Comeback

Peter Corris    
Format: Paperback - C format
Pages: 264
AUD $29.99 inc. GST
Comeback

More about this book

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Australia's best-known private investigator, Cliff Hardy, might have his licence back but does he still have what it takes to cut it as a PI on its seedy streets?

Description

Cliff Hardy has his PI licence back - but does he still have what it takes to cut it on the mean streets of Sydney?
Cliff 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 licence again, but in true Hardy fashion he's managing to find his way into trouble, not out of it.

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 biography of Fred Hollows and a collection of short stories revolving around the game of golf.

ISBN: 9781742377247
Australian Pub.: January 2012
Publisher: ALLEN & UNWIN
Imprint: ALLEN & UNWIN
Subject: Crime & Mystery
Edition Number: 1

Reader reviews

'Cliff Hardy, the protagonist, is a likeable, rough diamond whose past precedes him wherever he goes.

Peter has developed a character to whom I warmed and I avidly followed Cliff from one adventure to another. So much so, I couldn't put the last few chapters down as I wanted to see whether he 'got his man'.

The story is brought home with Sydney suburbs sprinkled throughout and though I hail from Melbourne, I do know something of the places Cliff visits. There are even history lessons thrown in so one gets a flavour of where a suburb is on the social scale.

Cliff has enough good points to endear himself to us, and even some bad. He's not perfect and he fits the usual state of a private eye who has a past that he may not be proud of.

The sentences are short which makes for a racing pace with snippets to tantalise the reader and make him or her start on a new chapter. One is not disappointed.

I highly recommend a chance to read this story when it's published and I look forward to future Cliff adventures, unless he takes retirement though he does need the money.' - Michael Mardel

'There's nothing like riding shotgun through Sydney with Cliff Hardy. In Comeback he's grown out of his aura of anger-tinged invincibility, and has mellowed under the weight of the recent past.  Hardy has had his PI's licence reinstated and is slowly reestablishing himself in the Sydney scene. This gradual resettling is reflected in the overall feel of the narrative; there is less action and tension than in many of Peter Corris' earlier works. Despite this, the plot develops smoothly and there is a satisfying mix of characters, each with their own agenda. From flinty old-school crims to egotistic actors and the slightly derranged, there is a plethora of emotions and motives swirling around the crime. As always, Cliff Hardy manages to get results through a combination of investigation, cogitation and the odd altercation. Though the resolution is not entirely satisfying, the reader is left with the impression that Hardy's comeback is only just beginning and ultimately it will have been worth the wait.' - K. Kovacic

'I started reading Comeback with some trepidation, as I am not a huge reader of Australian fiction. How pleasantly surprised I was at what was a well worked, fast paced totally enthralling ride. The characters were brought to life on every page. The scenery was real & was good enough that I could easily visualise the surrounds in every step of the book. The main character was a strong, forthright & hardy individual who possessed humanity as well as a ruthless & hard edged streak. The story & sub-plots were believable & not over the top. The story flowed along at a very brisk pace & was very hard to find a break in the story to put the book down. I found myself not wanting the story to end, I was ready for the chapters to keep going & I didn't want them to end. I was riveted by a writer who I will definitely be adding to my 'must read' category.' - Adam Brown

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