Didn't like it as well as the first bony I read, it was a bit melvillian in its dedication to sword fishing and the bits about his "aboriginal " side asserting itself are uncomfortable for modern sensibilities. Still interesting plot, appealing characters and a satisfying resolution ( )

I really love this early 20th century mystery series (another shared read with Liz) featuring half-aboriginal detective Napoleon Bonaparte. This one from 1939 finds him in a New South Wales coastal village known for its spectacular swordfishing. When a trio of local fisherman go out to sea one morning and never return, it's left to Bony to figure out what happened, in between soaring passages describing the athletic grace and beauty of pursuing swordfish in the deep. Away from his usual outback environs, Bony is a fish out of water (sorry) but he still manages to hook his quarry (sorrynotsorry) without tangling his line (OK, not sorry at all). ( )

Inspector Bonaparte solves disappearance of fishing boat, murder of man who hired it and disappearance of its crew while learning to love sword fishing.

Although one of the earlier Bony mysteries, this is unusual in having a sea coast setting instead of the usual outback.(in that it may be more typical of where most modern Australians actually live). Three men set out fishing one day and vanish; weeks later, the head of one man is found by a fisherman --with a bullet hole in it. .Bony is called in. ( )

When a young fishing guide, his mate and their rich older customer disappear without a trace from a fishing village in eastern Australia, the infallible sleuth Napoleon Bonaparte is called in to find out what happens. He learns to swordfish and finds the answer in due time. I found this entry in the series a bit tedious. There was a lot of material about fishing and sailing, a fairly obvious plot and not much mystery. Bony is always pleasant, though, and it's not a bad read. ( )