Chris Hammer – författare

BURIED GOLD, OLD BONES.WHAT SECRETS LURK IN THE DEPTHS?A masterclass of small-town mystery and jaw-dropping twists from Chris Hammer, the international bestselling author of Scrublands, The Times Crime Book of the Year 2023 Dead Man''s Creek and Crime Book of the Month for January 2024, Cover the Bones.A body has been discovered on the riverbanks of The Valley, a remote community in the hills of New South Wales. The gold mine at the heart of The Valley was once the lifeblood of this region, but it has been flooded for decades. Over the years, many have tried and failed to bring it back to life. Now, most believe the mine is barren.The victim is Wolfgang Burnside, deputy mayor - a champion of change or local schemer, depending on who you ask. He had been working on plans to take the Valley off-grid with hydro-power using the lake surrounding the abandoned mine. Until he was poisoned, his body dumped in the river for all to see.Detectives Nell Buchanan and Ivan Lucic are dispatched to investigate. The warning is clear - there are secrets lurking in the depths of this Valley, secrets worth more than their weight in gold. What price will this town have to pay to ensure that they never see the light of day?An epic, atmospheric mystery spanning generations set against a luscious backdrop and the twisting veins of gold that lurk beneath.Praise for Chris Hammer:''A masterful, stunning thriller. A twisting mystery epic in scale yet intricate in detail. Irresistible.'' Chris Whitaker''Epic. Shakespearean in depth and range'' The Times''Fierce, gripping and spine-chilling.'' Daily Mail''My favourite Australian detective is Nell Buchanan.'' - Ann Cleeves''Hammer is a great writer - a leader in Australian noir'' Michael Connelly''Shimmers . . . A tortured tale of blood and loss'' Val McDermid''Stunning - a page-turner which stays long in the memory'' Sunday Times

Martin Scarsden returns in the jaw-dropping and unmissable new blockbuster crime novel from Chris Hammer, the award-winning, million copy bestselling author of SCRUBLANDS.''A beguiling read'' - THE SUNDAY TIMES''Savage and unpredictable'' - THE SUN''Exciting, touching and even heart-breaking'' - LITERARY REVIEW MARTIN SCARSDEN IS ON THE RUN. WILL THE DESERT SAVE HIM - OR BURY HIM?A bomb at his book launch. Gunfire in his hometown. Someone wants journalist Martin Scarsden dead.Fleeing for his life into the outback, he learns that nowhere is safe. The killers are closing in, and it''s all he can do to survive. But who wants to kill him - and why?With nowhere left to run, Martin finds his fate in the hands of some surprising individuals: a disgraced ex-wife of a footballer, a fugitive wanted for a decades-old murder and two nineteenth century explorers from a legendary expedition, whose fate may hold the key to his own.With his life on the line, one thing is for sure: in the scorching heart of Australia, Martin Scarsden''s most dangerous assignment isn''t just a story - it''s survival.Praise for LEGACY:''Another winner'' - CRIME TIME''A beguiling read'' - THE SUNDAY TIMES''Savage and unpredictable'' - THE SUN''An engrossing thriller'' - IRISH MAIL ON SUNDAY''A story that starts with a bang'' - CRIME FICTION LOVER''Exciting, touching and even heart-breaking'' - LITERARY REVIEW''Hammer is up there with the best Australian novelists'' - ASPECTS OF CRIME''Another epic Outback mystery [from] Australia''s most exciting crime writer'' - DAILY EXPRESSPraise for Chris Hammer:''A masterful, stunning thriller. A twisting mystery epic in scale yet intricate in detail. Irresistible.'' CHRIS WHITAKER''My favourite Australian author'' ANN CLEEVES''Epic. Shakespearean in depth and range'' THE TIMES''Fierce, gripping and spine-chilling'' DAILY MAIL''Shimmers . . . A tortured tale of blood and loss'' VAL McDERMID''Stunning - a page-turner which stays long in the memory'' SUNDAY TIMES''A leader in Australian noir'' MICHAEL CONNELLY

