A murder buried in the past. A secret that should have stayed there. 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.

Newly-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).

NO ONE IS EVER INNOCENT IN PARADISE. A small town. A closely guarded secret, stretching back decades. And blood in the water. A 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 'Chris Hammer's first-class series goes from strength to strength.' - Chris Whitaker '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 Fowler

From the winner of the ACT Book of the year Award for his first book, The River, comes this celebration of the Australian seascape, from its natural grandeur to the quirky individualism of those who live beside it. It is also the heartfelt and pertinent story of the issues facing our coast today and the resilience of communities at a turning point. Chris Hammer travels the length of the east coast of Australia on a journey of discovery and reflection, from the Torres Strait to Tasmania; from an island whose beach has been lost forever to the humbling optimism of the survivors of Cyclone yasi; from the showy beaches of Sydney to a beautiful village that endures despite the loss of its fishing fleet. This is a relevant, satisfying and highly readable book, imbued with a sense of optimism and humour. Even as new economic imperatives emerge and the shift in our climate becomes apparent, we can revel in the heritage and character of our shores, reminding us why the coast is so important to all of us.

Australia's major river system is collapsing. Parts of it are dying; parts of it are already dead. Australia's most significant river no longer reaches the sea. I look out into the dim autumn light and wonder once again how it has come to this . . . In The River, Chris Hammer takes us on a journey through Australia's heartland, following the rivers of the Murray-Darling Basin, recounting his experiences, his impressions, and, above all, stories of the people he meets along the way. It's a journey punctuated with laughter, sadness and reflection. The River looks past the daily news reports and their sterile statistics, revealing the true impact of our rivers' decline on the people who live along their shores, and on the country as a whole. It's a tale that leaves the reader with a lingering sense of nostalgia for an Australia that may be fading away forever.

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 MONTH** **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, bestselling author of We Begin at the End 'Utterly brilliant, a darkly simmering mystery - an Australian Where The Crawdads Sing.' - Dervla McTiernan, bestselling author of The Ruin 'Chris Hammer is at the height of his power here. Dead Man's Creek is a superb piece of storytelling' - William Shaw, bestselling author of the DS Alexandra Cupidi series Newly-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 '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 '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

**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

**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

The gripping page-turner from the No.1 international bestselling author of Scrublands and 'master of Australian noir' Chris Hammer. On a bright sunny day in Port Silver, ex-journalist Martin Scarsden misses a call from his girlfriend Mandy. Checking his voicemail later, all he hears is her terrified scream before the phone cuts off. Back at the house, he finds a policeman unconscious on the floor, and Mandy gone. 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? 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

Old bones sink - but secrets always rise to the surface. 'A commanding, consuming and outright thrilling mystery. Chris Hammer's first-class series goes from strength to strength.' - Chris Whitaker, bestselling author of We Begin at the End 'Utterly brilliant, a darkly simmering mystery.' - Dervla McTiernan, bestselling author of The Ruin 'Chris Hammer is at the height of his power here. Dead Man's Creek is a superb piece of storytelling' - William Shaw, bestselling author of the DS Alexandra Cupidi series Newly-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 '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 '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

AN ENTHRALLING AND PROPULSIVE NEW THRILLER FROM THE ACCLAIMED AND BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF SCRUBLANDS 'Compelling, original and brilliantly executed - an excellent thriller from a new master of Australian noir' CHARLES CUMMING 'Dark, twisty and atmospheric, with writing so real you can almost feel the blistering heat of the Australian summer' LISA HALL * A HOMECOMING MARRED BY BLOOD Journalist 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 CRIME The media descends on Port Silver, 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 ESCAPE As 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 SCRUBLANDS: 'Shimmers . . . A tortured tale of blood and loss' VAL MCDERMID 'Stunning . . . That rare combination, a page-turner that stays long in the memory' SUNDAY TIMES (CRIME BOOK OF THE MONTH) 'An almost perfect crime novel ... Intelligent, thought-provoking, great narrative energy' ANN CLEEVES

* * * WINNER OF THE CWA JOHN CREASEY DAGGER * * * '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) The #1 Bestselling Australian crime novel, perfect for fans of Peter May and Jane Harper 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.

This is a collection of short stories entered into the Fine Line Short Story Prize.