would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

a cold case
skeletal remains

this one should have held my attention but i found it a bit of a slog so much detail that i was losing it but the storyline did fascinate me but not enough sorry to say

Brilliant intense flawed characters and a superior plot is really all I need to say.....the books blurb says the rest! If you are a lover of good crime then Dead Man's Creek needs to be read :)

My thanks to Headline Wildfire for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Dead Man’s Creek’ by Chris Hammer.

This is the second in Hammer’s series of Australian police procedurals featuring Ivan Lucic and Nell Buchanan. It is loosely connected to his Martin Scarsden series as the journalist is occasionally mentioned.

Following the events in ‘Opal Country’ Nell Buchanan is now a newly minted homicide detective. She is assigned to join DS Ivan Lucic in the new rural flying squad based in Dubbo that will cover the entire state - homicides only.

Their first case involves a return to Nell’s hometown to investigate the discovery of a skeleton at the bottom of a water regulator after it was blown up by environmentalists. Their arrival provokes a threatening response from certain members of the small-town community.

Nell is rather annoyed at being assigned to a decades-old murder - considered a 'file and forget'. Plus, there’s her complicated relationship with her family. It’s hard to dodge them when staying in town. 

Yet it isn’t long until this cold case takes a sinister turn, especially for Nell as old resentments come to the surface. The discovery of further remains raises more questions. Nell begins to consider how well she truly knows those closest to her. No further details to avoid spoilers.

For the most part Nell takes the lead in this novel as Ivan leaves her to finish off the paperwork on the original case. Aside from the present day there are chapters that chronicle events in the past, mainly from the perspective of Tessa Waters, Nell’s mother, in 1973 when she was fifteen.

Hammer provides a family tree at both the opening and closing of the novel. I would advise avoiding the second one until finishing the novel as it contains spoilers.

Hammer also paints a vivid portrait of the rural township including those a local barman describes as ‘Preppers, hippies, cookers’. Apparently ‘cookers’ is Australian slang for conspiracy theorists.

Overall, an excellent example of Outback Noir. As with all of Chris Hammer’s crime novels, I found that ‘Dead Man’s Creek’ chronicled an engaging, complex case that delivers to his usual high standards.

An extremely entertaining mix of crime and family saga set in a vividly described natural setting.

Perfectly paced with a well rounded and believable lead character in Nell Buchanan. Set in three periods - the middle of WW2, 1973 and the present day,

Chris Hammer proves to be one of the most enjoyable writers and storytellers around today.

Sometimes with authors the first book you read will always be your favourite book but with Chris Hammer the last book I read is always my favourite as they genuinely just seem to get better so needless to say this book is one of his best. The locations always play a significant part in this author’s stories and this time is no different although I think the location plays a slightly more subtle part lingering in the background ready to play its part in this story rather than taking centre stage. The characters are all so well written, every character plays their part well no matter how significant, and they feel real and believable. The plot is told through 3 timelines, 1943, 1973, and the present, and although they are helping to tell different parts of the story the way everything weaves together to create a whole is brilliant. This book is a great way to start 2023.

After previously reading the clever mystery of Scrublands by Chris Hammer I was eager to request this novel and so glad I did so!
Chris Hammer is at the top of his game in writing authentic well crafted Aussie mysteries. I wouldn’t hesitate in saying he one of the best. The writing is incredible. And the descriptive language used to immerse you in the Australian landscapes is brilliant.
Can’t wait to read his other works.

Ivan and Nell are sent to the Murray River where it borders Victoria and NSW. Remains have been found by workmen repairing the regulator which had been blown up.
The remains turn out to be from during the war and ivan leaves Nell in town to finish up enquiries and heads back to Dubbo.
Meanwhile Nell faces other things - She is originally from the area and her family live close by. Many years before one of her uncles and her paternal Grandfather both went missing. The body of her Grandfather was found, by Tycho, her uncle was never found.
There are also other things going on in town and things are happening that are not good.
The story flicks between the 1940s, 1973 and now.
It's a complicated story that builds and builds. I really enjoyed it.