* * *NOW A MAJOR BBC TV SERIES * * *THE #1 BESTSELLING AUSTRALIAN CRIME NOVEL WINNER OF THE CWA JOHN CREASEY DAGGERSUNDAY TIMES CRIME BOOK OF THE YEAR 2019''Shimmers ... a tortured tale of blood and loss'' Val McDermid''Stunning ... Scrublands is that rare combination, a page-turner that stays long in the memory'' Sunday Times (Crime Book of the Month)In an isolated country town ravaged by drought, a charismatic young priest opens fire on his congregation, killing five men before being shot dead himself.A year later, journalist Martin Scarsden arrives in Riversend to write a feature on the anniversary of the tragedy. But the stories he hears from the locals don''t fit with the accepted version of events.Just as Martin believes he is making headway, a shocking discovery rocks the town. The bodies of two backpackers - missing since the time of the massacre - are found in the scrublands. The media descends on Riversend and Martin is the one in the spotlight.Wrestling with his own demons, Martin finds himself risking everything to uncover a truth that becomes more complex with every twist. But there are powerful forces determined to stop him, and he has no idea how far they will go to make sure the town''s secrets stay buried.

The superb new novel from the international No.1 bestselling author of Scrublands.''Vivid and mesmerising'' Sunday Times''Hammer is a great writer - a leader in Australian noir'' Michael Connelly, bestselling author of Dark Sacred NightA HOMECOMING MARRED BY BLOODJournalist Martin Scarsden returns to Port Silver to make a fresh start with his partner Mandy. But he arrives to find his childhood friend murdered - and Mandy is the prime suspect. Desperate to clear her name, Martin goes searching for the truth.A TERRIBLE CRIMEThe media descends on the coastal town, compelled by a story that has it all: sex, drugs, celebrity, and religion. Martin is chasing the biggest scoop of his career, and the most personal.A PAST HE CAN''T ESCAPEAs Martin draws closer to a killer, the secrets of his traumatic childhood come to the surface, and he must decide what is more important - the story or his family...*Praise for award-winning author CHRIS HAMMER:''Shimmers . . . A tortured tale of blood and loss'' VAL MCDERMID''Stunning . . . a page-turner that stays long in the memory'' SUNDAY TIMES ''An almost perfect crime novel ... Intelligent, thought-provoking, greatnarrative energy'' ANN CLEEVES''Compelling, original and brilliantly executed - an excellent thriller from a new master of Australian noir'' CHARLES CUMMING''Tense, heart-squeezing and absolutely addictive - Silver is one to read again and again'' GYTHA LODGE, bestselling author of She Lies in Wait''With their small-town Australian setting, brilliantly complex plots involving corruption and cruelty, Chris hammer''s crime novels are as compelling as they are topical. Alongside Jane Harper, he is in the vanguard of Australian noir'' Amanda Craig, author of The Lie of the Land

You think you know someone...Would you bet your life on it?A detective came to her home, drugged her and kidnapped her. She tries to make sense of it, but only one conclusion is possible: it''s the past, come to claim her.His new life seemed perfect - right up until the moment a missed call shatters everything. Ex-journalist Martin Scarsden checks his voicemail, and all he hears is his partner Mandy''s terrified scream before the phone cuts off.Racing home, he finds an unconscious man sprawled on the floor and Mandy gone. Someone has abducted her. But who, and why?So starts a riveting tale of intrigue and danger, as Martin probes the hidden past of the woman he loves. But can he trust her, once her shocking secrets are finally revealed? Even if it means putting everything on the line...Praise for Chris Hammer''The best Australian crime novel for years'' The Times''Shimmers . . . A tortured tale of blood and loss'' Val McDermid''Intelligent, thought-provoking - an almost-perfect crime novel'' Ann Cleeves''Hammer is a great writer - a leader in Australian noir'' Michael Connelly''Stunning - a page-turner which stays long in the memory'' Sunday Times''Hammer''s writing is so evocative the heat practically rises off the pages'' Guardian''A dark and brilliant thriller'' Mail On Sunday

**THE TIMES CRIME BOOK OF THE MONTH****A SUNDAY TIMES PAPERBACK OF THE YEAR 2022**

In the outback, nothing stays buried forever...

