Books & Literature

Book Review: Treasure and Dirt, by Chris Hammer

THRILLER: An opal miner is found crucified and left to rot down his mine. Nothing about the miner’s death is straightforward, not even who found the body. Sydney homicide detective Ivan Lucic is sent to investigate, assisted by inexperienced young investigator Nell Buchanan.

Chris Hammer’s detailed descriptions and layers of outback crime drama will have readers gulping up every page of this unforgettable Australian tale.
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Nailed to a cross and locked in his own opal mine, Jonas McGee’s body was found under questionable circumstances. In small outback towns like Finnigans Gap, it doesn’t take long for rumours to begin to swirl like the dreaded flies, drawn to the tiniest bit of moisture. City slicker Detective Ivan Lucic and ex-local Detective Nell Buchanan are assigned to the perceived martyr’s case to nab the murderer but there’s more than meets the eye in what is left of the 1970s opal rush town. A religious cult, merciless miners, and the detectives’ pasts sneak up like the sweltering heat in the Australian desert—ready to disorientate and make everyone question the truth. 

Chris Hammer’s fourth novel, Treasure and Dirt is a slow-burning crime thriller with layers upon layers of drama packed into a story that includes politics, police practices, and the Australian outback. He takes a good look into politics and the police industry where things are not always so black and white. Hammer’s style of writing is much more about the journey than the destination and with the facts laid out, readers must investigate each piece of the puzzle by turning it over in their minds to figure out exactly how it all fits together.

It is obvious Hammer has felt the intensity of the Australian heat before as only first-hand experience would yield the depth of detail about the outback portrayed in Treasure and Dirt. Most notably there is a scene where Detective Lucic visits the nearly evaporated Lake Kalingra. As the detective traverses the lake, losing fluids quickly, the reader too can feel the delusion from dehydration. With the use of short choppy sentences, Hammer ensures you can taste the dirt, feel the head spin of delirium, and desire to quench a thirst as the detective reaches shelter barely able to squeak through his parched mouth. You yourself will reach for a glass of water!

In a refreshing twist on female primary characters in novels, Detective Nell Buchanan is a strong woman. She knows what she wants and goes after it with a vengeance, methodically running through all possible outcomes before acting on instinct as we would expect from any good detective. Far too often, women in male-dominated industries are depicted as being driven solely by emotions deeming them unworthy of their position. Or they are described as hopelessly lustful over their superiors. This is not the case with Nell and Ivan. The duo is a realistic portrayal of a modern-day professional relationship with only a brief hint at something more when she is in a vulnerable position, and he is trying to show empathy. Detective Buchanan’s character is well-written to the point where readers may see Nell’s fictitious qualities in their real-world girlfriends.

There are two parts of the book that are difficult to follow for the layman without knowledge about geological and financial practices. As Treasure and Dirt’s whole premise is about mining, a significant amount of effort went in to describing what was in the ground and how it was found. Unfortunately, that was lost on this reader. Similarly, there was a section of financial jargon about share markets that may leave non-experts questioning what is happening. However, to bridge the knowledge gap, Hammer includes a conversation between two of the characters that breaks down term by term what it all means. This doesn’t feel forced, but rather helpful as Hammer was aware not all his readers would be investment specialists. Thankfully, if you don’t focus too much on understanding every detail, knowing that there are specific rocks and financial drama is enough to enjoy the story line.

Another big plus about Treasure and Dirt is the inclusion of a map in the front of the book. The diagram aids in providing a clear idea of where everything is in the town and how the locations might impact the investigation. For books that have multiple, complex locations, maps should always be included.

For those that enjoyed Jane Harper’s The Dry, Treasure and Dirt would be a suitable next step in the Australian noir genre. Hammer’s books continue with similar themes of drought-ridden outback towns that have seen better days. Hammer writes about a similar theme in his acclaimed Scrublands, and although previous characters are mentioned to keep continuity in his stories, it is not necessary to have read the first three books. There is also a touch of Dervla McTiernan’s Cormac Reilly series which relies heavily on Irish police investigations, and an air of TV series, House of Cards in its closed-door politics. As a true crime lover and avid watcher of police dramas, reading Treasure and Dirt was like finding a rare black opal—an unforgettable experience.

Reviewed by Alessa Young

Distributed by: Allen & Unwin
Released: September 2021
RRP: $32.99

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