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This page lists crime novels and short story collections set wholly or partly in the Australian city of Sydney.

The Dying Trade

Peter Corris

1980

A Cliff Hardy novel.

"Meet Cliff Hardy - he's a smoker, drinker, ex-boxer and private investigator, a real tough guy. When the wealthy yet eccentric Bryn Gutteridge hires Hardy to help his twin sister, it looks as if blackmail is the problem - that is, until the case becomes more brutal, twisted and shocking than even Hardy could have guessed."

White Meat

Peter Corris

1981

A Cliff Hardy novel.

"Cliff Hardy is stony broke, which makes it hard to resist a job from the man he's been losing money to. Ted Tarleton is a rich bookie with a beautiful, spoiled daughter who's gone missing, and Ted wants Hardy to find her. Her boyfriend is no help, and Hardy faces opposition from all sides as he delves into the increasingly violent wreckage of Noni's past."

Heroin Annie and other Cliff Hardy stories

Peter Corris

1984

Cliff Hardy short stories.

"Cliff Hardy is in action again: trying to keep one step ahead of his client's troubles - and his own. He goes from sleazy backstreets to boardrooms in skyscrapers - dealing with everyone from fashion models and teenage junkies to urban developers and crooked funeral directors. Hardy copes, with his guts and his savvy; and all for a hundred and twenty-five dollars a day (plus expenses)."

• Marriages Are Made In Heaven
• Heroin Annie
• The Luck Of Clem Carter
• Silverman
• Stockyards At Jerilderie
• Blood Is Thicker
• Mother's Boy
• Man's Best Friend
• Escort To An Easy Death
• California Dreamland

Make Me Rich

Peter Corris

1985

A Cliff Hardy novel.

"It is just another party in Sydney's eastern suburbs, a routine security job for Cliff Hardy. It leads, though, to an interesting meeting and a dangerous job. No one is more familiar than Hardy with the sleazy back streets and pubs of Kings Cross, and he follows a twisted trail over dangerous ground. As well as a hitman out to get him he deals with politically protected criminals and corrupt journalists - and meets the intriguing Helen Broadway for the first time."

The Big Drop and other Cliff Hardy Stories

Peter Corris

1985

Cliff Hardy short stories.

"A client falls from the twentieth storey of a building; a rock star goes missing; an erotic Mongol scroll vanishes; a film star has a problem that has nothing to do with creativity - it's all in a day's work for Cliff Hardy. .... Nothing really surprises Hardy, and, for a hundred and twenty-five a day (plus expenses), he'll provide a few surprises of his own."

• The Big Drop
• P.I. Blues
• The Arms Of The Law
• Tearaway
• What Would You Do?
• The Mongol Scroll
• The Mae West Scam
• Rhythm Track
• The Big Pinch
• Maltese Falcon

The Greenwich Apartments

Peter Corris

1986

A Cliff Hardy novel.

"s brilliant young filmmaker Carmel Wise the innocent victim of gangland violence or is she enmeshed in a pornography racket as the press and the police imply? Carmel's businessman father hires Cliff Hardy to find the real reason 'the video girl' was shot dead outside the Greenwich Apartments in Kings Cross. Hardy follows a trail which is broken but clear .... The trail takes him to the sunny peninsula, leafy Lane Cove and the industrial waterfront. Hardy finds that every question and every answer has to be paid for in pain and fear. And to some questions there may be no answers at all."

Deal Me Out

Peter Corris

1986

A Cliff Hardy novel.

"Cliff Hardy starts out to help a friend but before long he's looking for an enemy - William Mountain: boozer, TV scriptwriter, would-be novelist who is missing and searching for adventure. Mountain's adventure is Hardy's 'case' which rapidly becomes a case he would rather not have. Mountain is the dealer in a deadly game and the hands he deals become more and more bizarre."

The January Zone

Peter Corris

1987

A Cliff Hardy novel.

"Politician Peter January is having trouble staying alive so he hires Cliff Hardy to help him. Hardy dislikes the role of politician's 'security consultant' but he dislikes bombers, hit men and hatemailers even more. Protecting January leads to protecting his assistant, Trudi Bell, which is a more enjoyable assignment. It also takes Hardy to Washington DC where the threats are real and the rules are different. To stand close to January is to stand close to danger and corruption, but there are even greater evils and Hardy cannot back away."

The Man in the Shadows

Peter Corris

1988

A Cliff Hardy short novel and six short stories.

"Gareth Greenway wasn't all he seemed, but Cliff Hardy was used to that. What he wasn't used to was the shadowy world Greenway leads him into: neurosurgeons, mental patients, AIDS sufferers, all negotiating a landscape of dreams and delusions. An old friend of Hardy's ends up dead while Hardy chases the shadows, catching some, losing others. The accompanying stories find Hardy on more familiar ground. When organised crime, political corruption and the Australian army are involved, Hardy battles the odds. But when it comes to a man-to- man contest, put your money on Hardy to win."

