Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
The Bone Is Pointed  By  cover art

The Bone Is Pointed

By: Arthur Upfield
Narrated by: Peter Hosking
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $19.49

Buy for $19.49

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Editorial reviews

Arthur Upfield's The Bone is Pointed follows Inspector Bonaparte who solves mysteries in the Australian outback. Published in the 1940's, this story not only offers up a good mystery but also a portrait of the aborigines and Australia in the early 20th century. Peter Hoskig tackles this story with verve. He speaks with a clear Australian accent while developing the characters believably, giving each his own attributes. Meanwhile, his varied pacing makes the story easy to follow. Mystery lovers and history buffs alike will have fun with the Inspector Bonaparte Mysteries.

Publisher's summary

Jack Anderson was a big man with a foul temper, a sadist and a drunk. Five months after his horse appeared riderless, no trace of the man has surfaced and no one seems to care. But Bony is determined to follow the cold trail and smoke out some answers.

©1998 Arthur W Upfield (P)2010 Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd

What listeners say about The Bone Is Pointed

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    59
  • 4 Stars
    29
  • 3 Stars
    4
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    2
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    63
  • 4 Stars
    11
  • 3 Stars
    3
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    51
  • 4 Stars
    20
  • 3 Stars
    3
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    1

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Click "next" if you are on the fence for this one

This book is cookie cutter, if you listen to the first half hour and stop it, then write on a piece of paper what you think the ending will be - you will be right, as a matter of fact unless this is the first book you have ever read, nothing happens in this story that is not predictable. I ended up listening to the whole thing thinking that something had to happen to take it out of the mould, but it never did, it just plods along like a high school writing project.
better use of your time out there, not recommended.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

A fine Boney Novel

I discovered the Boney series about 10 years ago. I am glad that Audible has made them available. This is one of the better reads of the series, an early book in the series and one that gives a good introduction to Detective Bonaparte and Austrailia in the 1930s.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Best Inspector Bonaparte yet!

I've enjoyed this series immensely, both story and narration. The Bone is Pointed is, by far, my favorite so far. It delves deeply into Aboriginal culture, and also touches on racial prejudice and its consequences. Much earlier 20th century fiction unabashedly reflects the attitudes of the time towards women and people of color, and it can be jarring and unpleasant to read today. This book acknowledges the immorality of that contemporary racial prejudice and its devastating effects on the Aboriginal population, much as Dorothy L Sayers does with misogyny in some of the Lord Peter Wimsey stories.

As an aside of interest, Barcoo disease is caused by cyanobacterial poisoning (blue-green algae in water) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1454012/

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

One of his better stories.

Narration: As with his other narrations, this one is excellent.

Story: One of his better mysteries.

Specific Content: Interesting explanation for indigenous people's magic ritual. A bit more description about the environment that I think necessary. Got a little old.

Recommended.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Always entertaining!

Peter Hosking is the best I've heard for audio characterizations. I do love these stories.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

the bone is pointed

Would you consider the audio edition of The Bone Is Pointed to be better than the print version?

as good

What other book might you compare The Bone Is Pointed to and why?

the sands of windee

Which character – as performed by Peter Hosking – was your favorite?

bony

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

all australian as ever

Any additional comments?

arthur upfields portral of the times gone by and the mysterys are well in tune

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

A good Aussie tale

Where does The Bone Is Pointed rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Smack bang in the middle.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

"Saw it coming from a mile off" would be a better description. But that was part of the fun. What kept me going was the pleasure of an Australian story, after way too many listens from the other side of the planet.

Have you listened to any of Peter Hosking’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This is my first, and an enjoyable listen it was.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

An occasional small smile.

Any additional comments?

This is not highbrow literature, and has its fair share of cardboard cut out characters, but they were fun cutouts.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Murder Down Under

Where does The Bone Is Pointed rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This book is at least as rivoting as Non-Christie golden age mysteries. It is not a cozy, but rather an Australian western. If you are one of those revisionists who prefer not to acknowledge the social norms of another age, then you might find this book's characters socially disturbing. I am one who says ," It was what it was and we can learn from the past if we have an inkling of what that might have been", so I liked the book. It is certainly mid--century and Australian.

What about Peter Hosking’s performance did you like?

Peter Hosking did a fine job of being Australian without accenting his words so much that an American could not understand what he was saying.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Another good Bony book

What made the experience of listening to The Bone Is Pointed the most enjoyable?

description of the different scences

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Bone Is Pointed?

Bony beating the death sentence

Which character – as performed by Peter Hosking – was your favorite?

Bony

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Bony meets his match

Any additional comments?

great book most enjoyable to listen too.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Takes you to the Outback

Always enjoyable.Takes you to a time long-ago A great listen!All the Upfield books are worth a try.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!