet, Australia's largest...
, Shane PorteousShane PorteousJohn Shane Porteous is an Australian television character actor, TV screenplay scriptwriter, theatre actor, animation layout artist, and animation voice artist.-Biography:...
and Jacqueline Kott - based on Helga's Web