The Big Drop

Cliff Hardy #7

by Peter Corris

A client happends to fall from the twentieth story 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.Yachts dance on the sparkling waters of the harbour, and the back alleys are busy; the city's high and low classes go about their daily business. But nothing really surprises Hardy; and, for a hundred and twenty-five a day (plus expenses), he'll provide a few surprises of his own...

Genres: Crime, Mystery

208 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published March 12, 1988

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

[Sandy Grant · Rating 3 out of 5]

An anthology of short stories. Cliff Hardy’s character is consistent with his early period ($125/day), but the short stories tend not to be able to develop either the narrative tension nor the other characters unique to story very much. Mind you there was a nice reference to Dashiell Hammett - one of Corris’ inspirations for the series in the last story - where Hardy visits San Francisco and takes a PI job for a walking tour guide who does Sam Spade Walking Tours!

[Mumbler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Roughly, the first several stories are decent. The last four or so, which involve references to the movie, music & book industries, are largely really boring and a waste. Could have given two star rating, but think I liked earlier stories well enough, and am biased to rate a mixed lot by it's best.

[H (trying to keep up with GR friends) Balikov · Rating 2 out of 5]

This rates more than two stars for fans of Corris' Cliff Hardy. Early short stories that are fine for background but Corris became a much better storyteller as he went along.