This is the first Upfield mystery I’ve read and I found it surprisingly readable. The story takes place in 1931 and I always expect to have to climb over language hurdles before I get into the swing of old books. This book was an easy read from the beginning and I enjoyed the simple style of the writing.

It wasn’t explained how Inspector Napolean Bonaparte came by his moniker but I was pleased to find that he prefers to go by “Bony”. I get the impression that writing a series featuring a half caste well educated Australian detective was a daring thing for Upfield to do at the time. This book is set in a small Western Australian wheat growing town and I liked the reactions of the exclusively white residents to Bony. I got a bit fed up of hearing that Bony was so good at his job because he’d inherited characteristics from his aborginal mother to add to those inherited from his white father and how this blend made him superior to everyone. I guess the author was making a point and was perhaps brave to do so but I got a bit tired of the repetition.

The main mystery in this book happens when Bony is on holiday and he decides to investigate the mysterious disappearance of a farmer. This case absorbs him so much that he stays on after his leave is over and risks losing his job over it. From other opinions I’ve heard I gather getting fired and reinstated is a staple of the Bony books but he seemed to take this a bit easily. Mainly my problem was that the case of the missing farmer just isn’t that intriguing. There are other things going on that are intriguing and Bony has an interesting and entertaining way of investigating but the basic premise of the book didn’t work for me.

I liked the setting and the characters and I’d like to read more about Bony but I was disappointed by the plot and its resolution in this book. Finally, the alternative title Mr Jelly’s Business is much better than the one it’s published under!