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Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte #28
Madman's Bend: The Body at Madman's Bend
If any man was ever born to be murdered, it was William Lush - a hated drunk who disappeared after beating his wife to death. Plenty of men had the opportunity to murder Lush, some the means, none the motive. Jill Madden, his pretty step-daughter, had all three... When Lush disappears, Inspector Bonaparte must look for a body - and the murderer - before the Darling River rises to flood level...
154 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1963
12 people are currently reading
128 people want to read
About the author
Arthur W. Upfield
74 books112 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 - 12 of 12 reviews
February 21, 2022
Madman’s Bend is the 28th and second-last book in the Bony series by Australian author, Arthur Upfield. The audio version is narrated by Peter Hosking. Bony finds himself investigating the disappearance of a man wanted for murder on the “Gutter of Australia”, the Darling River in outback NSW. William Lush is disliked by most who know him, and has beaten his wife to death. Lush’s step-daughter, Jill Madden wonders if she shot him whilst defending the house, something Bony has to consider too.
But while it is usually Bony’s ally, in this case, with floodwaters heading down the Darling, time is his enemy, threatening to wash away clues to Lush’s whereabouts and perhaps his murder as the river rises. Bony has to find the culprit amongst fourteen possible suspects in this unique version of a closed room mystery. The odd red herring is drawn across his path, and Bony employs one himself when it suits his needs.
Alleged cigarettes are made and smoked, a thinly-veiled reference to Sherlock Holmes is made and Bony uses old-fashioned reason, logic and deduction in this classic detective tale which contains no computers, mobile phones or DNA samples. There is a marvellous cast of old characters: stockmen, swagmen, station cooks, overseers and managers. Upfield gives the reader a rare glimpse into Bony’s personal life with a letter to his wife. There are also some excellent descriptions of the Darling River in flood. Another Upfield masterpiece.
But while it is usually Bony’s ally, in this case, with floodwaters heading down the Darling, time is his enemy, threatening to wash away clues to Lush’s whereabouts and perhaps his murder as the river rises. Bony has to find the culprit amongst fourteen possible suspects in this unique version of a closed room mystery. The odd red herring is drawn across his path, and Bony employs one himself when it suits his needs.
Alleged cigarettes are made and smoked, a thinly-veiled reference to Sherlock Holmes is made and Bony uses old-fashioned reason, logic and deduction in this classic detective tale which contains no computers, mobile phones or DNA samples. There is a marvellous cast of old characters: stockmen, swagmen, station cooks, overseers and managers. Upfield gives the reader a rare glimpse into Bony’s personal life with a letter to his wife. There are also some excellent descriptions of the Darling River in flood. Another Upfield masterpiece.
October 30, 2014
Arthur W. Upfield's Madman's Bend (aka The Body at Madman's Bend) 1963 presents us with two murder victims--one who provokes our sympathy and one who seemed born to be murdered. William Lush--has there every been a more appropriately named character in a detective novel? Lush is a hard-drinking, hard-fisted squatter who married a widow with a bit of land and what he thought was a good bit of money (and his ticket to a fortune). When he discovered (after the wedding) that most of the money was tied up in a trust for his step-daughter, Jill, he took his frustration out on his wife and in drink.
As the book opens, he has beaten Jill's mother one to many times and Jill is waiting with a rifle for him to come back home from another bout of drinking. The doors and windows are locked and barred and when he discovers he can't get into the house, he takes an axe to the offending front door. Jill fires a warning shot into the ceiling and then fires at the door when Lush spews abuse and the axe hits the door again. The night goes quiet and Jill sits up all night--fully expecting to find Lush injured or dead outside the door come morning.
But there is no sign of him the next day. And when Jill's mother dies from her injuries, the police become involved. They don't know, however, if they are looking for a drunken murderer sleeping off a binge or the body of a murdered man. Detective Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte ("Bony" to his friends) is in the area and becomes interested in the case. There are lots of men who had run-ins with Lush, there were several who had the opportunity and/or the means...but Jill Madden had them all and a major motive as well. But without a body and the flood-waters of the Darling River headed towards Madman's Bend, Bony will be hard-pressed to prove murder and find sufficient evidence. Patience and time usually work to the detective's advantage. Unfortunately, time is the one commodity that he doesn't have....
This is a interesting twist on the "locked room" mystery--only instead of the impossible crime of "how was it done?" we've got an ever-decreasing amount of space for Bony to examine and the question becomes "will he find all the clues before they're swept away?" He's got to find the evidence in time to pick the murderer out of fourteen possible suspects. Most of what he finds eliminates the innocent without pointing a steady finger at the killer. He has to take a dangerous boat ride over the flood waters before he gets on the right track. The clues aren't thick on the ground, but there is fair play and a decent, interesting mystery to try and unravel.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.
As the book opens, he has beaten Jill's mother one to many times and Jill is waiting with a rifle for him to come back home from another bout of drinking. The doors and windows are locked and barred and when he discovers he can't get into the house, he takes an axe to the offending front door. Jill fires a warning shot into the ceiling and then fires at the door when Lush spews abuse and the axe hits the door again. The night goes quiet and Jill sits up all night--fully expecting to find Lush injured or dead outside the door come morning.
But there is no sign of him the next day. And when Jill's mother dies from her injuries, the police become involved. They don't know, however, if they are looking for a drunken murderer sleeping off a binge or the body of a murdered man. Detective Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte ("Bony" to his friends) is in the area and becomes interested in the case. There are lots of men who had run-ins with Lush, there were several who had the opportunity and/or the means...but Jill Madden had them all and a major motive as well. But without a body and the flood-waters of the Darling River headed towards Madman's Bend, Bony will be hard-pressed to prove murder and find sufficient evidence. Patience and time usually work to the detective's advantage. Unfortunately, time is the one commodity that he doesn't have....
