Set over three timelines 19 14, 1994 and the present day. Two detectives are investigating the murder of a local accountant in the present day starts of a present day, and a body has been found. The setting is the town of Yuwonderie, in southwestern New South Wales. The narrative flights between three timelines, and it is clear that today’s murder has a lot to do with the past.

Somewhat of a slow burn for me, but I enjoyed the discussion of water selling and irrigation systems .

A solid 3 stars.

Updated review as there was a NetGalley glitch and is disappeared from my shelves.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Chris Hammer is an astonishing Aussie crime and mystery writer, I love how he blends actual truths and realities in his gripping storytelling and shines a light on aspects of Australian history, its horrifying treatment of the aboriginal community, the issue of race, environmentalism, the impact of climate change, politics, class inequalities, crime, scams, and the development of certain practices, such as water trading. On the surface, small outback town Yuwonderie looks picture perfect, but beneath the surface it simmers with an unsettling and disturbing history of secrets, abuse of power, corruption, crime, murder, ruthlessness and more. In the present day, DS Ivan Lucic and DC Nell Buchanan arrive in NSW from Dubbo, to investigate the brutal murder of a minor family member of the ruling seven families, his body dumped in a canal on the land owned by Otto Titchfield, local MP.

The victim, Athol Hasluck was a married accountant, his killing guaranteeing intense media interest, so the pressure is on to solve the politically sensitive murder as soon as possible, and avoid upsetting the town's power players, keen on keeping a close eye on the case, willing to interfere if they do not like the direction inquiries might be taking the police. There are several threads that do eventually connect latter on in the narrative, there is mixed race aboriginal Bessie Walker who arrives as a maid to work for the Heartwoods in 1913 and writes letter primarily to her mother of her life and developing relationship with Jack Marney. In the 1990s, Davis Heartwood upsets the applecart with his lack of interest in running the Three Wells Station, intent on researching and writing the history of the 7 and the Murrumbidgee irrigation scheme, he disappears with his girlfriend. In the present, the team dig into the history of a heavily in debt Hasluck, having little idea just how dangerous the case will become, will they live to uncover the truth?

This is informative and rip roaring storytelling from the talented Hammer, it is well researched, intricately plotted, that capture the complexities of small town history and developments, the importance of access to water as communities are devastated as droughts become increasingly more common, where the powerful few, with their murky pasts, continue to prosper at the expense of everyone else. There are surprising twists and turns in the compulsive tense and suspenseful read, and I cannot wait to read the next in the series! Many thanks to the publisher for the ARC.

Last summer at the famed Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in Yorkshire, Australian author Chris Hammer sat onstage with Virginia author SA Cosby as featured guests in front of an audience of several hundred keen readers; two shining stars of our genre in recent years who, as they said in their fascinating conversation, ‘may have struggled to sneak in the back of the tent’ only a few years ago. While Cosby has brought fresh voice to Southern noir, Hammer has likewise helped refresh and elevate Australian crime writing globally (alongside the likes of Jane Harper, Emma Viskic, and others). His outstanding debut Scrublands, recently adapted into a very good limited series that has screened on BBC in the UK and is tabbed for Sundance Now in the US, demonstrated the variety of stories that could be told in the heat-struck Australian Outback. While it may have somewhat shared a drought-stricken setting with Harper’s The Dry, it was a very different tale.

In his sixth and latest novel, Cover the Bones (The Seven in Australia and New Zealand), Hammer continues to explore different aspects of the Australian landscape, and the collision between nature and man, land and commerce. And he laces plenty of richness and nuance into his settings, characters, and storylines.

This time, detectives Ivan Lucic and Nell Buchanan investigate a death in Yuwonderie, a small town in western NSW, where seven affluent families have reigned for a century; fortunes built on an ambitious irrigation scheme that changed landscapes and lives. Now the body of Athol Hasluck, from one of the seven dynasties, has washed up in an irrigation ditch – stabbed and electrocuted. Is someone targeting this land’s self-appointed aristocracy? Hammer masterfully weaves his tale across diverse timeframes and perspectives, including letters from a First Nations employee from before and during the First World War, and the events that led to the unsolved murder of another of the Seven families’ own forty years ago. Secrets and lies, resources and wealth. Lucic and Buchanan dig into the past, the corruption and taint beneath the founders white-washed history.

