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Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte #16
Venom House
The Answerth family's mansion seems to deserve its nickname of "Venom House." Perhaps that's because of its forbidding setting, an island in the center of a man-made lake, the treacherous waters studded by the skeletons of long-dead trees. Perhaps it's because of the unquiet ghosts of the Aborigines slaughtered by Answerth ancestors. Or perhaps it's just because the Answerth household is such a strange one.
258 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1952
13 people are currently reading
136 people want to read
About the author
Arthur W. Upfield
70 books109 followersAka 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".
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".
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
August 20, 2012
This Bony story is more of a pyschological thriller than the usual fantastic bushcraft.
Venom House is the moated stone house of the Answerths, set in the 50's before electricity came to this small town in Queensland. Mary Answerth, the rawboned tough as bootleather oldest sibling, in charge of the men and the beasts of the cattle station; Janet, the supposed civilised philantrophist, bad painter, reader of poetry in charge of the house and the youngest, Morris, the 27yr old mentally challenged half brother, perpetually locked in his rooms; Mrs Lepper, the housekeeper come mental institution Matron, there to save money to buy her own asylum.
Bony arrives to investigate the murder of the second Mrs Answerth and a prior murder of a man from town, both found in Answerth's Folly (the moat).
The chase all around the 2 storey house, with 2 staircases, in the dark at the end is an absolute classic, ending with a further murder.
Venom House is the moated stone house of the Answerths, set in the 50's before electricity came to this small town in Queensland. Mary Answerth, the rawboned tough as bootleather oldest sibling, in charge of the men and the beasts of the cattle station; Janet, the supposed civilised philantrophist, bad painter, reader of poetry in charge of the house and the youngest, Morris, the 27yr old mentally challenged half brother, perpetually locked in his rooms; Mrs Lepper, the housekeeper come mental institution Matron, there to save money to buy her own asylum.
Bony arrives to investigate the murder of the second Mrs Answerth and a prior murder of a man from town, both found in Answerth's Folly (the moat).
The chase all around the 2 storey house, with 2 staircases, in the dark at the end is an absolute classic, ending with a further murder.
August 16, 2012
Young people are missing so much! Back in the 40s and 50s, Arthur Upfield brought Australia and his Detective Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte to life. In VENOM HOUSE, Bony faces down the Answerth family, a combination of memorable characters. Readers will never forget the night spent in silent stalking through the Answerth mansion.
A lot of the Bony books are available on Audible.com. So far I have listened to AN AUTHOR BITES THE DUST, and was affronted when the reader apologized for political incorrectness. How far astray from reality can pc readers require authors to go - especially when they are writing about their own time?
A lot of the Bony books are available on Audible.com. So far I have listened to AN AUTHOR BITES THE DUST, and was affronted when the reader apologized for political incorrectness. How far astray from reality can pc readers require authors to go - especially when they are writing about their own time?
January 8, 2012
Venom House is the 16th novel of the Bony series by Arthur Upfield. Bony finds himself in the coastal town of Edison, in south-eastern Queensland, investigating two bodies found in a man-made lake which surrounds the Answerth family’s mansion known as Venom House. The bodies are those of Ed Carlow, the local butcher, suspected of rustling local cattle to augment his business; and the second wife of the late Jacob Answerth. The household is a strange one: Janet Answerth, the eldest sister, feminine and in charge of the mansion; Mary, the youngest sister, masculine and in charge of the stock and station; Morris, the young half-brother, simple and kept locked in his rooms; and Mrs Leeper, the cook and house-keeper, and also a trained nurse. A pair of strange brothers, Robin and Henry Foster, and Albert Blaze, the station cook, also make up the cast. Not a great deal of unique Bony skill in this one, except perhaps using his sense of smell in the dark, but a clever plot with a few twists and some interesting characters. I didn’t guess the murderer before Bony revealed it, so i think readers will enjoy this one.
March 13, 2019
Venom House is so appropriate a nickname for this house. Begun by a man who took the land by slaughtering the aborigines who lived on it, the family seems cursed through the generations. The remaining son is somewhat simple minded. The two remaining daughters put on a good show, but are polar opposites in all except one feature: their hatred of each other.
Detective Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte arrives to investigate two murders. One was done by drowning in the lake now surrounding Venom House. The other was by strangulation although the body was dragged into the lake.