This is a interesting twist on the "locked room" mystery--only instead of the impossible crime of "how was it done?" we've got an ever-decreasing amount of space for Bony to examine and the question becomes "will he find all the clues before they're swept away?" He's got to find the evidence in time to pick the murderer out of fourteen possible suspects. Most of what he finds eliminates the innocent without pointing a steady finger at the killer. He has to take a dangerous boat ride over the flood waters before he gets on the right track. The clues aren't thick on the ground, but there is fair play and a decent, interesting mystery to try and unravel.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.
July 29, 2016
"The view of many would be that to come into this back country meant the severance of cultural ties, not understanding that the land itself is richly rewarding, and not taking into account that the wife of a man owning eighty thousand sheep, this fine house, and an estate of one million acres would possess a wonderful outlet for attributes doubtless severely limited within a cathedral close" (80).
June 7, 2017
Set during a flood down the Darling River, Bony finds himself trapped by the rising flood waters quickly washing away clues. Was the wife-beater Lush killed by the long-suffering daughter as she believes, or was it a tramp passing through? Brilliantly told with sparkling dialogue, a must-read; highly recommended.
May 23, 2023
The cover of the Australian publication has a tie-in with an Australian television show (1971-1972). For some reason, they spelled Bony's name differently on the cover.
The mystery has excellent descriptions of flash flooding in the outback. Bony must solve the case before waters remove all evidence and trace the movements of wandering swagmen.
The mystery has excellent descriptions of flash flooding in the outback. Bony must solve the case before waters remove all evidence and trace the movements of wandering swagmen.
August 3, 2022
I love revisiting Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte mysteries, especially when I discover one I haven’t read before.
Always clever and methodical.
Always clever and methodical.
January 26, 2024
Bony races against a rising river to solve the murder of a man despised by all. Once again the description of nature is as absorbing as the tale of murder.
December 27, 2012
Madman’s Bend is the 28th and second-last book in the Bony series by Australian author, Arthur Upfield. Bony finds himself investigating the disappearance of a man wanted for murder on the “Gutter of Australia”, the Darling River in outback NSW. William Lush is disliked by most who know him, and has beaten his wife to death. Lush’s step-daughter, Jill Madden wonders if she shot him whilst defending the house, something Bony has to consider too. But while it is usually Bony’s ally, in this case, with floodwaters heading down the Darling, time is his enemy, threatening to wash away clues to Lush’s whereabouts and perhaps his murder as the river rises. Bony has to find the culprit amongst fourteen possible suspects in this unique version of a closed room mystery. The odd red herring is drawn across his path, and Bony employs one himself when it suits his needs. Alleged cigarettes are made and smoked, a thinly-veiled reference to Sherlock Holmes is made and Bony uses old-fashioned reason, logic and deduction in this classic detective tale which contains no computers, mobile phones or DNA samples. There is a marvellous cast of old characters: stockmen, swagmen, station cooks, overseers and managers. Upfield gives the reader a rare glimpse into Bony’s personal life with a letter to his wife. There are also some excellent descriptions of the Darling River in flood. Another Upfield masterpiece.
November 5, 2018
Not the best, but still a solid entry in the Bony canon.
Jill Madden's stepfather is a wife-bashing thug. He's just bashed her mother and headed off to the pub. Jill locks the house and waits up for him with the .32. When he arrives back home he takes to the door with an axe and Jill fires the .32 at the door. The following morning there's no sign of her stepfather, just the abandoned ute, out of fuel.
Bony happens to be passing through and he's intrigued, but this time there's a definite time limit. Flood waters are moving down the Darling from Queensland and when they arrive all evidence will be destroyed.
Jill Madden's stepfather is a wife-bashing thug. He's just bashed her mother and headed off to the pub. Jill locks the house and waits up for him with the .32. When he arrives back home he takes to the door with an axe and Jill fires the .32 at the door. The following morning there's no sign of her stepfather, just the abandoned ute, out of fuel.
Bony happens to be passing through and he's intrigued, but this time there's a definite time limit. Flood waters are moving down the Darling from Queensland and when they arrive all evidence will be destroyed.
October 2, 2015
A wonderful series detective novel series, written from the 1920s to the 1960s. Most of the books in this series are set in or near towns or stations in the Australian bush. The books offer a wonderful sense of place and culture of the time, good mysteries to solve, and a half-aboriginal, half-white police detective called Napoleon Bonaparte, a character in the Sherlock Holmes mold. A few of the Napoleon Bonaparte books are set in larger towns or cities, but I think the books set in the bush are the best. Their settings are more evocative and the main character is at his best in the bush.
February 22, 2023
As much as I admire Upfield's. writing, I have to say that this is not one of his best. The brilliant descriptions of the outback and the flood moving down The Darling river were as good and evocative as ever but what was lacking was Bony's bushcraft and interaction with the aboriginal Australians. In fact, unusually, there were no aborigines at all in this one. I found it very difficult to follow Bony's reasoning of the evidence and would never have worked it out myself in a month of Sundays. Still a good read if slightly disappointing.
October 5, 2014
My very First Bony Book and I must say I really enjoyed it. Not my usual reading but my old man kept telling me to read one and so I finally did. I have a stack of others beside my bed and I am now encouraged to read them too.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews