First published 1972
George Kendall lies dead in his isolated hut near the quiet town of Merino. The stockman's death bears all the marks of murder. Six weeks pass without an arrest. The killer remains free. Then a stranger arrives in town calling himself a stockman. He picks a fight with the local sergeant and gets himself thrown in jail. This newcomer is Detective-Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte. His arrest was no accident. Bonaparte has a plan. While serving his sentence and painting the police station, he wears the perfect disguise. No one suspects the prisoner with the paintbrush is actually a detective. From behind bars, Bonaparte begins his hunt for a cold-blooded murderer who thinks he has escaped justice. The killer made one mistake. He underestimated the determination of a man willing to become a prisoner to catch him.
Genres: fiction, 20th-century, mystery, crime, thriller, detective
Vibes: suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, undercover
Setting: Merino
Period: 20th-century
192 pages · Paperback · Arkon Paperbacks