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Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte #12
The Mountains Have a Secret
When two young women hiking in the mountains vanish without trace and a policeman sent to investigate is found shot, it's just the case for Detective Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte.
Travelling incognito, Bony visits the remote hotel the women were last seen at. There, he encounters the urbane, organ-playing and slightly sinister proprietor with his terrified but enigmatic father, a knife-throwing, Texan ex-paratrooper, and a sheep station with some unusual features. The intrigued Bony uncovers an extraordinary plot in an adventure which almost costs him his life.
Travelling incognito, Bony visits the remote hotel the women were last seen at. There, he encounters the urbane, organ-playing and slightly sinister proprietor with his terrified but enigmatic father, a knife-throwing, Texan ex-paratrooper, and a sheep station with some unusual features. The intrigued Bony uncovers an extraordinary plot in an adventure which almost costs him his life.
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1948
About the author
Arthur W. Upfield
72 books112 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 - 30 of 43 reviews
December 8, 2024
This is the second of Upfield's Napoleon Bonaparte novels I have read. This one is #12 in the series, and was published in 1952. Upfield is an interesting writer, British by birth, emigrated to Australia at the age of twenty. He fought in the Australian Army in WWI. Following the war he travelled extensively in Australia working with stock and farming and developed an understanding of the Aboriginal culture which was to inform much of his writing.
His 'Bony' character is a Detective Inspector in the Queensland Police Force, and is of mixed parentage - his mother an Aboriginal and his father white. I mentioned in my review of the other Upfield novel that it is rare to have a mixed race Aboriginal character held in high regard, and protagonist of a series of books.
This novel is set in the Grampian Mountains area of Victoria, remote and thick with bush. Two young girls who were travelling through have disappeared - been missing for months, and a police officer who was sent to investigate was murdered, found with a bullet hole in his head, sitting in his car.
As seems to be the form for these books, 'Bony' is sent in and given a free hand in how he deals with the investigation, trumping any local police, but still staying on-side with them. He adopts a cover story and goes under cover to stay at the remote hotel where the girls were last seen. He poses as a sheep farmer from New South Wales, and ingratiates himself with the hotel owners and staff, sniffing out the details of the disappearance and examining what makes the nearby sheep station so secretive with their high fences kept in such good order and routinely patrolled.
I won't share more plot outline, as it rolls out well enough in the book without me spoiling the flow.
There are other interesting characters throughout the story, and while it was quite a leisurely pace for the first three quarters of the book, based on having read only two, this seems to be the way Upfield builds suspense. The reader isn't always as well informed as 'Bony' is, but eventually he shares his wisdom and starts to unravel the mysteries.
Enjoyable at 3.5 stars. I have another 3 or 4 of these stories to read in due course.
His 'Bony' character is a Detective Inspector in the Queensland Police Force, and is of mixed parentage - his mother an Aboriginal and his father white. I mentioned in my review of the other Upfield novel that it is rare to have a mixed race Aboriginal character held in high regard, and protagonist of a series of books.
This novel is set in the Grampian Mountains area of Victoria, remote and thick with bush. Two young girls who were travelling through have disappeared - been missing for months, and a police officer who was sent to investigate was murdered, found with a bullet hole in his head, sitting in his car.
As seems to be the form for these books, 'Bony' is sent in and given a free hand in how he deals with the investigation, trumping any local police, but still staying on-side with them. He adopts a cover story and goes under cover to stay at the remote hotel where the girls were last seen. He poses as a sheep farmer from New South Wales, and ingratiates himself with the hotel owners and staff, sniffing out the details of the disappearance and examining what makes the nearby sheep station so secretive with their high fences kept in such good order and routinely patrolled.
I won't share more plot outline, as it rolls out well enough in the book without me spoiling the flow.
There are other interesting characters throughout the story, and while it was quite a leisurely pace for the first three quarters of the book, based on having read only two, this seems to be the way Upfield builds suspense. The reader isn't always as well informed as 'Bony' is, but eventually he shares his wisdom and starts to unravel the mysteries.
Enjoyable at 3.5 stars. I have another 3 or 4 of these stories to read in due course.
July 9, 2026
Bony is sent to look for two young women who have disappeared without trace while hiking in the Grampian Mountains in Victoria. Ho goes undercover as a sheep farmer taking a well deserved holiday and stays initially at the hotel where the girls were last seen. However things become threatening and Bony goes bush to keep watch from afar and try to solve the mystery.
Another excellent story in this great series. The mystery was very involved and the ending I did not see coming at all. But of course Bony wins again! Highly recommended especially if you like your mysteries served up with a side of Australian history and culture.
Another excellent story in this great series. The mystery was very involved and the ending I did not see coming at all. But of course Bony wins again! Highly recommended especially if you like your mysteries served up with a side of Australian history and culture.
May 8, 2026
The Grampians in Victoria, near Dunkeld and not far from the South Australian border, held mystery and intrigue. They also held bodies, one a policeman who'd gone to search for two missing young women. Detective Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte, once again incognito - a sheep farmer from NSW - arrived at the hotel the women were last seen at, attempting to find anything suspicious that might stand out. The problem was, the women went missing around five months prior - was it possible for Bony to find clues that old? As Bony did his quiet, unobtrusive investigation, he realised there were dangerous men around him. He also could discern secrets that needed unearthing. He was determined to find the two women, dead or alive, and discover what else was going on...
The Mountains Have a Secret is the 12th in the Inspector Napoleon Boneparte series by Aussie author Arthur W. Upfield and once again it was a twisty, convoluted mystery with Bony at its centre. I'm enjoying this series very much, and have no hesitation in recommending it.
The Mountains Have a Secret is the 12th in the Inspector Napoleon Boneparte series by Aussie author Arthur W. Upfield and once again it was a twisty, convoluted mystery with Bony at its centre. I'm enjoying this series very much, and have no hesitation in recommending it.
July 2, 2023
A great book with an uncoventional detective story. Really liked it.
July 5, 2015
Why hasn't this series been made into a BBC series?
Inspector Bonaparte is a half caste Australian detective in the 1940-50's Australia. Despite the series being written more than 50 years ago the prose is still current, the characters are interesting and unique. There is no formulaic writing here. Each story stands alone and has a complex well thought out plot. Interesting characters, plots and satisfying endings/ no cobbled together finals because the author wrote himself into the corner or got tired of the book and wrote whatever to finish.
Inspector Bonaparte is a half caste Australian detective in the 1940-50's Australia. Despite the series being written more than 50 years ago the prose is still current, the characters are interesting and unique. There is no formulaic writing here. Each story stands alone and has a complex well thought out plot. Interesting characters, plots and satisfying endings/ no cobbled together finals because the author wrote himself into the corner or got tired of the book and wrote whatever to finish.
August 24, 2015
Originally published in 1946, The Mountains Have a Secret is an Australian novel (written by an ex-pat Britisher) which reflects some of the restlessness and avarice of the post-war period. Scarcity, if not rationing, is still an issue and, from the beginning, one gets the sense that some post-war scam has caused the suspected double (or serial) homicides which sent the protagonist to investigate. That sense is further heightened by the discovery of an ex-pat U.S. serviceman who brandishes the masculine weaponry often associated with the State of Texas, his actual home.
But the Texan isn’t the protagonist. The protagonist is an inspector who goes by the rather pretentious name of Napoleon Bonaparte. The pretentiousness is deliberate in that this Napoleon Bonaparte (unlike the Emperor who is quoted on p. 141 of my Scribner’s edition) is of mixed heritage. The back cover cites the character as a half-caste on two occasions, but this novel apparently assumes one knows his heritage until rather late in the story when he is accused (falsely, as it turns out) of not being able to hold his liquor because he is a “black” man (p. 71) or when the story speaks of the warring influence of two races within him and the protagonist not surrendering to his “mother’s” instincts (p. 93). At this point, the mixture of the races becomes a positive for the protagonist.
Later, those of us who may be new to the tales of this protagonist discover a remarkable fact. The aboriginal heritage of this police inspector devoted to solving homicides is tremendously shaken by death. There is a palpable fear of death which the inspector is forced to suppress on more than one occasion. I don’t know how other readers react to this idiosyncrasy, but I find it as fascinating as television’s Doc Martin and his rare propensity (especially among surgeons) to get sick at the sight of blood. I will read other tales by this author and in this series just because I find this so interesting.
The Mountains Have a Secret takes place in the Grampians Mountains, now the Grampians National Park near Victoria, Australia (not to be confused with their namesake in Scotland). A double-disappearance is followed by an unsolved murder compounded by an apparent disappearance and more. Inspector Bonaparte is charged to infiltrate the last known venue where all of these were seen, the Baden Park Hotel (I know, it sounds more like Austria than Australia!). Naturally, upon investigation, the strands of evidence become more knotted and, for a time, it looks like Bonaparte will need to cut the Gordian knot. I’ll leave it to you to discover what Bony (as he is known by some in the novel) actually does; I’ll simply indicate that this novel follows a more leisurely pace than the average police procedural I’m used to reading. I enjoyed that because it fit the very pastoral scene in which the investigation was taking place. I’m not sure I’d like a steady diet of it. I’ll find out.
