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.

A new Chris Hammer book is always something to look forward to and The Broken River justifies the anticipation.
When a prominent local character,deputy mayor Wolfgang Burnside, is found murdered in the remote New South Wales community known simply as The Valley,Detectives Nell Buchanan and Ivan Lukic are sent to investigate. It soon becomes apparent that the former mining area has many secrets from both the past and the present ,some of them murderous, one directly involving Buchanan.

As ever this is a superior and engrossing read with the seemingly sleepy and idyllic Valley proving to be very far from that . This is a tale of politics,relationships,greed and corruption with a touch of social commentary thrown in, Buchanan and Lukic feel like old friends,as ever Chris Hammer's characterisation is spot on, the plot is clever and as we've become used to in his books the sins of the past play a large part in contemporary events.
Hammer hits the nail on the head once again.

This was another great book by Chris Hammer set over a dual timeline as it tells the story of the death of Wolfgang Burnside - to many, a champion of change, to others, a local schemer....but who would want him dead?

The book uses the dual timeline really well, in fact, the 'then' timeline is probably used more than the 'now' which is unusual but works really well as the backstory is incredibly important and also complex.

A really great book and thanks to Netgalley and Headline, Wildfire for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A fourth outing for detectives Nell Buchanan and Ivan Lucic switches between two timelines. When controversial local entrepreneur Wolfgang Burnside is found murdered on the bank of the river, old conflicts come back into focus. Burnside had been planning to utilise the old goldmine, once the centre of the community but fallen into disuse after flooding. Flashbacks to his childhood when a previous attempt was made to regenerate the mine reveal a complex web of secrets, danger and death, and a story which, once again, comes close to home for Nell. A twisty, complex mystery with several surprises, this is a fast-paced read. I do feel that Hammer has pushed the connections to Nell a bit beyond credibility in the last two books, and it seemed unlikely because of this that she would have been allowed to work on this case, although having said that I would have preferred to have had more of Nell and Ivan and less of the historic situation in the narrative. So for me, a bit disappointing, but still a good crime read for fans of Aussie noir.

Chris Hammer's Nell Buchanan and Ivan Lucic series is one of my must-requests whenever a new instalment appears on NetGalley. All of the familiar ingredients of the series are present and correct in The Broken River, which, in common with the previous books, moves between a historic narrative and the present-day investigations, exploring the long shadows cast across generations by small town secrets. My only slight niggle was that, having learned more about her family through the investigations that were central to 2022's Dead Man's Creek, it seemed to stretch credulity that Nell would face further revelations as a result of the murder that kicks off the action in The Broken River. However, this is a minor complaint and, as usual, this moves at a cracking pace with multiple twists I didn't see coming.

While Hammer is most often compared to fellow Aussie Jane Harper, this series will also appeal to fans of Ann Cleeves.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

I very much enjoy Hammer, and the Nell and Ivan books are my favourites.
I have high expectations, and this lived up to them.
Plenty of deaths, lots of investigating, and a whole new level of personal business for Nell.
I had no idea where the story was going, and enjoyed it all the more because of that.
Hammer is consistently good at what he does. I'm always ready for more.