
Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet or computer – no Kindle device required.
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
The House of Cain Paperback – 18 Jun. 2019
Purchase options and add-ons
Here is Arthur Upfield's first published novel from 1929: Austilene Thorpe is accused of murder but then disappears from gaol. Her fiance, Martin Sherwood, goes blind from shock. His famous adventuring brother Monty, learns that Austilene is in a refuge for murderers in the far north-west corner of New South Wales near Tibooburra, and together the Sherwoods set out to find her and bring her back to Melbourne.
The idea of using the Australian outback as the locale for the novel of reclusive criminals forecasts Upfield's later interest. The landscape and meterology are well developed. The intensity of the Australian outback, to be much more powerfully developed later (in the Bony novels), is nearly overwhelming here.
- Ray Browne, The Spirit of Australia
- Print length243 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherETT Imprint
- Publication date18 Jun. 2019
- Dimensions15.6 x 1.42 x 23.39 cm
- ISBN-101925706753
- ISBN-13978-1925706758
Product details
- Publisher : ETT Imprint (18 Jun. 2019)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 243 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1925706753
- ISBN-13 : 978-1925706758
- Dimensions : 15.6 x 1.42 x 23.39 cm
- Best Sellers Rank: 2,779,283 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- 8,833 in Cultural Heritage Fiction
- 25,287 in Psychological Fiction (Books)
- 180,677 in Contemporary Fiction (Books)
- Customer reviews:
About the author

An Englishman by birth, Arthur Upfield tried his luck in Australia in 1911. After a short spell as a waiter in Adelaide, Upfield felt drawn towards the Interior where he became a boundary-rider, offside-driver, cattle-drover, opal-gouger, rabbit-trapper, vermin fence patroller and manager of a camel station, drifting through the strange terrains and unusual company which were later to become the subject of his 35 novels, including 29 featuring Napoleon Bonaparte, or ‘Bony’ the Aboriginal detective. These books began in 1929 with The Barrakee Mystery. In the early 1970s there were 26 BONEY episodes made for TV, and a new series for international TV will begin in 2019.
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings, help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyses reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonTop reviews from United Kingdom
Top reviews from other countries
- Wayne KeyserReviewed in the United States on 11 July 2022
5.0 out of 5 stars great book !
This is the first published book by Arthur Upfield - australian bushman and author. It is hard to get a copy of this book as it is out of print. This is unfortunate as it shows the genesis of all his later books and the development of his famous detective - Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte. I was gifted some of his books but a friend, and have been working to find all of them for several years. It tells the story of an innocent woman accused and convicted of a murder, sentenced to hang and kidnapped out of jail by a gang of thieves. The gang whisks her away to a remote outback location to protect her from hanging. All of the people in the secret location are conviceted killers. The twist is she is innocent and several weeks later the actual killer confesses. Now she is stuck there, and can't leave or let out their secret. I won't reveal more of the plot - but it starts in a city and moves to the outback - beautifully written. When reading his books you are instantly transported into Australia - of the 30-s to 50's. I hope more people pick up his books and read them - well worth the time spent reading.
- Mr Nicholas RobertsReviewed in Australia on 2 August 2016
4.0 out of 5 stars A terrific read from an early Arthur Upfield.
A fascinating first novel by Upfield. After years working in the outback, he weaves vast experience and insight into this novel in a very Leslie Charteris manner. What looked like becoming a very average mystery turned into an adventure of high drama. Loved this book and was delighted to be able to read it, having collected all the Bony books years ago.
- stuartReviewed in Australia on 5 May 2016
3.0 out of 5 stars Larger than life characters
An interesting tale, a super hero, an unexpected twist, an eye for micro detail, great descriptions of outback Australia. I am pleased I have read this story. The concept behind the house is unexpected and thought provoking. Thirty Three chapters is rather long and does not always add to the suspense of the tale. Well done Aurthur.