The Barrakee Mystery

First published in 1929 and therefore now Public Domain in the US and Canada, "The Barrakee Mystery" was Upfield's first crime novel and the first to feature his recurring character Detective Inspector Napoleon 'Bony' Bonaparte. The mystery surrounding the death, upon a far northern sheep station, of an aborigine is the central theme of this arresting story.

The Herald called the novel "one of the most exciting, well constructed, and well written tales we have read for a long time." They then went on to note: "It is a first-rate yarn full of a genuine Australian appeal, which is in no way forced."