This is book two of this series and I usually bang on about starting from the beginning but, in this case, I think it would be OK to read as a stand alone. That said, you would only have one book to play catch up with, and the first in series is a cracking book in itself, so...
After the shenanigans contained within book one, Nell is now a fully fledged detective and has been re-partnered with Ivan and the duo now make up a small rural homicide task force. The discovery of a skeleton within their area has Nell heading home. She is slightly annoyed at both having to face her parents who aren't really happy with her career choice and also that their first case is a historic one. Oh but how she goes on to wish that was all she has to contend with when the case takes a pretty interesting turn throwing her whole history into shade...
As with the Martin Scarsden books (which you really should also read if you haven't) the setting is key and could be considered to be a character in its own right, so integral it is to the plot herein. It's described perfectly and all that description just enhances the narrative, never distracting.
Nell is really coming on as a character too. We learn an awful lot about her herein, not just cos we meet her family, but also her interactions between others. And her pairing with Ivan is also getting going. Albeit it, this book is mostly about her.
But it is the plotting of the story, and its execution, that is head and shoulders above everything here. The main story gets on with itself very well but is also peppered with backstory and testimony which do progress the narrative along a but but also mostly add intrigue to the proceedings which, when it all comes together, it does so with an amazing flash of clarity. And draw dropping wonder.
All in all, a cracking follow up to what was an explosive series opener. I really can't wait to see what the author has in store for next time. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Dead Man’s Creek Chris Hammer

4 stars

This is the second book about Detective Nell Buchanan but it was fine to read this as a stand-alone. Nell has recently been promoted to a Homicide detective and is really excited to have her first case. A body has been discovered near the Murray River but it soon becomes apparent that this is a murder committed many years ago, so a cold case. Nell is also disappointed that she has had to return to her home environment and we realise that there are problems with her family. However, Nell is determined to show how good she is at her new job and throws herself into the investigation.

Another body is discovered and again this one has been dead for many years but slowly and surely the history of the area and the stories of Nell’s own family comes to the fore. The book is divided between different eras and told by different people all of whom are linked to Nell and her family. We go back to the war years when Italian prisoners of war are working in the Murray River area, I had no idea that this had happened in Australia and was intrigued by another aspect of the war from the perspective of another country. We then jump forward to the life of Nell’s own mother and the complicated relationships surrounding Nell’s immediate family.

I must admit, to begin with, I became slightly confused with the different stories but all becomes clearer as the story progresses and the truth was so interesting once all the threads of the story had been pulled together. I really enjoyed the description of the Australian outback and the lives that people lived in a remote community where everyone knew each other and yet so many secrets were hidden.

I would recommend this book, it was totally different to anything I have read before.



Karen Deborah

This was my first Chris Hammer book and I think I’m in the minority when I say it was too complex for me. I kept losing track of who was married to who, was that chap a brother or an uncle, and where did the grandfather fit in? Also, for me, the three different timelines were confusing and I kept forgetting what year we were in. The vivid descriptions of the environment were extremely well written but I thought there was too much detail and they happened too often. It wasn’t as thrilling as I’d hoped it would be but it was a good read for those with more brain matter than me! Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the electronic copy.

I always enjoy Chris Hammer books and I was delighted to receive a copy of his new book Dead Man’s Creek.
Detective Nell Buchanan returns to the place where she grew up to investigate the discovery of a skeleton in a creek.
I enjoyed reading this book, some great characters and some twists and turns.
Thank you to NetGalley and Headline for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

I do love Aussie novels. Things down under are the same and yet they’re not: we share the same language but their vernacular includes many unfamiliar words and phrases; they seem to live outdoors more than in the confines of a house, and of course the country is huge, with wild and unpopulated areas. So in many ways it’s so very different from home. Hammer uses all of these elements in his novels, each set in an obscure and somewhat isolated spot in New South Wales. This tale unfolds in and around a fictional town close to the very real Barmah-Millewa Forest, situated on the border with the state of Victoria.

