NO ONE IS EVER INNOCENT IN PARADISE.

**THE TIMES CRIME BOOK OF THE MONTH**

**A TIMES CRIME BOOK OF THE YEAR 2024**
A small town.

A closely guarded secret, stretching back decades.

And blood in the water.

'A masterful, stunning thriller. A twisting mystery epic in scale yet intricate in detail. Irresistible.' Chris Whitaker

'Epic. Shakespearean in depth and range' The Times

'Fierce, gripping and spine-chilling.' Daily Mail

A body has washed up in an irrigation canal, the artery running through Yuwonderie, a man-made paradise on the border of the Outback. Stabbed through the heart, electrocuted and dumped under cover of night, there is no doubt that detectives Ivan Lucic and Nell Buchanan are dealing with a vicious homicide.

The victim is Athol Hasluck, member of one of the seven dynasties who have controlled every slice of bountiful land in this modern-day Eden for generations.

But this is not an isolated incident. Someone is targeting the landed aristocracy of this quiet paradise in the desert. Secrets stretching back decades are rising to the surface at last - but the question remains, who stands to gain most from their demise?

Can Ivan and Nell track down a killer before the guilt at the heart of these seven families takes the entire town down with it?

Praise for Chris Hammer:
'My favourite Australian detective is Nell Buchanan.' - Ann Cleeves

'Hammer is a great writer - a leader in Australian noir' Michael Connelly

'Shimmers . . . A tortured tale of blood and loss' Val McDermid

'Stunning - a page-turner which stays long in the memory' Sunday Times

'Utterly brilliant, a darkly simmering mystery.' - Dervla McTiernan

'Chris Hammer is at the height of his power here.' - William Shaw

'This novel is Hammer's best work yet.' The Times

'This may well be Hammer's best work yet. Atmospheric and thrilling. I was gripped.' Victoria Selman

'A vivid and gripping thriller' Gytha Lodge

'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

'Top-notch Aussie Noir with real heat coming off the pages.' Christopher Fowler

Scrublands was named Sunday Times Crime Book of the Year 2019 and won the CWA John Creasey Dagger Award in the same year.

Dead Man's Creek was named the Times Crime Book of the Year in 2023.