Arthur Upfield (1890–1964)

I would actually say don't start with this, if you're new to the series. There's lots to love here in the dignified, gentlemanly form of Bony as first introduced, the rich dialogue, and the engaging time capsule of life in the bush in the 1920s, so vividly described. But the story is rather meandering and some of the action chapters - although well-written - will seem like a distraction to new readers. Pick one of the middle Bonys, perhaps from those ranked highest on Upfield's Goodreads page, and then start at the beginning once you're into the world of the gentleman detective.… (mere)

It is accessible online, for free. A century ago when Australia was being populated by immigrants and exiles from the British Isles author Arthur Upfield arrived to weave tales of murder, vice, and other mysteries. What Upfield exploited was the voracious thirst for content by newspapers throughout the continent. As far as I can tell most if not all his works first appeared in serial form. Barrakee shows up in at least six newspapers. You can access them by visiting TROVE , a special searchable collection of Aussie publications within the National Library of Australia. If you wonder what it was like to anxiously grab the paper each day for the next bit of a tale, Upfields collection is worth reading for Australian geography and climate alone.… (mere)