Murder Down Under

I love detectives with a unique point of view and clever methods. Bony is just that. This novel had more twists and turns than 'The Black Virgin' and was much more interesting!

First, I need to let prospective buyers of this book know that they can also purchase it under the American-release title of: Murder Down Under. It's exactly the same book and I own and have read both versions. The one I'm reviewing here is the 256-page Angus & Robertson 1964 hardcover edition with the green dust jacket. The story: On a busman's holiday, Detective Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte (who happens to be half-Aborigine and half-Caucasian) travels west across the continent to take on a difficult missing person case for a policeman pal in Western Australia. As usual, pretty much all hope of locating this farmer has been lost and "Bony" (as he insists that all his friends call him) goes incognito into the small community of Burracoppin to resolve the matter. The missing man's attractive wife says that he left her high and dry which is a little suspect noting that the ranch foreman seems to be every gal's dream. It's also fishy that the missing man's car was found crashed near the government rabbit fence, just after a local saloon-keeper and he were out late at night on a drinking spree, and no one has seen him since that evening. A nearby farmer, Mr. Jelly, also conducts himself in a mysterious and furtive manner in an intermittent exodus from his ranch, leaving his two daughters alone there, and returning a few days later with more cash than when he left. Bony covertly arranges with the authorities to be taken on by the local rabbit department supervisor as a "rabbitoh" (rabbit fence mender) which raises local suspicion since the agency had only recently laid people off. Still, with the aid of a youthful motorcycle-riding roommate, Bony manages to garner clues which were missed by his predecessors -- but then the shooting starts by a deadly assassin and Bony is soon on his list. This is one of the very top Napoleon Bonaparte mysteries of which there are about thirty. It compares in quality to other terrific Upfield tales including, Wings Above the Diamantina (A Scribner Crime Classic) and The New Shoe. If you've never read any of the works of Arthur W. Upfield then you're in for a huge treat. These are classic British mysteries in every sense and fans of Tey, Christie, Marsh, Sayers, and Doyle will discover lots of savory treasure here. Upfield's literary painting of the wild Australian landscape tenoned with his articulate exposition of the Aboriginal culture serves as a splendid springboard for his intricate mysteries. Highly recommended!

The setting is Australia, and the protagonist is half-aborigine, half-caucasian, detective wonder, Napoleon Bonaparte.... Bony to his friends. Bony ALWAYS tells his superiors, in advance, that he will solve even the most difficult of crimes, and he does. The only thing is, his superiors are always pressing him on time and they unfailingly threaten to fire him on every case he works. Bony just mildly smiles and says, "Well, if you have to, then go ahead." But they dare NOT fire him, though (and Bony knows it too!) -- Bony is the top crime-solving detective in the whole of Australia. This is one of his (Upfield's and Bony's) best mysteries of all time. Here, Bony is on a Busman's Holiday when he gets pulled into a missing person investigation in a small outback village. He follows clues just as the great Sherlock Holmes did, acting upon the most obscure pieces of evidence and information -- a shred of cloth here, a cigarette butt there, or, a partial footprint in the dust. Bony is an expert tracker and "evidence finder," thanks to his aboriginal blood on his mother's side of the family. "The Rabbits" also come into this one in a big way -- they pretty much always do in Bonaparte mysteries, and it's a fascinating aspect of each work. (For those who don't know, Australia is PLAGUED with millions of rabbits and they have government agencies, and lots of "rabbit fences," to help deal with them). The thing I like most about Bonaparte is his lack of concern for invading the privacy of suspects -- search warrants be damned! He sneaks right into suspects' houses and meticulously goes through their dresser drawers, sometimes to his demise! He also utilizes "the locals" as assistant amateur detectives to help him solve the case. When you finish this one, you'll rush right out and grab another Napoleon Bonaparte mystery. Why Upfield's works have remained so obscure, I have no idea -- but I'm darned glad I found him. All his mysteries are real page turners. To summarize, I hate saying, "Better than Christie".... but, in this instance, I will do so with pleasure. Plenty of atmosphere and action. Real Cream.

The car lies wrecked and abandoned near the world's longest fence, the "rabbit fence", in the wheat belt of Western Australia. Of it's owner there is no sign. Has George Loftus simply decamped, for reasons of his own? Or is it a case of murder? Detective-Inspector Bonaparte suspects the worst, and is determined to find the body- and the murderer. One of the best from Arthur Upfield