• Man In The Shadows
• Cloudburst
• High Integrity
• Box On!
• The Deserter
• Byron Kelly's Big Mistake
• Norman Mailer's Christmas

The Life and Crimes of Harry Lavender

Marele Day

1988

A Claudia Valentine novel.

"Mark Bannister, writing 'the bestseller of the century' is found dead at his computer - the victim of a murder so perfect that Claudia Valentine smells a rat . . . and wants it caught. The chase leads deep into the murky underworld of Sydney - a world where bright, tough Claudia must play a deadly high-tech game of cat and rat with the menacing overlord of the city's cancerous network of crime and corruption. Witty, wryly humorous and fast-paced, The Life and Crimes of Harry Lavender is a mystery with a twist, which brilliantly exposes the seamy action below the surface of the city's glittering facade."

The Case of the Chinese Boxes

Marele Day

1990

A Claudia Valentine novel.

"The New Year started with a bang in Sydney's Chinatown - and it wasn't just the fireworks. While the rest of the country were celebrating, the biggest bank job in Australia's history was taking place. The press dubbed it 'The Great Chinese Takeaway' And inside those stolen safety deposit boxes were items of much more value than money. Claudia Valentine is called in by the Chen family who are desperate for the return of a gold key embellished by a dragon. The hunt for this family heirloom spins her into a world of ancient treasures and modern Triad killings, through sleazy back streets and exotic oriental temples. And, everywhere, nothing is as it seems."

O'Fear

Peter Corris

1990

A Cliff Hardy novel.

"When Todd Barnes, war veteran and popular drinking mate, leaves Cliff Hardy a tidy sum to find out who killed him, Hardy can hardly refuse - and he needs the money. Todd's widow and some of his cronies are not always cooperative, however, and it's hard to tell friends from enemies, especially when it comes to the mysterious Kevin O'Fearna, known as O'Fear. Hardy's battered Falcon takes him from the familiar mean streets of Sydney to equally dangerous bushland, where he's on his own up against heavy odds."

Wet Graves

Peter Corris

1991

A Cliff Hardy novel.

"Someone's trying to cancel Cliff Hardy's license, and he needs to find out why. He also needs to work out why the case of the missing schoolteacher Brian Madden keeps leading him back more than 50 years later to the construction of the Sydney Harbor Bridge. Finding the answers takes all his contacts--police, underworld, and press--and keeps Hardy moving across Sydney, asking questions, probing the past, and finding the bodies."

Aftershock

Peter Corris

1991

A Cliff Hardy novel.

"When Oscar Bach's body is found crushed under rubble, his death was classified as another tragic statistic of the earthquake. So how could he have been seen alive five minutes after the quake? Who would want this man dead? Oscar's quiet life was not all that it appeared to be. He was a man with no apparent past. But something - and someone - has caught up with him now, and they are trying to stop Cliff Hardy from finding the answers."

Beware of the Dog

Peter Corris

1992

A Cliff Hardy novel.

"The woman was dangerous, even over the phone. Cliff Hardy knew he should have listened to his instincts when he first met Paula Wilberforce. Instead he becomes embroiled in a high-society family full of old rivalries and hatred, his gun is stolen, and he is wanted in relation to a shooting. He has to find the answers quickly, before the murderer strikes again. The only lead he has is a mutilated photograph. Whose face is it? And what are those strange shadows in the background?"

Burn, And Other Stories

Peter Corris

1993

Cliff Hardy short stories.

"This collection of stories finds Cliff Hardy in his usual milieu of inner Sydney mixing with the good, the bad, and the quirky as he works on his cases."

• Burn
• Eye Doctor
• Ghost Writer
• Airwaves
• Cadigal Country
• Kill Me Someone
• Lost And Found
• The Big Lie
• The House Of Ruby
• Almost Wedded Bliss

Matrimonial Causes

Peter Corris

1993

A Cliff Hardy novel.

"The early 70s, and in Cliff Hardy's first case there were perjury, fraud, murder, crooked cops, lawyers, PIs, and a call girl - scarcely an honest citizen in sight. Cliff Hardy was caught in the middle with a client he couldn't trust and nothing but questions for guidelines. In the end his survival became more important than the answers."

The Last Tango of Dolores Delgado

Marele Day

1993

A Claudia Valentine novel.

"Being a minder for Dolores Delgado was no trouble at all for Claudia. Dolores slept all morning, shopped all afternoon and danced all night. Hanging out with this exotic and beautiful creature was fun as much as work. Then, things got complicated. Dolores dropped dead. On stage. With barely a mark on her perfect body. Claudia had never lost a client before. Let alone one who was also a friend. This was not going to be good for business. Claudia's investigation leads her into a steamy world of passion and intrigue, of death and double crosses, of romance and revenge. And finally to the truth hidden beneath the layers of dazzling deception."

Casino

Peter Corris

1994

A Cliff Hardy novel.

