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* * *NOW A MAJOR BBC TV SERIES * * * THE #1 BESTSELLING AUSTRALIAN CRIME NOVEL WINNER OF THE CWA JOHN CREASEY DAGGER SUNDAY 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 vers...
The stunning new novel 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
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 Night 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 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 TIMES CRIME BOOK OF THE MONTH** 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 youn...
An unputdownable standalone thriller from the bestselling author of Scrublands. In the desolate outback town of Finnigans Gap, police struggle to maintain law and order. Thieves pillage opal mines, religious fanatics recruit vulnerable young people and billionaires do as they please. Then 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. 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? As time runs out, their only chance at redemption is to find the killer. But the more secrets they uncover, the more harrowing the mystery becomes, as events from years ago take on a startling new significance. For in Finnigans Gap, opals, bodies and secrets don't stay buried forever. A superb standalone thriller from the acclaimed and award-winning author of the international bestsellers Scrublands, Silver and Trust.
A celebration of the Australian seascape--from its natural grandeur to the quirky individualism of those who live beside it--this is the heartfelt and pertinent story of the issues facing Australia's coast today and the resilience of its communities at a turning point. Traveling from the Torres Strait to Tasmania and from the showy beaches of Sydney to a beautiful village that endures despite the loss of its fishing fleet, this journey is imbued with a sense of optimism and humor. Even as new economic imperatives emerge and the shift in climate becomes apparent, this book revels in the heritage and character of Australia's shores.
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.
This charming and timeless tale of a beetle searching for a missing friend gently shows that true friendship endures through even the biggest of changes. Beetle and Caterpillar are best friends. Every day, they sit together on a big rock, sharing a picnic and looking out over the forest. But one day, Caterpillar goes missing and Beetle cannot find her. Beetle sets out on a long journey through the forest, but Caterpillar is nowhere to be seen. Beetle’s just about to give up when a friendly (and rather familiar) butterfly appears out of nowhere. Can it be Beetle’s friend? She may look different, but the love they feel for one another is the same as ever.
Updated since the decision to begin Turkey's admission to the European Union. Turkey is a country in a state of flux, swept along by an extraordinary process of change. In the last few years, a series of far-reaching political and economic reforms has swept away much of the old order which ruled the country for so long. Some people call it a second Turkish revolution. But resistance to reform remains strong. Pressure for change has come from ordinary people fed up with the old ways; it's also been motivated by the dominant issue of Turkish political life - the long pursuit of membership of the European Union. And yet Turkey remains a mystery to many outsiders; a complex country hard to understand. It's secular and Muslim, Western and Eastern, democratic and authoritarian, all at the same time. This book examines the potential and the problems of the new Turkey, and the expectations of the people who live there, drawing on first-hand interviews and observations gathered over several years.
It’s the late 1970s and 20-something Christopher Fowler is a film freak, obsessively watching lousy films in run-down fleapit cinemas. He longs to be a famous screenwriter and put his dreams on the big screen. And so he heads for Wardour Street, Britain’s equivalent of Hollywood. But he’s made a spectacular mistake, arriving just as the nation’s filmmakers are falling to their knees, brought low by the arrival of video and the destruction of the old movie palaces. The only films being made are smutty low budget farces and TV spinoffs and instead of being asked to write another 'Bullitt’, he's churning out short films advertising boilers and nylon sheets. Somehow, against the odds, he finds success – although in a very different guise to the one he expected. From the sticky Axminster of the local cinema to the red carpet at Cannes, Film Freak is a grimly hilarious and acutely observed trawl through the arse-end of the British film industry that turns into an ultimately affecting search for friendship and happiness.