4.5/5

Thank you so much Headline and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book!

A dead body belonging to Wolfgang Burnside has been discovered on the riverbanks of the valley. Prior to his murder, he had been working on plans to take the valley off-grid with hydro-power using the lake surrounding the abandoned mine. Detectives Nell Buchanan and Ivan Lucic are dispatched to investigate. The book is called The Valley in other countries making it difficult to find on Goodreads!

I was initially furious when I saw that this was book 4 of a series as I despise not starting a series at the beginning and it’s a pet peeve of mine when it’s not made clearer.

However, I had nothing to worry about as not only was this fantastic, it was so easy to read it without having any background information about the characters.

The plot was complex yet easy to follow making it unpredictable and difficult to guess plot twists. I thoroughly enjoyed this and I definitely now need to go back to read the others in the series!

If you’re a crime lover, you won’t want to miss out on this one!

The Broken River by Chris Hammer
Having read Scrublands by this author I was very keen to read this novel and I was not disappointed. This book is also called The Valley and although I had not read the preceding books in the series it was possible to read this as a standalone. I will however go back and read the others. The book is written over two time periods with 30 years between them and it opens with the murder of an entrepreneur in 2024. He had been planning to regenerate the Valley after the loss of the logging industry and create hydroelectric power but he is then found dead and it is clear it is murder.
Nell, one of the detectives sent to investigate, soon discovers that events are very close to home for it appears that the murder victim and she share a father. Having been adopted when she was young she never knew her father and was never able to get to know her half-brother. She continues to investigate and alongside this story we have an account told in the first person of what occurred thirty years before.
There are some wonderful descriptions of the landscape and a terrifying account of a near drowning in a flash flood. The story has it all a gold heist, gold mining, family intrigue and betrayal. I was gripped throughout and would thoroughly recommend the book to others. My only criticism was that Ivan did not feature that much in this story but maybe I would be familiar with him if I had not read the book out of sequence.
I would like to thank Chris Hammer, The Publishers and Net Galley for the opportunity to read the book in return for an honest review.

Another great book by Chris Hammer.
An Australian police procedural novel, with amazing language to describe the outback and story. I love the way the author uses the scenery description as powerful tool for helping us show our characters’ emotional state. This really draws me in, I can almost smell home!
This is a dual timeline which is the present and late 80’s, the story is unravelled later by later and the depth of the characters as always is just right.

Chris Hammer novels are a mix of crime and finely plotted saga, similar to Robert Goddard. Characters are believable with a wonderfully described setting of The Valley. If you've never read one of his books before start with this one or Scrublands.

This is an Australia noir novel in the series featuring detectives Nell Buchanan and Ivan Lucic, who are sent to The Valley to invetigate a murder, but find there is much more going on than they expected.
As with his other books, it started off slowly, and you get introduced to all the characters and their backstory, and learn more as the book progresses, then become more engaged with the characters and the story.
The parts about the mine's history and all the different potential villains was confusing in places, and the outcome a bit of an anticlimax.
Good writing and a good read.

I found this book’s dual timeline very confusing to follow and way too descriptive in places making it a very slow burner. Premise sounded good but in reality didn’t follow through. . I am afraid this novel was just not for me. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it

The Broken River by Chris Hammer will be released in hardback with Wildfire Books January 2nd 2025. Published in Australia (October 2024) as The Valley, it is the fourth book in the Detectives Ivan Lucic & Nell Buchanan series and has been described as 'a masterclass of unmissable thrills and jaw-dropping twists'. The old gold mining community, known as The Valley, is the setting for this novel with a fabulous map included at the beginning offering a great perspective on the village and its surrounding lands.

As this series has progressed both Lucic and Buchanan have developed as characters and their relationship has found its own groove. In The Broken River the focus is very much more on Nell Buchanan as it soon becomes apparent that she has an unexpected personal connection to this place and its people.

When the body of local entrepreneur Wolfgang Burnside is discovered one morning in the river of the village's Memorial Park, there is shock in The Valley. Very quickly the investigation is ramped up with Lucic and Buchanan getting the call to be in situ as soon as possible. On arrival, following a six-hour drive from Dubbo, they immediately attend the scene of the crime and establish their office in the long-closed down police station. The Valley was once a thriving town but since the closure of the gold mine, little remains of its past glories. Wolfgang Burnside was a young man with ambition and had been developing an upmarket ecotourism resort, Gondwana Falls, on the edge of the nearby national park. With no witness to the apparent attack, the team concentrate on CCTV footage and old-fashioned police work trying to piece together the last moments of Burnside's life.

In parallel to this present day investigation, there is another timeline that takes the reader back to the late 1980s, early 1990s. Simmons Burnside, Wolfgang's father, was a young policeman at the time and became embroiled in a series of events that led to tragedy and subterfuge. As he narrates his story a complex tale of greed and murder slowly begins to unfold itself as the seeds of the modern investigation begin to take root.