"Cliff Hardy is flattered to be offered the job as head of security at the new Sydney casino. But the thought of office hours and wearing a suit put him off and he refuses in favor of his friend, Scott Galvani. But when Galvani is murdered and the police are indifferent, Galvani's widow pleads with Hardy to help. How can Hardy refuse? In the course of his investigation Cliff reluctantly takes the job at the casino where he meets the attractive but unpredictable Vita Drewe who is quickly added to Hardy's list of enemies. Galvani's killers are closer to home than Hardy anticipated; his life is on the line and so is his relationship with Glen Withers."

Crosskill

Garry Disher

1994

A Wyatt novel.

"Wyatt made some powerful enemies in his first three outings, and the time has come to confront them. But we know by now that Wyatt’s revenge won’t be showy, impetuous and futile; it will be pragmatic, elaborate—and still possibly futile. He holes up in Sydney, preparing to return home to Melbourne to play his enemies against each other in a dangerous double-cross that will tear down the notions of loyalty and obligation."

Dark Angel

John Dale

1995

"Jack Buturov is a bouncer in a Sydney casino. He's in hiding from life, his ex-wife and his chronically ill son. Damien was a rent boy hustler, who got in over his head in some bad political business. Despite himself, Jack loved Damian, and when someone guns the boy down, he has to investigate. Along the way he runs into the Vietnamese mafia, corrupt cops, psychotic bikers and, best and worst of all, Damian's sister Angie - a woman as burnt out as Jack Buturow."

The Disappearances of Madalena Grimaldi

Marele Day

1995

A Claudia Valentine novel.

"It is the start of a long, hot summer and Madalena Grimaldi has disappeared. Claudia is hired to find the missing schoolgirl but she's already working on a case - the death of Guy Valentine, her father. As Claudia searches the streets, looking for the ghost of her derelict father and for the mysterious man who can lead her to Madalena, she finds herself sinking into a world where, for many, rock bottom is only the beginning."

Get Rich Quick

Peter Doyle

1996

"Sydney, 1957. Billy Glasheen is trying to make a living, whether running a gambling scam, shifting stolen jewels, or greasing the wheels during a hair-raising tour by Little Richard and his rock 'n' roll entourage. But Billy's schemes always cross with the plans of the city's big players, an unholy trinity of crooks, bent cops and politicians on the make. Now he's in the frame for murder and on the run from the cops, who'll happily send him down for it. Billy's no sleuth, but there's nowhere to turn for help. To prove it wasn't him, he'll have to find the real killer."

The Washington Club

Peter Corris

1997

A Cliff Hardy novel.

"Claudia Fleischman is beautiful, rich, intelligent . . . and has just been charged with the murder of her developer husband. Hardy, hired to look into the background of the case, is soon up to his neck in trouble. When his car is blown up and then a friend is killed, Cliff finds himself with a personal stake in the action. His investigations introduce him to the shadowy world of corporate high-fliers at Sydney's exclusive Washington Club and bring him into contact with loose cannon 'Haitch' Henderson and his soft but unpleasant pimp of a son, Noel. In one of his grittiest cases ever, Hardy has to take drastic action before the pieces fall into place and very rough justice is seen to be done."

Forget Me If You Can: Cliff Hardy Stories

Peter Corris

1997

Cliff Hardy short stories.

"In these stories a whistleblower is himself betrayed, a son turns against his father, brothers feud, men are harassed by women, and things are never quite what they seem. Whether on the familiar streets of Sydney or out of town, Hardy's cases don't always have tidy endings - and sometimes he has to take the law into his own hands."

• The Hearing
• Copper
• The Brothers
• Lucky Jim
• Forget Me If You Can
• Close Enough
• Archie's Last Case
• Gone Fishing
• Cross My heart
• Christmas Visit
• Meeting At Mascot
• TV
• Treasure Trove

The Reward

Peter Corris

1997

A Cliff Hardy novel.

"Cliff Hardy is distracted by a romantic entanglement, but low on funds, and with his private investigator's licence restored, he is persuaded to take on a dubious case - a scheme to claim the reward on an abduction. When one of those involved is murdered, the problem takes a whole new turn. Cliff's relations with the police have never been easy, and the boys in blue are far from helpful as he tries to piece together a puzzle that can only end in violence."

The Black Prince

Peter Corris

1998

A Cliff Hardy novel.

"Cliff Hardy goes to Leichhardt gym proprietor Wesley Scott for a 'fitness assessment' and is soon trying to get his son Clinton - known as The Black Prince - back on the rails. A sports star in the making and destined for the top, Clinton is obsessed with tracking down the dealer who sold his girlfriend the steroids that led to her death. Hardy has to find Clinton before he ends up on a murder charge - the trail leads him up to North Queensland and into the shadowy world of illegal boxing."