Certainly, I can urge any readers to remember the basic rule of crime investigation, the basis upon which habeas corpus (lit. “you have the body”) is established. Bony himself cites this rationale on p. 155 in order to encourage assistance in his investigation. I also must express one bit of a problem in the story. At one point in Bony’s surreptitious investigation, he uses a trip switch which would have instantly signaled that something was wrong to those he was investigating. This is probably a minor issue, but it was one of the few matters in the novel that didn’t ring true. In general, reading The Mountains Have a Secret is one of those time-traveling joys in which I gladly engage. Indeed, the very cliffhanger, the one loose end, with which the novel ends is a product of its era (and worth discovering).
But the Texan isn’t the protagonist. The protagonist is an inspector who goes by the rather pretentious name of Napoleon Bonaparte. The pretentiousness is deliberate in that this Napoleon Bonaparte (unlike the Emperor who is quoted on p. 141 of my Scribner’s edition) is of mixed heritage. The back cover cites the character as a half-caste on two occasions, but this novel apparently assumes one knows his heritage until rather late in the story when he is accused (falsely, as it turns out) of not being able to hold his liquor because he is a “black” man (p. 71) or when the story speaks of the warring influence of two races within him and the protagonist not surrendering to his “mother’s” instincts (p. 93). At this point, the mixture of the races becomes a positive for the protagonist.
Later, those of us who may be new to the tales of this protagonist discover a remarkable fact. The aboriginal heritage of this police inspector devoted to solving homicides is tremendously shaken by death. There is a palpable fear of death which the inspector is forced to suppress on more than one occasion. I don’t know how other readers react to this idiosyncrasy, but I find it as fascinating as television’s Doc Martin and his rare propensity (especially among surgeons) to get sick at the sight of blood. I will read other tales by this author and in this series just because I find this so interesting.
The Mountains Have a Secret takes place in the Grampians Mountains, now the Grampians National Park near Victoria, Australia (not to be confused with their namesake in Scotland). A double-disappearance is followed by an unsolved murder compounded by an apparent disappearance and more. Inspector Bonaparte is charged to infiltrate the last known venue where all of these were seen, the Baden Park Hotel (I know, it sounds more like Austria than Australia!). Naturally, upon investigation, the strands of evidence become more knotted and, for a time, it looks like Bonaparte will need to cut the Gordian knot. I’ll leave it to you to discover what Bony (as he is known by some in the novel) actually does; I’ll simply indicate that this novel follows a more leisurely pace than the average police procedural I’m used to reading. I enjoyed that because it fit the very pastoral scene in which the investigation was taking place. I’m not sure I’d like a steady diet of it. I’ll find out.
Certainly, I can urge any readers to remember the basic rule of crime investigation, the basis upon which habeas corpus (lit. “you have the body”) is established. Bony himself cites this rationale on p. 155 in order to encourage assistance in his investigation. I also must express one bit of a problem in the story. At one point in Bony’s surreptitious investigation, he uses a trip switch which would have instantly signaled that something was wrong to those he was investigating. This is probably a minor issue, but it was one of the few matters in the novel that didn’t ring true. In general, reading The Mountains Have a Secret is one of those time-traveling joys in which I gladly engage. Indeed, the very cliffhanger, the one loose end, with which the novel ends is a product of its era (and worth discovering).
April 28, 2024
A long time ago I read a few of Upfield's Inspector Bonaparte mysteries and I was delighted to find this one in a box in the basement. It was a good as I remember. Set in post-WW II Australia Insp Bonaparte is sent to find 2 missing hikers. The first policeman sent to find them was found dead so the pressure was on to solve this case. A good mystery and wonderful descriptions of the Australian countryside. I need to look for more in this series.
December 22, 2015
I liked this one a lot. It got a little strange at the very end, but not enough to put me off. I recommend it.
August 4, 2022
The Mountains Have a Secret is my third go-round with Arthur W. Upfield and his Detective Inspector Napoleon "Bony" Bonaparte mystery series. I absolutely loved the first one I came across, An Author Bites the Dust, and The Bone Is Pointed was a solid entry as well. Mountains falls somewhere in between.
