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Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte #25
Bony and the Kelly Gang
Tucked away in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales is Cork Valley, inhabited by hard-drinking Irishmen. Here an Excise Officer looking for illicit whiskey 'stills' has been murdered, and it's Bony's job to find the killer. Disguised as a horse-thief, the Aboriginal detective hitch-hikes into the valley to meet a lawless lot...
Hardcover
First published January 1, 1960
About the author
Arthur W. Upfield
56 books104 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 - 26 of 26 reviews
April 15, 2019
Bony and the Kelly gang by Australian author Arthur W. Upfield is the 25th book in his Inspector Bonaparte mystery series. Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte is a half-aboriginal police inspector. In this story he is sent undercover to an isolated community to ascertain if they had anything to do with the murder of an Excise inspector.
Bony is picked up on the side of the road by Mike Conway, one of the leaders of the community, and Bony lets on that he is on the run from the Sidney police for horse stealing. Conway offers him a job picking potatoes on the hill overlooking Cork Valley. The community consists of Conways and Kellys and others of their community. They run a bit of a shady operation, have for 100+ years, smuggling booze, not paying their taxes, sending their kids to the local school, etc. But Bony is interested only in the murder of the Excise officer.
It's a very different story, I have to say and reasonably interesting. Bony is a fascinating character, thoughtful, intelligent and physically fit. He finds himself being drawn to the community, liking them for their personalities and closeness. But at the same time he has to investigate. They are a suspicious group, placing alarms all around the perimeter and keeping tabs on any strangers. Bony earns their trust after a variety of actions and is given more responsibility. But will he be successful in his investigation.
Enjoyed my first exposure to Bony. It offered me a different culture and was an entertaining story. I've a couple of more books in the series and I look forward to learning more about Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte (Bony) (3 stars)
Bony is picked up on the side of the road by Mike Conway, one of the leaders of the community, and Bony lets on that he is on the run from the Sidney police for horse stealing. Conway offers him a job picking potatoes on the hill overlooking Cork Valley. The community consists of Conways and Kellys and others of their community. They run a bit of a shady operation, have for 100+ years, smuggling booze, not paying their taxes, sending their kids to the local school, etc. But Bony is interested only in the murder of the Excise officer.
It's a very different story, I have to say and reasonably interesting. Bony is a fascinating character, thoughtful, intelligent and physically fit. He finds himself being drawn to the community, liking them for their personalities and closeness. But at the same time he has to investigate. They are a suspicious group, placing alarms all around the perimeter and keeping tabs on any strangers. Bony earns their trust after a variety of actions and is given more responsibility. But will he be successful in his investigation.
Enjoyed my first exposure to Bony. It offered me a different culture and was an entertaining story. I've a couple of more books in the series and I look forward to learning more about Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte (Bony) (3 stars)
May 18, 2018
Arthur W. Upfield is one of my favorite authors and "Bony and the Kelly Gang" is one of the many reasons why I enjoy his books so much.
There are some good reasons for that, chief among them is the fact Upfield created one of the most distinctive detectives in fiction when he first introduced readers to the enigmatic Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte. The child of an unknown white father and an Aboriginal mother, Bonaparte is constantly trying to strike a balance between his two very distinct heritages as he pursues criminals in an Australia that was intensely racist for much of its history. Upfield pulls no punches when he deals with that issue and that's refreshing.
Upfield - who had an eclectic career as a stockman (the Australian version of a cowboy), miner, and government official in addition to being an author - also brings an amazing amount of detail to his Bonaparte novels. He tramped over much of Australia during his long life and in his novels he gives readers a real sense not only of the people of that continent but also the widely varying landscape of it as well. His ability to describe the places that Bonaparte goes to in pursuit of criminals adds a richness to his stories that few authors are able to duplicate.
In "Bony and the Kelly Gang" Bonaparte goes undercover in New South Wales to find out who murdered a government agent. He winds up in a remote valley dominated by two Irish families. Tightly knit, the families are independent, anti-government, and not adverse to earning a little off-the-books revenue. Bonaparte finds himself liking many of the people dwelling in this valley and comes to appreciate their singular way of life.
There is, however, a crime to solve and a murderer who must be brought to justice.
A quick read, with believable characters, "Bony and the Kelly Gang" is a book that will remind American readers of the Navajo police novels of author Tony Hillerman. It is a novel I highly recommend.