Amaze Your Friends

Peter Doyle

1998

"Billy Glasheen, lurk merchant and low-life, can't take a trick. The past has caught up with him in the form of Fred Slaney, Sydney's meanest, crookedest cop, who wants ten thousand pounds to keep quiet about Glasheen's involvement in the death of a fellow cop. Billy isn't the killer, but he's in it up to his neck and he's an easy target. He's given a simple choice: pay up in six months or take early retirement, six feet down, looking at the sky. But making quick money can be slow work. Billy's dodgy mail-order business selling betting systems and lucky monkey's paws to the mugs isn't going to cut it - he needs a real source of income. Increasingly desperate and with a dozen scams on the boil, he relieves his stress by sneaking off to an opium den in Chinatown. The trouble is, it isn't just Slaney who's on his back, and Billy's deadline faces a serious hurdle when he lands in jail on trumped up charges. Amaze Your Friends picks up where Get Rich Quick left off and is an hilarious romp through the underside of Sydney at the turn of the decade."

The Other Side of Sorrow

Peter Corris

1999

A Cliff Hardy novel.

"It's been twenty years since Cliff Hardy saw his ex-wife Cynthia, and he's amazed to get a phone call from her. Cyn is dying of cancer and she's desperate to get in touch with the daughter she gave up for adoption - the daughter who, she confesses, is Cliff's. Cliff is sceptical but agrees to take on the search for her daughter. The trail is far from simple - and more violence threatens him the further he goes."

Final Cut

Paul Thomas

1999

"James Alabaster, a man without a future, ekes out a bare existence on the fringes of Sydney's glitzy, gaudy cafe society. All that sustains him is his obsession with the beautiful but unobtainable Carla Sully, wife of one of Australia's richest men. Then chance and a pornographic home video bring Carla and James together. One by one, the video's sizeable cast are dying of unnatural causes. Is it bizarre coincidence or a murderous conspiracy?"

Death Before Wicket

Kerry Greenwood

1999

A Phryne Fisher novel.

" Phryne Fisher has plans for her Sydney sojourn - a few days at the Test match, a little sightseeing and the Artist's Ball with an up-and-coming young modernist. But these plans begin to go awry when Phryne's maid discovers her thoroughly respectable sister has left her family for the murky nightlife of the city's seamier side. And Phryne is definitely not the woman to say no when two delightful and handsome men come to her on bended knees, begging for her help in finding their friend innocent of theft. All in all, Phryne's plans for a simple day or two of pleasure watching young men in white are postponed for good!."

Mavis Levack, P.I.

Marele Day

2000

A Mavis Levack and Claudia Valentine novel.

"Mavis Levack would like a career, adventure - heavens above there are only so many days a week you can play bowls. Sixty-ish and an incurable busybody, Mavis is also a serious and earnest investigator. Her career begins when she is drawn into the investigation of the killing of a neighbour after a visit from P.I. Claudia Valentine and then becomes her right-hand woman."

The Devil's Jump

Peter Doyle

2001

"August 1945: the Japanese have surrendered and there's dancing in the streets of Sydney. But Billy Glasheen has little time to celebrate; his black marketeer boss has disappeared, leaving Billy high and dry. Soon he's on the run from the criminals and the cops, not to mention a shady private army. They all think he has the thing they want, and they'll kill to get hold of it. Unfortunately for Billy, he doesn't know what it is . . . but he'd better find it fast. Set in Australia in the years following World War II, Peter Doyle's novels brilliantly explore the criminal underworld, political corruption, and the postwar explosion of sex, drugs, and rock'n'roll."

Lugarno

Peter Corris

2001

A Cliff Hardy novel.

"Although the meaner streets of inner Sydney are his traditional stamping grounds, Cliff Hardy finds that crime can flourish in the leafy, well-heeled outer suburbs as well. Lugarno may be an unlikely centre for drug dealing and corruption but the trail starts with the daughter of a wealthy client and leads quickly to threats of violence from some serious characters. Once again, Hardy treads a fine line between police and suspects, coming up against blackmail and bullets before a surprising finale."

Salt and Blood

Peter Corris

2002

A Cliff Hardy novel.

"An old flame, former police officer Glen Withers, is back in Cliff Hardy's life - but it's strictly business as Glen is now also a private investigator, with a wealthy family for a client. She and Hardy join forces to take on the case of Rodney St John Harkness, a recovering alcoholic with a murky past. Hardy's digging into Harkness's past becomes urgent when Rodney and Glen disappear, and the trail leads to the beaches of the Central Coast. The plot tangles and the danger grows as Hardy tries to stay one step ahead of some desperate players."

Master's Mates

Peter Corris

2003

A Cliff Hardy novel.

"When rich, attractive Lorraine Master hires Cliff Hardy to investigate the circumstances surrounding her husband's conviction for smuggling heroin from New Caledonia, Hardy welcomes the assignment. A week on generous expenses sniffing about under a tropical sky, escape from a cold, dry spell in Sydney just the job. But Stewart Master's mates in Noumea prove to be a difficult and dangerous bunch. The danger follows Hardy back to Sydney where he and his client become targets when an intricate conspiracy goes seriously wrong. Hardy deals with a tricky lawyer, a man on the run and Sydney's most corrupt ex-cop. He has allies as well, but in the end his survival will depend on his own guts, experience and savvy."