The upshot of the story is this: Two pretty girls set out on a hiking tour near the Grampian Mountains. They spend a couple of nights at a pub called the Baden Park Hotel and when they leave the pub on the road to Hall's Gap they are never seen again. A couple of weeks after the search is called off, a police officer who had experience with the mountains follows their route and is found shot to death in his car 25 miles from where the girls were last seen. Most of the officers in the area believe the death and the disappearance are unrelated....but Superintendent Bolt isn't so sure.
Enter Bony....the Detective Inspector has a reputation for a perfect record in his investigations and the Superintendent wants him to take on the case and find out what happened to the girls and whether his office died because of the investigation or for other reasons. Bony assumes the persona of a sheep rancher on holiday and takes a room at the Baden Park Hotel. He befriends the father of the owner--who seems frightened of his son and who is generally kept from fraternizing with the guests. It isn't long before Bony's questions draw the attention of the pub's owner and an American ex-serviceman who works at the pub.
Bony will be assaulted by a couple of thugs and a professional wrestler and will take to the hills to conduct surveillance on the pub and a nearby sheep ranch that is protected by military-like sentinels and a high-security fence. James Simpson, the pub's proprietor, spends an awful lot of time behind that high-security fence--ostensibly entertaining his friends, the Bensons, with his musical skills on the piano and organ. But Bony suspects that more is going on behind the fence than a friendly concert. He finds an ally in the American and the two of them take on a highly-organized group with German ties....but in the end Bony's perfect record remains intact and he tracks down the girls and solves not one, but two murders.
I really enjoyed Bony's interactions with both Simpson's father, Joseph, and Glen Shannon, the ex-serviceman from Texas. The characterizations were strong and interesting where Upfield could have made them caricatures--the old drunk and the good ol' boy from the southern US. Like The Bone Is Pointed, Bony goes undercover in the back country...spending days on his own and out of touch with police back up. But I found this situation much more realistic, probably because it didn't involve any native "magic" working on our hero. The descriptions of the mountains and the countryside are once again a major plus in Upfield's writing and the mystery is quite entertaining. 3.75 stars (rounded to 4 on Goodreads).
Spoiler Alert!******** Do not read if you don't want a major clue to the ending.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting portions of review. thanks.
The upshot of the story is this: Two pretty girls set out on a hiking tour near the Grampian Mountains. They spend a couple of nights at a pub called the Baden Park Hotel and when they leave the pub on the road to Hall's Gap they are never seen again. A couple of weeks after the search is called off, a police officer who had experience with the mountains follows their route and is found shot to death in his car 25 miles from where the girls were last seen. Most of the officers in the area believe the death and the disappearance are unrelated....but Superintendent Bolt isn't so sure.
Enter Bony....the Detective Inspector has a reputation for a perfect record in his investigations and the Superintendent wants him to take on the case and find out what happened to the girls and whether his office died because of the investigation or for other reasons. Bony assumes the persona of a sheep rancher on holiday and takes a room at the Baden Park Hotel. He befriends the father of the owner--who seems frightened of his son and who is generally kept from fraternizing with the guests. It isn't long before Bony's questions draw the attention of the pub's owner and an American ex-serviceman who works at the pub.
Bony will be assaulted by a couple of thugs and a professional wrestler and will take to the hills to conduct surveillance on the pub and a nearby sheep ranch that is protected by military-like sentinels and a high-security fence. James Simpson, the pub's proprietor, spends an awful lot of time behind that high-security fence--ostensibly entertaining his friends, the Bensons, with his musical skills on the piano and organ. But Bony suspects that more is going on behind the fence than a friendly concert. He finds an ally in the American and the two of them take on a highly-organized group with German ties....but in the end Bony's perfect record remains intact and he tracks down the girls and solves not one, but two murders.
I really enjoyed Bony's interactions with both Simpson's father, Joseph, and Glen Shannon, the ex-serviceman from Texas. The characterizations were strong and interesting where Upfield could have made them caricatures--the old drunk and the good ol' boy from the southern US. Like The Bone Is Pointed, Bony goes undercover in the back country...spending days on his own and out of touch with police back up. But I found this situation much more realistic, probably because it didn't involve any native "magic" working on our hero. The descriptions of the mountains and the countryside are once again a major plus in Upfield's writing and the mystery is quite entertaining. 3.75 stars (rounded to 4 on Goodreads).
Spoiler Alert!******** Do not read if you don't want a major clue to the ending.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting portions of review. thanks.
June 11, 2023
Detective-Inspector Napoleon Bonapart, a half-cast Australian, isn’t your average detective. He goes by Bony and has an eye for details. When necessary, he can pull from his Aboriginal heritage for needed abilities.
