First published 1984
A murder has shattered the silence of the Australian wilderness. A woman lies dead, and her young daughter has disappeared without a trace into the vast outback. Detective-Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte arrives to untangle this deadly mystery. The investigation centers on Ole Fren Yorkey, a disturbed drifter who wanders the remote landscape. Bonaparte must determine if this half-mad wanderer committed murder or if someone else killed the woman and took her child. The detective faces a perilous puzzle that leads him deeper into the harsh Australian interior. As Bonaparte follows the trail, he confronts both the dangers of the unforgiving landscape and the darkness that drives people to violence. The case tests his skills against the backdrop of a land where civilization feels fragile and distant. Bonaparte races to solve the crime before the missing girl becomes another victim of the outback's deadly secrets.
Genres: adventure, mystery, crime, thriller, detective
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, suspenseful
Tropes: amateur-detective, dangerous-landscape, missing-person
Setting: Australia, Australian Wilderness
Period: 20th-Century
Hardcover · Amereon Ltd
Content warnings: murder, violence