The Coast Road

Peter Corris

2004

A Cliff Hardy novel.

"Wealthy Frederick Farmer died when his weekender burned to the ground. Death by accident, the police found. But his daughter, Dr Elizabeth Farmer, a feisty academic who resembles the younger Germaine Greer, hires Cliff Hardy to investigate. Is her only motive jealousy of her father's attractive second wife, now very rich? He has his hands full when a panic-stricken call leads to a second case the search for the precocious daughter of Marisha Karatsky, an exotic, dark-eyed interpreter who gets well and truly under Hardy's guard. Hardy has narrow escapes and people die as his probing hits nerves. Corrupt cops, compromised insurance agents, feral bikies as well as a few good guys are drawn into the maelstrom."

Taking Care of Business: Cliff Hardy Cases

Peter Corris

2004

Cliff Hardy short stories.

"Hardy's tasks are many and his clients are from all walks of life. He is minder for Thomas Whitney, the highly strung whistle blower, whose company is siphoning money off through Vanuatu. He is hired by computer genius Charles Marriott, whose shady dot com partner wants control of the business and is letting nothing and no one get in his way. And ever keen for some spare cash, he even takes a case from Spiro, his local florist, whose son seems to be involved in some very dodgy business involving tobacco and big bucks. This collection of stories featuring Australia's favourite PI is fast-paced and entertaining."

• A Gift Horse
• Death Threats
• Whatever it takes
• The Pearl
• Solomon's Solutions
• Cocktails for Two
• Black Andy
• Globalisation
• Christmas Shopping
• Insider
• Chop Chop

Saving Billie

Peter Corris

2004

A Cliff Hardy novel.

"When journalist Louise Kramer hires Cliff Hardy to find Billie Marchant, Hardy heads for unfamiliar territory of the far south-western suburbs of Sydney. Billie claims to have information about media big-wheel Jonas Clement - the subject of an incriminating expose by Kramer. Clement doesn't want Billie found and Clement's enemies want to find her first. Hardy tracks Billie down, but saving Billie' means not only rescuing her, it means saving her from herself. Billie, ex-stripper, sometime hooker and druggie, is a handful. Hardy gets help from members of the Pacific Islander community and others, but the enemies close in and he is soon fighting on several different fronts."

Crook As Rookwood

Chris Nyst

2005

"When Gold Coast lawyer Eddie Moran comes to Sydney to look after Slick's interests after the death of her ex, he finds a simple drug overdose isn't so simple after all. It's not just the crooked cops, it's the strong whiff of a deal being done higher up and well offstage."

D-E-D Dead!

Geoffrey McGeachin

2005

An Alby Murdoch novel.

"From the moment Alby drops his gun on a St Kilda tram he knows he's in for a bad day. Then his partner Harry is gunned down in a Double Bay coffee shop. By lunchtime Alby realises someone wants him dead – and they want him dead now. All Alby wants is some pasta, a good bottle of wine and to know more about the mysterious Grace Goodluck . . . long dark hair, legs up to there, and piercing slate-grey eyes...sniper's eyes. But he also has to figure out who shot Harry and who wants him dead. And why. Unfortunately for Alby, the answer lies over the razor wire and past the anti-personnel mines protecting Bitter Springs, a top-secret US military facility deep in the central Australian desert. Now that can really ruin your day."

Dead Set

Kel Robertson

2006

A Brad Chen novel.

"Australian Federal Police officer Brad Chen is having a bad time. Recently injured in a hit and run attack, he's having to lean on crutches and painkillers. The Federal Immigration Minister, Tracey Dale, is having an even worse time. She's been found brutally murdered in her Canberra flat. Together with his chauffeur, Kate Malone, Chen travels from Canberra to Sydney and Melbourne investigating the murder and interrogating a series of ex-lovers, estranged friends, collegues and neo-nazis, having the crap beaten out of him by skinheads and mysterious assassins along the way."

The Undertow

Peter Corris

2006

A Cliff Hardy novel.

"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? Animosities, arrogance and ambition create a spider's web around the violence that breaks out as Hardy searches for the spider."

Appeal Denied

Peter Corris

2007

A Cliff Hardy novel.

"Stripped of his investigator's licence and with his appeal denied, Cliff Hardy faces an uncertain future. Then something very personal happens that sends him off doing what he does best - confronting, questioning, provoking violence - with the lack of credentials not an issue. Is policewoman Jane Farrow bent or straight? Will vertically challenged but charismatic media star Lee Townsend be a help or an obstacle? Taking and dealing out punishment, mostly on Sydney's North Shore, Hardy encounters corrupt cops, bereft wives and computer geeks. In a shadowy showdown at Balmoral Beach, Hardy sorts out those who need to be sorted, but his future remains even more clouded than before."

