Scobie Malone IX. Inspector Scobie Malone of the New South Wales police is not deterred by finding the body of a promising informer, Scungy Grime, floating face down in his family’s backyard swimming pool. Scobie is investigating Sydney’s major drug-dealing operation - and Grime’s murder is a clear warning. But Scobie is determined and leads the search for the murderer, rattling the cream of Sydney's underworld along the way. Scungy Grime turns out to be only the first victim of an vicious, innovative killer. Malone’s family is put under police protection - a nightmare for Scobie, who had always been able to separate his professional obligations from his home life; his partner's distracted by his troublesome love life and the work on the case seems futile, making Malone's summer darker with every passing day...Cover art by Andy Miles.