More delights from Arthur Upfield

Every Upfield Bony story is enjoyable, but some more than others.  Several Bony books, including The Death of a Lake, feature some kind of particularly unusual and characteristically Australian theme such as flash floods, rabbit migrations, fishing for swordfish or, in this case, a lake that forms every 20 years or so due to flooding, and then takes several years, but at an accelerating pace, to evaporate.  Rabbits visit the disappearing lake each night by the thousands, to quench their thirst - the descriptions of this scene and the opportunities it presents for trapping, are grippingly described.  Typically, however, these stories seem almost to have been written because of a strong attraction to the phenomenon, rather than in order to provide a strong setting to feature the mystery. The Death of a Lake has a couple vivid characters,  and there is tension as the lake vanishes as to whether a body that is expected will be found - but it's a limp mystery.

In contrast, The Battling Prophet is terrific - one of the best of the Bony stories.  A the outset, Bony is invited to stay, for a few days of fishing (!), with Mr. Luton, an old but extremely vital, tough man - a former bullock team driver (he's cracking the whip on the book cover).  Mr. Luton believes that his very old friend and boon companion, former bullock team partner and neighbor, Ben Wickham, has been murdered.   After their glory days together on the trail, Wickham, the Battling Prophet of the title, has become famous throughout Australia and the world for developing scientific methods for exceptionally precise weather prediction.  He has gained passionate adherents and bitter enemies - and several people want to get their hands on his methods.

The books starts quickly with an outrageous story about how Wickham died - and the seemingly wacky reason why Luton is convinced it was murder.  The mystery is excellent and the characters fascinating, particularly Luton and Miss Alice McGorr, who is recruited by Bony to pose as Luton's niece for the purpose of protecting him while Bony investigates.  Alice, a former delinquent turned extraordinary police woman is a complete, laugh out loud riot.  Wonderful story!!

The Mountains Have a Secret - Arthur Upfield

Two young women, hiking in the Grampian Mountains of western Australia vanish after staying a couple nights at a swank but isolated resort.  The immediate search and investigation turn up no sign of the women and no leads at all.  A few weeks later, a police officer investigating the disappearance is shot in his car......related to the disappearance or an isolated incident?  Bony, once again posing as a sheepman on vacation, begins to investigate.

Bony's strengths are nicely summarized by this glorious sentence:

His career as an investigator of violent crime had been unmarred by a single failure, and this was due much less to keen reasoning and keen observation, than to the inherited lust for the chase, bequeathed to him by a race of the greatest hunters the world has ever known, a race which has had to employ reason, patience, and unbreakable determination to gain sustenance in a country where food was ever hard to win.

This story includes several colorful characters and a nice mystery, though the resolution features some outlandish events inspired by World War II.

The Clue of the New Shoe - Arthur Upfield

Another interesting and thoughtful mystery featuring Bony, the half-aborigine Detective-Inspector.  A dead body is discovered in a nearly hidden cupboard along the stairway of a lighthouse that is unoccupied and inspected at six-month intervals.  The lighthouse is located in a small resort town that, during winter, is occupied by a small number of close-knit families - yet no one can identify the body and the initial police investigation is fruitless - leading, of course, to Bony visiting the town disguised as a vacationing sheepman - a part he sustains very knowledgeably and convincingly.  How he solves the mystery is interesting, but even more interesting is his growing friendship with the local carpenter - an old man who makes inexpensive coffins....but also rich, beautiful coffins.  This man is steeped in wisdom but his relationship with Bony takes surprising turns.  Quite a nice read!

Journey to the Hangman

This was another good Bony mystery, with a very eccentric strong character, Melody Sam.  Not really a spoiler, but a hint at a spoiler:  the plot is a little reminiscent of Hound of the Baskervilles.  And, as the book cover suggests, Bony's skill as a tracker is key to the solution of the last of three seemingly unrelated murders in a remote Western Australia town, founded, owned, mayored and bartended by the intermittently musical and binging Melody Sam.  Quick and enjoyable read!

