Mark wrote:
> Steve mentioned the Wyatt series, which I also
heartily endorse. My
> intro to Aussie crime lit, though, was Peter
Corris's Cliff Hardy
> series. I read 15 of those before I stopped being
able to find them in
> the states (were there many more in Oz? the last I
read was
> Matrimonial
> Causes). Except for being set in Australia, it was a
pretty straight
> PI
> series, but a very good one, one of the many great
midlist PI
> writers of
> the '80s, such as Lewin, Valin, Kantner, Pronzini,
Collins, etc.
Corris is very much alive and kicking, as is Cliff Hardy. The
latest, THE OPEN FILE (the 27th novel, I think) is due out
this year -- in Australia.
There are also seven or so short story collections, also
quite recommended. The short stories could easily have easily
fit right into an episode of MANHUNT or early MIKE SHAYNE
MYSTERY MAGAZINE.
Heck, there was even a pretty decent film adaptation, THE
EMPTY BEACH, starring Bryan Brown and Rachel Ward. And that's
pretty hard to find, as well.
I totally agree with your opinion of the series -- Hardy was
the real deal, in many ways a throwback to an earlier, more
traditional era. Imagine a slightly more shopworn Joe Mannix
down under.
Needless to say, there's an entry on my site.
Kevin Burton Smith The Thrilling Detective Web Site 10 Years
of P.I. Thrills
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