The Big Score: Cliff Hardy Cases

Peter Corris

2007

A Cliff Hardy novel.

"In this brand new collection of short stories, Cliff Hardy has his hands full with murder, blackmail, embezzlement and more. True to form, Cliff doesn't waste words or pull punches as he untangles an ugly divorce, investigates the killing of a Glebe drinking buddy, and takes care of a nasty case of blackmail. The eleven tales are set in Cliff's Sydney, a place of thugs, mid-morning beers and crooked cops."

• Ram Raid
• Copper Nails
• D-I-V-O-R-C-E
• The Big Score
• Crime Writing
• Blackmail
• Last Will & Testament
• Break Point
• Worst Case Scenario
• Bookworm
• Patriotism

Frantic

Katherine Howell

2007

An Ella Marconi novel.

"There are worse things than death, though Paramedic Sophie Phillips doesn't think so. She and her work partner constantly revise a list of the worst ways to die, holding the number 1 spot vacant for the death so terrible even they can't imagine it. But Sophie is sure it will cross her path on the streets of Sydney one day. When Sophie's police officer husband Chris is shot and their baby is kidnapped, Detective Ella Marconi has to fight to get to the truth. Is it revenge by a bereaved father for Sophie's recent failure to save his wife and newborn baby? Or was Chris somehow involved in the police corruption that appears rife in the city? When the police fail to trace Sophie's son, she takes matters into her own hands and now that she's realised there are worse things than death, nothing will stop her from finding him."

Sensitive New Age Spy

Geoffrey McGeachin

2007

An Alby Murdoch novel.

"All Alby wants is a decent coffee and a day off. But there's a hijacked tanker with a deadly cargo in Sydney Harbour, and bullets are flying on board a US Navy cruiser. Three sailors are dead and a Seahawk chopper is missing. Who's behind the mayhem? Why is the government intent on shutting down Alby's investigation? What's the connection to the smooth-talking Reverend Priday, spiritual leader to the upwardly mobile? And can Alby trust Lieutentant Kingston, a weapons specialist with the longest legs he's ever seen on a sailor and not a tattoo anywhere on her stunning body?."

Open File

Peter Corris

2008

A Cliff Hardy novel.

"Cliff Hardy, with his PI licence cancelled and his career in Sydney at an end, is preparing for a trip overseas. Cleaning out his office, he comes across an open file - an unresolved case from the late 1970s. He starts reading and is thrown back to his investigation of the disappearance of Justin Hampshire. At first glance a straightforward missing person matter, the investigation took on twists and turns involving military history, Sydney criminals and corruption at high levels. The Hampshire case took Cliff from the south coast to the Blue Mountains and posed some unresolved questions which have preyed on his mind for 20 years."

The Darkest Hour

Katherine Howell

2008

An Ella Marconi novel.

"Paramedic Lauren Yates stumbles into a world of trouble the night she discovers a dead man in an inner city alley, for the killer lurks nearby. When the murderer threatens to make her life hell if she tells the police, she believes him – he's Thomas Werner, her sister's ex, and a very bad man indeed. But when a stabbing victim tells her with his dying breath that Werner attacked him too, she finds herself with blood on her hands and Detective Ella Marconi on her back. Will Ella's investigation put her career on the line, just when she's finally got her foot in the door? And can Lauren keep her family safe before Werner makes good on his promise, or will they all pay the ultimate price?"

Deep Water

Peter Corris

2009

A Cliff Hardy novel.

"Still reeling from the shock death of his partner, Cliff suffers a heart attack-but this isn't enough to keep him from investigating the disappearance of the father of the woman nursing him back to health. The search for the renowned geologist takes Hardy behind the scenes at one of Sydney's biggest basin aquifers and ignites the wrath of local big businesses which stand to lose even bigger money if his discoveries are revealed."

Wishart's Quest

Peter Corris

2009

"In a New England country town, academic Tom Whishart is struck by an amateur painting in the local art gallery. It looks just like him. Wishart is a foundling who knows nothing about his parents. This uncanny resemblance sets him on a quest to discover his origins. As the search reaches back in time, the turbulent, shadowy lives of Paul Bushell, son of the squattocracy and disgraced Vietnam deserter, and Diana Saunders, vanished Aboriginal sportswoman, come into view and are played out. Could these be his parents? How and why was he abandoned? The trail leads to Sydney, Vietnam, Manila and Hong Kong, until the answers are found in an isolated place in the Blue Mountains."

Torn Apart

Peter Corris

2010

A Cliff Hardy novel.

"Hardy has never been much of a family man, so when he meets his second cousin Patrick Malloy it's like being hit with a left hook to the solar plexus - Malloy is his double. Cliff and his cousin become friends and travel to attend a gathering of the Irish Travellers - the gypsy-like folk from whom they are descended. On their return, a shotgun blast shatters their camaraderie. But who was the bullet aimed at, Malloy or Hardy? Hardy has his enemies and Malloy's to consider as he searches for a killer. Clues point in many directions - to Sheila's motives, to Malloy's suspect business dealings, to old scores being settled. The search takes Hardy north to a paramilitary training camp and to a meeting of Traveller descendants in Kangaroo Valley; everyone seems to have an interest and the playing style is ruthless."

