The Widows of Broome

The Widows of Broome
AuthorArthur Upfield
LanguageEnglish
SeriesDetective Inspector Napoleon 'Bony' Bonaparte
GenreFiction
PublisherDoubleday
Publication date
1950
Publication placeAustralia
Media typePrint
Pages204 pp
Preceded byThe Mountains Have a Secret 
Followed byThe Bachelors of Broken Hill 

The Widows of Broome (1950) is a novel by Australian writer Arthur Upfield. It is the thirteenth of the author's novels to feature his recurring character Detective Inspector Napoleon 'Bony' Bonaparte. It was originally published in USA by Doubleday in 1950 under their Crime Club imprint.[1]

Abstract

Two widows are found strangled in the town of Broome, in northern Western Australia, with the killer leaving no clues. Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte is called in to investigate.

Location

Set in Broome, Western Australia.

Publishing history

Following the book's initial publication by Doubleday in 1950[1] it was subsequently published as follows:

and subsequent paperback, ebook and audio book editions.

The novel was also translated into Spanish in 1953, German in 1956, Czech in 1977, and French in 1995.[7]

Critical reception

A reviewer in The Bulletin found they were "less surprised than disappointed" when the murderer is revealed, feeling that he had "not been woven into the fabric of the book sufficiently for us to believe that he could have taken so large a part in it". They concluded, however, that it "did not seem to matter so much".[8]

Reviewer "J.J.Q." in The Sydney Morning Herald noted, of "Bony" that time "has not diminished his remarkable powers nor the author's ability to devise an unusual plot".[9]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "The Widows of Broome by Arthur Upfield (Doubleday 1950)". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
  2. ^ "The Widows of Broome by Arthur Upfield (Heineman 1951)". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
  3. ^ "The Widows of Broome by Arthur Upfield (Penguin 1962)". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
  4. ^ "The Widows of Broome by Arthur Upfield (Heineman 1967)". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
  5. ^ "The Widows of Broome by Arthur Upfield (Arkon 1972)". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
  6. ^ "The Widows of Broome by Arthur Upfield (A&R 1981)". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
  7. ^ "Austlit – The Widows of Broome by Arthur Upfield". Austlit. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
  8. ^ ""Reviewed Briefly"". The Bulletin, 16 January 192, p2. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
  9. ^ ""New Fiction"". Sydney Morning Herald. The Sydney Morning Herald, 22 December 1951, p8. 22 December 1951. Retrieved 1 November 2024.