PETER CORRIS- SILENT KILL

Peter-Corris-books
Prolific Australian author Peter Corris is now up to his 39th Cliff Hardy book

A Cormac McCarthy quoting Cliff Hardy travels to the Top End in Peter Corris’ latest instalment, SILENT KILL (Allen & Unwin).

Initially hired as a bodyguard for a whistle blowing political aspirant, things go pear shaped after a paramedic impersonator kidnaps the aspirant’s squeeze and the nemesis nurse ends up murdered.

Job security as security advisor evaporates for Hardy as the aspirant and his PA hightail it to the Top End. The adventure seems over before its begun until the murder victim’s brother, a Korean king pin, enlists Hardy to investigate his sister’s demise and bring the perpetrator to justice.

Digging up the dirt in Darwin, Hardy is aided by Dave, a Tiwi Islander shamus whose local knowledge is matched by a laconic character. Dave is a sparkling creation and one can only hope Corris will despatch Hardy back to Darwin again soon.

Flushing the fugitives like a fox in a fowl house, it’s back to Sydney to protect the pretty PA Penelope who has been assaulted by the prime suspect in the homicide, a brutal chess playing Russian martial artist who goes by the name of Bright.

From Tope End to Big End, the caper has Cliff in Canberra or kind of close, where the plot circles like a Burly Griffin landscape,  and a venture into serial killer country.

As usual, Corris’ writing is crisp, clean and contemporary, with a narrative informed by current affairs and a palpable sense of place.

The parlous state of politics, particularly in New South Wales, where Party integrity is sublimated by personal greed and gain, is firmly in Corris’ sights with perfidious politicians the catalyst of cover-up, corruption and killing. The silentkill of the title could be taken as the murder of the body politic, slain by stealth and sleight of hand, purloiners of the public purse, benefactors of big business, personally overpaid while their fiefdom is underfunded.

The real meaning is spook slang as divulged by Josh Carey, a cool secret agent who is also onto Bright. Add Carey to the Darwin dick, Dave, for reprise in future adventures, please Mr. Corris.

SILENT KILL is the 39th Cliff Hardy book, so next year we’ll hopefully be celebrating the big four o. In the meantime, revel in  Stawell’s gift to crime writing’s latest  entertainment.