A captivating Aussie thriller filled with sun-scorched characters and the welcome return of a familiar face.
Feature image credit: Allen & Unwin
Chris Hammer returns to the Australian Outback with his latest book, and he’s brought back an old friend to face his greatest challenge: Martin Scarsden.
While launching his latest book on the Melbourne Mafia, an attempt is made on his life, forcing Martin to head deep into the middle of nowhere if he has any hope of surviving. On the advice of a trusted friend, he heads to Port Paroo on the New South Wales/Queensland border. Under a false name and without any means of communicating with the outside world, Scarsden becomes entangled in a decades-old feud between rival farming families.
On the other side of the metaphorical and physical fence line, Ekaterina ‘Ecco’ Boland, a disgraced and desperate writer, is chronicling the history of one of the families, the challenges of climate change all under the shrouded mysterious disappearance of the owner’s daughter Chloe 20 years ago. Soon, she is entangled in the efforts to disgrace and destroy Martin Scarsden and risking her own life to ensure the truth is uncovered.
Hammer’s decision to return Martin Scarsden to the fore is a welcome, including a clever Easter egg linking the current book to the Stan television series. There are also the expected and welcome familiar faces, which interconnect Hammer’s previous works to the current turn of events.
As with previous books, Hammer has varied the writing styles – with Martin’s written in the third person, Ecco’s in the first person and each chapter ending with the diarised entries of the absent daughter, Chloe. The decision to use multitudinous styles, particularly the two differing ones for Martin and Ecco, is (at first) a curiosity, but soon settles into a rhythm which works, simply and effectively. This time around, unlike his previous works, the landscape takes a backseat to the current and historic mysteries. It is still paramount to the story’s throughline, but this time it stands opaque, while still essential.
Hammer’s eighth book has some coincidental stretches but still delivers a welcome addition to the expanding universe, and those craving more Martin Scarsden will not be disappointed.
Reviewed by Glen Christie
The views expressed in this review belong to the author and not Glam Adelaide, its affiliates, or employees.
Distributed by: Allen & Unwin
Released: September 2025
RRP: $34.99
