Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte series
by Arthur W. Upfield

  
Detective-Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte is the Australian half-caste hero of Arthur Upfield's superb mystery series: adventures of detection mostly set in the Australian Outback. Below is a simple checklist to the twenty-nine Bony novels, in order published. Titles vary among Australian, British, and American publishers; first publication date is followed by the original title, then alternate, more-generic titles if any.

The Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte novels need not be read in order — the plots are almost entirely independent — but generally it's better to read earlier ones first as they develop more character and background about Bony himself, as well as about the Queensland interior where his own complementary nature is developed so beautifully.
  

To my taste at least, there's quite a spread of quality across the series, with the best books generally being those where Bony's character, background, and skills all work together to best detective and artistic advantage: in the wide open Outback where the land seems empty only to those who do not look closely.

The Bone Is Pointed often is rated the very best and illuminates much of Bony's mind and character. Another of my favorites, Death of a Lake, also has the distinctive dry air of the Outback.
  

The Murchison Murders [and other essays] provides some interesting background material about camels and rabbits as well as murders — in one case, entirely too pertinent!
  

© 2004 Robert Wilfred Franson