Chris Hammer

Journalist Martin Scarsden arrives in Riversend, a town traumatised by tragedy, to write a piece on how the residents are coping one year on from a mass shooting. However as he talks to more and more locals the reason for the shooting doesn’t seem to fit the perpetrator. With his journalistic instincts propelling him on, Martin’s focus begins to shift and he becomes further embedded in the lives of the residents. But not everyone is happy about him being there as slowly one by one the show more town’s secrets are disclosed.

What originally looked like an open and shut case turns into a compelling mystery filled with assumptions and lies.

Hammer throws his readers straight into the height of an Australian summer with his vivid descriptions of the unrelenting heat, the diminishing rural town and the ever present threat of bushfires.

Four different crimes, all taking place in and around the same drought-ravaged town, all separate but all inter-linked, driven by greed and hate, guilt and hope.

Scrublands is a taut thriller with well developed characters and multiple plot lines that will keep you turning the pages.

The mystery had me completely baffled and my head was whirling as each new revelation was revealed. I was totally immersed in the characters and their stories.

A must read for fans of Jane Harper.

*With thanks to Allen & Unwin for my copy to read and review. show less

This was working brilliantly for me up to the point where Martin gets sacked by his newspaper. I was surprised by the author's ability to make me empathize with a journalist (I am usually firmly on the side of the police) and enjoyed Martin's interactions with the various people he interviewed.

However, once he got together with Goffing, to really get to the bottom of things, the plot became more complicated and less believable. It also slowed down a lot. The ending tied things up neatly, but show more I suppose I had hoped for something simpler and more devastating somehow. I could have done without the 'romance' with Mandy.

Nevertheless excellent. show less

Scrublands by Australian author Chis Hammer is a compelling story with an intricate plot. Peopled by colorful characters, and offering vivid descriptions of a land dying under a drought. The main character, Martin Scarsden is a journalist who comes to the dying town of Riversend to complete a story on how the town is doing a year after a priest gunned down five men.

What he finds is a dying town with more businesses closed than open. Residents who have stayed are now leaving due to the show more drought. The river that the town is built beside, has dried up and exposed it’s dry, cracked bottom. The locals that are left all have their own opinions and ideas about the minister’s shocking breakdown. What does become apparent is that there is much more to the story than what had already been reported.

As Martin investigates he finds that something much darker and dangerous is lurking nearby and that there is more violence coming and more secrets to reveal. With it’s harsh surrounding scrub-lands, scorching heat and rising tensions, this atmospheric story unfolds in a very satisfying manner. show less

My 6P review: Premise, Plot, People, Place, Prose/Pace, Praise

An entrepreneur is murdered. Nell is a close blood victim. Cowboy lawyers, conmen and grave robbers. And the most emotional story yet for Nell.

The sins of the father
The love of a daughter
The secrets that divide them

Told in two timelines and from different points of view, I could keep reading this now. I wanted to come home from work and immediately pick it up and read it.

The plot was well thought out and structured, intertwined in show more timelines and amongst a vast and varied cast. The reveals were worth it and fitted the story.

Hammer’s writing style is unique. He doesn’t rush things so if you are after a slower paced book, then these are for you. Hammer’s description of time and place is extraordinary. A reader can easily immerse themselves into the story. I felt as though I was in The Valley alongside Nell, Teramina, Simmons and everybody else.

Whilst there are a lot of characters, I never lost track of who was who and the role they played. I cared about the characters, and I wanted to know more about them and what happened to them all.

Hammer captures Australian history, political motives and corruption and is not afraid to use it to use as a base for his stories. His scenery and imagery are breathtaking. Such a great Australian author.

This was an excellent read. I loved it. My family even said I sounded like Victoria Azarenka as I was audibly exclaiming with each page turn (the tennis happened to be on in the background).

I honestly can’t wait for Nell and Ivan’s next adventure.

5⭐️ show less