Cold Justice

Katherine Howell

2010

An Ella Marconi novel.

"On an early morning walk, a young girl finds the body of her classmate, Tim Pieters, hidden amongst some bushes. The boy's family are desperate for answers but the killer is never found. Almost two decades later, political pressure sees the cold case reopened and Detective Ella Marconi inherits the job. Ella attacks the case with vigour, determined to shake off the memories of her last investigation, which ended with her being shot in the line of duty. But she knows it won’t be easy – after all this time the murderer is probably long gone and the memories of any witnesses are fading. Georgie Riley, the girl who found Tim’s body, is now a paramedic, trying to face up to her own demons. There's never been any reason to doubt her story, but when Ella receives an anonymous call insisting that Georgie has information about the Pieters’ case, she decides to dig deeper. As long-buried secrets and lies finally come to light, can Ella track down the killer before more people are hurt?"

Violent Exposure

Katherine Howell

2010

An Ella Marconi novel.

"A woman has been stabbed to death in her home, the husband is missing. A tragic case of domestic homicide is Detective Ella Marconi's initial theory. But as the investigation progresses, it also gets more complicated. Why is there no record of the absent suspect beyond a few years ago? Why has a teenager who worked for the pair disappeared too? Is trainee paramedic Aidan Simpson telling the truth about his involvement? As Ella begins to build a picture of the couples fractured, deceit-laden past, her personal life is deteriorating. But Ella knows she only has time for the job she loves, which in this case is taking her down a treacherous path."

Follow the Money

Peter Corris

2011

A Cliff Hardy novel.

"Cliff Hardy may still have the moves but he's in trouble. The economy's tanking and he's been conned by an unscrupulous financial advisor and lost everything he's got. Cliff only knows one way, and that's forward, so he's following the money trail. It's a twisted road that leads him down deep into Sydney's underbelly, into the territory of big money, bent deals, big yachts and bad people. Cliff's in greater danger than ever before, but he's as tenacious as a dog with a bone."

Comeback

Peter Corris

2012

A Cliff Hardy novel.

"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."

Silent Fear

Katherine Howell

2012

An Ella Marconi novel.

"On a searing summer's day paramedic Holly Garland rushes to an emergency to find a man collapsed with a bullet wound in the back of his head and her long-estranged brother Seth watching it all unfold. Seth claims to be the dying man's best friend, but Holly knows better than to believe anything he says and fears that his reappearance will reveal the bleak secrets of her past - secrets which if exposed could cause her to lose everything. Detective Ella Marconi suspects Seth too, but she's also sure the dead man's wife is lying, and the deceased's boss seems just too helpful. Then a shocking double homicide makes Ella realise that her investigations are getting closer to the killer, increasing the risk of an even higher body count."

The Dunbar Case

Peter Corris

2013

A Cliff Hardy novel.

"This wasn't Hardy's usual brief - uncover the mysteries of a nineteenth-century shipwreck - but he could do with an easy case and the retainer was generous. But is it ever that simple? Not with a notorious crime family tearing itself apart, and an undercover cop playing both sides against the middle. These and an alluring but fiercely ambitious female journalist give Hardy all the trouble he can handle. 'Ever feel manipulated?' Hardy asks. The body count mounts up as he pushes closer to the truth about the mystery and the loot."

Standing in the Shadows: Three Novellas

Peter Corris

2013

"My hands tremble as I close the faded, dog-eared manuscript inside the battered manila folder. Every instinct tells me that here at last is the big one.' But all is not as it seems in the half-tonal worlds of the literary agent in The Illusionist, the Vietnam draft dodger in Conscription, or the wrestler in Tag-team... Standing in the Shadow explores the sexual underside of life in Sydney."

Web Of Deceit

Katherine Howell

2013

An Ella Marconi novel.

"When paramedics Jane and Alex encounter a man refusing to get out of his crashed car with bystanders saying he deliberately drove into a pole, it looks like a desperate cry for help. His frantic claim that someone is out to get him adds to their thinking that he is delusional. Later that day he is found dead under a train in what might be a suicide, but Jane is no longer so sure: she remembers the raw terror in his eyes. Detective Ella Marconi shares Jane's doubts, which are only compounded when the case becomes increasingly tangled. The victim's boss tries to commit suicide when being questioned, a witness flees their attempt to interview her, and then to confuse matters further, a woman is beaten unconscious in front of Jane's house and Alex's daughter goes missing."

Silent Kill

Peter Corris

2014

A Cliff Hardy novel.