Madman's Bend

Madman's Bend is another enjoyable Bony mystery by Arthur Upfield.  The very best of these include three strong elements:  an interesting mystery that Bony solves through incisive reasoning and patient, methodical investigation - often employing exceptional observational and tracking skills he both inherited and learned from the aboriginal side of his family; a very sympathetic heroine or a very eccentric male character; and vivid and engaging descriptions of intriguing features of the Australian Outback. This story has all these elements, but not as effectively as in some of the other stories. At the outset of the story, the major suspect in the murder of her stepfather and the love interest of the story is Jill, an admirable and sympathetic young woman:

"Then what will you do?  What shall I do?" 

"I shall go on meanderingly looking for facts.  You will stay here at Mira, be patient, be grateful for the kindness extended by Mrs. Cosgrove, and the love given you by her son.  And now we may admit to beliefs.  You may believe that every cloud has a silver lining, and I may believe that the disappearance of William Lush will one day be cleared up.  Smile, Jill, just a little." 

Jill looked at him with misty eyes, and, instead of smiling, burst into sobbing.

Jill is featured early on,  but appears less frequently as the story develops, removing a strong emotional force that could have provided balance to the rough life and men, and the unyielding terrain. 

The mystery itself is solved logically, but there are no startling clues or very unexpected developments, so Madman's Bend lacks the spark of some other Bony stories.  The natural phenomenon that elevates this story, however, is the serious flooding resulting from the funneling of distant, heavy rainfall into a restricted area that is the setting for the mystery.   The imminent threat that this flooding will cover the ground and destroy the evidence provides much of the tension in the story, but the descriptions of the river when calm and, later, as a powerful torrent of debris provide some lovely poetry:

"....and the river I had heard rapturously described was barely running in a ditch, and I loathed it so much I wouldn't look at it for a year." 

"Then the river made itself heard." 

"Yes, how did you know?" 

"It has a voice, a little voice to whisper to you, a mighty voice to shout at you." 

Mrs. Cosgrove halted and turned to regard Bony with quizzing eyes.  She said, "You spoke of poets, remember.  You could be one yourself.  Yes, I heard the river shouting at me and I hated it.  The wild westerlies would blow when the world was filled with the shouting of the trees.  My husband then had a fast motor-boat, and one evening he induced me to go with him up the river.  The day had been hot, and the evening was cool, and when he turned the boat round to come home he stopped the engine, and we just drifted with the current.  It was then I first heard the whispering:  the bird calls, the fish plopping, the other tiny sounds you'd never hear in the broad day.  That evening my husband and I were truly joined in spirit."

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!

The Man of Two Tribes and The Will of the Tribe

Finished two more enjoyable Napoleon Bonaparte mysteries.  The Man of Two Tribes was quite interesting, but the mystery was thin, so it was really more of an adventure tale than a detective story. Bony is called to investigate the baffling disappearance of a woman, recently acquitted of murdering her husband.  His investigation leads him to become trapped in an unusual colony comprising the Released Murderers Institute.  Bony quickly deduces who has entrapped him and these other very interesting characters, so the story focuses largely on the fascinating psychology of the fellow prisoners and the group's effort to escape rather than the unraveling of a mystery.   Interesting and pleasant, but lacking the driving force of the better Bony mysteries.

The Will of the Tribe was a stronger mystery, though the solution ended up being more of a deus ex machina rather than following from the initial facts and suspects.  Still, the story centered around a cultured aboriginal girl, adopted and educated by an Australian family, who ends up facing conflicting pulls from her adoptive family and loyalty to her tribe - highly intriguing and worth reading.

Just finished The Mystery of Swordfish Reef and The Devil's Steps, two more Bony mysteries from Arthur Upfield. I enjoyed Swordfish Reef, but it was an indifferent mystery and was not so strong in the other elements that characterize the best Bony mysteries: delightful interactions between Bony and one or more women characters, and the presence of unusual, eccentric, or oddball "characters" that provide excellent seasoning to the main course. In this book, the main interest was several descriptions of swordfish fishing, which were fascinating and exciting.

The Devil's Steps, in contrast, was excellent! A tantalizing mystery, several interesting and unusual characters, a striking visual image (the Devil's Steps), and interesting interactions between Bony and the proprietress of Wideview Chalet. Bony is a guest at this luxury resort, investigating a man believed to be carrying secret German plans, when the man is killed. Bony must disentangle the efforts of three different groups seeking the same man and perhaps the same plans. Bony strikes up an alliance with Bisker, a rough, hard-drinking former bushman, working at the Chalet and also associates with a mysterious author who lives nearby - and whose feet are gigantic - and, possibly, responsible for the size-twelve Devil's Steps "burned into" the spacious lawn of the Chalet, but only revealed when the lawn is mowed! Lots of action, lots of suspense, amidst beautiful scenery and dangerous adversaries. Great read!

Bony Mysteries by Arthur Upfield

Just finished two more Bony mysteries by Arthur Upfield. The first, Bushranger of the Skies, is one of the best of the series: It starts quickly, with dramatic action. Bony is called to central Australia to investigate unsolved murders and, while approaching the settlement on foot, sees a police car bombed from a small but swift plane, and narrowly misses being bombed himself. The strong-willed owner of the station, called The MacPherson, by the local aborigines, stonewalls Bony's attempts to investigate. Despite The MacPherson's vehement and threatening opposition, Bony persists in his investigation and quickly identifies the perpetrator of the crimes. The exciting remainder of the story deals with the challenging task of apprehending this lunatic. This book is filled with memorable characters, such as Burning Water, a half-caste like Bony, and chief of the local tribe - handsome, intelligent, powerful, and light-hearted but fiercely loyal to The MacPherson. In fact, Burning Water is one embodiment of the underlying theme of the book, spelled out in an early conversation between Bony and The MacPherson's niece:

Niece: "What makes the world go round?"
"Money."
"No."
"Love?"
"No. I'll tell you. It's loyalty. Only the basest of us are not actuated by loyalty: loyalty to one's class, to one's people, to one's ideals."

Wonderful story!

Then I read Mr. Jelly's Business - even better than Bushranger! After quite a bit of drinking, a farmer jumps in his car to head home, passes his correct turn and runs up to the Number 1 Rabbit Fence, requiring him to back the car up to make a right turn...but he veers off into a ditch containing a large pipe, which traps the car. He is not hurt, so gets out of the car and.......vanishes. Days and then weeks go by. Has he "taken a bunk?" Or been murdered? The open country provides little cover for hiding a body. Bony takes a job working on the Rabbit Fence and systematically examines the ground, meets the man's wife and neighbors, and initiates investigations into the man's recent travels and financial situation. One neighbor is the very mysterious Mr. Jelly, who intermittently goes away for a few days, returning haggard but wealthier, and his charming and sensible daughter Lucy and her younger sister, the delightful Sunflower. This is an excellent mystery, and a compelling story with very emotional scenes between Bony and these daughters, and an extremely tense search that must be completed before the homeowners return. Outstanding!

Cake in the Hatbox

All of the Upfield Napoleon Bonaparte mysteries are a pleasure to read, and Cake in the Hatbox is one of the best.  Bony happens to be in northwestern Australia when a local policemen is found murdered and so he is naturally called upon to lead the investigation.  Officer Stenhouse, a hard, brutal man, appears to have been shot with his own rifle, by his aborigine tracker, who has disappeared, but Bony rapidly determines that the murder scene has been staged.  Discovering the real scene of the murder, the motive, and the culprits requires all of Bony's keen intelligence and considerable skills as a tracker.  Early on he realizes, even before locating the body, that the aborigine tracker also has been killed, putting Bony immediately into conflict with the tracker's tribe, who are relentless in attempting to identify the murderer and avenge the tracker's death.  Key to the mystery are the Breens,  a rough and fiercely independent family - three giant and immensely strong brothers and their beautiful, iron-willed sister, the baker responsible for the literal "Cake in the Box" and the figurative "Cake in the Box" - mini-mysteries that are delightfully revealed as Bony solves the murders, with an exceptional ability to strike a balance between what is legally required and what is just.  

