Silent kill

This is Peter Corris' 39th book in the Cliff Hardy series. When Cliff is approached to act as security advisor to Rory O'Hara, an activist and want to be politician who is going on a month long tour to promote his views on a variety of issues, he looks forward to some constant employment. Unfortunately the tour gets off to a bad start leaving Cliff without a job until he employed to locate the person who killed the daughter of a Korean businessman. The book has plenty of action with kidnapping, murder, and Cliff travelling long distances across Australia to locate the killer. Complications arise as it is dicovered that others also want the killer found and eliminated.

Deal me out

This is an early title in the Cliff Hardy series by Peter Corris. It was first published in 1986. Cliff is hired to locate a car that has been stolen from a car hire firm. He discovers that the person who took the car is known to him, William Mountain, but he also discovers that Mountain is missing. Mountain's girlfriend is also looking for him and works with Cliff to try and locate him. It soon becomes obvious that they are not the only people looking for William Mountain and the search is becoming dangerous. Murder and hostage taking are only two of the dangers encountered as Hardy uncovers the deadly game that Mountain is playing. This is a fast moving Sydney based crime novel.

Holiday reading

While on holidays recently I borrowed a selection of e-books from the library to read.

The first was Heartsong by American author, Debbie Macomber. This was her first novel and was published in 1982. It is the story of Skye Garvin who volunteers to help sick children and their families in the local hospital. One day she meets an adult patient, Jordan Kiley, who is recovering from a car accident. Much of the plot revolves around the developing relationship between these two, misunderstandings, the need for truth and trust in relationships and Skye's still strong feelings for a former love. To say that the book has strong Christian overtones would be an understatement. Because of this it has a strong following from some readers while others are put off by it. I found myself questioning whether my reaction to the book would have been the same if the heroine had song religious beliefs of another faith. I finished reading this romance but would not recommend it as a must read book.

For something completely different I then read The coast road by Australian author, Peter Corris. This is the 27th book in the Cliff Hardy series about a Sydney private investigator. The character of Cliff Hardy is well developed and the reader is well aware of his many faults as well as his strengths and talent for investigating crime. In this book he is investigating two cases - the mysterious death of Frederick Farmer and the disappearance of Marisha Karatsky's daughter. Much of the action takes place in the Illawarra area and it soon becomes obvious that there are people who do not want Cliff Hardy to resolve these, and subsequent, mysteries. A well written, gripping crime story that I enjoyed reading. 

The third book was Kerry Greenwood's novel, Away with the Fairies, number 11 in the Phryne Fisher series. When Miss Lavender, author of fairy stories for children, is murdered, Phryne is asked by the police to assist with the investigation and for a time works as a fashion reporter for a woman's magazine where Miss Lavender had worked. Phryne is also concerned about her lover, Lin Chung, who has travelled overseas and may have been abducted by pirates. Set in Melbourne in 1928 this is another enjoyable edition to a well loved series.

Appeal denied

Since 1980 Australian author, Peter Corris' has written 39 novels and collections of stories about his Sydney based PI, Cliff Hardy. Appeal denied was published in 2007 and is no. 31. This is a good series to read when you just want to pick up a good book to read, something not too heavy.

After Cliff's appeals for the return of his PI licence have been refused he is faced with deciding what he will do next, but when his 'live-out lover', Lily Truscott, was murdered his focus is directed at finding her killer. Lily was a journalist and it appears that she was murdered as the result of a story she was writing involving police corruption in the Northern Crimes Unit. Lily's computer has been expertly wiped but the discovery of stories, written partly in code on a usb, provide initial clues to investigate. Finding who to trust is the first challenge, particularly within the local police, as Cliff learns of earlier deaths and a policeman is subsequently killed. Calling on assistance from close friends, Cliff and a journalist endeavour to discover the extent of corruption in the police force as well as who killed Lily.

This fast paced book set in Sydney suburbs continues recording the life of Cliff Hardy former PI, by this time down on his luck, living in a dilapidated home, dependent on drink but still determined to find justice for the woman he loved and other families affected by police corruption.

Torn apart

Peter Corris is primarily known as the writer of the Cliff Hardy private investigator novels. In this book Cliff is surprised to meet a second cousin, Patrick Malloy, who suggests they visit Ireland and connect with distant family who are Irish Travellers. On their return, Patrick is shot dead. Who shot Patrick? Was the bullet meant for Patrick or for Cliff? Why is Patrick's ex-wife, Sheila, suddenly on the scene? Cliff has lost his PI licence but this does not stop him investigating who killed his cousin. It might be him next. A well written book with plenty of action and intrigue.