'All cops know the feeling, that brew of resentment, unspoken disdain: shutting down a party that's become too loud, or stopping someone for speeding, or walking into a domestic confrontation. People hate you until they need you.'

The Broken River is a demanding novel with intricate plotting wrapped around quite a complicated level of detail about mining which, I must admit, did overwhelm me at times. In contrast, the unravelling of Nell Buchanan's personal story was one I really enjoyed and would have loved to have read more of. The Broken River is a layered and immersive tale, featuring an unsolved heist, environmental logging protests, gold mines and murder, alongside themes of corruption, revenge, avarice and malice. Chris Hammer expertly weaves the different timelines and plot threads with very authentic descriptions of the Australian landscape.

The Broken River is another elaborate and compelling novel from this author who has been described by Sydney writer and critic, Stephen Loosely, as being 'in the platinum class of Australian detective writers'

Chris Hammer's carefully constructed police investigations in rural Australia are a delight. The intriguing development of the professional and personal relationship between Nell and her boss Ivan over the series of books gives a continuous link across the various stories.
In the tale of Broken River it all becomes extremely personal for Nell when it is discovered that she shares DNA with a an apparent murder victim.
Rural Australia is a really strange place, Ivan and Nell explore and expose it under a microscope. Brilliant.

Another cracking small town Australian crime/police procedural with Nell Buchanan and Ivan Lucic. Thus story is mainly about Nell as they are sent to investigate a case in The Valley. It soon becomes apparent that it isn't really what it seems and that it somehow has links to events of 30 years ago. Lots of small town mindsets and secrets and as usual Ivan is a man of few words but a lot of thoughts. We learn a lot about Nell and her past in this book. There are some great characters as usual and the beautiful Austealuan scenery makes the story come alive. For me the only downside was it was a little too long with a little too much introspection ftom the characters.

Another brilliant Aussie tale of murders set in the present day and 30 years previously which are gradually revealed to be connected. A large gold and currency robbery 30 years ago starts everything off and a present day murder with two investigators sent from Sydney to a small community to take over the case. The multi layered plot switches back and forth with revelations of familial relationships adding to the mystery. It never loses pace and is thoroughly recommended.

This is an excellent if complex read. Set over 2 time zones, present day and 30 years earlier, with an added familial connection, the plot is gradually revealed, layer by layer. The main characters are realistic and fully fleshed out and I love the Australian small town setting. I definitely recommend this book.

I reviewed The Broken River for book recommendation and book selling site LoveReading.co.uk

I’ve chosen it as a LoveReading Star Book and Liz Pick of the Month.

Please see the link for the full review.

This book was a mystery which kept opening up into more. It was masterfully written, weaving a tale from the past interspersed with telling the present day story of an investigation of a new crime.

All the characters were brought to life and easy to connect with. I was hungry for more the whole way through.

A clever, well planned out story which will stand the test of time. I will be looking up this author to see what else they have written.

Highly recommended.

I chose to read a free eARC of The Broken River but that has in no way influenced my review.

Australian crime fiction has been a bit of a passion of mine for a few years now. There's nothing I like more than to get lost in the Outback (probably not advisable IRL), visit a small isolated town miles from anywhere else and get to know the 'locals' on the other side of the world. Perhaps that's its appeal to me. Life in Australia seems similar in ways to life here in the UK, but it's also very, very different! A new Chris Hammer novel is a marvellous thing. I've been a fan of Nell Buchanan and Ivan Lucic since their first appearance in Opal Country, and I've read every book since. The Broken River is the fourth instalment and it continues to show what a talented, skilled writer Hammer is.

A body is discovered on the banks of the Broken River in The Valley, a small former gold mining town in NSW. On first inspection, it looks like a tragic drowning. But when Detective Sergeant Ivan Lucic and Detective Senior Constable Nell Buchanan are told to attend the scene, it quickly becomes clear that this was no accident. Entrepreneur Wolfgang Burnside was known to ruffle the locals' feathers, but who would want him dead? As Nell and Ivan investigate, a shocking connection comes to light. Things all of a sudden become personal for Nell. With the secrets of Nell's past weighing heavy on her shoulders, and with pressure mounting from above to solve Burnside's murder, can Nell sift through the secrets and lies to discover who killed Wolfgang Burnside...?

The Broken River is a beautifully complex, highly intriguing, slow-burn crime thriller that I very much enjoyed from start to finish. Told using dual timelines and multiple, seemingly unrelated threads throughout, the mystery is slowly, enticingly revealed. In the present day, Nell and Ivan investigate Wolfgang's murder, whilst unexpectedly revealing a link between Nell and the murder victim. The past chapters start in 1990 and show how desperate the local community are to reopen the long-closed Gryphon Gold Mine, returning the town to its more prosperous, affluent days. As the story progresses those aforementioned threads that felt so unconnected at times, start to cross, bringing the two timelines together. All whilst Nell struggles to come to terms with the new information she has unwittingly discovered. It's worth saying at this point that I recommend you read the earlier books first. Nell Buchanan has been put through the wringer of late and knowing some of her backstory will definitely help when reading The Broken River.

Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. The Broken River is an intelligently written, immersive, cleverly plotted novel. Perfect for readers who aren't afraid of a slower paced plot or a more literary tone. The character development is superb across the series. Nell has very much been on a personal journey and I look forward to seeing where the author takes the character next. Personally, I would like to see a little bit more of that development in Ivan Lucic's character as well. Nell comes across as the more layered individual. The sense of place is really quite stunning in Hammer's books. I don't know another author who is able to paint such a vivid, rich and realistic picture in their readers' heads. As a fan of Australian fiction, this is something I always appreciate. All in all, a wonderful addition to what is proving to be a must-read crime series from an author who is at the top of his game. A twisty, page-turner of a novel full of atmosphere and a delicious sense of place. Looking forward to more Nell and Ivan in the future! Recommended.

I chose to read and review a free ARC of The Broken River. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.

Chris Hammer has established himself as an outstanding storyteller in the new Australian noir genre. These tales set in the outback or wherever give away feel for the vast and often unremitting Australian landscape; the heat, isolation and especially close knit communities.

This starts with an almost literal bang as a bullion heist takes place. There’s shooting and death and the timeline then switches. There’s a huge cast of characters in this tale and a timeline which switches between the 1990s and present day. The investigating officers are, of course, central to the story, but this one is more about last jealousies and greed and those with old scores to settle. It feels quite claustrophobic and there’s a strong sense of the past being well hidden so that repercussions and present day revenge are undiscovered. Packed with well developed characters, a plot that’s well paved and quite a few surprises, I enjoyed this.

I usually enjoy the series of books featuring Buchanan and Lucic but this one not so much. It was slow going and the plotting was overly complicated which left me wondering what was going on at times. I really failed to engage with the characters this time around, especially the historic ones and I felt there was too much information on the mining side of things. I was left feeling disappointed but I would definitely read another in the series.

Police Officers Ivan and Nell return in 'The Broken River' by Chris Hammer.

Wolfgang Burnside is found dead in the river. He was a man who wanted change and development in a Valley many retreated to because things stay the same. His wife is committed to continuing his legacy, but people who have lived In the areas around Saltwater for a long time have other ideas. At the centre of things is the gold mine that closed in the 1930's. People are convinced that it might still harbour some gold.

Told from many different perspectives, and spanning different time points - the 1990's and the present day, this novel focuses on greed and the lengths people will go to to satiate it. It also further develops Nell's backstory.

Hammer is very good at incorporating the Australian landscape into his novels in a really interesting way. The focus in this one was less on Nell and Ivan (although as I say Nell's backstory is more developed), but the use of the multiple perspectives and timelines worked really well and led to a satisfying conclusion. I would happily recommend this book and feel it adds to the growing genre of Australian crime fiction.

In 1988 a bullion heist takes place but the robbers are double crossed and when they meet there is a shoot out and two robbers escape with some of the haul.

In present day, Ivan and Nell are sent to the Valley to investigate the murder of a local entrepreneur, Wolfgang Burnside.

In 1990, two years after the heist, a local woman has returned to the valley with a new husband, who is keen to open the families goldmine, previously closed in the 1920s.

Two years later, both the woman and her husband are dead, the mine is closed and a woman with a loose connection to them has inherited.

In the present, Nell is close to finding out more about her heritage and who her father is. Her and Ivan are keeping the investigation details a closely guarded secret as feral Phelan seems to have a interest in them being there.

The story flits between the 1990s and the present day. For the reader knowing the past makes the present make sense.
A good engrossing story which had me totally captivated.

This is the first book I have read by Chris Hammer, although I saw the TV dramatisation of "Scrublands". "The Broken River" is a complex crime drama which takes place across 36 years in a remote valley in New South Wales. The novel is full of complex and varied characters, and it is not just the criminals who don't tell the truth. The various commercial activities in The Valley include a gold mine, logging and fruit growing. As a small community it is difficult to keep secrets, but some of the characters manage to with ease.

This is a book which keeps the reader guessing, and turning the pages. Definitely an author to read more of.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

The Valley also titled The Broken River in the UK, is the fourth book in the brilliant Ivan Lucic & Nell Buchanan series.
In short, detectives Ivan Lucic & Nell Buchanan are called out to investigate the suspicious death of a local entrepreneur in a remote valley in New South Wales. As the investigation proceeds it soon reveals the murky secrets lurking in the depths of this valley, secrets worth more than their weight in gold!
Chris Hammer is one of my go-to authors, he consistently conjures up clever, intricate mysteries which are masterfully plotted & written.
The Broken River starts with a bang & a storyline that sweeps you along through the many twists & turns putting the spotlight on greed and the push & pull of politics, I absolutely loved it.
Big thanks to Chris Hammer, Wildfire and NetGalley for this eARC which I chose to read in return for my honest review.