There are some good reasons for that, chief among them is the fact Upfield created one of the most distinctive detectives in fiction when he first introduced readers to the enigmatic Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte. The child of an unknown white father and an Aboriginal mother, Bonaparte is constantly trying to strike a balance between his two very distinct heritages as he pursues criminals in an Australia that was intensely racist for much of its history. Upfield pulls no punches when he deals with that issue and that's refreshing.
Upfield - who had an eclectic career as a stockman (the Australian version of a cowboy), miner, and government official in addition to being an author - also brings an amazing amount of detail to his Bonaparte novels. He tramped over much of Australia during his long life and in his novels he gives readers a real sense not only of the people of that continent but also the widely varying landscape of it as well. His ability to describe the places that Bonaparte goes to in pursuit of criminals adds a richness to his stories that few authors are able to duplicate.
In "Bony and the Kelly Gang" Bonaparte goes undercover in New South Wales to find out who murdered a government agent. He winds up in a remote valley dominated by two Irish families. Tightly knit, the families are independent, anti-government, and not adverse to earning a little off-the-books revenue. Bonaparte finds himself liking many of the people dwelling in this valley and comes to appreciate their singular way of life.
There is, however, a crime to solve and a murderer who must be brought to justice.
A quick read, with believable characters, "Bony and the Kelly Gang" is a book that will remind American readers of the Navajo police novels of author Tony Hillerman. It is a novel I highly recommend.
November 5, 2021
Another story brilliantly written by Arthur W Upfield and wonderfully read by Peter Hosking. Australian crime fiction at its best!!
June 22, 2019
The best kind of mystery. The crime is only a catalyst for a good story with good characters, some history, and a satisfying end.
March 24, 2023
Inspector Napoleon "Bony" Bonaparte goes deep undercover in Cork Valley, New South Wales. He's looking for the murderer of a government excise officer who was killed while searching for illicit stills. The Superintendent is sure that inhabitants of Cork Valley have a lot of illicit activities going on, but none of the policemen or excise officers who have investigated could find a thing...and men who tried to go undercover before just disappeared. Bony is warned of the danger as well as the impossible nature of the assignment...but Bony has never failed at a case he's taken up and danger doesn't scare him.
So, he's given a false background full of horse thievin' and other small crimes, and appears in the Valley as a man anxious to leave his past and any snoopy policemen behind him. The Kellys and Conways are the principle families in the Valley--they control all trade and keep a close eyes on who comes and goes. And they don't suffer strangers easily. But they take a liking to "Nat Bonnay" and he gradually earns their trust and is treated as one of their own. He discovers the source of the illicit trade and...being Inspector Bonaparte...he also tracks down the killer. But his loyalties are put to the test because he grows very fond of the families who wander just the other side of the law.
I had a strong feeling that I had read this one before. But I have no record of having done so. I can only assume that it is because Bony follows his common practice of going undercover in order to solve the mystery. He's posed as fence mender, a horse breaker, and a ranch hand on sheep farms to name just a few. He seems to melt right into the roles he takes on and must be a pretty athletic/strong man because he takes on jobs heavy in manual labor. This time he starts out as a "spud digger" which sounds like back-breaking work as it is described in the book.
Upfield manages to bring the Kellys and Conways to life and it's easy to see why Bony begins to have such affection for these people that he is investigating. He has to remind himself that he's there on a job and that there is a murderer somewhere in the Valley. Much as he may like the families, he cannot let a murderer go free. He might be tempted to look the other way on stills and smuggling (after all, that's not what he was asked to investigate), but he can't possibly forget his duty when it comes to murder.
While I enjoyed Upfield's descriptions of the Valley and its inhabitants and, like Bony, became fond of many of the Conways and Kellys, the mystery itself didn't interest me as much as previous installments have done. Perhaps it was because Bony's method has become pretty formulaic--go undercover, dig up secrets, solve the mystery. And, really, once Bony was on the spot the mystery didn't stay mysterious very long. It became pretty obvious who must have done away with the excise man. The real question was how Bony was going to bring that person to justice without causing a great deal of damage to the people he had come to like so well.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block.
