Part of Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte, book 13
First published 1985
Detective Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte arrives in the remote pearling town of Broome to find two widows already dead, both strangled by an unknown killer. The local police have no leads and no clues to follow. The murderer strikes with precision, leaving behind no evidence that might reveal his identity. Bonaparte begins his investigation in a town where secrets run deep and suspicion falls on everyone. When a third widow dies, the killer makes his first mistake. Bonaparte seizes on this small error, knowing it may be his only chance to stop the murders before another woman dies. The detective must navigate the tight-knit community of Broome, where longtime residents guard their privacy and outsiders are viewed with distrust. As Bonaparte closes in on his suspect, he discovers that the motive for these killings runs deeper than random violence.
Genres: australia, 20th-century, mystery, crime, thriller, detective
Vibes: atmospheric, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, small-town
Setting: Broome
Period: 20th-century
256 pages · Paperback · Scribner Paper Fiction