What do you think?
Rate this book
Cliff Hardy #22
The Black Prince
Sex, sport and steroids - an explosive mix.
They called him the Black Prince. Southwestern Uni's top athlete, Clinton seemed to have it all: he was destined for sporting stardom and lucky in love - then it all went terribly wrong.
Now Clinton won't rest until he's avenged his girlfriend's death. He's after the dealer who sold Angie bad steroids and nothing's going to get in his way. Can Cliff Hardy find him before he ends up on a murder charge - or dead? The trail leads the Sydney PI all the way to an Aboriginal community in Far North Queensland and back to the shadowy world of illegal boxing.
They called him the Black Prince. Southwestern Uni's top athlete, Clinton seemed to have it all: he was destined for sporting stardom and lucky in love - then it all went terribly wrong.
Now Clinton won't rest until he's avenged his girlfriend's death. He's after the dealer who sold Angie bad steroids and nothing's going to get in his way. Can Cliff Hardy find him before he ends up on a murder charge - or dead? The trail leads the Sydney PI all the way to an Aboriginal community in Far North Queensland and back to the shadowy world of illegal boxing.
Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
2 people are currently reading
30 people want to read
About the author
Peter Corris
155 books60 followersPeter 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.
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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
September 16, 2021
A really fast paced novel. Really enjoyed the twists and turns. Highly recommended.
September 25, 2020
Another great well written, fast paced Corris book. The Cliff Hardy books are my "go to" books when I want something quick & easy that is also well structured. And with believable people and crimes, rather than over-blown stories.
September 18, 2012
For those not familiar with the character of Cliff Hardy, private investigator, he is a creation of Peter Corris and first appeared in the novel The Dying Trade in 1980. Since then he has been releasing Cliff Hardy stories regularly – at least thirty of them (that’s how many I have, but I am sure there are more). The Black Prince was about the third Cliff Hardy novel that I read. The first two I read were The Dying Trade and White Meat – books one and two in the Cliff Hardy series, and published in 1980 and 1981 respectively. I can barely remember them now, but I recall that they were very good (especially The Dying Trade) and elaborately labyrinthine – in the best tradition of Raymond Chandler. But by the time of The Black Prince, Cliff Hardy (and I suspect Peter Corris) had mellowed. Not in a bad way, but a comfortable way.
The Black Prince has twists and turns, as all good P.I. thrillers should have, but it is not told in as fractured fashion as the earlier entries in the series. It is smoother, and more accessible, and as a character, Hardy seems more ‘lived in’. Put simply, the story is damn pleasurable to read. Well, at least that’s my opinion. However, if you were to suggest that maybe the series had lost some of its ferocious bite – and it was the rough edges that made the first few books so great – I would not argue with you.
As the story opens, Private Investigator, Cliff Hardy is feeling his age. He is slightly out of shape and can’t quite take the rough stuff like he used to. To combat this, he signs on as a member at a local gym in Leichardt, which is run by a West Indian, named Wes Scott. Scott has a son named Clinton (the titular ‘Black Prince’), who is a top flight athlete, and studying at University. On the odd occasion, Clinton even helps out around the Gym.
During one of Hardy’s workouts, he notices that Wes looks troubled, and enquires to the cause. Wes explains that he hasn’t seen his son in a couple of weeks and he hasn’t been able to contact him. Obviously, Clinton’s mother is anxious too. Hardy offers to help – for pay of course! So Hardy makes a few enquires, and it doesn’t take long to find out what has caused the disappearance. It seems that Clinton’s girlfriend, Angela Cousins (who is also a sporty athletic type) is in a coma at the local hospital. She had been taking illegal steroids to improve her sporting competitiveness, and she had a extremely bad reaction. When Hardy stumbles on this information, Angela is about to have her life support switched off.
In a rage, Clinton has vowed to find those behind the bad drugs and kill them. And initially that’s all Hardy can find out. Clinton, to all intents and purposes has varnished off the face of the earth, but there is no evidence to suggest that he is dead. Hardy reluctantly calls a halt to the case as all his leads have run dry.
Several months later, some new information surfaces, and Hardy is once again on the trail. This leads him to Bingara in Southern NSW, and then up to a remote aboriginal settlement in Queensland. Then finally back to Sydney, and into the shady world of illegal boxing.
When it comes to the boxing, Peter Corris knows what he is talking about. He may be well known for his Cliff Hardy and Browning stories, but he also wrote a non-fiction book about prize-fighting in Australia in the early 1980s (I think? It’s very hard to come by these days). Corris’ knowledge and enthusiasm for boxing comes through in his prose – and the sequence at the underground smoko is rich with atmosphere. American readers may be thinking ‘Smoko’ – what’s he on about? In America underground fights are called ‘Smokers’, but here in Australia, we call them ‘Smokos’.
The Black Prince is a great piece of Australian genre fiction and I recommend it highly.
The Black Prince has twists and turns, as all good P.I. thrillers should have, but it is not told in as fractured fashion as the earlier entries in the series. It is smoother, and more accessible, and as a character, Hardy seems more ‘lived in’. Put simply, the story is damn pleasurable to read. Well, at least that’s my opinion. However, if you were to suggest that maybe the series had lost some of its ferocious bite – and it was the rough edges that made the first few books so great – I would not argue with you.
As the story opens, Private Investigator, Cliff Hardy is feeling his age. He is slightly out of shape and can’t quite take the rough stuff like he used to. To combat this, he signs on as a member at a local gym in Leichardt, which is run by a West Indian, named Wes Scott. Scott has a son named Clinton (the titular ‘Black Prince’), who is a top flight athlete, and studying at University. On the odd occasion, Clinton even helps out around the Gym.
