Although not really a mystery novel, there is the memory of a murder that sends us back in time to explore the life of Matt Durban. It's this storyline that ties all the events in Matt's life together and is the central focus that we return to be the story's end.

The story begins as Matt Durban and his political entourage pull into his boyhood town of Collamundra, the last stop on a tour of country New South Wales. Matt is running for leadership of the out-of-power Labor party and has aspirations of the Prime Ministership with the Federal elections looming. His return home is more a personal pleasure than a political mission, seeing as Collamundra is in the heart of National Party country.

While in town he visits the cemetery to pay his respects to his parents. While there he comes across a man who is visiting another grave. It's the grave of Ruby Rawson, murdered back in 1979 a mere month or so after she and Matt had stopped seeing each other. The encounter sends us back to the beginning of Matt's career.

In 1979 Matt is a small-town school teacher and keen member of the local Labor Party. He has big plans politically and is looking for a chance to leave Collamundra and move to Sydney where his voice will be heard. That chance comes just after the murder of Ruby and, amid the uproar caused by the investigation he leaves for his job in Sydney. Joining him a few months later is Carmel O'Reilly a local Collamundra girl with whom he had fallen in love in the weeks before he left.

They move in together and then eventually marry and we watch as Matt's political career begins and blossoms from a Labor Party member to winning his local seat and biding his time as a parliamentary backbencher. Then comes his promotion up the ranks as his profile rises until he is given a minister's portfolio and a spot on the party frontbench. It's a typical story of the ebb and flow of Australian federal party politics.

Important in all of this career-chasing is the effect his job has on the rest of his family. While he has had to move to Canberra during the week, his wife and 2 children have remained in Sydney in his Parramatta electorate. Through their separation comes an expected strain on their marriage. Jon Cleary pays close attention to the emotions of the entire Durban family making it an extremely heartfelt story, bringing them all sharply to life. You get a real sense that you are personally riding along on the fortunes of Matt, living his successes and disappointments.

Fact and fiction are smoothly combined in the telling of Matt's rise up the political ladder. The timeline passes through significant events in both Australia's and the world's history and many of these are woven into the story marking the progression of time. Although he names other world leaders, Cleary chooses not to name any of the various Australian Prime Ministers allowing Matt Durban to make his fictional mark on the Australian political arena. I thought it made for a very seamless transition from the real world to Cleary's Canberra.

Jon Cleary's fictional country town of Collamundra in western New South Wales is revisited as the home town of Matt Durban. Collamundra has been the setting of two Scobie Malone books to date, Pride's Harvest and Dilemma, with brief appearances made by characters such as Sergeant Wally Mungle from the earlier books as well as descriptions of the sensational events from Pride's Harvest that are woven in.

Jon Cleary has a wonderfully casual style that captures the essence of both the rural heart of Australia and the bustling city rush. It's a down to earth style that speaks to you as if confiding to you over a friendly beer in the local pub.

The murder mentioned at the start of this book holds the key to the whole story and is tied together nicely at the end. But it's the journey of a parliamentary hopeful from wet behind the ears newcomer right through to party leader candidate that makes this an engrossing story. Filled with personal drama, everyday problems and devious politicking, there is a little bit of something for everyone in this story.