The Ink Stain, by Meg & Tom Keneally

Fresh from their exploits in Van Diemen’s Land, clerk Hugh Monsarrat and his housekeeper Hannah Mulrooney have no time to settle in at home in Parramatta. Instead the pair of former convicts is whisked down the river to Sydney to investigate the murder of a rabble-rousing newspaper editor. In this endeavour Governor Darling’s right-hand man Edward Duchamp and his entitled sister, Henrietta, thwart them at every turn. The new regime is more authoritarian and less progressive than those earlier, with a belief that all convicts are beyond redemption. This puts both Monsarrat and Mrs Mulrooney at risk in many ways as they navigate the complex politics of Sydney society. At the same time both are yearning; Monsarrat for his missing love and Hannah for her long lost son. This fourth instalment of the story set in 1820s Australia is probably the most entertaining, shining a light on the workings of the Governor’s mansion, the clergy and the press in the fledgling penal colony. Mrs Mulrooney has grown in confidence with the financial security of compensation from her previous adventure. This is somewhat overdone, as Monsarrat is made to look submissive to a ridiculous extent. But their relationships with others in the colony’s hierarchy are fascinating. As usual their next adventure is flagged at the end – off out west to hunt a serial killer and possibly find time for their own personal quests as well. Should be fun.