PETER CORRIS: R.I.P.

Peter Corris, the godfather of Australian crime fiction, who has died at his home in Sydney at the age of 76.

From The Sydney Morning Herald:

At a time when the genre lacked a genuinely local character, he employed the hard-boiled characteristics seen in the work of Raymond Chandler and Ross MacDonald, but with Australian vernacular characters and settings that proved irresistible.

He published his first novel, The Dying Trade, in 1980, introducing his best-known character, Cliff Hardy. Hardy, a big drinker, fighter and womanizer, managed to survive intact through 42 books and featured in Corris' final Book, Wine, Lose or Draw which was published early last year.

Read more here.