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The Valley
Brief Description
Nell Buchanan and Ivan Lucic are back—and Nell is thrown into her most emotionally fraught homicide yet. A controversial entrepreneur is murdered in a remote mountain valley, but this is no ordinary case when Nell discovers that the victim is a close blood relative. The investigation...
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The Valley
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A stunning thriller from the bestselling author of Scrublands and The Seven.
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Description
Nell Buchanan and Ivan Lucic are back—and Nell is thrown into her most emotionally fraught homicide yet.
A controversial entrepreneur is murdered in a remote mountain valley, but this is no ordinary case when Nell discovers that the victim is a close blood relative.
The investigation delves into Nell's own family to uncover a mystery years in the making. What was her mother's involvement, and what was the connection to troubled young police officer Simmons Burnside? And why do the police hierarchy insist Ivan and Nell stay with the case despite an obvious conflict of interest?
Praise for The Valley:
'Hammer has confirmed and underlined his reputation as numbering among the very best novelists in detective fiction.' Sydney Morning Herald
'Complex and nuanced, this intelligent thriller shows why former political journalist Chris Hammer has become one of Australia's best-loved authors.' Caroline Overington, The Australian on The Valley
'Well-written and powerful, The Valley confirms Hammer's place as a master of bush crime.' Canberra Weekly
Praise for Chris Hammer:
'Hammer has confirmed and underlined his reputation as numbering among the very best novelists in detective fiction.' Sydney Morning Herald
'Chris Hammer at the height of his powers ... absolutely not to be missed!' Hayley Scrivenor, author of Dirt Town on The Tilt
'A darkly simmering mystery, gorgeously told ... Utterly brilliant.' Dervla McTiernan, author of The Ruin and What Happened to Nina?
'It would be unfair to say Chris Hammer is at the top of the crime writing game. Chris Hammer IS the game. Full Tilt may be a better title, given the speed with which readers will devour Chris Hammer's exceptional novel.' Benjamin Stevenson, author of Everyone On This Train is a Suspect
'Like everything Chris Hammer writes, The Tilt is a rich, complex thriller, packed with detail and intrigue. There's a reason why this guy is on my auto-read list!' Christian White, author of The Nowhere Child
'Chris Hammer is a great writer ... a leader in Australian noir.' Michael Connelly
'If you haven't read Hammer before, this is the perfect time to experience one of the best writers Australia has to offer. Rife with intrigue, murder, and small-town secrets, Treasure and Dirt is a spectacular thriller that delivers some unforgettable characters with twists and turns you won't see coming. Hammer has raised the bar for Australian crime, and this is a must-read.' Better Reading
'Chris Hammer has excelled himself with Trust...a thriller strong on character development, social insights, ethical issues and dramatic action.' Weekend Australian
'The best Australian crime novel since Peter Temple's The Broken Shore.' The Times on Silver
'Shimmers with heat from the sun and from the passions that drive a tortured tale of blood and loss.' Val McDermid on Scrublands
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781761472862
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 06 January 2026
Country: Australia
Imprint: Allen & Unwin
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Width: 128.0mm
Height: 198.0mm
Weight: 250g
Pages: 480
Collections
About the Author
Chris Hammer is a leading Australian crime fiction author. His first book, Scrublands, was an instant #1 bestseller upon publication in 2018. It won the prestigious UK Crime Writers' Association John Creasey New Blood Dagger and was shortlisted for awards in Australia and the United States.
Scrublands has been sold into translation in several foreign languages. Chris's follow-up books-Silver (2019), Trust (2020), Treasure & Dirt (2021), The Tilt (2022) and The Seven (2023)-are also bestsellers and all have been shortlisted for major literary prizes. The Valley is his seventh novel.
The Tilt (published as Dead Man's Creek in the UK) was named The Sunday Times Crime Book of the Year for 2023.
Scrublands has been adapted for television, screening globally, and a second series based on Silver aired in 2025.
