The Battling Prophet

By: Arthur W. Upfield

Narrated by: Peter Hosking

Ben Wickham, a famous meteorologist whose uncannily accurate forecasts have helped famers and graziers all over Australia, has died after a three-week drinking bout. The doctor certifies that his death was cause by heart failure, due to alcoholic poisoning. But Ben's neighbour and drinking partner, John Luton, is convinced his friends didn't die from too much gin. He manages to lure Detective-Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte to his riverside cottage near the South Australian coast, on an onofficial visit for a spot of fishing. Bony, thinking at first he's on holiday and paying a casual visit, is intrigued and decides to investigate. PLEASE NOTE: Part of the appeal of Arthur Upfield’s stories lies in their authentic portrayal of many aspects of outback Australian life in the 1930s and through into the 1950s. These books reflect and depict the attitudes and ways of speech of that era particularly with regard to Aborigines and to women. In reproducing this book the publisher does not endorse the attitudes or opinions they express.©1956 Bonaparte Holdings Pty Ltd (P)2014 Bolinda Publishing

Great fun

Love the story, the language, but truly enjoy Peter Hosking's characterization. I'm a hooked fan!

bony again

If you could sum up The Battling Prophet in three words, what would they be?

another classic tale from a brilliant writer of his time a classic that is gripping

What did you like best about this story?

the sly detective work and characters that seem real

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

alice she is one tough policewomen with style

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

the scene ot the house when badguy won,t talk

Any additional comments?

another book read by peter of this great classic series please

Excellent installment

Audible.Com Audio Reviews 5.6.2019.0108 D1

I’ve listened to 18 audiobooks in this series. In order of importance, on the basis of quality of narration, plot and story, character development, content and profundity, prose and felicitous expressions, memorable quotes and novelty, I offer these ratings:

Excellent:
Battling Prophet…..The Bone is Pointed…....Bushmaster of the Skies..…Death of a Swagman…..Mister Jelly’s Business…..Devil’s Steps…Sands of Windee…..Murder Must Wait…..Wings of Damantina…..

Very Good
Author Bites the Dust….Bony and the Kelly Gang…..Clue of the New Shoe…..Mystery of Swordfish Reef…..Venom House…..Widows of Broome….Bony and the White Savager,…..

Worthwhile:
Death of a Lake…..Mountains Have a Secret…

Mediocre or Lower Rating
None of these audios are mediocre or of lesser quality. All are at least worthwhile listens.

Other Comments

Narration: Aussie characterizations are fun.
Storyline: All books in this series are fun. This one is particularly interesting. The plot is a bit complicated, which holds one's interest. Owing to the several different characters and their rather tenuously described relationships, this mystery might be more profitably read than heard. Nonetheless, I find the narrator so interesting and the stories so compelling that I without reservation highly recommend this listen.
Also: the character Bony's prose is elegant, nuanced, and really quite beautiful. For this reason alone studying a hard copy , for me, will be beneficial.

Predicting the . . .

What did you love best about The Battling Prophet?

I like all the Bony books. I like the period feel. This one had a more narrow focus than most of the others.

What other book might you compare The Battling Prophet to and why?

None that I have read.

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

Only a the narrator of the other Bony books.

It's a Bony story ... have not yet hit a bad one

What made the experience of listening to The Battling Prophet the most enjoyable?

It is a great story well told

What other book might you compare The Battling Prophet to and why?

I tend to compare all other crime novels to the Bony series

What about Peter Hosking’s performance did you like?

Brilliant as usual