The Undertow

Cliff Hardy #30

by Peter Corris

Frank Parker, retired senior policeman and Cliff Hardy's long time friend, has a problem. A case from early in his career involving two doctors, one of whom was convicted of hiring a hit man to kill the other and went to gaol for the crime, is coming back to haunt him. The convicted, now dead doctor may have been innocent, and Parker had been the lover of the beautiful Catherine Castiglione, the doctor's wife.

Hardy tracks back through the now ageing names and faces, trying to tease out the truth. If the doctor was set up, who was responsible and why? Along the way Hardy encounters dodgy plastic surgeons, a broken-down ex-copper, a voyeuristic cripple and a hireling who wields a mean baseball bat.

A charismatic player is the son of Catherine Castiglione, a super-bright charmer, who just may be Frank Parker's love child. Animosities, arrogance and ambition create a spider's web around the violence that breaks out as Hardy searches for the spider.

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Australia

178 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 1, 2006

About the author

Peter Corris was an Australian academic, historian, journalist and a novelist of historical and crime fiction. His first novel was published in 1980. Corris is credited with reviving the fully-fledged Australian crime novel with local settings and reference points and with a series character firmly rooted in Australian culture, Sydney PI Cliff Hardy. As crime fiction writer, he was described as "the Godfather of contemporary Australian crime-writing".

He won the Lifetime Achievement award at the Ned Kelly Awards for Crime Writing in 1999 and was shortlisted for best novel in 2006 for Saving Billy and in 2007 for The Undertow.

Reviews

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Undertow is book thirty of the Cliff Hardy series by Peter Corris. When retired police officer and an old friend of Cliff Hardy asked him to look into a cold case that has haunted him Harry agreed to look into it for Frank. However, it was not as simple as he thought it would be. Readers of The Undertow will continue to follow the twist and turns into Harry's investigation.

When I read the first book by Peter Corris, I was not sure if I would fall in love with his writing or characters. However, I was so wrong I love Peter Corris books. I like the way Peter Corris describes his characters, especially Cliff Hardy. Also, I enjoy Peter Corris descriptions of the inner suburbs of Sydney. Readers of The Undertow will laugh and at times feel sorry for Cliff Hardy.

Readers of The Undertow will start to understand why law enforcement officers always have a case that will affect their lives. Reading The Undertow, you will also learn about being a private investigator in Australia. The Undertow highlights the problems and the consequences of working undercover in a crime investigation.

I recommend this book.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's absolutely nothing better in Australian Crime fiction than a short, sharp burst of Cliff Hardy in his prime. And THE UNDERTOW has all those elements that fans of the hard-boiled, down-trodden; put upon; unlucky in love; hard man; unflinching good guy - only slightly dodgy around the edges; Australian style Private Enquiry Agent, are going to love. Somehow or other, after all these books featuring Cliff Hardy, where Cliff undergoes little in the way of major personality changes, where he's still struggling to understand the girl (any girl) and his friends keep digging holes for him to fill in, there's still something wonderfully fresh and entertaining about THE UNDERTOW.

There's also just a little bit more in THE UNDERTOW, in the finale to the book that seems to indicate that Cliff might have some serious life changing experiences to deal with, that he just might not be able to talk his way out of... or maybe he will? Who knows. Frankly who cares. You're not going to be reading a Cliff Hardy book for a thoughtful consideration of the human condition, you're not going to get a different perspective on the mind of the human animal. You're going to read it for the escapist, entertaining view of a Sam Slade style hero, with just enough of the Aussie larrikin to make him 100% our own.

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're a fan of Corris' work, as I am, this is an enjoyable installment. It's typical Cliff Hardy, who is at one point summed up by a character as "drawn to intrigue and violence as a moth to a flame."

It's a good plot, a zippy read and has characters unlike any Corris predecessors. For a change, Hardy's sex life does not complicate his case. Even some of the minor characters are well-crafted, no mean feat in a book this short. In general, this one seems a little less formulaic than some of the books in he series.

Not significant read, but an enjoyable one.

[Balthazar Lawson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cliff is hired by an old friend, and ex-cop, to help look into an old case where the person charged may not have been guilty. The problem where old cases is that there are people who would like them to remain closed and Cliff soon finds himself in danger. Trying to open the past is never easy.

This is an excellent read. Exciting and full of action and well worth reading.

[Ingrid · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first Peter Corris i have read. It was a relaxing afternoon read. I will try another one.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tight little number. Good beach read. Corris at the top of his Aussie PI game.

[Jean Doolittle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty weak

[Gary Vassallo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another totally enjoyable Cliff Hardy adventure. Will continue to read the series until I have read all of them.

[H (trying to keep up with GR friends) Balikov · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this Cliff Hardy novel, he is asked for help by a long time friend. That friend is being "pulled under" by several "sins" of ommission and commision over twenty years ago. When Cliff agrees we learn, again, that no good deed goes unpunished.

In the midst of digging out the "cold case" Cliff meets a professor of psychology who has no difficulty charaterizing Hardy: "You are drawn to intrigue and violence like a moth to a flame."

As usual, the Australian slang is fun and the various venues are interesting, but the characters aren't ... or at least not when compared to many of the previous novels.

[Ann Tonks · Rating 3 out of 5]

I haven't read a Cliff Hardy book for a while and they are always a good read. Some wit. Some wisdom. Some action. Some relationship drama. And the landscape of Sydney as the background to a PI solving problems.

[Anne Marshall · Rating 2 out of 5]

A fairly basic procedural, but not badly done

[Scotty · Rating 4 out of 5]

very good peter corris book as usual.

[Brett Bydairk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another winner in the series I'm be becoming very fond of. No-nonsense writing telling an interesting story.