Scrublands

By: Chris Hammer

Narrated by: Rupert Degas

In this searing, “indisputable page-turner” (Associated Press), a town’s dark secrets come to light in the aftermath of a young priest’s unthinkable last act—in the vein of The Dry and Where the Crawdads Sing.

In Riversend, an isolated Australian community afflicted by an endless drought, a young priest does the unthinkable: he kills five parishioners before being taken down himself.

A year later, journalist Martin Scarsden arrives in Riversend. His assignment: to report how the townspeople are coping as the anniversary of the tragedy approaches. But as Martin meets the locals and hears their version of events, he begins to realize that the accepted explanation—a theory established through an award-winning investigation by Martin’s own newspaper—may be wrong.

Just as Martin believes he’s making headway, a shocking new crime rocks the town. As the national media flocks to the scene, Martin finds himself thrown into a whole new mystery.

What was the real reason behind the priest’s shooting spree? And how does it connect to other deaths in the district, if at all? Martin struggles to uncover the town’s dark secrets, putting his job, his mental state, and his very life at risk.

For fans of James Lee Burke, Jane Harper, and Robert Crais, Scrublands is “a gritty debut...sensitively rendered” (The New York Times Book Review) that marks Chris Hammer as a stunning new voice in crime fiction.

Reader excellent with voices. With such a large cast, the voices are essential.

I liked the pace and prediction quality. The author is especially skilled at descriptions. The story was captivating and held my interest.

A Journo's Evolution from Witness to Participant

Everything clicks here with Chris Hammer's very smart examination of murder, drugs, corruption and mayhem in Australia's drought-stricken, western scrublands through the eyes of a Aussie journo struggling with PTSD .
There's a lot going on -- a lot. And this requires quite a bit of exposition. But it's wrapped up in clear, concise and sometime poetic prose as well as crackling dialogue that captures the Australian genius for descriptive naming, but still accessible to outsiders. It wasn't hard to follow on audio, but there were dozens of characters and plots to keep track of which might be easier for some through print. But regardless of the medium, well worth the investment.

Didn’t want it to end!

Great writing, great characters. Great performances. Engaging throughout. The dry Aussie humor and turns of phrase made me smile constantly.

Wonderful new author, excellent narrator

I thought this was a really well written and twisty mystery. One of the things I love about this book is that the heat and desolation of the setting is palpable. The landscape is very much a character and driving force in its own right. I will definitely be looking for more books by Mr. Hammer in the future.

I enjoyed Rupert Degas’s reading. The characters had distinct voices and it was easy to tell who was speaking. He did a good job with the women’s voices— not too insipid. I am already looking for other books narrated by Mr. Degas.

A Good Mystery

I looked forward to listening whenever I could devote my brain to this clever mystery. But it's much more than a mystery. There's kind of a lot of characters, so I needed to pay attention, which wasn't difficult. I hope there will be more fiction from this author. Highly recommended.

This Australian performer was so easy to listen to and he performed every part incredibly well giving each character their own voice. I had to double check to make sure they listed only one narrator. A great performance!