The Mountains Have a Secret (1948) is a novel by Australian writer Arthur Upfield. It is the twelfth of the author's novels to feature his recurring character Detective Inspector Napoleon 'Bony' Bonaparte. It was originally published in USA by Doubleday in 1948 under their Crime Club imprint.[1]
| Author | Arthur Upfield |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Series | Detective Inspector Napoleon 'Bony' Bonaparte |
| Genre | Fiction |
| Publisher | Doubleday |
Publication date | 1948 |
| Publication place | Australia |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 187 pp |
| Preceded by | An Author Bites the Dust |
| Followed by | The Widows of Broome |
Abstract
editAfter two young girls disappear near the Baden Park Hotel, a police officer investigating their disappearance is murdered. Napoleon Bonaparte is called in to help solve the mystery.
Location
editSet mostly in the Grampians mountain range in western Victoria.
Publishing history
editFollowing the book's initial publication by Doubleday in 1948[1] it was subsequently published as follows:
- Heinemann, UK and Australia, 1952[2]
- Angus and Robertson, Australia, 1991[3]
and subsequent paperback, ebook and audio book editions.
The novel was also translated into Danish and Spanish in 1957, German in 1990, and French in 1997.[4]
Critical reception
editWriting for the Western Mail (Perth) a reviewer found that Upfield "provides the reader with an extraordinary end to the story—quite unsuspected and rather startling.
"To dwell too long on this aspect of the book is unfair to the author and his purpose! Some readers will be delighted at the final sequences; many will feel that they might be much too far-fetched even for thrillers which are allowed a great deal of latitude.
"Whether the ending is acceptable or not does riot matter. The book is well up to the standard of all the Napoleon Bonaparte stories and better than most."[5]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "The Mountains Have a Secret by Arthur Upfield (Doubleday 1948)". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
- ^ "The Mountains Have a Secret by Arthur Upfield (Heinemann 1952)". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
- ^ "The Mountains Have a Secret by Arthur Upfield (A&R 1991)". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
- ^ "The Mountains Have a Secret by Arthur Upfield". Austlit. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
- ^ ""Mountain secrets"". Western Mail. Western Mail, 21 August 1952, p8. 21 August 1952. Retrieved 16 September 2024.