So, he's given a false background full of horse thievin' and other small crimes, and appears in the Valley as a man anxious to leave his past and any snoopy policemen behind him. The Kellys and Conways are the principle families in the Valley--they control all trade and keep a close eyes on who comes and goes. And they don't suffer strangers easily. But they take a liking to "Nat Bonnay" and he gradually earns their trust and is treated as one of their own. He discovers the source of the illicit trade and...being Inspector Bonaparte...he also tracks down the killer. But his loyalties are put to the test because he grows very fond of the families who wander just the other side of the law.
I had a strong feeling that I had read this one before. But I have no record of having done so. I can only assume that it is because Bony follows his common practice of going undercover in order to solve the mystery. He's posed as fence mender, a horse breaker, and a ranch hand on sheep farms to name just a few. He seems to melt right into the roles he takes on and must be a pretty athletic/strong man because he takes on jobs heavy in manual labor. This time he starts out as a "spud digger" which sounds like back-breaking work as it is described in the book.
Upfield manages to bring the Kellys and Conways to life and it's easy to see why Bony begins to have such affection for these people that he is investigating. He has to remind himself that he's there on a job and that there is a murderer somewhere in the Valley. Much as he may like the families, he cannot let a murderer go free. He might be tempted to look the other way on stills and smuggling (after all, that's not what he was asked to investigate), but he can't possibly forget his duty when it comes to murder.
While I enjoyed Upfield's descriptions of the Valley and its inhabitants and, like Bony, became fond of many of the Conways and Kellys, the mystery itself didn't interest me as much as previous installments have done. Perhaps it was because Bony's method has become pretty formulaic--go undercover, dig up secrets, solve the mystery. And, really, once Bony was on the spot the mystery didn't stay mysterious very long. It became pretty obvious who must have done away with the excise man. The real question was how Bony was going to bring that person to justice without causing a great deal of damage to the people he had come to like so well.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block.
July 18, 2018
Detective Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte is half aborigine, definitely not Irish. Yet he gets adopted by the Conways as he goes undercover to solve the murder of an excise officer. The Conways and the Kellys live in a beautiful, fertile valley surrounded by mountains. They have lived there for generations defying and despising the government. There are few clues, no trail to follow, leaving Bony casting about through questioning and working for these Irish clans and finding his loyalty shifting to the Conways in spite of his assignment.
This book makes the characters much more in depth than many of the more formulaic mysteries in this series. It is easy to read. I found it very enjoyable.
This book makes the characters much more in depth than many of the more formulaic mysteries in this series. It is easy to read. I found it very enjoyable.
September 14, 2018
I really enjoyed this Bony novel set on the scarp just south of Wollongong.
An extended settler family live in a fertile valley on the scarp, and it is suspected that some of their income comes from sources slightly outside the law. Bony couldn't give a damn about that, but the body of an excise man has been found in the area, apparently the victim of a hit-and-run. The autopsy finds he was dead before he was run over, and that makes it murder. Can Bony insinuate himself into the valley and find the murderer?
An extended settler family live in a fertile valley on the scarp, and it is suspected that some of their income comes from sources slightly outside the law. Bony couldn't give a damn about that, but the body of an excise man has been found in the area, apparently the victim of a hit-and-run. The autopsy finds he was dead before he was run over, and that makes it murder. Can Bony insinuate himself into the valley and find the murderer?
February 8, 2022
I picked this off the shelf at my husband's family cabin when the book I took for the trip failed to engage my interest. This is one of many in the Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte mystery series. The story is set in Australia. The Inspector is half aboriginal and goes deep undercover as a horse thief to uncover what led to the murder of a government excise officer. The book was written in 1960 and reminds me of Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot series. It was an interesting, engaging read, and I enjoyed the characters and the twists and turns of the investigation.
June 7, 2017
Bony in Cork Valley, somewhere in the Bowra-Kiama region of NSW, looking for the killer of an Excise Officer. The Irish community hold attractions for Bony as he works at his usual pace towards the solving of a mystery, disguised as a horse-thief and escapee. A slow start for the first 70 or so pages, this novel accelerates to breakneck speed towards the exciting, amazing conclusion.
June 11, 2017
I'm a fan of the entire Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte series. The sense of place and the outback characters are unique and wonderful.
October 12, 2019
I think this must be my favourite "Bony", vintage-era, Austalian mystery so far - it's told with a user-friendly voice towards Ned Kelly :)
February 1, 2022
This tore at my ethical heartstrings.
March 6, 2022
Always consistant and dependable. A good read.
March 29, 2022
Thoroughly enjoyable - a good old fashioned mystery.
