Jon Stephen Cleary was an Australian writer and novelist. He wrote numerous books, including The Sundowners (1951), a portrait of a rural family in the 1920s as they move from one job to the next, and The High Commissioner (1966), the first of a long series of popular detective fiction works featuring Sydney Police Inspector Scobie Malone. A number of Cleary's works have been the subject of film and television adaptations.
Ransom is the practice of holding a prisoner to extort money or property to secure their release, or it can refer to the sum of money involved.
Nobody Runs Forever, also called The High Commissioner, is a 1968 political neo noir spy thriller 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 Britain caught up in corrupt dealings, during delicate negotiations. Taylor's production company was involved in making the film as was the American Selmur Productions.
The Green Helmet is a 1961 British film starring Bill Travers, Ed Begley and Sid James. The film is centred on a British motor racing team. It is based on a 1957 novel by Australian author Jon Cleary.
The Sundowners is a 1952 novel by Australian writer Jon Cleary.
You Can't See 'Round Corners is a 1947 novel by Australian author Jon Cleary. It was his first published novel.
Scobie Malone is a fictional Sydney homicide detective created by Australian novelist Jon Cleary.
Justin Bayard is a 1955 novel by Australian author Jon Cleary about a policeman working in the Kimberley region. It was Cleary's sixth novel.
The Long Shadow is a 1949 novel from Australian author Jon Cleary. Cleary had just written his debut work, You Can't See 'Round Corners and was unsure what to do as a follow up. His editor Graham Greene suggested he try his hand at a thriller "because it will teach you the art of narrative and it will teach you the uses of brevity."
The High Commissioner was a 1966 novel by Australian author Jon Cleary which introduced the detective hero Scobie Malone.
Back of Sunset is a 1959 Australian novel from Jon Cleary.
North from Thursday is a 1960 novel from Australian author Jon Cleary. It is set in New Guinea and concerns the eruption of a volcano, forcing a group of survivors to flee across the country. The story is based on the 1951 eruption of Mount Lamington.
Strike Me Lucky is a 1959 novel written by Jon Cleary in collaboration with his wife Joy. The plot concerns an Australian family who discover gold and the effect this has on their small town.
The Long Pursuit is a 1967 novel written by the Australian author Jon Cleary about the escape of a group of survivors from the Battle of Singapore in the Second World War.
Helga's Web was a 1970 novel by Australian author Jon Cleary, the second to feature his detective hero Scobie Malone.
High Road to China is a 1977 novel by Australian author Jon Cleary.
The Pulse of Danger is a 1966 novel written by Australian author Jon Cleary. It is set in Bhutan with the background of the Sino-Indian War. A small group of Western botanists have just finished an expedition and are returning to India where they encounter an Indian officer who has a captured Chinese general. They are pursued by Chinese forces.
The Country of Marriage is a 1962 novel written by Jon Cleary. It concerns the marriage between Adam Nash and his wife Belle and their decision whether to leave England, where they have lived for seventeen years and raised two young children, and go back to Belle's country, Australia, where they had met during World War II.
Remember Jack Hoxie is a 1969 novel written by Australian author Jon Cleary. It was a deliberate departure from the author after writing a series of adventure novels, being set in the world of pop music.
Babylon South is a 1989 novel from Australian author Jon Cleary. It was the sixth book featuring Sydney homicide detective Scobie Malone, and deals with Malone coming across an old case of his - the 1966 disappearance of the head of ASIO. He also has to investigate another murder, and deal with pressure from the police commissioner.