''Classic Hammer. A crime novel that will stay with me for a long time.'' Ann Cleeves

''This novel is Hammer''s best work yet.'' The Times

''A complex, twisty thriller, with nuanced characters and a winding plot all set in the oppressive Australian heat.'' Lisa Hall

''This slice of Australian noir sparkles like an opal in the blistering sun.'' Lisa Gray

''Opal Country is a top-notch Aussie Noir with real heat coming off the pages.'' Christopher Fowler

Opals...

In the desolate outback town of Finnigans Gap, police struggle to maintain law and order. Thieves pillage opal mines, religious fanatics recruit vulnerable youngsters and billionaires do as they please.

Bodies...

Then an opal miner is found crucified and left to rot down his mine. Nothing about the miner''s death is straight-forward, not even who found the body. Homicide detective Ivan Lucic is sent to investigate, assisted by inexperienced young investigator Nell Buchanan.

But Finnigans Gap has already ended one police career and damaged others, and soon both officers face damning allegations and internal investigations. Have Ivan and Nell been set up, and if so, by whom?

Secrets...

As time runs out, their only chance at redemption is to find the killer. But the more they uncover, the more harrowing the mystery becomes, and a past long forgotten is thrown into scorching sunlight.

Because in Finnigans Gap, nothing stays buried for ever.

Praise for Chris Hammer:

''Hammer is a great writer - a leader in Australian noir'' Michael Connelly

''Shimmers . . . A tortured tale of blood and loss'' Val McDermid

''Stunning - a page-turner which stays long in the memory'' Sunday Times

A dam breaks. A body rises from the flood.Hidden for decades, can this small town face the secrets that will surface?**THE TIMES CRIME BOOK OF THE YEAR****SUNDAY TIMES CRIME BOOK OF THE MONTH**Young detective Nell Buchanan uncovers a deadly, decades-old mystery at the heart of her rural hometown in this stunning thriller from award-winning author Chris Hammer.''A commanding, consuming and outright thrilling mystery. Chris Hammer''s first-class series goes from strength to strength.'' - Chris Whitaker''Utterly brilliant, a darkly simmering mystery.'' - Dervla McTiernan''Chris Hammer is at the height of his power here. Dead Man''s Creek is a superb piece of storytelling'' - William Shaw''I doubt I''ll read a better novel this year.'' - The TimesNewly-minted homicide detective Nell Buchanan returns to her hometown, annoyed at being assigned a decades-old murder - a ''file and forget''.But this is no ordinary cold case, her arrival provoking an unwelcome and threatening response from the small-town community. As more bodies are discovered, and she begins to question how well she truly knows those closest to her, Nell realises that finding the truth could prove more difficult - and dangerous - than she''d ever expected.The nearer Nell comes to uncovering the secrets of the past, the more treacherous her path becomes. Can she survive to root out the truth, and what price will she have to pay for it?Gripping and atmospheric, Dead Man''s Creek is a stunning multi-layered thriller from Chris Hammer, the award-winning author of Sunday Times Crime Book of the Year Scrublands (2019) and Times Crime Book of the Month Opal Country (January 2022).Praise for Chris Hammer:''Classic Hammer. A crime novel that will stay with me for a long time.'' Ann Cleeves''Chris Hammer is one of the leading proponents of Outback Noir and Dead Man''s Creek is another stellar offering. A big, meaty, complex crime story.'' Vaseem Khan''This may well be Hammer''s best work yet. Atmospheric and thrilling. I was gripped.'' Victoria Selman''A complex, twisty thriller, with nuanced characters and a winding plot all set in the oppressive Australian heat.'' Lisa Hall''This slice of Australian noir sparkles like an opal in the blistering sun.'' Lisa Gray''Opal Country is a top-notch Aussie Noir with real heat coming off the pages.'' Christopher Fowler''Hammer is a great writer - a leader in Australian noir'' Michael Connelly''Shimmers . . . A tortured tale of blood and loss'' Val McDermid''Stunning - a page-turner which stays long in the memory'' Sunday Times

