Bleak Spring

Story outline

The story centers on the murder of a solicitor who Scobie knew, and whose son happens to be dating Scobie's daughter, Claire. It turns out the lawyer had links to a bookmaker, an offshore bank and a dangerous Russian. Like many Cleary novels it featured sport, in this case rugby league.

One reviewer stated that "Cleary writes a solidly entertaining novel, concentrating on the details of routine police investigation and the matey, macho, laconic world of the police team. While the finale may inspire accusations of prejudice, it is a suitably suspenseful climax to a workmanlike slab of adventure fiction."