The Murray River runs through this land which comprises the largest red gum (the colloquial name for a type of very hard Eucalyptus tree) forest in the world. Much of the background to the place and the people featured here stem from a time the author spent a week in this place some years ago, an experience he documented in his non-fiction book The River: A Journey through the Murray-Darling. It’s sparsely populated and wild and at one time (back in the 1940’s) housed Italian prisoners of war. The author uses elements of the geography and history of this area to weave this magical multi-layered, multi-generational tale.

Nell Buchanan, who we met in Hammer’s last book Opal Country has been promoted to Homicide Detective and has been posted to this remote part of the state to partner up with Ivan Lucic (another name that’ll be familiar to readers of the author’s earlier books). The first case she’s asked to investigate is that of human remains found close to a small dam on the Murray River, the remains turning out to have been there for many years. So a stone cold case with no leads, hardly the exciting first case she’d hoped for. But a small consolation – or perhaps not, judging by her initial reaction – is that this is the precise area where she was brought up and in which the vast majority of her family still live.

As the investigation proceeds and more facts regarding the remains become known we also start to learn more about Nell’s family, particularly her mother and her grandfather whose own stories are told in separate, alternating chapters. Nell will get around to visiting her family in due course and strands will start to form an overall picture but it’ll take some time. In the meantime, we’re left to sift through what feels like a fascinating but impenetrable series of discoveries and accounts of past events.

I learned a good deal in this book about how Australians were impacted by the World Wars, particularly WWII. Call me naive if you want but though I knew of the sacrifice made by many of its citizens who fought oversees, I really hadn’t understood the extent to which the war actually touched the island of Australia itself. I was also intrigued by the picture painted of life in this place with its vulnerable ecosystem; this remote community where everybody knows everybody and many can track their family histories back through generations who have continued to live in the same place. So I was both entertained and enlightened, what more can you ask for?

This is a five star read for me. I loved everything about it and I was sad to reach the end of the story. One small word of warning for future readers though: there’s a family tree detailed at the start of the book (at least this is true for the pre-publication version I read) which though it helps to keep track of the names featured in the story it gives a small piece of the mystery away. My advice is to avoid this and take notes if you need to along the way.

A fantastic read that was well written and completely gripping with fantastic characters. I couldn't put it down

I sadly lost interest in this one as I struggled to remain engaged with the storyline and I just did not connect well. Would still recommend, it just was not to my taste.

Another brilliant puzzler by Chris Hammer, Australian crime writer extraordinaire. I feel bereft now that I have finished and would happily give it another star, if permitted. In Dead Man's Creek we are back with freshly promoted homicide detective Nell Buchanan (previously met in Opal Country), as she heads to her childhood home town to investigate a cold case, after skeletal remains are uncovered. Three timelines tell the story as we split between WWII, the 70s and current day. Of all Chris Hammer's novels, I found this the most personal and touching. Because it was Nell's story or the history, I cannot say. But, I felt I walked away with a great deal more knowledge of Australia's involvement in the war and the heavy toll it took on that country. Welcomed knowledge as I grew up with war tales told from the American perspective and now, as an adult, I know much more of British involvement, as well. Expertly handled, here, as it enriched the story immeasurably.

I don't want to reference the plot at all as the story has so many interconnected moving parts. Suffice it to say, it's a corker! As per usual, I skipped the map and family trees, as they are hard to read on a kindle, making more work for myself. I had to invest a fair amount of grey matter to keep the characters straight, and often flipped back to double check facts in the text as I went. Would have been easier if I relied on the family tree but glad I didn't as a few surprises surfaced that caught me unaware.

