The Swan Song of Doctor Malloy (Robert Power, Transit Lounge)

It is the mid-80s and Australian scientist Anthony Malloy is working in London on a revolutionary invention—a tamper-proof, one-use syringe. It has the potential to make huge inroads in slowing the spread of HIV and other blood-borne diseases, particularly in the developing world, but it needs funding. Out of the blue, Dr Malloy is contacted by a foundation attached to a multinational pharmaceutical company that makes him a very attractive offer, albeit one with a morally dubious twist. Meanwhile, his sister is following their Irish heritage down another sort of revolutionary path, the IRA. And did we mention that Dr Malloy has just got out of rehab for a crippling alcohol and drug problem? There is plenty of international conspiracy-thriller potential in the set-up of this novel, but along the way it diverges into lots of lengthy byways about Dr Malloy’s lectures on disease prevention and his visits to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. By the time the doctor ends up in Colombia, the action hots up and the loose ends begin to tie up. The Swan Song of Doctor Malloy will appeal to those who’ve enjoyed John Le Carré’s The Constant Gardner and Mission Song and similar books that mix thriller politics with moral issues.

Tim Coronel is the former publisher of Books+Publishing

Books+Publishing pre-publication reviews are supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.

Category: Reviews