Two girls went missing a couple of months ago, and a policeman a short while later. Bony is called in to see if he can figure out what is going on and possibly locate the missing people.
Staying at the hotel the girls left from, Bony uncovers very little but does fee something more is going on beneath the façade that is presented. The owner is a well-trained organist who periodically has secretive gatherings where he performs along with strange rituals. The hotel owner’s father is in ill health and appears terrified of his son. A talking parrot, who utters strange phrases and a knife-throwing American rounds out the characters at the hotel.
Bony leaves the hotel, but takes up residence in the nearby bush country, to be able to watch over the hotel in hopes of learning more about the missing girls and man and what it is that is being hidden.
Written in 1948, there are allusions to what occurred during WWII. Missing people, strange visitors to the hotel and strange and secretive goings on provide threads to be explored in order to find out what truly is going on and what happened to the missing girls in this rural area.
Bony is an interesting character in the way he investigates and the way he observes peoples’ actions and his surroundings. A bit like Sherlock Holmes.
Two girls went missing a couple of months ago, and a policeman a short while later. Bony is called in to see if he can figure out what is going on and possibly locate the missing people.
Staying at the hotel the girls left from, Bony uncovers very little but does fee something more is going on beneath the façade that is presented. The owner is a well-trained organist who periodically has secretive gatherings where he performs along with strange rituals. The hotel owner’s father is in ill health and appears terrified of his son. A talking parrot, who utters strange phrases and a knife-throwing American rounds out the characters at the hotel.
Bony leaves the hotel, but takes up residence in the nearby bush country, to be able to watch over the hotel in hopes of learning more about the missing girls and man and what it is that is being hidden.
Written in 1948, there are allusions to what occurred during WWII. Missing people, strange visitors to the hotel and strange and secretive goings on provide threads to be explored in order to find out what truly is going on and what happened to the missing girls in this rural area.
Bony is an interesting character in the way he investigates and the way he observes peoples’ actions and his surroundings. A bit like Sherlock Holmes.
January 6, 2019
Now I’ve a new series to explore.
I really dig this book: “Bony” is a fantastic character and a joy to follow as he pursues a case. The prose is clean and evocative, the setting is intriguing and the plot kept pulling me in. The role of investigator offers the opportunity to explore odd corners of the weird and varied world humanity continually re-invents, and Upfield conjures people and places that breathe and fill the senses in ways that only talented story-telling allows. It reads like it’s an easy accomplishment and it is anything but that.
Just as alluring as this book’s experience is my path to its pages: there’s a used book store, “Classic Book Shop,” in Royal Oak, Michigan, that I’ve visited on occasion for about 5, 6 years. The owner, Dave Oyerly, knows books and could give a shit about social tact, and the store teems with used books that are in good condition and organized so that nearly every square foot of the place breathes prose; if the platonic ideal of a used bookstore exists in some nether dimension, this store is just a few degrees off from its criteria. I’ve made great finds here and, in my last visit, I asked Mr. Oyerly for a recommendation and he passed me this little mystery from the 40s. I’ve since called the store from NYC and learned that Mr. O has many more Bony books on his shelf, and it makes me quite happy knowing that I will obtain them through this wonderful shop.
I really dig this book: “Bony” is a fantastic character and a joy to follow as he pursues a case. The prose is clean and evocative, the setting is intriguing and the plot kept pulling me in. The role of investigator offers the opportunity to explore odd corners of the weird and varied world humanity continually re-invents, and Upfield conjures people and places that breathe and fill the senses in ways that only talented story-telling allows. It reads like it’s an easy accomplishment and it is anything but that.
Just as alluring as this book’s experience is my path to its pages: there’s a used book store, “Classic Book Shop,” in Royal Oak, Michigan, that I’ve visited on occasion for about 5, 6 years. The owner, Dave Oyerly, knows books and could give a shit about social tact, and the store teems with used books that are in good condition and organized so that nearly every square foot of the place breathes prose; if the platonic ideal of a used bookstore exists in some nether dimension, this store is just a few degrees off from its criteria. I’ve made great finds here and, in my last visit, I asked Mr. Oyerly for a recommendation and he passed me this little mystery from the 40s. I’ve since called the store from NYC and learned that Mr. O has many more Bony books on his shelf, and it makes me quite happy knowing that I will obtain them through this wonderful shop.
March 18, 2022
If this book had gone on as it began it would have been a solid 4 stars in spite of Upfield returning to the old "quarrel between his two natures" drone that he loves so well. However about 2/3 of the way through the "secret" becomes clear and by the time I reached the end I was tempted to throw my ereader across the room. The book was published in 1946, which makes me think that Upfield was the originator of that particular piece of cheese doggery that haunts us yet today.
Upfield at least writes decent English this time round. I don't know if the strange replacement of dates with capital letters was part of the ebook formatting, but I assume it was, since I've never read of anyone anywhere using NVPU, NVQR, QS as dates.
The bushcraft makes sense this time out, and we are spared the feathered feet and Upfield's brand of fake Aborigine culture and mythology. But that ending, plus the fact that Bony is even more Gary Stu than usual was just so terrible I can't give it more than 2 stars.
Upfield at least writes decent English this time round. I don't know if the strange replacement of dates with capital letters was part of the ebook formatting, but I assume it was, since I've never read of anyone anywhere using NVPU, NVQR, QS as dates.
The bushcraft makes sense this time out, and we are spared the feathered feet and Upfield's brand of fake Aborigine culture and mythology. But that ending, plus the fact that Bony is even more Gary Stu than usual was just so terrible I can't give it more than 2 stars.
September 6, 2017
Pretty nice book.
When I got to the part where the hero describes a ranch with 50000 sheep, I abandoned it only to give to a friend from New Zealand who said her father, also a rancher, used to like reading this series.
So, for a scene-setting crime fiction Australian flavor, and set in the days long before cellphones and email, your go to person is Arthur Upfield.... others of his books are also interesting.
When I got to the part where the hero describes a ranch with 50000 sheep, I abandoned it only to give to a friend from New Zealand who said her father, also a rancher, used to like reading this series.
So, for a scene-setting crime fiction Australian flavor, and set in the days long before cellphones and email, your go to person is Arthur Upfield.... others of his books are also interesting.
January 25, 2021
There is more tension in this than previous Bony novels. Upfield does action quite well.
Set just after WWII in the Grampians, there is some tongue-in-cheek nodding to the rumours of the times. The plot works well and the threads draw together rapidly and satisfyingly in the final pages.
Upfield, like Bony, was a romantic, I think.
Set just after WWII in the Grampians, there is some tongue-in-cheek nodding to the rumours of the times. The plot works well and the threads draw together rapidly and satisfyingly in the final pages.
Upfield, like Bony, was a romantic, I think.
April 8, 2025
On previous readings I had thought the "big secret" of this novel to be a bit silly and consequently down-rated the book. However, this reading reminds me that this is an excellent Boney story and I enjoyed it a fair bit.
March 22, 2017
For an Upfield mystery this one was disappointing. The plot of the first half was as intriguing as ever. I guessed its resolution, but perhaps this was merely chance. As ever too were Upfield's stunning descriptions of nature.
March 30, 2022
"Nazis! I hate those guys!"
Postwar villany, but an entertaining read. Was amused and kinda of pleased with a character from Texas--not badly drawn, really, allthings considered.
Fun!
Postwar villany, but an entertaining read. Was amused and kinda of pleased with a character from Texas--not badly drawn, really, allthings considered.
Fun!
February 29, 2016
Great series of novels
December 30, 2024
I bought The Mountains Have a Secret cheap at thrift shop, happy to find a Doubleday Crime Club author new to me; I think this is my first vintage mystery set in Australia. D.I. Napoleon "Bony" Bonaparte is a mixed-race Australian who draws on his indigenous tracking skills to unravel a mysterious set of crimes in the Grampian mountains. While I'm impressed that Upfield created such a character in a time when interracial marriages were illegal, it's disappointing that he credits some of Bony's strengths and weaknesses to his 'primative' indigenous blood. Like The House Without a KeyCharlie Chan or Think Fast, Mr. MotoMr. Moto, Bony is exoticized in ways that are uncomfortable to read today. Upfield dedicates more than a page to his detective's transformation in the bush, calling it "similar to the transformation of Stevenson's Dr. Jekyll, although the opposing forces were not good and evil but rather the complex and the primitive in man." (p94) He seems to decry 'race mixing' in noting that "[T]he dapper, suave, and almost pedantic product of modern education and social intercourse, which is but a veneer laid upon the ego of modern man, was being melted away from this tragic figure in whom ever warred the influence of two races." Ouch. Bony's "aborginal" blood also leaves him with a superstitious and unconquerable fear of the dead, which "...was like an octopus wrapping its tentacles about his brain, compressing it into a pinhead of matter in the centre of a vast and otherwise empty skull."
