Dead Man’s Creek
On sale
5th January 2023
Price: £18.99
Genre
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, 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
‘I doubt I’ll read a better novel this year.’ – The Times
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
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, 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
‘I doubt I’ll read a better novel this year.’ – The Times
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
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Reviews
My favourite Australian detective is Nell Buchanan. Dead Man's Creek is a richly textured novel.
A complex, twisty thriller, with nuanced characters and a winding plot all set in the oppressive Australian heat.
Opal Country is a top-notch Aussie Noir with real heat coming off the pages.
A brilliantly atmospheric mystery.
This novel - tighter, tougher, tenser - is Hammer's best work yet.
Chris Hammer is regarded as one of Australia's best new noir crime writers, and this immersive and lyrically written thriller copper-fastens this well-deserved reputation.
Gold standard Outback noir [...] Chris Hammer's best writing to date.
Nobody does Australian outback crime better. Hammer nails it again.
Opal Country is richly rewarding. Hammer is quite brilliant.
A fast-paced and thrilling read.
Keeps you stuck to the story like an Outback miner's shirt to his back
A sharp thriller
A master of the crime genre
Utterly brilliant, a darkly simmering mystery - an Australian Where The Crawdads Sing.
Timely and timeless, Dead Man's Creek is some of the finest crime fiction out there. Chris Hammer just gets better.
Chris Hammer is at the height of his power here. Dead Man's Creek is a superb piece of storytelling - a dark and compelling saga brilliantly rooted in a rich Australian landscape.
A commanding, consuming and outright thrilling mystery. Chris Hammer's first-class series goes from strength to strength.
This a superb book, a totally compelling story of small town secrets, multi-layered and beautifully written.
Dead Man's Creek has it all-a vivid setting, characters that live and breathe and feel utterly real, and an epic mystery stretching across decades that thrills and surprises. This is a perfect crime novel.
Dingo noir at its finest. This may well be Hammer's best work yet. Atmospheric and thrilling. I was gripped.
The publication of Chris Hammer book has become one of those events that you eagerly await. Dead Man's Creek is no exception. Mesmerising and unputdownable from start to finish, Chris is a master at work.
A vivid and gripping thriller where long-buried secrets were interwoven brilliantly with current threat. I loved it!
Chris Hammer at the height of his powers ... absolutely not to be missed!
It would be unfair to say Chris Hammer is at the top of the crime writing game. Chris Hammer IS the game. Readers will devour Chris Hammer's exceptional novel.
Chris has an another absolute cracker on his hands here. Chris is without a doubt one of the best active Australian crime writers, and a new book from him is always an unmissable event. One of those stories you don't want to put down once you've started.
A rich, complex thriller, packed with detail and intrigue.
Chris Hammer has another hit on his hands. Great characters, a riveting plot, and an evocative setting. Hammer is a modern-day master, and this book has it all.
A fantastic rural crime story with a huge family saga running through it all
Chris Hammer has surpassed himself in Dead Man's Creek. I doubt I'll read a better novel this year.
Gripping
Sleek, savage and addictive
Exceptional. This is storytelling that grasps the reader like poison ivy, never once losing its hypnotic grip: both compelling and masterful.
An excellent, multi-layered and atmospheric thriller
Hammer is at his best in this panoramic novel
A sprawling and gripping new crime novel from the Australian noir master,
A delight from start to finish
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.
