Author | Arthur Upfield |
---|---|
Country | Australia |
Language | English |
Series | Detective Inspector Napoleon 'Bony' Bonaparte |
Genre | Fiction |
Publisher | Doubleday Books |
Publication date | 1946 |
Media type | |
Pages | 285 pp |
Preceded by | Death of a Swagman |
Followed by | An Author Bites the Dust |
The Devil's Steps (1946) is a novel by Australian writer Arthur Upfield. It is the tenth of the author's novels to feature his recurring character Detective Inspector Napoleon 'Bony' Bonaparte. It was originally published in USA by Doubleday Books in 1946. [1]
It was also serialised in The Argus from 16 November to 24 December 1946 in two instalments each week, one in the Saturday supplement, the Argus Week-End Magazine, the next in the Wednesday supplement, the Argus Woman's Magazine. [1]
At Wideview Chalet, a guest house in Victoria's Dandenong Ranges, the body of Grumman is found in the gutter outside the building. Detective-Inspector Bonaparte has been seconded to the Army for special intelligence work and had been watching Grumman, who is, in reality, a member of the German General Staff. When the local constable is shot dead by a visitor to Grumman, Bony is asked to help the civil police solve the murders.
Set in a fictional mountain resort called Mount Chalmers, similar to the Dandenong Ranges on the eastern edge of Melbourne, Victoria (most probably in the vicinity of Mt Dandenong, but with some similarities to One Tree Hill in Ferny Creek), and also in Melbourne City and its suburbs South Yarra and Coburg.
Following the book's initial publication by Doubleday Books in 1945 [1] it was subsequently published as follows:
and subsequent paperback, ebook and audio book editions.
The novel was also translated into German in 1994. [4]
This novel was adapted for television as Boney and the Devil's Steps (1973), from a screenplay by Joy Cavill, and directed by Ron Way : Fauna Productions. [5]
Arthur William Upfield was an English-Australian writer, best known for his works of detective fiction featuring Detective Inspector Napoleon "Bony" Bonaparte of the Queensland Police Force, a mixed-race Indigenous Australian. His books were the basis for a 1970s Australian television series entitled Boney, as well as a 1990 telemovie and a 1992 spin-off TV series.
Detective Inspector Napoleon "Bony" Bonaparte is a fictional character created by Australian novelist Arthur Upfield (1890–1964). Bony is a biracial Aboriginal Australian detective with a reputation for solving difficult cases by finding subtle clues. Upfield introduced the character in his 1929 novel The Barrakee Mystery. 29 novels featuring the character were published.
Boney is an Australian television series produced by Fauna Productions during 1971 and 1972, featuring James Laurenson in the title role of Detective Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte. Two series, each of thirteen episodes, were filmed.
Bony is an Australian television series made in 1992. The series of 13 episodes followed on from a telemovie made in 1990. The series was criticised for casting a white man as the title character Detective David John "Bony" Bonaparte, under the tutelage of "Uncle Albert", an elderly Aborigine played by Burnum Burnum. Bony was supposed to be a descendant of the Bony character created by Arthur Upfield in dozens of novels from the late 1920s until his death in 1964.
This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1930.
This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1936.
This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1946.
This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1951.
Dorothy June Wright was an Australian writer. She wrote six popular crime novels between 1948 and 1966, all with recognisable settings in and around Melbourne. She also wrote many articles for Catholic lay journals such as The Majellan, Caritas and Scapular and the Catholic newspaper The Advocate. She recorded her personal memoirs and family history in two volumes in 1994 and 1997.
Margot Neville was the name adopted by Australian writers Margot Goyder (1896–1975) and her sister Ann or Anne Neville Goyder Joske (1887–1966) for their work: short stories, plays and humorous novels, before they became known for a series of murder mysteries, featuring Inspector Grogan and Detective Sergeant Manning. Much of their work, including some full-length novels, appeared in The Australian Women's Weekly, then the country's foremost publisher of light fiction.
The Barrakee Mystery (1929) is a novel by Australian writer Arthur Upfield. It was the second of the author's novels, his first crime novel and the first to feature his recurring character Detective Inspector Napoleon 'Bony' Bonaparte. It was originally published in the UK by Hutchinson in 1929, and subsequently serialised in The Herald in Melbourne in 42 daily instalments between 23 July and 9 September 1932.
The Sands of Windee (1931) is a novel by Australian writer Arthur Upfield. It was the fourth of the author's novels and the second to feature his recurring character Detective Inspector Napoleon 'Bony' Bonaparte. It was originally published in the UK by Hutchinson in 1931, and subsequently serialised in The Herald in Melbourne in 42 daily instalments between 23 January and 11 March 1932.
Wings Above the Diamantina (1936) is a detective novel by Australian writer Arthur Upfield. It was the third to feature his recurring character Detective Inspector Napoleon 'Bony' Bonaparte. It was originally published in Australia by Angus & Robertson in 1936, and subsequently serialised in The Australian Journal between January and September 1936.
Mr. Jelly's Business (1937) is a novel by Australian writer Arthur Upfield. It was the fourth to feature his recurring character Detective Inspector Napoleon 'Bony' Bonaparte. It was originally published in Australia by Angus & Robertson in 1937, after being serialised in the Daily News between December 1932 and January 1933.
Winds of Evil (1937) is a novel by Australian writer Arthur Upfield. It was the fifth of the author's novels to feature his recurring character Detective Inspector Napoleon 'Bony' Bonaparte. It was originally published in the Australia by Angus & Robertson in 1937, and subsequently serialised in The Australian Journal in Melbourne between March and October 1937.
The Bone is Pointed (1938) is a novel by Australian writer Arthur Upfield. It was the sixth of the author's novels to feature his recurring character Detective Inspector Napoleon 'Bony' Bonaparte. It was originally published in the Australia by Angus & Robertson in 1938, and subsequently serialised in The Herald newspaper in Melbourne between September and November 1938, under the title Murder on the Station.
The Mystery of Swordfish Reef (1939) is a novel by Australian writer Arthur Upfield. It was the seventh of the author's novels to feature his recurring character Detective Inspector Napoleon 'Bony' Bonaparte. It was originally published in the Australia by Angus & Robertson in 1939.
Bushranger of the Skies (1940) is a novel by Australian writer Arthur Upfield. It is the eighth of the author's novels to feature his recurring character Detective Inspector Napoleon 'Bony' Bonaparte. It was originally published in the Australia by Angus & Robertson in 1940.
Man of Two Tribes is a 1953 Australia radio serial based on the stories of Arthur Upfield about Detective Inspector Napoleon "Bony" Bonaparte. Morris West adapted several of Upfield's stories.
Death of a Swagman (1945) is a novel by Australian writer Arthur Upfield. It is the ninth of the author's novels to feature his recurring character Detective Inspector Napoleon 'Bony' Bonaparte. It was originally published in USA by Doubleday Books in 1945.