During one of Hardy’s workouts, he notices that Wes looks troubled, and enquires to the cause. Wes explains that he hasn’t seen his son in a couple of weeks and he hasn’t been able to contact him. Obviously, Clinton’s mother is anxious too. Hardy offers to help – for pay of course! So Hardy makes a few enquires, and it doesn’t take long to find out what has caused the disappearance. It seems that Clinton’s girlfriend, Angela Cousins (who is also a sporty athletic type) is in a coma at the local hospital. She had been taking illegal steroids to improve her sporting competitiveness, and she had a extremely bad reaction. When Hardy stumbles on this information, Angela is about to have her life support switched off.
In a rage, Clinton has vowed to find those behind the bad drugs and kill them. And initially that’s all Hardy can find out. Clinton, to all intents and purposes has varnished off the face of the earth, but there is no evidence to suggest that he is dead. Hardy reluctantly calls a halt to the case as all his leads have run dry.
Several months later, some new information surfaces, and Hardy is once again on the trail. This leads him to Bingara in Southern NSW, and then up to a remote aboriginal settlement in Queensland. Then finally back to Sydney, and into the shady world of illegal boxing.
When it comes to the boxing, Peter Corris knows what he is talking about. He may be well known for his Cliff Hardy and Browning stories, but he also wrote a non-fiction book about prize-fighting in Australia in the early 1980s (I think? It’s very hard to come by these days). Corris’ knowledge and enthusiasm for boxing comes through in his prose – and the sequence at the underground smoko is rich with atmosphere. American readers may be thinking ‘Smoko’ – what’s he on about? In America underground fights are called ‘Smokers’, but here in Australia, we call them ‘Smokos’.
The Black Prince is a great piece of Australian genre fiction and I recommend it highly.
September 25, 2016
Well, this is the 25th Cliff Hardy I have read and it ranks with the best. I even considered giving this five stars (which I do very rarely) because within its genre, it ranks very high.
There are a number of ways this work stands out in Corris' series. First, it deals in a central way with ethnic diversity in Australia, and to me, anyway, it seems concerned and sensitive. In addition, the plot is more linear than some of the other Hardy stories, and moves well towards a series of surprises which seem appropriate to the story. Finally, this is one of the books where Hardy does not end up in bed with his client (or anyone else), and I found that rather refreshing.
What keeps me from a top rating is that there are PI stories which have more literary merit. Hardy is also a character who does not change much or show any compelling depth. He is always the same old Cliff. The level of violence is a bit beyond my normal preference as well.
But a good story well-told has a lot to recommend it, and "The Black Prince" is a lot of fun to read.
There are a number of ways this work stands out in Corris' series. First, it deals in a central way with ethnic diversity in Australia, and to me, anyway, it seems concerned and sensitive. In addition, the plot is more linear than some of the other Hardy stories, and moves well towards a series of surprises which seem appropriate to the story. Finally, this is one of the books where Hardy does not end up in bed with his client (or anyone else), and I found that rather refreshing.
What keeps me from a top rating is that there are PI stories which have more literary merit. Hardy is also a character who does not change much or show any compelling depth. He is always the same old Cliff. The level of violence is a bit beyond my normal preference as well.
But a good story well-told has a lot to recommend it, and "The Black Prince" is a lot of fun to read.
January 18, 2017
Another easy, summer, on the beach read by the interminable Peter Corris. Sex, sport and steroids drive the plot in this story. It is not too complicated. The incorrigible Cliff Hardy is on a missing person case. There is some Aboriginal themes and issues touched on. Some parts of the story are a little stretched, especially with the behavior of eponymous Clinton. I appreciate Corris’ dealing with the issue of Aboriginality and skin colour. There are some interesting characters and some sight seeing around southern Sydney, South Coast and far North Queensland.
Corris is in his element when fighting/boxing is part of the story. Recommended
Corris is in his element when fighting/boxing is part of the story. Recommended
June 27, 2016
I enjoy Peter Cirrus's novels they have a bit of everything great characters with an intriguing story.He was known as the Black Prince he was the University's greatest athlete and Clinton seem to have it all he was destined for sporting stardom and lucky in love until it all went horribly wrong.Now Clinton won't rest until his avenged his girlfriends death. He he goes after the dealer who sold Angie bad steroids and nothing's going to get in his wa.Can Cliff Hardy find him before he ends up on a murder charge or dead.A terrific read❤❤❤
March 10, 2015
An introduction to this author and series. A fast paced thoroughly enjoyable crime novel with an Aussie accent. It's part Rockford Files part Blue Heelers. A real page turner with no lapse of pace or focus. Nice tight scripting with enough plot curves to keep you reading. Enjoyable and highly recommended.
June 9, 2015
Easy read. But I wasn't fond of the plot. Felt that the boy was behaving so irrationally that it was almost not believable. With his going to the outback and putting on that much weight. Just a bit far fetched. Also he wouldn't have done that much damage to Cliff Hardy. If you are good at your craft you can knock someone out without doing that much damage.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 30, 2017
Peter Corris has produced another easy listening Cliff Hardy novel...good guys, bad guys, a plot that keeps moving and involves drugs and racism.
Mention must also be made of Peter Hosking who does an excellent job of narrating the Cliff Hardy series.
Mention must also be made of Peter Hosking who does an excellent job of narrating the Cliff Hardy series.
October 18, 2011
Description = WRONG!!! :S an Aussie thriller about the seedy underbelly of sport, drugs, and illegal fights. A Cliff Hardy novel.
May 19, 2015
this one wasn't so great. some decent scenes. I don't know much about steroids, but this seems like a "reefer madness" kind of treatment.
June 30, 2016
A fairly light-hearted, crime novel about the seedy side of sport and the long reaching effects of steroids.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews