Battling Prophet

Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte #20

by Arthur W. Upfield

Ben Wickham, a famous meteorologist whose uncannily accurate forecasts have helped famers and graziers all over Australia, has died after a three-week drinking bout. The doctor certifies that his death was cause by heart failure, due to alcoholic poisoning. But Ben's neighbor and drinking partner, John Luton, is convinced his friend didn't die from too much gin. He manages to lure Detective-Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte to his riverside cottage near the South Australian coast, on an unofficial visit for a spot of fishing. Bony, thinking at first he's on holiday and paying a casual visit, is intrigued and decides to investigate. PLEASE Part of the appeal of Arthur Upfield’s stories lies in their authentic portrayal of many aspects of outback Australian life in the 1930s and into the 1950s. These books reflect and depict the attitudes and ways of speech of that era particularly with regard to Aborigines and to women. In reproducing this book the publisher does not endorse the attitudes or opinions they express.

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

226 pages, Paperback

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

[Lemar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Upfield speaks out. Never one to get preachy, thank God, he delivers a first rate mystery while exposing the xenophobia and corrupt justice systems of the time he wrote this, 1950’s Australia in which their versions of the FBI and NSA, ran roughshod over people’s rights.
Until they run into Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte. If anyone can set things right and solve the murder it’s Bony.
“And there was the wisdom of the old, which isn’t tainted by intolerance, smugness, bigotry.”

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Miracle weather forecaster is dead and his friend suspects foul play. Secret agents come looking for his papers while Bony is called in by a local involved in a previous case. Set is South Australia, this story seems somewhat muddled and I'm still not sure who committed the original murder, if that's what it was.

[Gu Kun · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5+ stars

[Karen GoatKeeper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was there a murder? The corpse has been cremated. The clues are scarce. And the deceased is the center of a controversy over his amazingly accurate weather forecasts. Relatives, the Australian government, foreign governments and more are desperate to find his will and notebook.
Bony wants to have a holiday and do some fishing. No one believes him. And he changes his mind.
This entry in the Napoleon Bonaparte mystery series can get confusing. There are so many interested parties. Was the man really murdered? Or did he die of alcohol poisoning? And who is so desperate to get Bony off the case?
Like the other Bony mysteries, this one is a fun read.

[Steve Maxwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ben Wickham, a meteorologist, is dead. Enter DI Napoleon Bonaparte on holiday in South Australia.

Wickham's body is quickly cremated, while speculation is rife about the cause of his death. Bony soon finds himself pitted against the local police as well as the federal police.

A great read, and as always, Upfield brings to life the beauty and splendour of the Australian bush and Outback.

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Battling Prophet is the 20th novel in the Bony series by Arthur Upfield. Having solved a smuggling case for the South Australian Police, Bony decides to mix business with pleasure by taking ten days leave to go fishing at the small coastal town of Cowdry, as the guest of one John Luton. Luton has requested Bony’s presence as he is convinced that his good friend, unorthodox meteorologist and long-range weather forecaster, Benjamin Wickham, was murdered. Whilst the local doctor listed the cause of death as heart failure due alcoholic poisoning, Luton expounds his theory on the effects of different sprits on the DTs (hoojahs), and cites this as proof that his friend was murdered. As the body has been cremated without autopsy, Bony has to look at motive and means. Wickham’s predictions were extremely accurate and he was both admired and detested; this accuracy also made him a target for those who wanted to obtain his methods for their own gains; the beneficiaries of his will are another source of suspects. Upfield touches on a myriad of subjects: the merits of binge drinking and abstinence; the value of accurate long-range weather forecasting for would-be world conquerors; trade unionism; communism; sectarianism. He is scathing of the Security Service and the Commonwealth Investigation Service. The reader will be intrigued when Bony makes the completely uncharacteristic move of following telegraphed orders to return to Brisbane before he has solved his case. Plenty of twists in the plot that will keep the reader guessing, and, of course, Bony constructs and smokes many “alleged cigarettes”. Excellent Upfield mystery.

[Mike Billington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spies, warring law enforcement agencies, government misconduct, betrayal, greed, and - yes - murder are all featured in "The Battling Prophet," which is one of the best of author Arthur Upfield's Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte mystery novels.
Bonaparte is one of fiction's most interesting detectives. Half white, half Aborigine; he is constantly caught between both cultures in an Australia that is intensely racist. He is unconventional, doesn't seem to give a damn about authority, and he is single-minded in his pursuit of his criminal targets. Over the course of his career he has been suspended, occasionally fired, and often reprimanded but - as he notes in this novel - he is always reinstated because, in the end, he "brings home the bacon" by solving the cases he is involved in.
In this instance, that means finding out who murdered a controversial meteorologist whose ability to accurately predict the weather not only helps Australian farmers but could also help foreign governments plan war strategies.
Upfield was a prolific writer but he was not just that. He worked as a stockman (the Australian version of the American cowboy), a miner, and a government official among other things. His travels around Australia and his familiarity with its ethnic minorities as well as its white majority helped make his characters very realistic. He was a skillful plotter and his narrative is rich in detail.
All of those elements are nicely blended in this novel and that makes it a pleasure to read.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

The plot is well reviewed here by others so I won't repeat it. This is not really a detective story; more an adventure yarn. Bony is not out in the Bush as usual so there is little or no bushcraft or interaction with the aboriginal people. What there is, though, is a "big brother" cover up
scenario involving government departments, both national and international, all trying to stop Bony from solving the alleged murder and to get hold of the victims`s paperwork on climate forecasting.

I would have rated it higher if hadn't taken so long to get going. I thought the first third of the story was too long winded. However, once it got going, it was an excellent read with the tension ratcheted up really well.

[John Sheahan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read a few of the Bony books when I was a teen. The TV series was keenly watched in our household. The idea of a part-Aboriginal detective, together with the window afforded on this mysterious culture, ensnared my imagination.
It has been decades since I last read an Upfield mystery but I enjoyed this one immensely. This time, I basked in the glow of the sympathetic depiction of both the Aborigine and the bush. The bush is something dear to me, it is part of me and I feel a part of it. We are just returning from a few weeks in the wide open spaces of SA, VIC and NSW, the presence of the bush is close to me. I am rejuvenated by being in it for a little while. I know characters akin to some in this book. They come from a wonderful place.
Upfield is not sentimental in his settings, but may be a little so of the passing world of 1950s Australia. To me, it feels more like the respect paid to a departed family member.
I look forward to reading many more in the near future.

[Darjeelingdo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mon 2e Upfield et je retrouve avec plaisir Napoleon Bonaparte, dit Bony, l’inspecteur métis de la police de Brisbane.

Ben Wickham, météorologiste de renom, est mort dans de curieuses circonstances. L’extrême fiabilité de ses prévisions semble avoir fortement déplu à pas mal de monde et quand Bony appelé à la rescousse par le meilleur ami et complice de beuveries du mort commence à s’intéresser à cette mort suspecte, il trouve sur son chemin police régionale, fédérale, services secrets et espions étrangers …rien que ça !

L’enquête est un peu emberlificotée mais je l’aime bien, moi, ce policier un peu « hors sol », un peu rebelle, non conventionnel mais fin psychologue, un genre de commissaire Adamsberg (de Vargas) mais sous le soleil australien !

Le prophète du temps est apparemment la dernière enquête de Bony.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pleasure to revisit 30 years later when I had forgotten everything about it. The "prophet" is a remarkably accurate weather predictor, who has made many enemies in Australia. If the farmers already know that they aren't going to be able to raise crops or livestock in a dry year, and therefore don't try, how are the banks going to be able to get a death grip on them with loans and mortgages? Upfield populates the dead man's estate with mysterious visitors and conflicting agendas.

[Catsalive · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable tale, if a little confusing at times. There are many different people after the dead man's (weather prophet Ben Wickham) notebook. The doctor says he died of alcohol poisoning but his best friend, John Luton, believes he was murdered. John invites Bony to stay for the fishing & so it begins...

This is not the best of Bony because there are so many people involved it's hard to keep track of who's who & who belongs where. It is amusing, however, & Upfield has a beautiful poke at the "higher-ups" in various disparate departments, Federal & State. Bony is a great character, & practically prescient.

Peter Hosking does an excellent job of narration, as always.

Pub. 1956. Bolinda audio, isbn 9781486209927.

[Sue Law · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another enjoyable Bony adventure. It is the height of the cold war and a meteorological researcher scorned for years by the establishment dies suddenly. His old mate, in whose house he dies, is suspicions but despite his complaints the doctor signs a certificate and the body is cremated. The old friend writes to Bony and Bony comes to visit, ostensibly on holiday but with a little investigation on the side.
On arrival Bony finds that while the mate's suspicions are little more than gut feeling, there are other strange goings on which definitely raise the spectre of unnatural death.

[Barbara Kennard]

I have really enjoyed all the books in the series, on audio. Have exhausted all the ones available through BorrowBox at local library, and will be on the hunt for more.
I love the characters and learning more about rural life in the 1930's and 40's.
There is humour, and it is not dark crime. Bony is so human.

[Tuesdayschild · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are a lot of characters coming and going in this story and the whodunit of this mystery was rather unusual.
Peter Hosking’s narration is excellent, as always, and is what kept me listening.
Extra: The social and political themes in the book are a show case of the era this story was written in.

[Nancy Walsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intriguing mysteries set in mid-century Australia. Engaging characters led by Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte, a mixed parentage of Aboriginal and Caucusian. He solves crimes using strengths from this heritage. The Australian outback is a landscape character as Upfield describes life and death in this unusual setting. Pure escapism.

[Blasr · Rating 4 out of 5]

On reading the name of the detective, I expected a somewhat pretentious and mannered whodunnit. Nothing of the sort.

I'd never heard of the author before I bought this book and others from an independent bookshop struggling through lockdown.

[Benjamin · Rating 2 out of 5]

LOL the back of the book says "If you like detective stories that are something more than puzzles" and yes, that is what this mediocre Aussie Agatha Christie is. Bought it mostly for the Penguin aesthetic, read it out of curiosity and got a moderately entertaining 1950s Oz flavor out of it. Okay.

[Shirley Metelmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great Bone story
Enjoyable read

[Peter Reeves · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read

[Robyn Cain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another enjoyable murder mystery with Detective Boney in the Australian Outback.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another mysterious murder for Bony to solve in which he takes on branches of the Australian government.

[Dee Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant Plot

Upfield never disappoints his readers! His keen knowledge of both the history and the geography of Australia make him a brilliant storyteller!

[Kerrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Weather forecasts are extraordinarily important in the driest continent in the world. Farmers and graziers base their activities on them, but if drought is forecast then they will not re-stock their land, nor will they harrow in preparation for seeding. So lots of people stand to lose income if farming activities don't occur.

Ben Wickham tried to interest the Australian government in purchasing his weather predictions in advance and, when they rejected him, then approached overseas governments. Since Wickham died lots of people, not all Australian in origin, have become very interested in finding his will, and the books in which he wrote his predictions for future weather. They are all convinced that his best mate John Luton is hiding something. After Luton takes a beating from some outsider Bony realises that some major steps have to be taken. But someone higher up in government wants Bony off the scene and he is peremptorily recalled Queensland, and even escorted to the South Australian border.

A story with quite a bit of outback humour as well as some serious thought. There are some very quirky characters and the author has tried give us some idea of their colloquial language.

Of particular interest to me is that so many of the Bony stories have a link to South Australia. This one appears to be set somewhere near the River Murray. Ironically the year of publication, 1956, is also the year of the flooding of the Murray, in contrast with the drought conditions of the novel.

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I'm careful because underneath Cowdry there's a lot of it, the sort of sectarianism which don't always apply to religion. Out a bit from town there's a settlement of small market-gardeners what is crammed with Italians. There's some in Cowdry who hates them, and some they hate, with reason. So the Scotties run the banks, the Irish run the Gov'ment Departments, the Italians run the market gardens, and the Australians chew tobacco and lean up against veranda posts. If only all these ruddy lunatics would forget their grandfathers, the county would be worth livin' in" (70-1).

"In the Iron Curtain countries they use drugs and implements to make a man talk. In the United States they employ bright light and relays of questioners. In Australia, if a criminal won't talk, they give him afternoon tea; in other words, leisurely soften him with kindness. It is a sad fact that these several methods of extracting information, based no doubt on scientific research and study, were ever man-controlled. Huge steam hammers to crack eggs! But interrogation by women!" (188)

[Alaina Sloo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful series detective novel series, written from the 1920s to the 1960s. Most of the books in this series are set in or near towns or stations in the Australian bush. The books offer a wonderful sense of place and culture of the time, good mysteries to solve, and a half-aboriginal, half-white police detective called Napoleon Bonaparte, a character in the Sherlock Holmes mold. A few of the Napoleon Bonaparte books are set in larger towns or cities, but I think the books set in the bush are the best. Their settings are more evocative and the main character is at his best in the bush.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

For my full review click on the link below:
https://crossexaminingcrime.com/2025/...

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the book I keep re-reading the most out of the series and thoroughly enjoy every time.