A dour missionary uncle

New NZ fiction on leftie Wellington students in the 1970s, a brush maker, colonials in London on their OE, a dour missionary uncle and a bird scientist. And isn't this the best - "A missile has shot down Air Force One after it took off from Christchurch, New Zealand. A call was made to the Washington Post earlier that day from a group claiming responsibility for the assassination of President Cleveland. For Susan Hill, New Zealand's Prime Minister, it's a personal tragedy and a national one." From the book jacket of Unseen element by Bill Rodger.