NO ONE IS EVER INNOCENT IN PARADISE.**THE TIMES CRIME BOOK OF THE MONTH**A small town. A closely guarded secret, stretching back decades. And blood in the water.'A masterful, stunning thriller. A twisting mystery epic in scale yet intricate in detail. Irresistible.' Chris Whitaker'Epic. Shakespearean in depth and range' The Times'Fierce, gripping and spine-chilling.' Daily MailA body has washed up in an irrigation canal, the artery running through Yuwonderie, a man-made paradise on the border of the Outback. Stabbed through the heart, electrocuted and dumped under cover of night, there is no doubt that detectives Ivan Lucic and Nell Buchanan are dealing with a vicious homicide. The victim is Athol Hasluck, member of one of the seven dynasties who have controlled every slice of bountiful land in this modern-day Eden for generations.But this is not an isolated incident. Someone is targeting the landed aristocracy of this quiet paradise in the desert. Secrets stretching back decades are rising to the surface at last - but the question remains, who stands to gain most from their demise? Can Ivan and Nell track down a killer before the guilt at the heart of these seven families takes the entire town down with it?Praise for Chris Hammer:'My favourite Australian detective is Nell Buchanan.' - Ann Cleeves'Hammer is a great writer - a leader in Australian noir' Michael Connelly'Shimmers . . . A tortured tale of blood and loss' Val McDermid'Stunning - a page-turner which stays long in the memory' Sunday Times'Utterly brilliant, a darkly simmering mystery.' - Dervla McTiernan'Chris Hammer is at the height of his power here.' - William Shaw'This novel is Hammer's best work yet.' The Times'This may well be Hammer's best work yet. Atmospheric and thrilling. I was gripped.' Victoria Selman'A vivid and gripping thriller' Gytha Lodge'A complex, twisty thriller, with nuanced characters and a winding plot all set in the oppressive Australian heat.' Lisa Hall'This slice of Australian noir sparkles like an opal in the blistering sun.' Lisa Gray'Top-notch Aussie Noir with real heat coming off the pages.' Christopher FowlerScrublands was named Sunday Times Crime Book of the Year 2019 and won the CWA John Creasey Dagger Award in the same year.Dead Man's Creek was named the Times Crime Book of the Year in 2023.

NO ONE IS EVER INNOCENT IN PARADISE.**THE TIMES CRIME BOOK OF THE MONTH****A TIMES CRIME BOOK OF THE YEAR 2024**A small town. A closely guarded secret, stretching back decades. And blood in the water.''A masterful, stunning thriller. A twisting mystery epic in scale yet intricate in detail. Irresistible.'' Chris Whitaker''Epic. Shakespearean in depth and range'' The Times''Fierce, gripping and spine-chilling.'' Daily MailA body has washed up in an irrigation canal, the artery running through Yuwonderie, a man-made paradise on the border of the Outback. Stabbed through the heart, electrocuted and dumped under cover of night, there is no doubt that detectives Ivan Lucic and Nell Buchanan are dealing with a vicious homicide. The victim is Athol Hasluck, member of one of the seven dynasties who have controlled every slice of bountiful land in this modern-day Eden for generations.But this is not an isolated incident. Someone is targeting the landed aristocracy of this quiet paradise in the desert. Secrets stretching back decades are rising to the surface at last - but the question remains, who stands to gain most from their demise? Can Ivan and Nell track down a killer before the guilt at the heart of these seven families takes the entire town down with it?Praise for Chris Hammer:''My favourite Australian detective is Nell Buchanan.'' - Ann Cleeves''Hammer is a great writer - a leader in Australian noir'' Michael Connelly''Shimmers . . . A tortured tale of blood and loss'' Val McDermid''Stunning - a page-turner which stays long in the memory'' Sunday Times''Utterly brilliant, a darkly simmering mystery.'' - Dervla McTiernan''Chris Hammer is at the height of his power here.'' - William Shaw''This novel is Hammer''s best work yet.'' The Times''This may well be Hammer''s best work yet. Atmospheric and thrilling. I was gripped.'' Victoria Selman''A vivid and gripping thriller'' Gytha Lodge''A complex, twisty thriller, with nuanced characters and a winding plot all set in the oppressive Australian heat.'' Lisa Hall''This slice of Australian noir sparkles like an opal in the blistering sun.'' Lisa Gray''Top-notch Aussie Noir with real heat coming off the pages.'' Christopher FowlerScrublands was named Sunday Times Crime Book of the Year 2019 and won the CWA John Creasey Dagger Award in the same year.Dead Man''s Creek was named the Times Crime Book of the Year in 2023.