Silent Kill: Cliff Hardy 39(39 CLIFF HARDY)

'The godfather of Australian crime fiction.' 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 as well as 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 outskirts of Darwin. There 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 has been writing his best selling Cliff Hardy detective stories for thirty years. He's written many other books, including a very successful 'as-told-to' autobiography of Fred Hollows, and a collection of short stories about golf.

Review :
'Peter Corris has written in many genres but he has made hard-boiled PI crime fiction his own in Australia with the Cliff Hardy novels of which Silent Kill is the 39th...In 39 thrillers Corris's plots come and go: most, like this one, are topical and absorbing, but the great, repeatable pleasures of a Cliff Hardy book are the clean laconic prose, the dry humour and the unexpected erudition met along the way, if only in Hardy's choice of books to read on the plane.' Adelaide Advertiser 'This is a professional and entertaining story that quickly gathers interest as Corris takes the reader on an enjoyable journey through the backstreets of Sydney and on a road trip to Wollongong and Darwin and eventually to Canberra, which gets a quick serve from Hardy: ''I wouldn't say Canberra's an advertisement for creativity and productivity.'' The pacing is brisk and Corris smoothly mixes astute political observations with genuine thrills. The story is engaging and the book builds to a taut, exciting climax. One of the best in this long-running series.' Canberra Times 'Like all Corris's Cliff Hardy novels, the writing is taut and punchy and the characters believable (mostly). Corris is also adept at painting atmosphere. He takes the reader from Sydney to Darwin and Canberra and makes you feel like you've been there. There are moments that seem too coincidental to ring true. But even Charles Dickens was fond of a coincidence or two.' Herald Sun 'One of the best things about end-of-year holidays is that there is always a Corris crime thriller to look forward to. PI Cliff Hardy takes on what he thinks is an easy job - bodyguard to Rory O'Hara, a "self funded righter of society's wrongs ", who is embarking on a speaking tour of NSW. Everything comes unstuck when a murder and kidnapping ends the campaign. Hardy discovers that one of the staff on tour has a violent secret.' Newcastle Herald 'The godfather of Australian crime writing Peter Corris brings us this 39th instalment of the adventures of his private eye Cliff Hardy...As always Corris writes of his characters with a wry wit and keen intelligence, mixing the strands of a busy plot to an exciting conclusion and enlivening the familiar places of the cities with his spare prose. For an absorbing holiday read you couldn't do better.' Pittwater Life, Sydney 'Peter Corris has always had his finger on the political pulse, but never more so than in this Hardy outing that manages to resonate both with the political impulses of a whistleblower in the Julian Assange mode, and the more recent ICAC inquiry into government corruption in NSW. This is the best kind of crime fiction, holding a mirror up to the muddled times in which we live to reveal a not altogether flattering reflection.' The Saturday Age 'Cliff Hardy is the kind of man you would like to have in your repertoire of acquaintances. He'd be the one you'd go to when an issue of moral ambiguity arose, like when the people next door keep playing their music too loud and too late and ignore polite requests to desist but you are too worried about repercussions to complain to the police. Somehow, in a way you don't really want to know, he would persuade them to stop.' Still Not Fussed 'Corris' writing is crisp, clean and contemporary, with a narrative informed by current affairs and a palpable sense of place.' Sydney Arts Guide 'Peter Corris refined his formula for Cliff Hardy's misadventures decades ago: clipped dialogue, swift action, subtle character building, arid wit and a deadpan toughness. It works as well as ever in this 39th instalment, which continues to position the grizzled Sydney private eye as a dying breed in the modern world.' The Big Issue 'The dialogue is as witty as the pace is fast. A terrific holiday read.' West Australian