Hammer masterfully hauls readers along with a narrative full of intrigue, depth, and a rich sense of place, blending a tasty concoction of history and mystery (and thrills). Cover the Bones is another excellent tale from a storyteller who’s skipped from the back of the tent to among the head of the class.

[review written for US-based books magazine, Deadly Pleasures]

Cover the Bones is a fast paced crime mystery set in the Australian out back and written over three timelines. The murder of a local accountant is investigated by detectives Lucic and Buchanan and leads them to uncover a tangled web of deceit dating back a century. Although this is the third in a series, it can be read as a standalone. A compulsive thriller that defines the author of a leading light in Australian noir. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

This was an enjoyable novel on a number of levels, as ever with Chris Hammer the landscape is an important character, particularly in this book as he delves into a fascinating history of irrigation and town building. On a more contemporary level there is organised crime and the partnership of Nell and Ivan fighting it!
On the downside I did get a bit bogged down with the Seven families and their interrelationships but overall a page turning read.
Thank you to netgalley and headline for an advance copy of this book

Embark on a captivating journey deep into the heart of the Australian Outback with this intricately woven thriller that unfolds across three distinct time periods. The seemingly idyllic town of Yuwonderie, a manmade oasis in the vast expanse of the Outback, thrives on the prosperity afforded by a sophisticated irrigation system established by seven influential dynasties in the early 20th century.

When a lifeless body surfaces in one of the irrigation canals, detectives Ivan Lucic and Nell Buchanan find themselves entangled in a complex murder investigation. The victim, Athol Hasluck, a member of the town's founding families, grappled with financial woes and political aspirations, adding layers of intrigue to the case.

The roots of Athol's murder trace back 90 years, intertwining with the poignant love story of Bessie, a woman of mixed heritage employed by the affluent Titchfield family, and their neighbor Jack Marney, a fellow scheme member who ventured off to war. In 1993, young David Heartwood, hailing from one of the dynasties, delves into Yuwonderie's history, posing questions that culminate in tragedy.

As Ivan and Nell work diligently to connect the disparate threads, fans of Chris Hammer will recognize the appearance of journalist Martin Scarsden, whose involvement threatens to expose the sordid tale. While the narrative demands concentration, the effort is richly rewarded in this meticulously crafted tale that unfolds across time, offering a gripping and immersive reading experience.

The E-Book could be improved and more user-friendly, such as links to the chapters, no significant gaps between words and a cover for the book would be better. It is very document-like instead of a book. A star has been deducted because of this.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
It’s #3 in the series and it works well as a standalone.
Beautifully written with brilliant descriptions, lots of suspense and twists with a great ending.
Characters are all well developed.
It’s written over three timelines. In 1913, Bessie writes to her mother about the irrigation systems planning. In 1993, Davis is researching the history of the irrigation system for his degree and in the present day, Ivan Lucic and Nell Buchanan investigate a murder.
Definitely recommend this atmospheric crime thriller.
With thanks to #NetGallery and @headlinebooks for an eARC of #CoverTheBones in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are my own.
Book publishes 4 January 2024.

This is the first book I've read in this series and after a slow start, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The setting of a rural Australian town with a rich irrigation scheme dominated by seven influential families was enjoyable. Really made me want to visit Australia.
The novel is written over three timelines which I found enjoyable as it showed a lot about the changing opinions/attitudes to class racial structures over the hundred or so years. However, at its heart, this is a police procedural into the death of a local accountant who is on the periphery of the influential families governing the town.

Like a jigsaw waiting to be complete, Cover the Bones drip feeds information that may or not be pertinent to the investigation and I found myself longing for just a little more time in each of the three timelines so I could discover the links/clues.
Beautifully written with lovely prose, a lot of suspense and a very satisfying ending!

I hadn’t realised this was the third in a series with Australian police Nell and Ivan, and I’d have probably given it a miss if I had (I do prefer to start at the beginning) - but I’m really glad I blundered in without knowing. This is a cracking detective story, with three interlinked time periods - the 1910s, 1990s and present day - that link up beautifully and enrich the overall narrative - the sum is very much greater than the whole of the parts.

What background knowledge on their characters that’s required is dropped in sufficiently for a newcomer to get up to speed - the mystery is far more interesting than the central characters to be honest. Great procedural, great sense of place. More of this please!

