It is the eleventh of the author's novels to feature his recurring character Detective Inspector Napoleon 'Bony' Bonaparte.
[1] The author and critic Mervyn Blake is found dead in his writing room on his property about 30 miles from Melbourne.
But in writing about Australian literature Mr. Upfield is, at times, very unkind...Napoleon Bonaparte, Upfield's familiar half-caste inspector, is a synthetic figure: the usual efficient sleuth with endearing habits who baffles his orthodox colleagues, with a bit of 'blacktracking' thrown in for good measure.
"[5] In The Sydney Morning Herald the reviewer wrote: "Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte, B.A., is the only Australian detective in steady fictional employment.
He has individual theories of crime, prides himself on his feminine intuition and his knowledge of psychology, but is modest regarding the singular powers of tracking inherited with his aboriginal blood".