The case is challenging. No one tells all they know. They may tell the truth or may not. Menace hangs over Venom House. Bony knows another murder is imminent. Who? When? Can he stop it?
This is a darker tale than many others in the series. It is fast, easy reading and keeps the reader wanting to read faster.
Detective Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte arrives to investigate two murders. One was done by drowning in the lake now surrounding Venom House. The other was by strangulation although the body was dragged into the lake.
The case is challenging. No one tells all they know. They may tell the truth or may not. Menace hangs over Venom House. Bony knows another murder is imminent. Who? When? Can he stop it?
This is a darker tale than many others in the series. It is fast, easy reading and keeps the reader wanting to read faster.
November 23, 2015
Although this is the 16th novel in this series this is my first read by Arthur W Upfield. I thoroughly enjoyed reading "Venom House" It definitely was quirky and à little off the wall to say the least the Answerth family are anything but your average family.Janet and Mary are the 2 strange and tough as old boot's sisters and their younger half brother Morris who is 27 years old but is mentally challenged and has the mind of a child and is constantly locked away in his room. Detective Bony as he's known arrives to investigate the murder of the second Mrs Answerth and à previous murder of a man from town where both bodies are found in the lake which surrounds the Answerth's mansion. Intriguing read❤❤❤
January 8, 2017
"Venom House" is Arthur W. Upfield's 16th book in the outstanding Napoleon Bonaparte detective series. The Australian half-caste protagonist is again asked to bring his unique blend of Outback nature craft and Sherlockian logic to solve another murder. An imaginative and novel plot line, a cast of sibling villains, and the usual aplomb and unflappability of Bony makes for one Upton's best stories. This book, more than any other previous Upton entry, proves that Upton belongs in the ranks of the great detective fiction writers. A very good read.
August 4, 2017
Another classic Bony novel.
Two bodies have been found in the accidental lake surrounding the grim dwelling nicknamed "Venom House". One is the local butcher, the other the widow of the former owner. Are the deaths related? Why is the dimwitted son of the widow kept locked up in 2 rooms? Why do the widow's stepdaughters hate each other so much? Can Bony pull the clues together and trap the villain?
Two bodies have been found in the accidental lake surrounding the grim dwelling nicknamed "Venom House". One is the local butcher, the other the widow of the former owner. Are the deaths related? Why is the dimwitted son of the widow kept locked up in 2 rooms? Why do the widow's stepdaughters hate each other so much? Can Bony pull the clues together and trap the villain?
December 3, 2014
"A bloke's not a real driver if he has to use brakes" (88).
"Money," scoffed Bony. "What is money?"
"Featherweight stuff the boss hands out and the Government takes off you."
"Precisely, Mawson, and so milk your bank for as much as possible. It isn't worth the germs sticking to it, anyway" (159).
"Money," scoffed Bony. "What is money?"
"Featherweight stuff the boss hands out and the Government takes off you."
"Precisely, Mawson, and so milk your bank for as much as possible. It isn't worth the germs sticking to it, anyway" (159).
June 7, 2017
The Answerths by all accounts are a weird family, living on their property surrounded by twin tributaries of a river near the coast of Queensland. Bony, investigating twin murders, soon finds himself submerged in their life. A great novel, full of humorous touches, wonderful characters and terrific dialogue. Why hasn't it been turned into a movie?
September 6, 2011
Upfield had some annoying plot habits so I mostly read these for the atmosphere and this one is a humdinger. A moated house that is being slowly overwhelmed by the river and a wonderful scene of stalking a killer in the black
January 3, 2012
Un roman policier original qui se lit vite. J'ai beaucoup aimé les personnages et notamment celui de Napoléon Bonaparte, l'inspecteur mi-aborigène mi-européen. Une belle découverte!
January 17, 2013
Always enjoy Upfield. As Jane said. Read it for the atmosphere, sense of particular environment and location in the outback. Dont bother with plot.
December 5, 2017
Have been enjoying Detective Napoleon Bonaparte’s adventures for years.
Fun to find one I hadn’t read!
Always full of colourful characters and Bony’s amusing façon d’être.
Fun to find one I hadn’t read!
Always full of colourful characters and Bony’s amusing façon d’être.
December 28, 2024
I tried to read this a couple of years back and couldn't get into it, and yet this week I read it nearly in a sitting. Let that be a lesson to me; sometimes it just depends on my mood.
