Synopses & Reviews
PI Cliff Hardy's 39th case sees him investigating what a famous 19th century shipwreck has to do with a multi-million dollar heist featuring a cast of characters that shouldn't be trustedThe idea of enjoying creeping along an underground alley in half-light was alien to me. But the secret of getting things done is to do them and not waste energy complaining.
A famous 19th-century shipwreck, a search for lost documents, a two million dollar heist, a Newcastle criminal family tearing itself apart, an undercover cop playing both sides against the middle, and an alluring but fiercely ambitious female journalist give Cliff Hardy all the trouble he can handle. What started as an almost academic exercise—tracing lost documents to do with the 1857 wreck of the SS Dunbar—explodes into a here-and-now power struggle between criminals, police, lovers, and unseen forces. The first person Hardy interviews is shot dead and the body count mounts as he pushes closer to the truth about the people, the documents, and the loot.
Review
"Torn Apart is a fine entertainment, and Corris, the 'Godfather of Australian crime fiction,' is a splendid storyteller. . . . Corris belongs on the short lists of hard-boiled-crime fans who like Down Under settings." —Booklist on Torn Apart
Review
“Nineteenth-century maritime disasters arent his usual territory, but PI Cliff Hardy wades into the ultimate cold case with his usual bravado.” —Library Journal
Review
“…theres plenty of high-powered action, conspiracies to sink your teeth into, and a solution that resonates with the times.” —Crime Segments
Synopsis
Hardy's 14th hardboiled case When Oscar Bach's body is found crushed under rubble, his death was classified as another tragic statistic of the earthquake. So how could he have been seen alive five minutes after the quake? Who would want this man dead? Oscar's quiet life was not all that it appeared to be. He was a man with no apparent past. But something--and someone--has caught up with him now, and they are trying to stop Cliff Hardy from finding the answers.
Synopsis
Cliff Hardy might have his license back, but does he still have what it takes to cut it as a PI on the seedy streets of Sydney?Cliff Hardy has his PI license back. He reckons the skills are still there, if a little rusty, and actor Bobby Forrest's case looks promising. Bobby's a nice enough guy, but why is he being stalked by a red-hot brunette, and why did he have to go online to find a date? When Bobby is murdered, it comes as a shock. Cliff's only solid lead is a white Commodore, the most ubiquitous car around. When a surprising connection with his own past surfaces, Cliff is forced to put some of his skills to the test—but is he heading in the wrong direction? Somehow he has to put it all together without losing his license again, but in true Hardy fashion he's managing to find his way into trouble, not out of it.
Synopsis
Hardy's 40th case finds him bodyguarding a promising politician When Cliff Hardy signs on as a bodyguard for charismatic populist Rory O'Hara, who is about to embark on a campaign of social and political renewal, it looks like a tricky job—O'Hara has enemies. A murder and a kidnapping cause the campaign to fall apart. Hired to investigate the murder, Hardy uncovers hidden agendas among O'Hara's staff and powerful political and commercial forces at work. His investigation takes him from the pubs and brothels of Sydney to the heart of power in Canberra and the Northern Territory. He teams up with a resourceful indigenous private detective and forms an uneasy alliance with the beautiful Penelope Marinos, formerly O'Hara's PA. A rogue intelligence agent becomes his target and Hardy stumbles upon a terrible secret that draws them into a violent—and disturbing—confrontation.
About the Author
Peter Corris is best known as the godfather of Australian crime fiction and the author of Cliff Hardy detective stories. He is also the author of A Round of Golf: 18 Holes with Peter Corris and the coauthor of Fred Hollows: An Autobiography.