November 18, 2023
Bony insinuates himself into the notorious Kelly gang and finds he likes them very much.
September 29, 2012
Bony and the Kelly Gang is the 25th novel in the Bony series by Arthur Upfield. Bony poses as a horse thief trying to stay away from police notice when he catches a lift with Mike Conway into Cork Valley in the Southern Highlands of NSW, near Bowral. Some months earlier, Eric Torby, an Excise Officer “on vacation” and pursuing his hobby of geology, was found murdered on the road to Bowral, although the scene was made to look like a hit and run. Bony manages to insinuate himself into this Irish close-knit community, digging potatoes and slowly gaining their trust. By careful investigation, he eventually locates the still that it was presumed Torby was looking for, and judicious questioning leads him to discover the motive for, method and perpetrator of Torby’s murder, without the aid of fingerprinting, DNA, telephone of any kind let alone email or computer. Along the way, Bony gains a lot of respect and affection for these Irish bent on rebellion against autocratic bureaucracy, and finds himself accepted without colourbar. Whilst conducting this investigation, Bony digs potatoes, plays tunes on a gumleaf, smuggles goods in and out of the Valley, acts as a courier for a love letter, drinks quite a bit of “Mountain Dew” and joins in a small town Festival. Upfield gives the reader a bit of background on the capture of Ned Kelly at Glenrowan and allows the character Mike Conway to be a mouthpiece against excessive government and taxes. It is always a delight to read a novel set close to one’s local area, a this one is for me. Once again, great characters and a plot with a few twists to keep it interesting.
August 16, 2012
I read these books many years ago and have since become good friends with some folks from australia, so I'm reading them again. Knowing more of the history and geography, I'm finding them intriguing. This one involves the hunt for the killer of a man investigating the illegal stills the Kelly family runs in a isolated valley in New South Wales near Melbourne, the new home of my friends who've recently returned back home. The descriptions of the valley with its lush green mountains, waterfalls, and country life remind me of the Ireland. This fictional family supposedly is descended from Ned Kelly, the famous hero from the 188o's vilified by the political forces of the day and eventually hunted down and killed. This functional clan celebrates a Ned Kelly Festival, which similar to to historical event at Glenrowan hotel, leads to their demise. One of my favorite Celtic songs is entitled The Green Among The Gold, and tells about the Irish who immigrated to Australia. This book was an interesting mix of these 2 cultures as well as the aborigine one, portrayed through the main character Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte. My friend said she used to watch the tv series made from these books back in the 70's. I wonder if I could find on Netflix.
August 5, 2012
The loveable VALLEY OF SMUGGLERS was given this unfortunate new title when the series was reissued in the 1980s. Bony insinuates himself into a valley where the Kellys and Conways are in passive resistance to the over-reaching Australian government. Excise officers who try to sneak into the valley have a habit of popping up somewhere else dead, but Bony thinks he can blend into the population long enough to bring out one killer.
April 14, 2015
Solid entry in the Bony (Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte) series but I missed the Outback! This time, Bony is undercover in Cork Valley, a green & fertile place settled almost exclusively by Irish. During his investigation, Bony hardly makes use of his ability to read the land, using his ability to read people instead.
December 28, 2016
Splendid in all regards - a strong ethnic character who knows himself well and isn't afraid to question his own motives. Wonderful setting. So glad Upfield wrote so many Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte mysteries, and sorry he's gone now, passed in 1964. The mystery doesn't seem dated at all, but does seem contrary to the bigotry I'd assumed was pervasive in Australia.
April 3, 2011
One of the better books I have read in a while. Really captures a raw part of the Aussie spirit and it does this effortlessly. A perfect mix of picturesque descriptions and active plot development. I have moved onto another Detective Bony mystery.
July 4, 2012
I found this not so much a mystery as a peek into the lives of some fictional back-country Irish living in Australia. I found the language hard to follow and the emotional dynamics even harder. I didn't really hate it, but I didn't like it enough to pursue more in the series.
February 7, 2016
A typical Upfield story. This one involved a rather inbred group of feuding families who lived separate from others in a valley. Bony shows his usual cleverness at finding and apprehending the criminals.
April 14, 2011
This one is pure fun.
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September 17, 2019AKA Bony and the Kelly Gang
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March 28, 2016The version I borrowed from the Redondo Bch library is called: Valley of smugglers.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews