The Devil's Steps

Detective Inspector Napoleon 'Bony' Bonaparte investigates two connected murders at Wideview Chalet, a guest house in Victoria's Dandenong Ranges. Working on special intelligence assignment for the Army during World War II, Bony must solve the killing of both a German operative and a local police constable. The story takes place in the atmospheric setting of Mount Chalmers, a fictional mountain resort modeled after locations in the Dandenong Ranges near Melbourne. The investigation moves between the isolated chalet and various Melbourne suburbs, including South Yarra and Coburg. As part of Upfield's acclaimed Bonaparte series, this 1946 novel combines elements of wartime espionage with traditional detective work. The narrative integrates Bony's unique investigative methods with the pressures of wartime security concerns. The book explores themes of identity and deception, while offering a snapshot of Australian society during World War II. It stands as both a classic mystery and a document of its historical moment.

Readers describe this as a solid Detective Bonaparte mystery with an eerie atmosphere centered around mysterious footprints in the snow. The pacing is slower compared to other Bony novels. Readers liked: - The winter mountain setting and descriptions of Victorian landscapes - The supernatural elements and tension that builds throughout - Complex plotting with well-placed clues Readers disliked: - Takes too long to get to the main crime - Some side characters lack development - The ending feels rushed compared to the slow build-up Ratings: Goodreads: 3.84/5 (137 ratings) Amazon: 4.2/5 (21 reviews) "Creates a creepy sense of foreboding from the first chapter" - Goodreads reviewer "The wintry atmosphere is a character itself" - Amazon review "Drags in the middle sections but the finale is worth it" - LibraryThing review

Death of a Lake by Arthur Upfield Another Bonaparte mystery that explores Australian landscapes and indigenous tracking methods while solving murders in the outback.

The Dry by Jane Harper A Federal Police investigator returns to his drought-stricken hometown to solve a family murder that captures rural Australian tensions.

Diamond Dove by Adrian Hyland Features indigenous detective Emily Tempest investigating crimes in the Northern Territory with detailed knowledge of Aboriginal culture.

The Broken Shore by Peter Temple A Melbourne homicide detective investigates coastal town murders while navigating racial politics and local power structures.

An Isolated Incident by Emily Maguire A murder investigation in a small Australian town reveals connections between police, media, and community during the search for a killer.

🔍 The Devil's Steps was written during WWII and published in 1946, making it one of the earliest Australian detective novels to incorporate wartime espionage elements. 🦘 Detective Inspector Bonaparte ("Bony") was one of literature's first mixed-race detectives, being half-Aboriginal and half-white, breaking significant ground in Australian fiction. 🌿 The Dandenong Ranges setting was carefully chosen by Upfield for its mystique - the area was known for mysterious disappearances and strange occurrences during the 1940s. 📚 Author Arthur Upfield learned about Aboriginal tracking methods firsthand while working as a boundary rider and cattle drover in the Australian outback, which he incorporated into Bony's detective work. 🏠 The Wideview Chalet in the novel was inspired by real guesthouses in the Dandenongs that served as safe houses and meeting points during WWII.