There is superb action in this novel. More than a couple extremely tense moments giving me sweaty palms worrying over these characters I've grow to care about.

A new Chris Hammer novel is always greeted with glee, for me, as I know I am in for a rich novel full to bursting with complexity. That's what sets this talented writer apart – layer upon layer of history, secrets and murder. It's like peeling back the layers of an onion. It takes a good few layers to reach the core and even then there are more layers to be found. Terrific execution in Dead Man's Creek, as I would expect nothing less, and a greater respect for Nell and Ivan as they carry on with their own story apart from Martin. Sorry, Martin, I'm sure we will circle back to you in due course.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Headline for an advance copy of Dead Man’s Creek, the second novel to feature DC Nell Buchanan and DS Ivan Lucic of New South Wales Police.

Nell and Ivan, in their new role of rural homicide detectives are sent to Tulong, where Nell was brought up, to investigate a skeleton found in the Murray River. They’re not too happy about it, but more bodies, local hostility and links to Nell’s own family make it more than a simple “file and forget”.

I thoroughly enjoyed Dead Man’s Creek, which is a substantial read covering three generations that very cleverly links them all together. I’m not sure where to start with my praise as the author has always produced high quality novels, but this one seems even better with its clever plotting and family drama.

The novel is told from three points of view. Jimmy Waters’ account is told in the form of a statement and goes back to his childhood in the war years. Tessa Waters’ story is told in real time in 1973 and Nell Buchanan pursues her investigation in the present day. The narrative switches between the three of them and while it easy to see some links, others are less obvious and throw up some amazing twists. It’s a cliché that the past casts a long shadow, but in the hands of Mr Hammer the past may cast a long shadow in tangible ways, but there is no hint of cliché as he weaves his magic into a very readable and mostly believable tale of hardship, loss and misjudgment. I was glued to the pages from start to finish.

I like what I tend to think of as the pragmatism in the novel. There is no room for sentimentality, because much of life in these novels is a struggle for survival, be it financial or against an unforgiving climate or both. That’s not to say there isn’t emotion because this is a novel of hard knocks and surprises, but the author doesn’t linger on them and I think this has a bigger impact as the reader digests and imagines the inner turmoil.

The plot itself is very interesting. It throws up enough mysteries to keep the reader interested and even the early solutions to some parts ask more questions. It is well constructed and professional the way it stays on track, despite a wide variety of characters and events.

Dead Man’s Creek is a great read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

There are perfectly good thriller writers and then there is Chris Hammer who has managed to craft a truly magnificent thriller in Dead Mans Creek. There are three timelines he expertly weaves together, this isn’t a read to rush through. The magic of the forest, the back and forth with the war and interplays perfectly with current events. Homicide detective Nell Buchanan returns to her hometown, after being assigned a decades-old murder - a 'file and forget'. But as more bodies turn up, Nell is forced to examine her own past and that of her family. This is an exceptional read by a gifted writer and one which will stay with me for a long time,

Chris Hammer has become one of my favourite authors. I am so glad that I have discovered his work. This book is absolutely fabulous. There are several story lines to follow and they do all intertwine. Plenty of plot twists. I became hooked. Just loved it.

I've become a huge fan of Australian crime novels and Mr Hammer is right up there with the best.
His books just keep getting better and better.
Although I'd strongly recommend that anyone new to this author should read his books in order but this could be read as a standalone.
Can't wait for the next one.

I love Chris Hammer books and Dead Man’s Creek is another brilliant crime story. This is the second in the Ivan Lucic and Nell Buchanan series, again the descriptions of the landscapes are beautiful, detailed and transports you seamlessly to the place. There are 3 timelines to follow that all come together and what unfolds is a fascinating tale of the past, the complex relationships knitted through the generations and of course being small town, old grudges and understandings come to the surface. Lots of twists and turns that keeps you turning the page, trying to guess what’s going on. I highly recommend this book if you like mystery and crime reads with depth.