Arthur Upfield Reading Order

1 book (2019–2019)

#	Title
1	Bodies from the Library 2019Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

29 books (1929–1966)

The Inspector Bonaparte series is a 29-book detective mystery sequence featuring the investigations of a half-caste Australian detective across the Australian outback. Written by Arthur Upfield between 1929 and 1966, the series is now complete and should be read in publication order to follow the character's development across the decades. The novels blend mystery and thriller elements with Upfield's deep knowledge of Australian geography and indigenous culture, creating a distinctive setting for each case.

Start with The Barrakee Mystery / The Lure of the Bush, the first of 29 books in the Inspector Bonaparte series.

#	Title
1	The Barrakee Mystery / The Lure of the Bush 1929Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The Sands of Windee 1931Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Wings Above the Diamantina / Wings Above the Claypan 1936Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Mr. Jelly's Business/Murder Down Under 1937Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Winds of Evil 1937Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	The Bone is Pointed 1938Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	The Mystery of Swordfish Reef 1939Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	Bushranger of the Skies / No Footprints in the Bush 1940Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	Death of a Swagman 1945Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	The Devil's Steps 1946Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11	An Author Bites the Dust 1948Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
12	The Mountains Have a Secret 1948Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
13	The Bachelors of Broken Hill 1950Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
14	The New Shoe/The Clue of the New Shoe 1951Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
15	The Widows of Broome 1951Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
16	Venom House 1952Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
17	Murder Must Wait 1953Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
18	Death of a Lake 1954Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
19	Sinister Stones/Cake in the Hat Box 1954Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
20	Man of Two Tribes 1956Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
21	The Battling Prophet 1956Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
22	Bony Buys a Woman / The Bushman Who Came Back 1957Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
23	Bony and the Black Virgin / The Torn Branch 1959Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
24	Bony and the Mouse / Journey to the Hangman 1959Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
25	Bony and the Kelly Gang / Valley of Smugglers 1960Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
26	Bony and the White Savage 1961Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
27	The Will of the Tribe 1962Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
28	Madman's Bend / The Body at Madman's Bend 1963Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
29	The Lake Frome Monster 1966Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

3 books (1934–2020)

Arthur Upfield's three-book non-fiction series examines true crime cases and mysterious events, spanning from 1934 to 2020. The complete series should be read in publication order, beginning with Murchison Murders, followed by The Gifts of Frank Cobbold, and concluding with Beyond the Mirage. These works blend mystery and thriller elements while exploring factual accounts from Upfield's investigations and observations.

Start with Murchison Murders and read in order.

#	Title
1	Murchison Murders 1934Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The Gifts of Frank Cobbold 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Beyond the Mirage 2020Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

3 books (2008–2010)

Arthur Upfield's three-book collection of short stories and novellas spans from 2008 to 2010 and is now complete. These mystery and thriller tales should be read in publication order, beginning with Up and Down Australia, followed by Up and Down the Real Australia, and concluding with Up and Down Australia Again. Each volume can be enjoyed for its individual stories while contributing to the full scope of the series.

Start with Up and Down Australia and read in order.

#	Title
1	Up and Down Australia 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Up and Down the Real Australia 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Up and Down Australia Again 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

1 book (2021–2021)

6 books (1928–1987)

Arthur Upfield's series of six standalone mystery novels spans nearly six decades, from 1928 to 1987, and should be read in publication order beginning with The House of Cain. Each book functions as an independent mystery, allowing readers to start anywhere, though reading chronologically by publication reveals the author's evolution across the mystery and thriller genre. The complete series includes The House of Cain, The Beach of Atonement, A Royal Abduction, Gripped by Drought, The Great Melbourne Cup Mystery, and Breakaway House.

Start with The House of Cain, the first of 6 books in the Standalone Novels series.

#	Title
1	The House of Cain 1928Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The Beach of Atonement 1930Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	A Royal Abduction 1932Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Gripped by Drought 1932Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	The Great Melbourne Cup Mystery 1932Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Breakaway House 1987Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible