Death of a Swagman

By: Arthur W. Upfield

Narrated by: Peter Hosking

In an isolated hut not far from the sleepy country town of Merino, stockman George Kendall is found dead and it looks very much like murder. Six weeks later, when the murderer is still at large, another stockman turns up in the township and, as a first move, provokes the local sergeant to lock him up. This particular stockman is Detective-Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte, and there's method in his seeming madness. While serving a semi-detention sentence and being made to paint the police station, he wears the best of all possible disguises for a policeman on the trail of a ruthless and single-minded killer.©1945 Bonaparte Holdings Ltd. (P)1998 Bolinda Publishing

Critic reviews

"Peter Hosking gives a good-natured reading to a down-under police procedural. Hosking's Australian accent helps the listener visualize the story of Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte, who takes only the impossible cases to crack. Half-bushman, half-sophisticate, he gets himself arrested in the small town of Merino so that he can work the case from the inside. The production is technically clean, with varied music introducing and ending the sides." (AudioFile Magazine)

Good stuff all the way

I liked this very much cuz it kept my attention I hope you will too 😊

Wonderfull mystery

The mystery is wonderful. With a surprise at the end. My favorite character is the 8 year old Rose Marie. Upfield so captured a precocious child, I fell sure he must have known a Rose Marie in his lifetime.

Excellent Historical Fiction

Narration: Superbly narrated...clear...fun Australian accents.

Story: I have listened to over 16 of this series. Overall it is an excellent series. SWAGMAN is one of the best in the series.

Peter Hosking is The Best!

Arthur Upfield's Boney books are terrific - and they're made even better by Peter Hosking's superb narration. Wish there were more available!

Bony Never Disappointments

What made the experience of listening to Death of a Swagman the most enjoyable?

I like the Bony novels. I like the tone of the books.

What other book might you compare Death of a Swagman to and why?

The other Bony books. The voice is contempory to the story and not trying to just "sound" older.

Which character – as performed by Peter Hosking – was your favorite?

Always Bony, but Florence (Rose Marie) was important.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No. I like time to digest the book.

Any additional comments?

This is a middle, 1950s, Bony and I like the earlier ones better.