Despite, or perhaps because of, these "primitive" traits, Bony stages a daring rescue of some unlikely hostages and effects the destruction of a criminal operation only a cold war-era writer could love. I felt that the motives for the crime, like Bony's exotic description, haven't aged well, but they are certainly representative of the era. Interesting read, reasonably engaging characters, and I'd read another Upfield if I run across it, but he's not going to make my list of favorite mystery writers.
Despite, or perhaps because of, these "primitive" traits, Bony stages a daring rescue of some unlikely hostages and effects the destruction of a criminal operation only a cold war-era writer could love. I felt that the motives for the crime, like Bony's exotic description, haven't aged well, but they are certainly representative of the era. Interesting read, reasonably engaging characters, and I'd read another Upfield if I run across it, but he's not going to make my list of favorite mystery writers.
July 5, 2026
Historically somewhat interesting mystery/policier, this 1948 book's main differentiation is that the protagonist/star detective is the son of an Australian farmer/settler and an Australian aboriginal mother. This heritage is supposed to make our hero, improbably named Napoleon Bonaparte or as only Aussie's would condense "Bony", super skilled in bushcraft as well as credible to his superiors. Maybe, but reading this 60 years after the time in question, a bit of an artifice.
Whatever, the mystery surrounds two missing girls who had been hitchhiking in the Australian Grampian mountains but vanished after having stayed in the Baden Hotel. A subsequent detective had also disappeared, setting the stage for Bony to figure this one out.
He does so, albeit with a fairly strange mystery linked back to the post WWII conflation of Hitler and Lenin, referred to by the disciples as "the Trust".
There were parts of the book that were interesting and even a little suspenseful, but the writing was a little less than clear in places and never really great, e.g. "There was but one way to evade the attention of both the licensee and the yardman, and that was to attack the investigation through the back door." Huh? evading by attacking "the investigation" through the back door?
and: "Did he, however, know what waited on the track for the hikers? And knowing, did he provide an alibi by insisting on his sister's leaving their father's dressing to stand with him and wave farewell to them?" Huh?
While road blocks like these do not seriously stop the reader from getting to the end, such writing does cause some head scratching which for me led to my putting the book down for a while to enjoy some better written work before reverting. Partly because of that it took me more than a month to read this 192 page volume.
So not awful, but not compelling. Perhaps better as a period piece for a post WWII Australia, with a bit of a pro-US angle and definitely lining up against the German Aryan brotherhood such as might have existed in Queensland's hill country.
A 2.8 for me.
Whatever, the mystery surrounds two missing girls who had been hitchhiking in the Australian Grampian mountains but vanished after having stayed in the Baden Hotel. A subsequent detective had also disappeared, setting the stage for Bony to figure this one out.
He does so, albeit with a fairly strange mystery linked back to the post WWII conflation of Hitler and Lenin, referred to by the disciples as "the Trust".
There were parts of the book that were interesting and even a little suspenseful, but the writing was a little less than clear in places and never really great, e.g. "There was but one way to evade the attention of both the licensee and the yardman, and that was to attack the investigation through the back door." Huh? evading by attacking "the investigation" through the back door?
and: "Did he, however, know what waited on the track for the hikers? And knowing, did he provide an alibi by insisting on his sister's leaving their father's dressing to stand with him and wave farewell to them?" Huh?
While road blocks like these do not seriously stop the reader from getting to the end, such writing does cause some head scratching which for me led to my putting the book down for a while to enjoy some better written work before reverting. Partly because of that it took me more than a month to read this 192 page volume.
So not awful, but not compelling. Perhaps better as a period piece for a post WWII Australia, with a bit of a pro-US angle and definitely lining up against the German Aryan brotherhood such as might have existed in Queensland's hill country.
A 2.8 for me.
June 25, 2023
They had come to this quiet and homely hotel, two girls in their early twenties. And then one morning, when the sun was not much higher than now, they had slipped their arms through the straps of their packs, had shaken hands with Simpson and his sister. Here, just beyond the bridge, they had turned and waved to the licensee and Ferris Simpson, who were standing on the veranda. Then they had walked round this bend, and lo! no longer were they within sight of those at the hotel. They had walked on, and then what? It was as though that mountain face, or another, had bent down and with its iron mouth had devoured them.
At which point I screamed, "Oh, God, no; not another Picnic at Hanging Rock!" Having suffered that scenario once, I was not in the mood for another such meaningless encounter. But no, it wasn't that at all. At least I don't think it was. Frankly, I never finished the story. The lethargic pacing, the constant moralizing, the uninteresting lead character, and general lack of action led me to give up halfway through. Upfield should have simply written a travelogue or else a philosophical treatise and been done with it. Of course it could be the action picked up the very next page after I stopped, but that I'll never know. Upfield was a popular and successful writer, but his style did not agree with me. It was too slow and repetitious for my liking. Others may, and obviously do, like this sort of thing. I didn't, and so hangs a tale.
At which point I screamed, "Oh, God, no; not another Picnic at Hanging Rock!" Having suffered that scenario once, I was not in the mood for another such meaningless encounter. But no, it wasn't that at all. At least I don't think it was. Frankly, I never finished the story. The lethargic pacing, the constant moralizing, the uninteresting lead character, and general lack of action led me to give up halfway through. Upfield should have simply written a travelogue or else a philosophical treatise and been done with it. Of course it could be the action picked up the very next page after I stopped, but that I'll never know. Upfield was a popular and successful writer, but his style did not agree with me. It was too slow and repetitious for my liking. Others may, and obviously do, like this sort of thing. I didn't, and so hangs a tale.
June 6, 2020
It has been decades since I last read one of Upfield’s Inspector Bonaparte mysteries and now I will have the pleasure of rediscovering more of them. Although set in mid-20th century Australia, in style and dialogue they partake more of British formality between the wars. The mixed-race protagonist may be more stereotypical than current political correctness allows, although Upfield shows tremendous respect for the culture of indigenous peoples. You can count on Upfield to craft a tale that is not too predictable and certainly not offensively gruesome. “Bony” will solve the mystery with his unique combination of Western education and aboriginal skills. Along the way you will learn from Upfield much about the flora and fauna of an Australia not yet fully domesticated. Give this, or any of his novels, a try. You may like it as much as I do.
December 16, 2025
An entertaining Bony tale. It's set in the Grampians, so Chief Supt. Bolt has managed to keep him down south for a bit longer. He has been sent off to investigate the disappearance of two women & the death of a policeman.
Bony certainly finds a fair bit of danger in this one, getting himself well-banged up, & there's a sense of menace throughout. It's a good thing he gets a bit of assistance from the Texan, Glen Shannon, who's there looking for his Aussie sweetheart who's gone missing.
The final act is a little unusual for Bony, a bit strange in general: what was in the box? Hitler's moustache? 3.5★ rounded up.
Bony certainly finds a fair bit of danger in this one, getting himself well-banged up, & there's a sense of menace throughout. It's a good thing he gets a bit of assistance from the Texan, Glen Shannon, who's there looking for his Aussie sweetheart who's gone missing.
The final act is a little unusual for Bony, a bit strange in general: what was in the box? Hitler's moustache? 3.5★ rounded up.
June 7, 2017
Bony in search of two missing girls; are they alive or dead? Who are the military-like thugs masquerading as stockmen? Is anyone what they seem? This novel was finally found by Susan, a friend in Newcastle, NSW. My first Bony read for many months, I sat up late at night and into the morning to reach the climactic events in the final pages.
July 1, 2021
The mountains definitely do have a secret. So many interesting characters, and I enjoyed getting to know them and learning more about their backgrounds as the story developed. The story carries you along and I definitely wanted to know what was going to happen to the various characters. Inspector Bonaparte makes mistakes, so is human, but is, I find, such a strong and likable character.
December 26, 2021
The incomprobile Detective Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte travels to the beautiful Grampian Mountains of Victoria to investigate the disappearance of two young women.
In his usual style Bony gets to the bottom of the crime.
Well read by Peter Hosking!
In his usual style Bony gets to the bottom of the crime.
Well read by Peter Hosking!
July 18, 2022
Wildest Bony adventure yet! Fourth one I’ve read and they get wilder each time. Without giving anything away, the denouement of this tale was less trite in 1948, but by 2022 it’s almost laughable. Still, a fun investigation that really takes off in the second half.
October 12, 2022
Upfield seems to have hit a period where Boney's native skills were less important to his detective stories than basic investigative work. Also, Upfield works another Nazi themed plot, with an unlikely ending. The story leaves us with Boney in poor shape, so we'll see what comes of that.
September 14, 2021
I'd rate it a 3.5. Excellent story with alot of intrigue. It grabbed me quite early but the ending was a bit predictable and flat.
I listened to this as an audiobook and the reader is terrific.
I listened to this as an audiobook and the reader is terrific.
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