Better constructed than several of the books in the series, this is a case of an isolated family group of unpleasant people doing unpleasant things. They're from a line of abusive, violent patriarchs and they are none of them normal. The reasoning behind the murders is as odd as the whole bunch of them, but the pacing and action are acceptable until the odd ending, in which Boney suddenly reverts to what the white English author fondly imagines to be "the bush mentality". Suddenly this half-caste Other is floating around without a sound, so that not even the farm watchdogs woof as he wafts by. His hearing is of course super sharp as well as his sense of smell; in the dark in a strange house he can tell who's who and where they are by those two factors alone. There's a side mystery about animal rustling (for lack of a better word) and fleece stealing, too.
Having said that, I read this book nearly entire on Christmas Day, when I spent several hours sitting in the ER with my husband. It actually held my attention in spite of noise, loudspeakers and people coming and going.
Upfield kept his linguistic oddnesses to himself this time, though toward the end I stumbled across the word "snoodge" which apparently meant to flatter shamelessly or slobber all over someone.
If anyone can tell me what "a wall broom" is, I'd be grateful. Mr Google only showed me wall mounted brackets for broom storage.
Better constructed than several of the books in the series, this is a case of an isolated family group of unpleasant people doing unpleasant things. They're from a line of abusive, violent patriarchs and they are none of them normal. The reasoning behind the murders is as odd as the whole bunch of them, but the pacing and action are acceptable until the odd ending, in which Boney suddenly reverts to what the white English author fondly imagines to be "the bush mentality". Suddenly this half-caste Other is floating around without a sound, so that not even the farm watchdogs woof as he wafts by. His hearing is of course super sharp as well as his sense of smell; in the dark in a strange house he can tell who's who and where they are by those two factors alone. There's a side mystery about animal rustling (for lack of a better word) and fleece stealing, too.
Having said that, I read this book nearly entire on Christmas Day, when I spent several hours sitting in the ER with my husband. It actually held my attention in spite of noise, loudspeakers and people coming and going.
Upfield kept his linguistic oddnesses to himself this time, though toward the end I stumbled across the word "snoodge" which apparently meant to flatter shamelessly or slobber all over someone.
If anyone can tell me what "a wall broom" is, I'd be grateful. Mr Google only showed me wall mounted brackets for broom storage.
February 21, 2021
Again, there is no flinching from the horrendous impact of colonisation on the indigenous people. The idea that boning can persist down through the generations – the Western equivalent might be the curse – is new to me. The North American First People of ‘Copper Woman’ believed the impact of violent bloodshed persisted for generations. Maybe the murderers curse themselves and their own, if they share in the spoils.
The climax is tense.
The climax is tense.
April 21, 2025
A house, Venom House, set in the middle of a man-made lake and occupied by ster sisters, Janet and Mary Answerth, and their special needs brother/step brother Morris.
After several murders that have stumped the local police, enter Det Insp Napoleon Bonaparte, whose irregular methods of investigation slowly peel away the layers of lies and innuendo to arrive at the truth.
Upfield doesn't disappoint with his descriptions of the Australian bush and characters. An Aussie masterpiece!!
After several murders that have stumped the local police, enter Det Insp Napoleon Bonaparte, whose irregular methods of investigation slowly peel away the layers of lies and innuendo to arrive at the truth.
Upfield doesn't disappoint with his descriptions of the Australian bush and characters. An Aussie masterpiece!!
November 18, 2022
Upfield's mysteries are beautifully crafted and powerfully evocative of their location and while they may be somewhat encumbered by the culture of the time in which they were produced they are remarkable and wonderfully written. Loved this mystery around a dysfunctional family and their loathsome family history.
March 24, 2020
Closer to 3.75 but still great.
May 23, 2021
Venom House is something delightful and just plain fun to read.
June 3, 2023
The sins of the fathers are visited upon the current generation of insane Answerths in this psychological thriller. Luckily Bony is able to figure it all out.
June 9, 2014
Aventuras que van al grano, personajes que con dos trazos uno imagina en una pantalla de cine. Por cierto ¿por qué nadie lo ha hecho película? Un libro que queda doblado y maltratado por leerse con una mezcla de nervios, emoción y humor negro.
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September 4, 2013Awesome!
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews