It's the Sixties and Australian university students are marching against the war. They are demanding the release of a conscientious objector. Somehow a peaceful demonstration turns into a riot.
A young woman student is struck down and killed. The demonstrators are blamed by an outraged public. The students accuse the police. Most people assume that somehow an unfortunate accident occurred. But was Robyn Calder's death an accident? Or was she murdered? Private detective Jefferson Shields is called upon to find the answer before the wrong person can be made a scapegoat.
Death by Demonstration, Patricia Carlon (review by Helen Lloyd)
This book is quite different from Patricia Carlon's usual psychological mysteries, and it is far from her best work. Originally published in 1970, this book shows its age, not just in style but in the plot. The plot had potential, but is let down by boring characters and what I believe was the author's political agenda.
What action there is gets bogged down by the long tedious speeches that most of the characters would launch into at every opportunity. Although this was only a short book by today's standards (190 p.), it seemed much longer, and I found myself skimming many of the longer passages of dialogue.