If you like your books sexist, full of poor stereotypes and not particularly interesting, then "The boys from Binjiwunyawunya" is for you.

There are three stories included here, although the story on the Binjiwunyawunya lads takes up most of the book. The plot involves the protagonist Les Norton deciding to bump off his boss's enemy by engaging some Aboriginal friends of his to "point the bone" at the enemy. Anyone with even a rudimentry knowledge of Australian Aboriginal culture would know that Aboriginal people with the culture and standing to be a Kurdaitcha man (or similar), would not be using their power to knock off some bloke on the say so of a whitefella. I realise this is fiction but it's poor fiction and the story could have been much better if Barrett had performed at least some research on the matter.

Beyond this, the plot meanders as it allows Norton to score with ladies and the bone pointing to reach it conclusion.

The other two short stories that make up this book are even less interesting. ( )