Jon Cleary is one of the statesmen of Australian storytelling. He began writing in the 1940s and his most famous novel, The Sundowners, has sold more than three million copies. He has had many notable international successes in his career including The High Commissioner, High Road to China and Spearfield's Daughter. A lifetime of meticulous research gives Cleary the edge on many crime writers who set their books in Australian cities; Cleary's are not only page-turning mysteries, but fascinating snapshots of modern society. His work has won him the coveted Edgar Award, the Australian Literary Society's Crouch Medal for Best Australian Novel, regional winner in the New York Herald Tribune's World Short Story Contestand the Award for Lifelong Contribution to Crime, Mystery and Detective Genres at the 1995 inaugural Ned Kelly Awards.
