Venom House: Arthur Upfield

Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte 16. 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 center 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. Whatever the reason, most people are content to give Venom House a wide berth - but when two people are found dead in the lake, 'Bony' Bonaparte has a sudden urge to get to know the Answerths and their charming home much better.