Chris Hammer

Chris Hammer (born 1960)^[1] is an Australian journalist and writer of crime fiction. He is known for his best-selling Martin Scarsden series of novels.

Career

Hammer has a 30-year career as a journalist and has worked for The Bulletin, Fairfax and on the SBS TV program Dateline.^[2][3] In 2011 he published a non-fiction book entitled The River.^[4]

He wrote the Martin Scarsden series of novels, that have been bestsellers in several countries, starting with Scrublands in 2018.^[2] When writing his crime novels he allows the story to develop, rather than plotting it out in advance.^[5]

Recognition and awards

Hammer won the ACT Book of the Year in 2011 for his non-fiction book The River.^[4]

His first novel, Scrublands, won the John Creasey Award at the UK Crime Writers' Association's Dagger Awards in 2019.^[6] The Tilt won the 2023 Danger Award for best crime fiction.^[7] The Seven was shortlisted for the 2024 Fiction Indie Book Award.^[8]

Selected works

Martin Scarsden series

• Scrublands (2018)
• Silver (2019)
• Trust (2020)
• Legacy (2025)

Ivan Lucic and Nell Buchanan series

• Treasure and Dirt (2021) (also published as Opal Country (UK))
• The Tilt (2022) (also published as Dead Man's Creek (UK))
• The Seven (2023) (also published as Cover The Bones (UK))
• The Valley (2024) (also published as The Broken River (UK))

Non-fiction

• The River (2010)
• The Coast (2012)