The Cliff Hardy Crime Collection - Peter Corris Audiobook

Written by Peter Corris
Read by Peter Hosking
Format: MP3
Bitrate: 48 Kbps
Unabridged

This is not my rip. Many thanks to the original uploader.

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Peter Robert Corris (8 May 1942 – 30 August 2018) was an Australian academic, historian, journalist and a novelist of historical and crime fiction. As crime fiction writer, he was described as “the Godfather of contemporary Australian crime-writing”, particularly for his Cliff Hardy novels.

One of the more solid and stand-up private eye series to come out of the 1980’s features Sydney, Australia P.I. CLIFF HARDY. Cliff’s a tall bloke, pretty fair shape, with a nose that’s been busted a few times. He’s been at various times a boxer, a soldier (in Malaysia), a timber worker and an insurance investigator. He’s a tough-minded guy, with a strong independant streak, one reason he didn’t last in the insurance racket. He’s been known to carry a Smith & Wesson .38, all nice and legal, and occasionally a Colt .45, that isn’t, and he isn’t a stranger to a bit of knocking about, either giving or receiving. Basically, he’s a “cold bastard. Good at his job though.” He’s appeared in over thirty novels, and several collections of short stories and Corris is still cranking them out. There was even that rarity of things — a good PI movie — made from one of them.

In many ways, Cliff’s a throwback to an earlier, simpler time. Imagine a slightly shopworn Joe Mannix down under and you’ve got Cliff pegged.

He lives in the slightly seedy Glebe neighbourhood near the dog track and works out of an office with dirty windows on St. Peter’s Lane in the slightly more upscale Darlinghurst area, next to Primo Tomasetti, Cliff’s tatooist pal. Cliff was married once about “a lifetime ago,” and he’s currently involved in a rather weird little six months on/six months off relationship with Helen, a married woman. He likes tennis, beer and white wine, but detests tea. He is, however, rather partial to Ford Falcons. When his battered, rust-ridden but beloved 1964 model finally gave up the ghost in the late eighties, he replaced it with a used 84 model, same colour, less miles, less rust. In many ways, Cliff is like his beloved Falcons. Nothing fancy, but solid and dependable, a few too many miles on the clock, maybe, but still able to get you there.

And the whole series is like that as well — nothing flashy, but good reliable reads, well-written, with an appealing, down-to-earth hero, pulpy without being stoopid, and some very interesting settings and keen insights into Australian culture. A wonderful contribution to the genre.

(The Thrilling Detective Website)

01 — Aftershock
02 — Wet Grave
03 — Beware of the Dog
04 — Burn and Other Stories
05 — Matrimonial Causes
06 — Casino
07 — Forget Me If You Can
08 — The Washington Club
09 — The Reward
10 — The Black Prince
11 — The Other Side of Sorrow
12 — Lugarno
13 — Salt and Blood
14 — Saving Billie
15 — Appeal Denied