The Bachelors of Broken Hill

The latest "Classic Mysteries" podcast is now up and available for your listening pleasure. It's a review of "The Bachelors of Broken Hill," one of Arthur W. Upfield's mysteries from Australia featuring Detective-Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte, one of the most unique characters in detective fiction.

Bony (as his friends call him, and I'm sure he would include us) is half-white, half-Aborigine, and he has never failed to solve any of the difficult mysteries presented to him. Broken Hill is (or was at the time the book was written) a mining community, and a number of older men have been poisoned by cyanide. There are few clues - and a particularly ham-fisted and witless detective has managed to alienate any potential witnesses. But Bony, who always makes time his ally, manages to assemble an unlikely coalition of assistants - including a career burglar - to help him solve the puzzle.

Only a few Upfield novels are still in print - this is one of them. Please listen to the podcast for more details. I think you might enjoy the novel - and Bony is a character worth meeting. The podcast is available through iTunes (search the store for "Classic Mysteries," by subscription, using the link on the right side of this page, or you can listen to any of the reviews by clicking the appropriate link. As always, it's free. Please let me know if you like - or dislike - them.