THE MURCHISON MURDERS

Hardback, 1st US edn. In the early winter of 1929, the author, later to become world famous for his series of novels featuring the half-aboriginal detective Bony, was employed by the state government of Western Australia as a boundary rider on a 120-mile section of the world's longest netted fence, State Rabbit Fence Number 1 - stretching 1130 miles from the south to the northwest coast of the island continent. At the time of the incredible events set down in this book, he was finishing up what would be his third novel, and was well into working out the details of the second 'Bony' mystery. He had the plot well in hand, but was stuck on the point of how to efficiently dispose of a corpse, leaving no traces, given certain physical conditions prevailing in the Australian outback, the setting of the novel. Enter "Snowy Rowles", itinerant swagman and eavesdropper on the discussions and arguments Upfield was having with his overseer and other bushmen and boundary riders. Finally, the corpse disposal was satisfactorily resolved - but little did Upfield or the other bushmen then realise that life was about to imitate art, and in a most gruesome manner. 'The Murchison Murders' is Upfield's own account of how this self-same "Snowy Rowles" murdered 3 men in Western Australia during late 1929 and early 1930, utilising the author's method for disposing of corpses to try to cover up his foul deeds. 'The Murchison Murders' was originally published by the Midget Masterpiece Pub. Co. Ltd. of Sydney, Australia, sometime in the early 1930s (probably 1934, although there is no date on the first edition of the book). This first US edition is the scarcest McMillan title, with only 600 copies in the print run. 90pp. 12mo. h/back. Dustjacket design by Joe Servello and William McMillan. Endpapers by William McMillan. From the library of true crime writer, Wilfred Gregg, with his personal b/plate. Nr.F. in Nr. F. dw. Small format. V.V. rare.