Take a journey into the heart of the Australian Outback in this immersive, multilayered thriller set over three time periods.
The town of Yuwonderie is an unlikely manmade paradise in the back of beyond, made prosperous by a complex and tightly controlled irrigation system created by seven dynasties in the early 20th century.
When a body washes up in an irrigation canal detectives Ivan Lucic and Nell Buchanan soon realise they are dealing with a brutal murder. The victim is Athol Hasluck, a member of one of the founding families and a man with financial difficulties and political aspirations.
The clues to his killing have their roots in events that took place 90 years earlier, with the love story of Bessie, a woman of mixed heritage who worked for the wealthy Titchfield family, and their neighbour Jack Marney, also a member of the scheme, who went off to war.
Then, in 1993 young David Heartwood, also from one of the dynasties, starts researching Yuwonderie’s history and begins asking questions that end in tragedy.
Ivan and Nell have their work cut out tying all the disparate strands together and Chris Hammer fans will recognise journalist Martin Scarsden, who makes his appearance later in the book, threatening the blow the whole sordid story wide open.
You need to concentrate with this one, but it’s well worth it.

I chose to read a free eARC of Cover the Bones but that has in no way influenced my review.

If you’re a regular visitor to damppebbles then you are hopefully aware of my love of Australian crime fiction. I always make a very determined, no-one-can-stop-me beeline for thrillers and police procedurals set Down Under. Over the years I’ve been building a list of ‘must-read’ Aussie authors and Chris Hammer – author of the Martin Scarsden novels and the more recent DS Lucic and DC Buchanan novels – is top of that list. Cover the Bones is the third book in the DS Lucic and DC Buchanan series (preceded by the brilliant Opal Country and Dead Man’s Creek). And what a stellar addition to a brilliant series it is. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed all of the books in this series but this latest instalment is my favourite.

Cover the Bones is an intricately plotted, thoroughly absorbing mystery which draws the reader into the story and keeps a very tight hold. The setting is as much a part of the story as the characters are, and what a fascinating cast the author has delivered. The Seven. A group of wealthy, powerful families credited with the creation of paradise — also known as Yuwonderie. A picture-perfect town where the water flows in abundance but only for the right price. When the body of a local accountant, and a member of The Seven, is found floating in a canal having been stabbed and electrocuted, DS Ivan Lucic and DC Nell Buchanan are called to investigate. But small towns like to keep their secrets buried so Lucic and Buchanan struggle to find a lead. With The Seven peering over their shoulders, with the Head of Homicide breathing down their necks, and with Professional Standards keeping an ever watchful eye, the pressure is really on…

Cover the Bones is told from three perspectives and timelines, giving the reader a look into the distant past, the not too distant past and the present. DS Ivan Lucic is our guide for the ‘present’ chapters. It was good to spend time with the character again as he only played a small part in the last book (which focused more on DC Buchanan and her family). The ‘not too distant past’ takes us back to the early 90s, 1993 to be exact when a member of The Seven, Davis Heartwood, returns from university with a proposition for the head of his family, his grandfather Clemence. Rather than stepping into his grandfather’s shoes and taking on the role of Head of the Family, Davis wants to return to university and study for an honours degree in history. In the ‘distant past’ the reader is transported to 1913 thanks to the letters of Miss Bessie Walker. Bessie, is a young woman who has been employed by the Titchfield family, one of the seven families who will eventually form the Yuwonderie Irrigation Scheme. The reader learns how Bessie’s life changes, how friendships blossom, and despite difficult circumstances, how love grows, only for the war to turn her life and her dreams upside down. These three points of view all give a detailed level of insight into the characters who are telling their stories. I wondered at times what the connection was. What was the link I was missing? I thoroughly enjoyed how well the author builds upon each storyline, bringing the threads together in such a way that the ending is really quite surprising. Marvellous stuff!

Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. Cover the Bones is a superb addition to an outstanding crime series. The mystery aspect was strong throughout the novel and I particularly relished one twist. If you’ve read any of the author’s books before, you’ll know that a) there is always something to learn in a Chris Hammer novel and b) they’re not short books. I think the hardcover version of Cover the Bones is just over 500 pages. But the book is so rich in detail and full of interesting information. There are a lot of characters in this latest instalment so concentration is required. If you’re willing to invest though, I can absolutely guarantee it will be worth it. I think you could read Cover the Bones as a standalone but why bother when you can immerse yourself in Lucic and Buchanan’s story from the very start. Definitely a series for fans of well-written, intricately plotted, intelligent crime fiction. All in all, a compelling crime novel, rich in detail, featuring characters I’ve become fond of, in a setting that was both vivid and a character in its own right. Highly recommended.

I chose to read and review a free eARC of Cover the Bones. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.

I enjoyed this far more than I expected. I loved the historical aspects of the story, moving between the three timelines. The family relationships were complicated, so I ended up creating a messy family tree as I went along! There was a very unexpected twist at the end.

A small country town. Old families with equally old secrets.

A body is found in an irrigation canal. It belongs to one of the founding families.

Inevitably, the reasons for a present-day crime lie in the long past

Happy New Year! I hope that you enjoyed the festive season, power you choose to make and even if you don't. For my own part, while the rain and wind of a British Christmas lashed this damp island - just how many named storms did we get? - I was caught up in a drama unfolding in the heat of an Australian summer, where detectives Ivan Lucic and Nell Buchanan - Chris Hammer's dream team - were investigating the death off a young man found in an irrigation canal in the rural town of Yuwonderie. Local accountant Athol Hasluck has been tortured, stabbed and his body dumped. There are political sensitivities to the case - can Lucic and Buchanan find the killer before pressure begins to build on then - and before the Press take an interest?

Hammer unfolds his story across three timelines - the modern day investigation, set amidst a neat, prosperous town dominated by its Seven Families, the landowners who control the life-giving irrigation scheme; a 1990s segment focussing on the earlier lives of some of the same protagonists; and the early years of the 20th century, up to and into the First World War, this segment told in letters written by a young woman, Bessie, who's come to work as housekeeper on a local farm in the days before the ambitious irrigation scheme. At first it may seem a bit of a distraction but as you'll know if you're read Hammer's previous novels, the earlier sections are not just background, there is a complex story being explored in which the events of the present are built on the conflicts - and betrayals - of the past. In the course of constructing this narrative, Hammer creates an absorbing tapestry of Australian twentieth century history, dramatising conflicts over land - originally stolen, as one white landowner bluntly puts it, from the indigenous people - and water, the new source of wealth and power, one that's being wielded ruthlessly by those who control it.

And money, of course - one can almost smell it around Yuwonderie, a pretty, planned town but with its ugly side, as farmers who can't air won't toe the line are denied the basic essentials of their calling. Yuwonderie is the short of place where awkward questions are seldom asked, and those who do ask them soon find themselves on the outside of things - or even disappearing altogether, as Davis, the designated heir of one of the Seven Families, discovers when he begins to look into the town's background. Money talks yes, but it can also command a profound silence.

All in all, a brilliant read, focussing on a complex and difficult investigation with both Ivan and Nell giving it all they've got (for the most part - Ivan has some family troubles which do destract him briefly, but almost catastrophically). Yuwonderie is a well realised and intriguing setting, helpfully illustrated by another of Aleksander Ptočnik's maps (thought to call these gorgeous 3D realisations "maps" doesn't really convey their nature very well).

If you're looking for something to distract you from a soggy British January, I'd strongly recommend "Cover the Bones".

This author is rapidly becoming one of my favourites. Be it this series or his Martin Scarsden one, I have loved reading them all. Oh and before I forget, if you haven't already watched the TV miniseries of Scrublands with the fabulous Luke Arnold, I can really recommend it. It's a great adaptation.
But I digress... sorry. Back to Cover the Bones. A story told in three timelines.
In the present we follow detectives Ivan Lucic and Nell Buchannan as they investigate the death of Athol Hasluck, his body having been found in the canal in the town of Yuwonderie, an agricultural town. It's obviously suspicious and also a bit political as he is a member of one of the seven founding families that formed and have run the town for over a century.
We also follow Davis Heartwood, another member of the seven, back in 1990 when he is preparing to relinquish his inheritance in order to complete his history degree. His thesis being the formation of the Yuwonderie Irrigation company. His investigations however bring him more grief than clarity, and then some danger...
And then way back in 1913, we witness a series of letters written by Bessie Walker. About her life and her relationships and the devastation of the war. There's more but, you know, spoilers.
Quite how these three timelines fit together is for you to find out as the author intends.
Suffice to say that I was sucked in right from the start and held captive for the duration. Being spat out at the end wholly satisfied but completely shattered.
Ivan and Nell are shaping up to being a great partnership. The nature of their jobs dictates that but it's nice to see their professional relationship blossom over the series. Yes they have their flaws but they are good at what they do under often difficult circumstances. Especially when things get political as they do herein. Money and power sure do talk loud!
And the story when it is all revealed is a cracking tale. I especially loved it when a certain character popped in for a cameo.
And the setting, as usual, is almost a character in its own right. This is something this author really excels in. And which features in some way in all his books. And whoda thought water trading was a thing... new one on me!
All in all, another winner, hanging for the next book now... please. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

This is my first book by Chris Hammer and although this was #3 in the series, it worked well as a standalone.