Before turning to fiction, Chris was a journalist for more than thirty years. He has written two non-fiction books The River (2010) and The Coast (2012).
He has a bachelor's degree in journalism from Charles Sturt University and a master's degree in international relations from the Australian National University.
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The Tilt
A man runs for his life in a forest. A woman plans sabotage. A body is unearthed. 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, as the discovery of more bodies triggers a chain of escalating events in the present day. As...Paperback$2200Elsewhere:$2499Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Legacy
MARTIN SCARSDEN IS ON THE RUN. WILL THE DESERT SAVE HIM - OR BURY HIM? The sound hits them, a shock wave ... glass smashing ... Somewhere a woman screams. A second explosion, and Martin looks towards the hall, what's left of it, flames roaring and smoke pouring skywards. Someone is targeting Martin Scarsden. They bomb his book launch and...Paperback$3300Elsewhere:$3799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Scrublands
NOW A MAJOR TV SERIES Winner of the 2019 CWA Dagger New Blood Award for Best First Crime Novel In an isolated country town brought to its knees by endless drought, a charismatic and dedicated young priest calmly opens fire on his congregation, killing five parishioners before being shot dead himself. A year later, troubled journalist Martin Scarsden arrives in...Paperback$2000Elsewhere:$2499Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Silver
"Chris Hammer is a great writer - a leader in Australian noir." - Michael Connelly "I think this is even better than the first." - Ann Cleeves "The best Australian crime novel since Peter Temple's The Broken Shore." - The Times For half a lifetime, journalist Martin Scarsden has run from his past. But now there is no escaping. He'd...Paperback$2100Elsewhere:$2499Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
The Seven
The Seven by Chris Hammer is a gripping thriller that plunges you into the dark and secretive world of Yuwonderie, a district dominated by seven founding families. For a century, these families have ruled with an iron fist, amassing wealth and power while keeping their secrets deeply buried. But the unbridled control of The Seven faces a shocking upheaval when...Paperback$3199Elsewhere:$3699Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Trust
"This thrill ride of a story is everything we have come to expect and more." Better Reading Martin Scarsden's new life seems perfect, right up until the moment it's shattered by a voicemail: a single scream, abruptly cut off, from his partner Mandalay Blonde. Racing home, he finds an unconscious man sprawled on the floor and Mandy gone. Someone has...Paperback$2499Unit price /UnavailableBackorderShips mid August -
Treasure and Dirt
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...Paperback$2499Unit price /UnavailableBackorderShips late August -
Scrublands
WINNER, CWA Dagger New Blood Award for Best First Crime Novel SHORTLISTED, Best Debut Fiction, Indie Book Awards SHORTLISTED, Best First Mystery or Crime Novel - Barry Awards FOUR PART TV SERIES In an isolated country town brought to its knees by endless drought, a charismatic and dedicated young priest calmly opens fire on his congregation, killing five parishioners before...Paperback$2300Elsewhere:$2499Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
The Valley
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The Seven
Yuwonderie's seven founding families have lorded it over their district for a century, growing ever more rich and powerful. But now—in startling circumstances—one of their own is found dead in a ditch, and homicide detectives Ivan Lucic and Nell Buchanan are sent to investigate. Could the murder be connected to the execution of the victim's friend thirty years ago—another member...Paperback$2799Unit price /UnavailableBackorderShips mid August -
The River
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... Join award-winning author Chris Hammer on a journey through Australia's largest river system, the Murray-Darling Basin....Paperback$4199Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Silver
NOW A MAJOR TV SERIES 'Chris Hammer is a great writer - a leader in Australian noir.' - Michael Connelly 'I think this is even better than the first.' - Ann Cleeves 'The best Australian crime novel since Peter Temple's The Broken Shore.' - The Times For half a lifetime, journalist Martin Scarsden has run from his past. But now...Paperback$2799Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks
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