Owen Scott: Deep beyond the reef

Fiji came to international attention with the two coups in 1987 and 2000, and was again in the world spotlight in July 2001 after the brutal murder of John Scott and his partner Greg Scrivener in their home in Suva.

Scott was the director-general of the Fiji Red Cross, and provided humanitarian relief to the hostages during the second coup. This book is written by his brother.

The Scott and Scrivener families had to deal not only with the violent deaths of their loved ones but also with the sullying of the murdered men's reputations. Rumour and hearsay shrouded the case, and media in Fiji and New Zealand ran stories about the couple's alleged involvement with paedophilia and drugs. It turned out they were involved in neither.

Owen Scott sets the record straight by analysing media reports, comparing police statements and ferreting out files.

Scott is obviously completely at ease with John and Greg's gay relationship, but rarely describes the slanderous statements by police and media as homophobia. Instead, he leaves readers to draw their own conclusions. When he gets to the bottom of the rumours, the explanations are so ridiculously innocent it's laughable — if it weren't so serious.

On the face of things, this is a man's account of his brother's murder and, as such, is overwritten — but it is so much more than that.

Rather, it is a memoir that covers Scott's upbringing and background in colonial Fiji, interspersed with the saga of the murders, and prefaced by a chapter about the 2000 coup.

The author's father, Sir Maurice Scott, looms large in these pages: a charming, gregarious and devilish lawyer, whose penchant for alcohol finally overcame him. Maurice comes across as controlling and impossible not to disappoint. He dominated the family during his life and nearly takes over the book.

The writing is clear, precise and detailed, the research meticulous. There is a liberal sprinkling of minor personal interactions and small incidents but some of these seemingly insignificant events provide comic relief. Others shine like unexpected gems, illustrating the author's ability to translate the mundane to the meaningful.

* Philippa Jamieson is a Dunedin writer.
* Penguin books, $29.95