Opal Country by Chris Hammer

 

First Line: The night is perfect for ratting.

 

When big-city Detective Sergeant Ivan Lucic arrives in Finnegans Gap to investigate the death of an opal miner, he feels as though he's landed on another planet-- a planet filled with wind, dirt, and blast furnace heat. His local partner in the investigation is Detective Constable Navelle Buchanan, and her insight into the area is invaluable. 

 

Nothing is straightforward, neither about the man's death nor the person who found him. In this desolate outback town, police struggle to maintain order. Opal mines are ransacked by thieves. Religious fanatics recruit vulnerable youngsters, and the rich? Well, the rich always seem to do whatever they want.

Finnegans Gap has proved tough on the police. It's ended one police officer's career and damaged others, and now allegations have been made against both Ivan Lucic and Nell Buchanan. But the two are relentless, and there's one thing that the people of Finnegans Gap must learn: nothing stays buried forever.

~

Chris Hammer is an Australian author who's been on my radar for a couple of years, and since I love opals, Opal Country persuaded me that this is where I needed to jump in and test the waters.

Ivan Lucic is a fascinating, multi-faceted character. His introduction to the climate in Finnegans Gap made me smile, desert dweller that I am, and his driving skill on dirt roads made me laugh out loud. There's a subplot involving his partner, Detective Inspector Morris Montifiore, that he's got to be wary of since the workings of any police force's "internal affairs" are serious. Lucic is well-described as " a lone wolf forced to tend a flock," It can chafe him when he realizes that he has to keep Nell Buchanan in the loop, and that there are people in Finnegans Gap for whom he has a duty of care. He's also got a gambling problem that almost made me roll my eyes until Hammer worked his magic on it.

Nell Buchanan is another fascinating character. She's relatively new on the job and has faced her share of misogyny, but she's incredibly dedicated and intuitive. However, she can also be incredibly thoughtless. These two form a very interesting partnership.

As an American of a certain age, I have to admit being thrown each and every time one of the bad guys was mentioned by name. Why? Because the name is Bullwinkel, that's why. I kept hearing Boris and Natasha muttering away about "Moose and Squirrel" in my ear. Ah well. The name certainly didn't stop him from being a five-star slimeball. 

As Lucic and Buchanan fought their way to the truth and Opal Country concluded in a good old-fashioned shootout, I gained a hearty respect for the mayor of Deadmans Well. That's one very important thing I learned about Chris Hammer: never dismiss one of his characters. You never know what they're capable of (other than surprising you). 

Hammer's setting took me right into Australia's opal country and gave me a nice, twisty mystery to solve alongside some amazing characters. I'll be back for more.

Opal Country (APA Treasure and Dirt) by Chris Hammer

ISBN: 9781472272966

Wildfire © 2022

Hardcover, 512 pages

 

Police Procedural

Rating: A

Source: Purchased from Amazon UK.

Scrublands by Chris Hammer

First Lines: The day is still. The heat, having eased during the night, is building again; the sky is cloudless and unforgiving, the sun punishing.

A year ago, an isolated rural community plagued by endless drought faced the unthinkable: the local priest killed five parishioners before being killed himself. Now journalist Martin Scarsden is there to write a piece for his newspaper. How have the people of Riversend coped with the tragedy during the past year?

It doesn't take long for Martin to realize that the accepted conclusion made by police, media, and townspeople may be wrong. And just as he feels that he's making progress, the bodies of two backpackers-- missing since the shootings-- are discovered in a dam in the scrublands, a deserted backwoods marked by frequent brush fires. Once more, Riversend is buried alive with a heaving mass of representatives from every branch of the media, and Martin's job just got a whole lot harder. What was the real reason behind the priest's shooting spree, and does it connect to the backpacker murders? As strange things happen all around him, Martin finds himself risking everything he has to learn the truth-- even his life.

From the very beginning, Chris Hammer's Scrublands grabbed me by the throat and drew me right into the heart of the story. For one thing, I love reading books written by people with a literal as well as a poetic understanding of heat. Must be because I've lived in the Sonoran Desert for many years. But it was also the story itself that wouldn't turn me loose. Why would a young priest-- one who's well-liked by almost everyone in the community-- take a rifle and murder five people?

There are many things to ponder in Scrublands. Martin's own PTSD from an assignment in the Mideast. How PTSD has affected the entire area around Riversend for years (a section that contains some of the best writing in the entire book). And then there's the ambiguity of the town's name. Is it River Send or River's End? Yes, there are many things to think about, just as there's an excellent story to enjoy.

The solution to the murder of the backpackers came as more of a surprise than it should have, primarily because the priest's story took center stage. This book was racing full-out to my Best Reads of 2019 list when it faltered yards before the finish line. What happened? When the story was being wrapped up at the end, there were just too many people with too many motivations. I almost felt as though I needed a scorecard. Be that as it may, Scrublands is still a cracking good read that I certainly recommend. I look forward to other books by Chris Hammer.

Scrublands by Chris Hammer

eISBN: 9781501196768

Atria Books © 2019

eBook, 385 pages

Standalone, Investigative Journalist

Rating: A-

Source: Purchased from Amazon.