The plot covers three timelines and characters, switching between them:
Bessie, a young girl writing to her mother, in 1913, discussing the planning the irrigation system; Davis, a young man in 1993, researching the history of the irrigation system for a Masters degree and finally Ivan Lucic and Nell Buchanan investigating a murder in the present day.

Each timeline has their own plots and twists developing within them and I found myself trying to connect them all from quite early in the book, and failing too!

Finding out about life in outback Australia over the years was fascinating. The characters were well formed, although there are loads of them to try to hold onto, seven main families with all their family members, at various ages across the timelines, along with many subsidiary characters as well.

The story required a high-level of technical description, regarding irrigation and water, which I appreciate was required, due to the nature of the storyline. I did find, however that this interrupted the flow of the narrative, which ultimately impacted my enjoyment of the story and made it feel like a long read.

The plot was certainly multi-layered, with twists appearing that I loved and certainly hadn’t predicted, with just one element of the conclusion becoming unnecessarily significant at a later stage which I didn’t enjoy.

I loved the way Chris Hammer brought all the diverse timelines together effectively. A good read overall.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of Cover the Bones by Chris Hammer in return for my honest review.
This is the third book in the series featuring DS Ivan Lucic and DC Nell Buchanan but can defiantly be read as a standalone. This book is set over three timelines about seven wealthy Australian families, this is a superbly written crime thriller that had me hooked from the beginning and led to a couple of really late nights as once started its really hard to put down.

‘Every paradise has its original sin’ - cover tag line.

My thanks to Headline Wildfire for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Cover the Bones’ by Chris Hammer.

This is the third in Hammer’s series of Australian police procedurals featuring DS Ivan Lucic and DC Nell Buchanan, who are part of a regional homicide squad working out of Dubbo, New South Wales.

When a body is discovered in an irrigation canal running through Yuwonderie, a man-made paradise on the border of the Outback, detectives Lucic and Buchanan are assigned the case.

The victim is Athol Hasluck a local accountant and a junior member of the Seven, a group of dynastic families who control the land and water rights in this bountiful paradise in the desert. The manner of his death and the way his body was dumped leaves no doubt that this was murder.

The narrative evolves over three timelines. Aside from events in the present day, there are the letters of Bessie Walker, a mixed race woman who has come to the area in 1913 before the irrigation scheme is established. She writes of its early years.

The other timeline is set in 1993-94 as Davis Heartwood, a son of one of the Seven, undertakes research for his dissertation into the early years of the irrigation scheme. It soon becomes clear that there are secrets that certain parties in both the past and present are determined to keep hidden no matter the cost. No further details to avoid spoilers.

While Yuwonderie is a fictional town, Hammer drew on real irrigation initiatives in the area that allowed for crops to be grown that normally wouldn’t be viable in the natural conditions. It was an aspect of Australian agriculture that I was previously unaware of.

As in the previous two books, Ivan Lucic and Nell Buchanan proved an appealing team as they investigated this complex case. I was quite pleased by the cameo from journalist Martin Scarsden, the protagonist of Hammer’s first three novels.

Overall, I have enjoyed all of Chris Hammer’s novels including‘Cover the Bones’. It was an outstanding work of Outback Noir

Another brilliant read by the master storyteller Chris Hammer and I think my favourite from him to date!
He is a master weaver of intrigue.

Like his other books, this is a slow burner that builds up intensity and the twist at the end is jaw-droppingly good!

Highly recommended!

What a treat to be returning to the world of these two characters, detectives Nell and Ivan. The Australian outback is so vividly brought to life as we inhabit a small town rich in water, history and death. Two mysteries unraveled in this story as the detectives race to solve the crime before it can be buried by the power of politics and wealth. A gripping page turner with moments of softness and history. Thank you to Netgalley for the advance reader copy.