I very much enjoyed this fourth book in the Lucic and Buchanan series. Ivan and Nell are now well established, both as colleagues and friends. An interesting setting in which Hammer vividly describes the Australian outback and even drew me in to the detail of mining and logging.

The criminal and personal mysteries in this book were well plotted, playing out across two timelines. The characters were nuanced and interesting, and I was hard pressed to work out who was a baddie. There were a couple of times where I thought there was a plot error but, of course, they were just Hammer’s red herrings.

I smiled to myself when Martin Scarsden put in a late appearance!

I didn’t realise this was a book series but it didn’t seem to matter that I hadn’t read the previous books as I was able to dive straight in!
A slow burn, thrilling and perfectly executed!
Will definitely now look into the others in the series!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my ARC

Enjoyable Australian mystery, told through the current police investigation and also the ‘contemporary’ telling of events back in the 90s that inform the latest murder. It’s a strong set up, and the easy camaraderie of the two leads is enjoyable (perhaps less family backstory next time though!). A slightly irritating “how have they ignored that wildly obvious clue” early in the book was successfully overcome - I shouldn’t have doubted.

More please :)

I thoroughly enjoyed this next instalment in the Lucic and Buchanan series. Ivan and Nell continue to work so well together and this book continues the deep dive into Nell’s origins as well as solving murders, old and new. Greed as ever provides a motive while the outback lends an intriguing setting. This is a steady series, nothing outlandish, just a good old read. Thank you to Netgalley for the advance reader copy, I’ll be back for the next one.

This vivid and richly told tale had me feeling as though I was trekking for gold in the Aussie climes.
It has drama, tension and I was hooked from the start
I must admit I am not usually drawn to this kind of read but it was worth my time and I loved it..
I am now going to read the rest of the series..

Aussie-noir at its finest, this book was fantastic despite not having read any of the previous books in this series, Chris Hammer writes about Australia so vividly you actually feel like you are there. The mystery at the heart of this book was superbly plotted and intelligently thought out as it plays out across two interconnected timelines. Great characterisation. The POV shifts to another character from the past halfway through which I found a bit disconcerting having become so invested in the first POV and it took me a while to get back into the story again but despite this I was hugely satisfied with how the stories played out. I will definitely be tracking down the prior books in this series. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers in exchange for an honest review.

The Valley, in New South Wales is remote and no longer prosperous, but it is still a place where everyone knows everyone else, or is it? When the body of a local entrepreneur and only son of a local ex-police officer is found on the banks of the Broken River, Detectives Ivan Lucic and Nell Buchanan are sent from Dubbo to investigate. It isn’t long before they discover the victim had shown an interest in The Valley's abandoned gold mine which has historical been linked to more than one unexplained death.

Having only recently learned she is adopted, Nell is stunned to learn she has a personal link to The Valley, its residents, and their current case! As the past begins to merge with the present, can her and Ivan's determination to discover who killed their victim help solve mysteries from decades earlier, and show a way forward which closes a tragic chapter in the life of the Valley and it's inhabitants?

Chris Hammer's amazing storytelling abilities continue to go from strength to strength and once again his dual timeline draws the reader in, linking clues, personalities, and reasoning, which takes the entire novel to unravel and solve. The secondary storyline is equally if not more compulsive and I thoroughly enjoyed Nell's determination to discover everything related to her own situation and the case itself.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Headline/Wildfire, but the opinions expressed are my own. I loved this, and highly recommend it. Easy 5 stars.

The Prologue starts with a successful heist in 1988 which ends with murder among the perpetrators as someone is a traitor.
Part 1 then moves to 2024 and Nell Buchanan and Ivan Lucic being called in to investigate a murder - not on their patch - and no explanation. The rest of the book moves between 2024 and 1990. The plot is complex and tense. The characters are well portrayed and the area where most of the action takes place is well described.
Many thanks to Netgalley/Chris Hammer/Headline for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

A most gripping thriller set in Australia and deliciously described by Chris Hammer. It's like being there. At the heart of the story lurks greed. Whether by stealing, logging or mining. Initially we read of a money and bullion heist. Then we are investigating a murder in a small town but the investigation soon opens new angles and historical aspects especially to do with an old mine. Frankly I found it fascinating, how relationships lead to outcomes yet to be discovered, as layer upon layer is revealed.
It has to be a five star review from me.

