by ARTHUR W. UPFIELD

Mr Jelly's Business

Read by: Peter Hosking
Running Time: 7 hrs 29 mins
Series: The Arthur Upfield Collection
Categories: Mystery, Australiana, Murder
Released: 2012
Media: mp3 on CD; Unabridged
ISBN: 9781743185520

The Author

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, an indigenous man of mixed race.

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 traveled 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".

Synopsis

Mr. Jelly's Business is one of the finest of Arthur Upfield's many distinguished stories about the career of Detective Inspector Napoleon ("Bony") Bonaparte.

It takes Bony to the West Australian town of Burracoppin to help a colleague and investigate the disappearance of farmer George Loftus, whose car was found wrecked and abandoned near the longest fence in the world, the 1,500 mile Rabbit Fence in the wheat country of Western Australia. Bony immediately suspects murder but can't find the evidence to confirm it.

He meets Loftus's wife, who is anything but grief-stricken at her husband's disappearance; Loftus's hired man, singularly reticent about his own past history; and many of Burracoppin's numerous gossips.

Later he encounters the mysterious Mr. Jelly, an amateur criminologist who himself often disappears on secret business which causes his charming daughters great anxiety.

The double question of Loftus' disappearance and Mr. Jelly's business taxes Bony's well-known powers of observation and deduction to the utmost, until the two problems are simultaneously solved.

As anyone who knows Arthur Upfield's other work would expect, Mr. Jelly's Business is more than a story of crime and detection: It also offers an admirable picture of life in West Australia's wheat country.

Reviews

"Beguiling and well-plotted, deft in style, rich in incident, and filled to the brim with fascinating characters.” - Edward Marston

“Bony, a unique figure among top-flight detectives” - BBC

“The best of the “Boney” mysteries I’ve listened to so far. The mystery — 2 really — in this story was good, and the character of the detective, one Napoleon Bonaparte, half-white, half Aborigine, is an original. But in many ways, the true stars are the depictions of the land and people. This one was written in the 30’s, during the depression, and takes place in Western Australia. Yes, they are racist—and sexist—but the author’s attitudes are a lot more progressive than those of many of the characters with whom Boney must deal. A special mention to the reader - I could listen to him read a phone book!.” - Amazon Reviewer


On Media

Audiobook on CD-ROM, complete with artwork on the CD. Supplied in windowed CD sleeve, no case provided.

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