Man of Two Tribes

Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte #21

by Arthur W. Upfield

Myra Thomas, apparently dressed only in nightgown and slippers, has walked off the train somewhere along the 650 kilometres of track that crosses the Nullabor Plain. With two camels and a dog, Bony begins to search the desert, only to find a group of people imprisoned in the extensive limestone caves beneath the plain...

Genres: Mystery, Australia, Fiction, Crime, Detective, Historical, Mystery Thriller

215 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1956

About the author

Aka Arthur Upfield

Arthur William Upfield (1 September 1890 – 13 February 1964) was an Australian writer, best known for his works of detective fiction featuring Detective Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte ('Bony') of the Queensland Police Force, a half-caste Aborigine.

Born in England, Upfield moved to Australia in 1910 and fought with the Australian military during the First World War. Following his war service, he travelled extensively throughout Australia, obtaining a knowledge of Australian Aboriginal culture that would later be used extensively in his written works. In addition to his detective fiction, Upfield was also a member of the Australian Geological Society and was involved in numerous scientific expeditions. Upfield's works remained popular after his death, and in the 1970s were the basis for an Australian television series entitled "Boney".

Reviews

[Erica Verrillo · Rating 5 out of 5]

So far, this is my favorite of the "Bony" mysteries. (I've read 15 of them.) As always, Upfield's description of the Australian outback is beyond compare. You really feel the heat of the Nullarbor Plain, its intense isolation. And, of course, the skills that Napoleon Bonaparte, Upfield's memorable half-aborigine detective, utilizes to survive in it are remarkable. The plot of this tale is quite unusual, as the murder does not occur until nearly half the book is over. The real mystery is not whodunit (although, that is the puzzle Bony must solve), but why a group of released murderers is being held captive in a hole in the middle of the desert. The answer to that question, and the strange predicament in which Bony finds himself while "stuck in the hole" are what make this book stand out.

But what really captivated me was not just the absorbing plot, or the undeniable charisma of Upfield's protagonist. It was the eloquence with which Upfield reveals his true feelings about Australia. About three-quarters of the way through the story, Bony sets out to rescue one of the members of the group who has foolishly wandered off into the barren waste. Bony finds the man nearly dead of heat exhaustion. What Bony says to him at that moment is what lies at the heart of all Upfield's novels.

"You will come to love Australia, as I do," says Bony. "You have to get down on your stomach, press your face into the sand and against the hot gibbers, smell the land and feel through your empty belly its closeness to you, woo it with a voice clogged by the lack of saliva. And then, as with many men, this naked fair Australia will become the great love of your life ... You lucky, lucky man."

We are all lucky to have the stories of Arthur Upfield. Through them, may we come to love "this naked fair Australia" as wholeheartedly as he did.

[Mike Billington · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am an Arthur Upfield fan not only because he has created one of the world's great fictional detectives in Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte but also because he is unflinching in his descriptions of Australia and its people.
"Man of Two Tribes" demonstrates this, perhaps, better than most of his other novels. His descriptions of the harsh Nullarbor Plain are wonderful as are his descriptions of both the white and aboriginal people who live in and around that treeless expanse.
Upfield, for example, does not shy away from the racism that dominated Australia in the 1950s, when this novel was written. His portrayal of the arrogant Weatherby family, who treat their aboriginal employees with disdain and who feel completely justified taking the law into their own hands, faithfully captures Australian attitudes of that time period. Likewise, his descriptions of the "abos" also has the ring of truth, which is not surprising since he spent a lot of time with them as he roamed Australia for a good share of his life.
Bonaparte, half white and half aboriginal, is the "Man of Two Tribes" and in this novel he must draw on both sides of his ancestral tree to not only escape a wicked plot but also to solve a puzzling murder. That's not easy since he has almost too many suspects and all of them are killers. I won't say more about the plot because that would spoil it for those who have not yet read this book. Suffice it to say that Bonaparte figures out who the murderer is by patiently observing the suspects as they trek the plain.
Upfield's narrative style is similar to the late Tony Hillerman's Navajo Tribal Police novels so if you like the tales of Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee, you will probably enjoy this and other books chronicling the career of Inspector Bonaparte.
I certainly do.

[Bev · Rating 3 out of 5]

I seem to be in the minority on this one, but I just think this is bonkers. The story starts out pretty straightforward: Myra Thomas, accused and acquitted of killing her husband, disappeared from the train carrying her and her mother to live in another part of Australia where perhaps the notoriety would not follow her. But Myra never arrived in Perth--somewhere between Adelaide and the final stop she vanished. As far as anyone could tell, she was wearing only her nightdress and a pair of slippers. And not a trace of her has been found after three weeks of searching by train employees along the line and police officials in the small towns in the great desert plain area. There are few places a woman could be and still be alive--and she is not in any of them.

So, Bony arrives, ostensibly to take up the hunt, but also because an old trapper, who has recently died, left a diary indicating that there have been clandestine journeys by a helicopter during the desert nights. Upper officials are worried that spies are at work, so Bony is sent to look for Myra Thomas and to find out the truth behind the trapper's helicopter sightings. And then it just gets weird. When Bony arrives at the trapper's last camp, he discovers a silky white scarf fluttering above a deep sinkhole. The next thing he knows, a group of tribesmen have unceremoniously dumped him and all his gear (save a really good hunting rifle) down into the underground cavern where he finds himself stranded with Myra Thomas and several convicted (and recently released) killers. And there's a fresh corpse among them. So, now Bony has to figure out which murderer in a group of murderers has decided to kill again. Oh...and he also has to figure out how to get them all out of there (and is, of course, successful after the group has been working on this very thing for weeks...).

The best thing about this one is the descriptions of the desert area of Australia and Bony's interactions with the camels and Lucy, the dog, when he's following the traplines of the old trapper. I've always appreciated Upfield's way of describing the Australian landscape and Bony is such an interesting character that even his interactions with animals are amusing and well worth reading. The mystery could have been way better if it hadn't had such a bonkers set up. I just don't see how the snatching of all these murderers and suspected murderers could work so smoothly without any clues being left. If Bony hadn't seen that silk scarf (which, how the heck?), then they'd never have been found and he's one of the best trackers ever. ★★ and 1/2. [rounded up here]

First posted on my blog My Reader's Block.

[Vintagebooklvr · Rating 3 out of 5]

This isn't that much of a traditional mystery where the detective is trying to figure out whodunit, that is part of it but a small part, as a survival tale in the unforgiving Australian Nullarbor Plain and with a desperate group of isolated murderers. The descriptions of Australia are mesmerizing and pulse with the soul of the Australian continent.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four and a half stars.

This is not really a detective story, more a "Boys Own" adventure yarn but none the worse for that. In fact, it is very good yarn indeed. I sat up late for three nights in a row to finish it. Upfield's description of the harshness of the Nullabor Plain is superbly well drawn and Bony is a great character.

Although the plot is totally improbable, the story hums along really well. The sentiments expressed by the younger Mrs Weatherby at the end about the way she saw the system of justice in Australia at that time could still apply to many people in many places in the world today. I won't say more as it would be a spoiler.

Thoroughly recommended.

[Nona · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another interesting read from Arthur UPFIELD extolling the attributes of his ace Detective Napoleon BONAPARTE. In all his novels he shows great talent in understanding the ways of Australia's Aborigines in not only dealing with white people, but in living and understanding Australia's land and its history.
Apart from some, what we would call today "politically incorrect language" UPFIELD's work is timeless, and it could easily with a few changes here and there be set in the 21st century.
Again a great read.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Four years ago, almost exactly, I read my first Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte mystery. I wanted more but was unable to find them at my local library. When a friend loaned me two books a couple of weeks ago, I thought there was something familiar about them, haha. Thanks Diane!

This book had more of what I had hoped for in the first one - a bit more of Australia, a bit more of the man who straddles two cultures. And an unusual mystery. Old fashioned and a good read. As I said four years ago, I'll be reading more of this series.

[Gu Kun · Rating 4 out of 5]

- Reviewer John (four stars) says it - quickly.

- I would add:
One of his very best. Prominently features Upfields typifying strenghts: I -1) superb descriptions of nature and natural phenomena in plain, unadorned, stark terms; 2) superb descriptions of the interaction between humans and some of the other animals, in the understanding of which latter* Upfield proves himself time and again way ahead of his time - as he does in 3) his enlightened treatment of the "race" issue - another recurrent theme -(not all that prominent in this book.). II - Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte, hero of the stories - to my mind the a) most realistic/believable and, above all, b) most intelligent and thus perspicacious and thus most humane and thus most sympathetic of all fictional detectives ... (sorry, Columbo). Would have given five stars if it didn't also prominently feature Upfield's trademark weakness: a rather clumsy murder mystery. 4.5

*Is that proper English? (Sincere question by non-native.)

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bony is just as enjoyable as ever in this entry in the Inspector Napoleon Bonapart mystery series. If you have never read one of Upfield's books, Bony (Inspector Bonapart) is a half-white, half-aborigine police detective who is equally at home in both worlds, but his detective abilities shine in the bush. I love Upfield's descriptions of the Australian outback & the way of life lived by both whites & aborigines at that time (early to mid-1900's).

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Arthur Upfield's books, unique features of Australia become another character; in this case, the Nullarbor Plain. Much of the action in the story plays out on the plain and Upfield's vivid descriptions bring the vastness to life. This passage captures the weariness of walking for miles on the Nullarbor:

"Forward. Effort without motive. You walk a street and there is a lamp standard ahead to walk to, to pass, to leave behind you. Something is always happening. Nothing happened here save the speeding cloud shadows, and for them you ought to be grateful. You came from nowhere, and you are going to nowhere, for nowhere isn't a place or a thing. You count your steps: a hundred, a thousand, a million, and you are on the same spot you were on in the beginning."

On top of the hardships of foot travel in this desolate wasteland, Upfield brings together six characters with different personalities bound by similar experience. The plot centers around murder, and Inspector Bonaparte's search for one murderer in particular, but includes topics of psychology, philosophy, misogyny and racism in subtle but significant ways. (And watch out for Lucy, Millie and Curley!)

I've only read three of Upfield's books but will be looking for more.

[Elise · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bookseller in Seattle told me this was a favorite author, so I picked this up.
Napoleon Bonaparte is a mixed race Australian who is a successful detective. This is a mid series book, set in the late 40s.
Bony is asked to investigate the disappearance of a young woman from a train in the middle of the outback. He takes two camels to search for clues and encounters an even deeper mystery. He must use all his skills to survive and identify a murderer.

This was interesting, but not gripping. Midway through a slew of new characters is introduced, I had to go back later and read that section again. At the end, you find some new info that Bony knew but did not disclose to the reader. I always find that unfair in a mystery.

The descriptions of trekking the Nullarbor Plain (so named because it has no trees)were very vivid and the most interesting part of the story.

[Catsalive · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a strange episode in Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte's career. He is hunting for a woman who went missing just after she was acquitted of murder which takes him to the vast, open expanses of the Nullabor Plain. To do so Bony is posing as a wild-dog trapper, travelling his rounds with camels & canine partner, but he is caught up in a man-trap himself & finds a lot more than just the misplaced Myra Thomas.

I really enjoyed travelling around the traps with Bony & the animals out on the plains, much more than his time in the caverns with the Fellows of the Released Murderers' Institute.

This is a remarkable panegyric to the Australian continent in general & the Nullabor specifically. Arthur Upfield writes the landscape in wonderfully detailed prose & shows a great love for the land through Bony. He also shows great compassion for his human characters & their foibles. 3.5★

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first Upfield mystery, I found the story refreshingly different from other mysteries I've read. Bony is looking for a woman who is missing from a train traveling across the nothingness of Australia's wilderness. He takes two camels across the plain near where she turned up missing which is the area his dad last trapped shortly before his recent death. After many days finding the trap line, he is captured by the aborigines and lowered into an unescapeable cavern with other known convicts, released before their sentences. Who is feeding them, who captured them, and how was it done 200 miles from civilization? How can they return? I am hooked now. A short book that took me longer than usual to read, but worthy of reading more Upfield books.