This is a brilliant and intelligent read. It’s very well written as it tells two stories in the past and present which ultimately come together as both mysteries are solved. The characters as always are well rounded and fleshed out as you get to know their stories which both seem very believable. The location is also a big part of the story creating atmosphere and the perfect backdrop to a story about hardship and wealth.

This book has two titles; retailers list: “The Broken River”, Goodreads lists: “The Valley”. Ask Amazon for the latter and you’ll get the former.
Detective Senior Constable Nell Buchanan has a murder to investigate, but soon she’ll have a lot more to worry about; such as who is her father? Nell and her partner, Detective Sergeant Ivan Lucic have been ordered, by the Head of Homicide, to investigate a murder which has happened outside of their area. This suggests to them that there is a bigger picture; that local police might be, and that a political aspect is going to get in the way. The victim was a rich entrepreneur, shaking up the placid world within “The Valley” with his expansive plans, including backing a challenge to the local political status quo. It becomes clear that there are two main activities that might be involved, the status of the commercially valuable local forest land, bordering, as it does, a National Park, and the old Gryphon goldmine. The mine is long closed after a flood but suspicions about its actual status, i.e. could it be productive with modern technology, persist, even though the owners have been either dead or missing for nearly thirty years. The murder investigation quickly stirs up a lot of memories, a lot of possible earlier crimes, and a lot of secrets. One of these concerns Nell’s paternity, because DNA results from the murder victim suggest that he is her half-brother.
Nell and Ivan are now in their 4th iteration (there’s a problem with the publication data – there appear to be two different titles for this book) and readers will already know that she is an adopted ‘orphan’, mother dead father unknown. Usually I would say that this episode in a series works as a standalone, but I don’t need to say that here, because this whole story relies on background information that does not exist in the earlier books. The plot swings back and forward between 1988 (when a robbery took place) and 2024 (when the murder occurs), using multiple viewpoints, and it has at least four subplots, which do eventually resolve but will challenge the reader all the way. And along the way you will learn quite a lot about goldmining. It is, perhaps, a bit longer than it needs to be, but it’s not a struggle and it is an entertaining puzzle, so let’s not quibble about a fraction of a star.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.

This is the fourth book in this series.
Detectives Nell Buchanan and Ivan Lucic are investigating a the death of a man on the riverbank near a disused gold mine.
A thriller set in two timelines with some twist and turns and some great characters.
Thank you to NetGalley and Headline for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

4-5 stars

Detective Senior Nell Buchanan and DS Ivan Lucic #4, their 3 year partnership is now easy and convivial.

It all starts with a bank heist in 1988 but, in 2024 Buchanan and Lucic are dispatched to the valley to investigate a body partially submerged in Broken River. Who has murdered entrepreneur Wolfgang Burnside? It seems the victim has ruffled many a feather in this sleepy Valley Corner of New South Wales but who has resented him enough to take his life? As the team investigate this, it becomes very close to home for Nell.
To get to the destination of truth, the storyline slips seamlessly back-and-forth in time with the end result of intrigue in spades.

This is a really good and well written series with central protagonists who are interesting and likeable personalities. I enjoy how there’s warmth and understanding between Nell and Ivan in this one as Lucic has definitely mellowed. All the characters are well portrayed, both in the earlier and later timelines.

The storyline is intelligently plotted and has complex multiple layers to it and delves into some fascinating and pertinent areas. It’s very well constructed and as the connections start to click into place, so the initial puzzles and questions begin to have answers. There are many moments of tension and some dangerous scenarios as it becomes increasingly an action packed, never a dull moment thriller. Some scenes have me on the edge of my seat and I gasp in shock at a couple. It’s a compelling, immersive read which is hard to put down.

Finally, I have to mention how Australia comes to life in this talented writers hands. There are some outstanding and rich descriptions of the valley which really comes to life. This is a strong feature of all Chris Hammer‘s books.

Overall, this is another cracking read from an author at the top of his game.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Headline/Wildfire for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

Summary: Another slow burning, intricate thriller, with personal ties for Nell in the latest epic from Chris Hammer.
Alternatively known as The Broken River or The Valley (depending on your region), this is the fourth novel in the Ivan Lucic and Nell Buchanan series. As with the previous three novels, The Broken River does work effectively as a standalone novel, but I would recommend that you read the series for the pure enjoyment of Hammer's work.

