Murder Down Under [Paperback]

Arthur W. Upfield (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 14, 1998

Bony is happy to take on a little informal investigation during his vacation in Western Australian, after a farmer suddenly disappears near a huge wheat field. Despite the lack of evidence, Bony suspects murder--which leads him to uncover some strange goings-on.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

For readers who thought they'd exhausted the list of Golden Age mystery writers, Australian author Arthur Upfield (1888-1964) is often a pleasant surprise. The tales of Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte (or Bony, as he is known) offer all of the major pleasures of Christie, Tey, and Doyle; but Upfield's works also carry the freshness of his island continent setting and of his "half-caste" hero. Bony, born of an aborigine mother and a white father, is a genius of criminal science and also a classic gentleman. Suave and always impeccably dressed (except, of course, when in disguise), he solves mysteries through patience. As he often repeats to John Muir--one of the many young men he tutors: "Never race Time. Make Time an ally, for Time is the greatest detective that ever was or ever will be." Through Bony, Upfield's progressive series frequently explores the foundations of Australian race prejudices and defies them with Bonaparte's genial wit and disarming smile.

In Murder Down Under the detective is on holiday in western Australia but inevitably winds up with a working vacation, this time assisting young Sergeant Muir. Farmer George Loftus has disappeared, and his car was found smashed along the world's longest fence in the wheat town of Burracoppin. The days before Loftus's disappearance are filled with clues that point to Leonard Wallace, owner of the Burracoppin Hotel. Loftus had given Wallace a ride from Perth back to the hotel, and the pair had shared drinks in the bar before driving off together at 1 a.m.--shortly before the disappearance. Wallace claims that the two had argued and that he had left the car well before the accident. Now, Bony must parse truth and fiction in his inimitable style. Along the way, however, he meets the bizarre Mr. Jelly, an amateur criminologist who collects portraits of murders and who may have some insights into the case. Murder Down Under is a true classic: a rich world of quirky characters and fascinating scenery built around a complex and satisfying puzzle. Other adventures of Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte: The Bone Is Pointed, The Bachelors of Broken Hill, and The Mystery of Swordfish Reef. --Patrick O'Kelley

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Touchstone; 1st Scribner Paperback Fiction ed edition (September 14, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684850591
• ISBN-13: 978-0684850597
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #378,171 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Everything Old is New Again, January 4, 2000

By 

Ronit "Piedmont Paranoia" (Burr Hill, Virginia, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Murder Down Under (Paperback)

If you like stylized mysteries, Agatha Christie, Australia, or unusual detectives you will probably enjoy this book by Arthur Upfield. The setting is Western Australia of the '30s to '50s. The unusual detective hero is the half-Aboriginal and half-white Napoleon Bonaparte ("Bony"). His struggle is to fit himself into the full range of Australian life, while being an outsider to both cultural worlds.

The real treat here is the insight you get into life in Western Australia in the first half of the 20th Century. Like Christie, the book is somewhat mannered in its approach. But the detailed view of Australians trying to live an "English" life in this remote corner will remain with you for a long time.

Upfield's view of the Aborigine in Australian society was probably quite daring for its time, but today it may make you shudder at its racist overtones. Never mind, keep on reading. This isn't life today in Australia; it is life as viewed through Australian eyes forty or fifty years ago. You will find yourself rooting for Detective Napoleon Bonaparte with his Aboriginal wisdom and Dreamworld view of crime and mystery.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Murder down under, June 26, 2010

By 

M. M. Nelson (Northwest Kansas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Murder Down Under (Paperback)

This book is a classic tale about life in the Outback in Australia in the style of Tony Hillerman who writes about the American southwest . Hillerman admits being inspired by Arthur Upfield. Upfield died in 1963, but had actually lived in Australia. A gripping tale while learning about customs in another land.
Maxine in NW Kansas

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Cream of murder mysteries!, October 12, 2007

By 

Patrick W. Crabtree "The Old Grottomaster" (Lucasville, OH USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Murder Down Under (Paperback)

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.