[Anne Matheson · Rating 3 out of 5]

It starts out as a search for a missing woman, but turns into something much more exotic. The plot isn't very believable but it is imaginative. Man of two tribes was written in 1956 and the dialogue and attitudes do seem dated, but descriptions of the landscape are superb. Bony is quite an attractive Detective and I fell in love with Lucy the dog and the 2 camels, Curley and Millie - they made a trek on the Nullabor plain sound quite appealing.

The book's cover says "The 29 books in which (Inspector Bonaparte) appears provide the most accessible body of writing about inland Australia that exists.". I'm fond of a big landscape, and reading about one is a passable substitute for being in one.

[Michèle Callard · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a writer in love with PLACE, I am told that place should not come first but hide behind character and plot. Upfield's novels are unashamedly about place. How that man describes a desert is genius. We are also told that our characters must have flaws. Detective Napoleon Bonaparte has no flaws. He is the Aboriginal Superman, filled with intuition, Xray vision and determination. Humble, sure of himself, respectful of the law but still his own man, he is perfect. Do we wish he had flaws? No, we don't. Like a fine Australian wine, Bony gets better with time.

[Wide Eyes, Big Ears! · Rating 3 out of 5]

It feels funny to listen to a book about Boney, an Aboriginal detective-inspector, written by a White guy and read by a White guy - I suppose we accept men writing female characters, straight women writing gay male characters. Some of the language is uncomfortable, derogatory, a product of its time (1956). Boney is an impressive character, a good sleuth and thoughtful. I can see why the books were popular, the characters and plot are interesting. I may read more of them ...

[Steve Maxwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Several convicted killers that have been released early from prison have been kidnapped and are being held prisoners in an underground system on caves on the Nullarbor Plain. The latest kidnapped victim appears to have just walked off a Trans-Australian train.

Enter Detective Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte. It is up to him to navigate the clues, or lack of, to find the kidnapped victims and their abductors and return them to civilisation.

Bonaparte at his best.

[Gregory Van Den Berg · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Myra Thomas, a woman found not guilty in court of murdering her husband, disappears from the Transcontinental Express from Adelaide to Perth – a journey of 2700 kilometres, then Detective Inspector Napoleon “Boney” Bonaparte is on the case to find her. As he heads across the Nullabor Plain, he finds that there is a trail to follow.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

A woman acquitted of murdering her husband disappears from a train crossing the Nullabor. Bony takes on the seemingly hopeless search for her and finds himself trapped in a cavern underneath the desert. Another great story.

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've seen references to Upfield's books, but this is the first one I've read. I'm hooked! Well-written, with great settings, complex characters, and a suspenseful story. I'm pleased there are lots more books featuring Bony to enjoy.

[Diana Petty-stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very well written mystery set in the strange and unforgiving Australian Nullarbor Plains. Interesting characters and good plot. Two quirky camels, a lovable dog, and Detective-Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte who always gets his man.

[Elaine Gilbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love and good detective story, Arthur Upfield is a master. This is one of the best, as Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte is asked to find a woman who disappears off of a train in the outback of Austrailia. You can feel the heat of the desert!

[Rougefyre · Rating 2 out of 5]

Impression que l'auteur était à la fois raciste (dommage avec un personnage descendant des Aborigènes et des Européens) et misogyne. Le potentiel de description de l'Australie et de sa culture en est gâché.

[Magda · Rating 5 out of 5]

The character personalities and descriptions of the natural environment sealed this as a winner. And, more than anything , this novel has created me high interest to go see the Nullarbor Plain in person.

[Rogue Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Boney goes undercover and gets thrown into an underground cave deep in the Nullarbor. Wonderful mythology. Want to pace these books and not devour them all at once.

[AshE · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not my favorite of the series but still an interesting read.

[PickItUp Lessard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Upfield est un pionnier du polar ethnologique.

[Barbara Kennard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another delightful Bony story listened to on audio. I enjoy getting to know the characters and there are twists right till the end. Highly recommend.

[Jason · Rating 3 out of 5]

Silly premise, but you are truly transported to the Nullarbor Plain.

[Jim Stennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I’ve read five Bony mysteries now and this is the best of that lot! The mystery is really secondary to the tale of survival in a trek across Australia’s desert. Highly recommended.