The Lure of the Bush, and The Black Virgin

Two more books by Arthur Upfield, featuring the charming “half-caste” detective, Bony.  Although I picked these two to read at random, they turned out to have a powerful common theme – the lure of the bush – the irresistible force of the Australian outback and especially of the aboriginal way of life.  The Black Virgin featured two interesting mysteries – an inexplicable murder coupled with the disappearance of a hired man at an outback station and the puzzling, unfulfilled love affair between the son of the owner of the outback station and a strong, attractive, and talented neighbor.  Methodical and creative investigations by Bony eventually unified and resolved the two mysteries as suggested by the title, but both mysteries were quite interesting reading.  The Lure of the Bush had more striking characters: William Clair, an outback swagman bent on revenge; King Henry, a handsome, physically powerful, and charismatic chief who has recently returned to his tribe after a long absence; the diminutive, but forceful Mrs. Thornton,  a fierce admirer of the real Napoleon Buonaparte - and some protagonists who are less colorful.  In this case, Bony's solution to the dramatic murder opens up a veiled family history that explains how the lure of the bush underlies a mysterious love affair and disappearance.  Quite lively reading!