The Olympic tower has been completed and most of Australia is preparing for the upcoming Summer Games. As the Premier is leaving a reception flanked by two politico business men, Jack Aldwych and his son, and Jack Jr., who played a key role in building the tower, he is shot dead.

As Malone begins investigating the Premier's murder, he realizes that Maureen and her television crew are investigating the in-fighting that is going on in the Labor Party and may end up smack in the middle of his investigation. Now Malone must decide whether to let his cop instinct take over and haul his daughter in as a material witness, or to let his paternal instincts prevail and stash her away safely.

Complicating matters is the release from jail of a woman Malone busted years before, but who may have had the means to aid in the attack, and may have had a motive to kill one or both of the Aldwyches, leading to an alternate theory - that the Premier was not the intended target.

The Bear Pit is a fast paced novel with a very intricate plot. At times, though, the plot is so complex that readers may lose their way and find themselves rereading previous sections to sort out all the characters and their relationships, something that may become too distracting. The unfamiliar Australian political system may an impediment to an enjoyable read.

Scobie Malone is a very likable police detective, who is beginning to show signs of a long career. He is still sharp, but sometimes his heart doesn't seem to be in his investigation. He is very protective of his family, even though they are grown and mostly on their own. Some of his past cases still haunt him, though he is wise enough not to let them take hold of him.

The Bear Pit is a tale that wends its way through a labyrinth of politics and characters. It will keep readers on their toes as they follow engaging detective Scobie Malone through another police procedural that is anything but traditional.

--Jennifer Monahan Winberry