Bony and the Kelly Gang + Bony and the White Savage

Two more excellent stories by Arthur Upfield, featuring the half aborigine detective, Napoleon Bonaparte. Bony and the Kelly Gang is delightful! As usual, the setting is Australia, but this time in a deep, nearly inaccessible, valley populated by two lively and rebellious extended Irish families. A good mystery filled with warm human interactions***. Bony and the White Savage is an excellent mystery/thriller - still some light touches and good fellowship, but a darker theme and deeper mystery.

***Amazing coincidence! Today's NY Times has a story about Ned Kelly:

"In Australia, Kelly needs no introduction; for Americans, it may help to think of him as Jesse James, Thomas Paine and John F. Kennedy rolled into one. Born about 1854 to an Irish convict exiled to Australia, Kelly became a folk hero as a very young man. He took up arms against a corrupt British constabulary, robbed banks and wrote an explosive manifesto. He was shot and arrested in a final shootout in which he wore homemade metal armor, and in 1880 he was hanged by the Anglo-Irish establishment he despised. "

Kelly and these events serve as a key backdrop to the story in Bony and the Kelly Gang!

Uno cosi cosi, One Great

Read two mysteries recently. One was The Shape of Water by Andrea Camilleri, recommended by our Italian tutor. This was set in Sicily and was a light, enjoyable crime story, introducing Inspector Montalbano, versus the criminal results of a mixture of passion and ambition. Short, quick and fun, but not particularly special. The other was another of Upfield's Bony mysteries, Death of a Swagman. These are invariably delightful and absorbing. To be perfectly honest, I could level a couple small complaints; for example, sometimes they wrap up a little too quickly to be convincing or fully satisfying. But for fascinating sketches of Australian outback and warm, interesting and, in this case, highly comic, human interactions, they're unbeatable. I will be very sad when I've read the last of them!

Wings Above the Diamantina and Bony Buys a Woman

Wonderful descriptions of life in the Australian outback + especially intriguing puzzles + the delightful character of Detective-Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte (aka Bony) + warm interactions between people = two more very enjoyable Upfield mysteries!

Arthur Upfield!

Just finished two more books by Arthur Upfield - see my earlier reviews of his Napolean Bonaparte stories set in Australia in the 30's and 40's. An Author Bites the Dust has Bony investigating the murder of a prominent Australian author, in a story centered around "literature" vs. "commercial writing". The other, Breakaway House, is the first I've read by Upfield that does not feature Bony, but instead, an extremely likable police inspector, Harry Tremayne - this was not only a good mystery, but also very humorous. These books are in fact more "commercial writing" than great "literature", but they're compelling reads, with very nice descriptive writing, great dialogue and delightful interactions among people. Wonderful summer reading!

The Sands of Windee

I am a big fan of the Leaphorn-Chee Navajo Tribal Police mysteries by the late Tony Hillerman. I've also enjoyed a couple of Hillerman's other books, so I was very sad when he died in October of 2008. In recommending his books to a friend, I looked at the Hillerman entry in Wikipedia and found that he had been inspired by and had long given credit to Arthur Upfield, an Australian writer who authored a series of mysteries featuring a brilliant and unorthodox detective, Napoleon Bonaparte. Bony is half English and half aboriginal, with the strengths of both heritages. Although these books were written in the thirties and forties, I found that our library has many of them. I just finished The Sands of Windee - I think I like it more than Hillerman! A clever plot, with vivid characters, many enjoyable incidents, sprinkled with outback lore. A quick and very enjoyable read!