By now, Nell and Luca have been working together for a number of years and have a well-established working relationship and friendship.

Add in past resentments, secrets, business interests and you have a complicated mix which Hammer deftly weaves into a fascinating case that leaves the reader curious for more.


This is a multilayered story that is told from the perspective of two timelines; the present with Lucic and Nell investigation the suspicious death of a local business man and 1994, when the actions of some newcomers to the town would have decades long consequences.
As the storyline progresses, the connections are slowly revealed and once again, we discover a connection to Nell which I particularly enjoyed.
Hammer has a gift for creating an intelligent story with an intricate plotline and is the perfect example of the Australian noir genre.
The publication of a new book by Chris Hammer is always a case for celebration and 'The Broken River is no different.

As the book opens with a dead body, it is to be expected that solving that crime will be the focus of the story but it disappears till later in the book. The location is a small community on hard times in New South Wales where the previous sources of wealth have closed. The reader then has to plough through log descriptions of what happened to the sources of wealth and the possibilities of renewal. The female constable sent with a partner to solve the murder turns out to be related in her DNA to the victim and some of the suspects. She would not have been allowed to continue? The story is told with two different timelines and it can be difficult to adjust to where you are in the story. The best thing about this book is its recording of the economic issues of a small village in the Australian wilds. That is well recorded. As the story unfolds the extent of corruption in parliament, the police, the law is enormous. The book is well written but I found it difficult to cope with large number of characters and the time switch.

This was my first Chris Hammer read, although I’ve seen and enjoyed some tv adaptations.

Nell & Ivan are dispatched to look into a small town murder, that turns into something much, much bigger. A body is discovered in The Valley, a remote community in the hills of New South Wales. And somehow the now defunct local gold mine is connected.

A four star thriller. Tight, pacy despite going back & forward in time, with well-drawn characters and scenery. My one complaint is it got bogged down in details about gold mining and dams at one point.
Not sure it was all necessary.

It didn’t seem to matter that I hadn’t read books 1-3 (I’ll probably read them at some stage now though).

Thanks to @Netgalley for the drc to review in my own words

Thanks to Headline and NetGalley for ARC.

Detectives Nell Buchanan and Ivan Lucic are sent to investigate a suspicious death in a former gold-mining town in a remote and lush New South Wales Valley. Wolf Burnside, the dead man, was a prominent local person who had been campaigning to revive the fortunes of the town by investing heavily in renewable energy, the flooded and abandoned mine central to those plans.
With a dual timeline taking us back to a similar time of promised development in the 1990s and some desperate secrets townspeople are keen to keep, this is once again an outstanding outing for this overworked pair of ordinary people doing an extraordinary job of work in some pretty inhospitable surroundings. The sense of place is as always spot on, and I could practically smell the valley and some of the characters who made it their home.
One element of the story is a wee bit stretched and all I can say is that I hope for Buchanan's sake her family tree has now been completely harvested.
You don't need to start with Scrublands and move through the others to get to this, the fourth in a very strong series, but I would recommend it.

4.5* The Valley by Chris Hammer. A twisty, intelligent and thoroughly satisfying crime thriller.

The Valley. A small town where the town’s entrepreneur and eco-visionary has come to a sticky end. Could it be connected to events 30 years previously when attempts to reopen a long shuttered goldmine had led to politics, bickering and tragedy.

Told over two timelines, The Valley is another stunner from Chris Hammer. The fabulous detectives Nell and Ivan investigate the present day crime, with unexpected tethers to events in the 1990s, and a cast of characters which span the entirety. This is small town paranoia with a touch of Indiana Jones. It’s twisty, it’s intricate and overall a superb read.

While this is the 4th outing for Nell and Ivan, it would make a fine standalone. However, all Chris Hammer’s books are excellent (this is my favourite of his series) and there are little Easter eggs of overlapping characters for the devoted reader. I would suggest reading the whole back catalogue, they are all highly recommended.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.

Intelligent twisty crime with great sense of place and time, as expected from Hammer. Australian noir done so well

A new Nell Buchanan and Ivan Lukic book is always a treat and The Broken River is no exception. A story full of history, vivid descriptions of people and places and plenty of police procedure to keep the reader engaged. The connections between Nell and other characters in the story are perhaps a little far fetched, but Chris Hammer writes with such skill and conviction that this didn’t mar another really excellent and engrossing read.