"When Cliff Hardy signs on as a bodyguard for charismatic populist Rory O'Hara, who is about to embark on a campaign of social and political renewal, it looks like a tricky job - O'Hara has enemies. A murder and a kidnapping cause the campaign to fall apart. Hired to investigate the murder, Hardy uncovers hidden agendas among O'Hara's staff as well as powerful political and commercial forces at work. His investigation takes him from the pubs and brothels of Sydney to the heart of power in Canberra and the outskirts of Darwin. There he teams up with a resourceful indigenous private detective and forms an uneasy alliance with the beautiful Penelope Marinos, formerly O'Hara's PA. A rogue intelligence agent becomes his target and Hardy stumbles upon a terrible secret that draws them into a violent - and disturbing - confrontation."

Crucifixion Creek: A Belltree Mystery

Barry Maitland

2014

A Harry Belltree novel.

"Homicide detective Harry Belltree wouldn't usually be looking too hard at an elderly couple's suicide pact. Especially now, when his brother-in-law Greg has just been stabbed to death. But it seems Greg and the old couple had ties to the same man, a bent moneylender with friends in high places - and low. Harry can't get officially involved in Greg's murder, but he suspects a link with two other mysterious deaths: his parents'. And when he goes off-grid to investigate, that's when things start to get dangerous."

Deserving Death

Katherine Howell

2014

An Ella Marconi novel.

"Two female paramedics murdered in a month. Is it coincidence, or are they victims of a serial killer? Detective Ella Marconi isn't sure, but goes hard after her key suspects, including police officer John Morris. But each turn of the case throws up more questions and entanglements, and Ella and her partner, Detective Murray Shakespeare, struggle to find the truth among the lies. Ella also attempts to balance work and her relationship with Dr Callum McLennan, which is both growing both stronger and more difficult as they face Callum's mother's disapproval and the anniversary of his cousin's murder. Meanwhile, Carly Martens - paramedic and close friend of the second victim - conducts her own investigation. She's certain that her fellow paramedic Tessa Kimball is hiding something, and her refusal to let it go puts her, Tessa, and even Ella into more danger than Carly could ever imagine."

Gun Control

Peter Corris

2015

A Cliff Hardy novel.

"Is Sydney gun city? It certainly seems so when Cliff Hardy is hired by entrepreneur and one-time pistol-shooting champion Timothy Greenhall to investigate the violent death of his troubled son. Soon Hardy is pitched into a world of crooked cops - former members of the Gun Control Unit - outlaw bikers and honest police trying to quietly clean the stables. Two more murders raise the stakes and relationships are stretched to breaking point. Hardy hooks up with a determined policewoman and forms an unlikely alliance with a charismatic biker chief. Uncovering the tangled conspiracy behind the murders takes Hardy to the Blue Mountains and Camden, to plush legal chambers and a confrontation in an inner-west park - all against the roar of 750cc engines."

Tell the Truth

Katherine Howell

2015

An Ella Marconi novel.

"Paramedic Stacey Durham has an idyllic life; her dream job, a beautiful house, and a devoted husband. Until her car is found abandoned and covered in her blood. Detective Ella Marconi knows information is key in the first twenty-four hours, questioning the frantic husband James, jealous sister Marie, and Rowan, the colleague who keeps turning up in all the wrong places. Just as Ella starts to piece together the clues, a shocking message arrives for James: You won't see her again if you don't tell the truth. With the investigation hitting dead ends and new threats being made, Ella must uncover the truths buried beneath the perfect façade before the case goes from missing person to murder."

That Empty Feeling

Peter Corris

2016

A Cliff Hardy novel.

"Cliff is reminded of a case involving 'Ten-Pound Pom' Barry Bartlett and racing identity and investor Sir Keith Mountjoy. Bartlett, a former rugby league player and boxing manager, then a prosperous property developer, had hired Hardy to check on the bona fides of young Ronny Saunders, newly arrived from England, and claiming to be Bartlett's son from an early failed marriage. The job brought Hardy into contact with Richard Keppler, head of the no-rules Botany Security Systems, Bronwen Marr, an undercover AFP operative, and sworn adversary Des O'Malley. At a time when corporate capitalism was running riot, an embattled Hardy searched for leads - was Ronny Saunders a pawn in a game involving big oil and fraud on an international scale? Two murders raise the stakes and with the sinister figure of Lady Betty Lee Mountjoy pulling the strings, it is odds against a happy outcome."

Win, Lose or Draw

Peter Corris

2017

A Cliff Hardy novel.

"A missing girl, drugs, yachts, the sex trade and a cold trail that leads from Sydney to Norfolk Island, Byron Bay and Coolangatta. The police suspect the father, Gerard Fonteyn OA, a wealthy businessman. But he's hired Cliff to find her, given him unlimited expenses and posted a $250,000 reward for information. Finally there's a break - an unconfirmed sighting of Juliana Fonteyn, alive and well. But as usual, nothing is straightforward. Various other players are in the game - and Cliff doesn't know the rules, or even what the game might be. He's determined to find out, and as the bodies mount up the danger to himself and to Juliana increases."