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Venom House

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Venom House

By: Arthur W. Upfield
Narrated by: Peter Hosking
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About this listen

The Answerth family's mansion seems to deserve its nickname of 'Venom House'. Perhaps that's because of its forbidding setting, an island in the centre of a man-made lake, the treacherous waters studded by the skeletons of long-dead trees. Perhaps it's because of the unquiet ghosts of the Aborigines slaughtered by Answerth ancestors. Or perhaps it's just because the Answerth household is such a strange one.

©1952 Bonaparte Holdings Ltd (P)2009 Bolinda Publishing Mystery Suspense Fiction

Editorial reviews

A double murder in the quaint, idyllic coastal town of Edison in Southeastern Queensland leads the wily and always-in-control Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte, or Bony as he is better known, to the abode of the Answerths, a peculiar family whose titular home lies on the lake where the corpses were found and whose ancestors may be responsible for the brutal slaughter of thousands of Aboriginals years ago.

Peter Hosking’s compelling performance and rich Australian twang turns this murder mystery rife with twists and turns into an addictive listen that will surely please fans of the genre.

Critic Reviews

"Detective-Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte's crime-solving reputation is undisputed. He always gets his 'man'. But when Bonaparte finds himself at the Answerth's remote and foreboding family manor in the Australian outback, his search for a murderer becomes an ominous mission. Australian narrator Peter Hosking is a remarkably stalwart and capable reader; he has an indulgent interpretation of these peculiar characters – a stranger bunch you've yet to meet. The Answerth sisters, one prim and diabolical, the other fierce-tempered and aggressive, are vividly depicted as possible murder suspects. However, the idiot brother, kept under lock and key, displays glimpses of potential for the deed, as well. Hosking, as the detective-inspector, brilliantly guides the listener through a web of deceit, bizarre behaviours, and a side of Australia you may never have known." (AudioFile Magazine)

What listeners say about Venom House

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My Favourite Bony Book

I have lost count of the number of times I have listened to this book. The performance is impeccable and the story is engaging. If you have never listened to a Detective Bonaparte story before, I would certainly recommend beginning with this one.

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Not a favourite.

Never did I like this book. Too black for me. Loved Bony and the Kelly gang the best.

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In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.