The Valley

Ivan Lucic & Nell Buchanan #4

by Chris Hammer

The latest stunning thriller from the bestselling author of Scrublands and The Seven.

Nell Buchanan and Ivan Lucic are back – as Nell is thrown into her most emotionally fraught investigation yet.

A controversial entrepreneur is murdered in a remote mountain valley, but this is no ordinary case. Ivan and Nell are soon contending with cowboy lawyers, conmen, bullion thieves and grave robbers.

But it's when Nell discovers the victim is a close blood relative, that the past begins to take on a looming significance.

What did take place in The Valley all those years ago? What was Nell's mother doing there, and what was her connection to troubled young police officer Simmons Burnside? And why do the police hierarchy insist Ivan and Nell stay with the case despite an obvious conflict of interest?

The Valley features a page-turning plot, intriguing characters, and an evocative sense of place—where nothing is ever quite what it seems. Chris Hammer, the acclaimed and bestselling author of the international bestsellers Scrublands, Treasure & Dirt, The Tilt and The Seven, presents another immersive and emotionally-rewarding thriller.

Praise for Chris

'Hammer has confirmed and underlined his reputation as numbering among the very best novelists in detective fiction.' Sydney Morning Herald

'Chris Hammer at the height of his powers … absolutely not to be missed!' Hayley Scrivenor, author of Dirt Town on The Tilt

'A darkly simmering mystery, gorgeously told … Utterly brilliant.' Dervla McTiernan, author of The Ruin and What Happened to Nina?

'It would be unfair to say Chris Hammer is at the top of the crime writing game. Chris Hammer IS the game. Full Tilt may be a better title, given the speed with which readers will devour Chris Hammer's exceptional novel.' Benjamin Stevenson, author of Everyone On This Train is a Suspect

'Like everything Chris Hammer writes, The Tilt is a rich, complex thriller, packed with detail and intrigue. There's a reason why this guy is on my auto-read list!' Christian White, author of The Nowhere Child

'Chris Hammer is a great writer … a leader in Australian noir.' Michael Connelly

'If you haven't read Hammer before, this is the perfect time to experience one of the best writers Australia has to offer. Rife with intrigue, murder, and small-town secrets, Treasure and Dirt is a spectacular thriller that delivers some unforgettable characters with twists and turns you won't see coming. Hammer has raised the bar for Australian crime, and this is a must-read.' Better Reading

'Chris Hammer has excelled himself with Trust…a thriller strong on character development, social insights, ethical issues and dramatic action.' Weekend Australian

'The best Australian crime novel since Peter Temple's The Broken Shore.

Genres: Crime, Fiction, Mystery, Australia, Audiobook, Thriller, Detective

464 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2024

About the author

Chris Hammer is a leading Australian crime fiction author. His first book, Scrublands, was an instant #1 bestseller upon publication in 2018. It won the prestigious UK Crime Writers' Association John Creasey New Blood Dagger and was shortlisted for awards in Australia and the United States.

Scrublands has been sold into translation in several foreign languages. Chris's follow-up books—Silver (2019), Trust (2020), Treasure & Dirt (2021), The Tilt (2022) and The Seven (2023)—are also bestsellers and all have been shortlisted for major literary prizes. The Valley is his seventh novel.

The Tilt (published as Dead Man's Creek in the UK) was named The Sunday Times Crime Book of the Year for 2023.

Scrublands has been adapted for television, screening globally, and production is underway for a second series based on Silver.

Before turning to fiction, Chris was a journalist for more than thirty years. He has written two non-fiction books The River (2010) and The Coast (2012).

He has a bachelor's degree in journalism from Charles Sturt University and a master's degree in international relations from the Australian National University.

Reviews

[PattyMacDotComma · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5★
“…she flings him clear, out through the ornate window and onto the footpath, where he lies twitching, like the town drunk evicted from a Tombstone saloon. She kicks some shards from the edge of the window and climbs out after him. She wants to make sure he stays down.”

Aussie author and former journalist Chris Hammer writes compelling, often complex, stories with many threads and a couple of timelines, current and past. The past can include ‘historic’ past events as well as a storyline about the previous generation or two. It’s immersive stuff, and I love it.

This is the case with The Valley, a small former goldrush town in NSW, (Australia). The two characters who take us into the story are the police investigating a murder, which of course leads us back, mostly to 1994.

The reason for the opening quotation is to show that investigating detectives need to be able to hold their own, so to speak, in Hammer’s work. The “she” above is Nell, who can hold not only her own, but this guy, who deserved being chucked out.

But I’m getting ahead of the story, which begins here.

“Detective Senior Constable Nell Buchanan and Detective Sergeant Ivan Lucic come from the north, leaving Dubbo behind and moving from the haze of late summer into the clarity of autumn, traversing the rolling hills of the Central West, edging east through the uplands of the Dividing Range, green tinge defying the lateness of the season, pushing down past ridge lines crested with windfarms, edging onto the bleached periphery of the Monaro.”

The Valley is a small settlement wedged between two high escarpments with a river and tributary streams running through it. Old families still live here, and an old goldmine sits at the top of an escarpment where waterfalls cascade down to the river. The mystery and the action centre around this once productive mine which was abandoned when it was flooded by a horrific storm.

“An east coast low they called it, massive amounts of moisture coming in from the Pacific, an atmospheric river. The ocean might have been an hour’s drive, but as the crow flies, we were only forty kilometres inland. The weather was hitting the mountains, all that water-sodden air, lifted by the coastal range, the sky emptying upon us, flowing off the escarpment and into the valley like water flowing into a bathtub. A bathtub with no drain hole, just the Broken River, swollen and angry, overflowing its banks.”

It was dangerous to use diesel pumps underground to pump water out of the mine to get whatever gold might remain. When a new couple arrives in The Valley with plans, capital, and new technology to pump the mine and begin exploration again, they are greeted with enthusiasm.

Meanwhile, Nell has been told that the victim of the crime she and Ivan are investigating turns out to be a very close relative of hers. Nell’s mother died just after Nell was born, and she was raised by an adoptive family. Now she discovers her mother, Amber, once spent time in The Valley.

Murder, goldmining, family intrigue – Hammer has it all here, along with his wonderful sense of place. I’m a firm lover of maps and always appreciate the illustrations that accompany his books. They are in the e-book and Kindle versions as well.

Lest you think he needs to resort to maps, I’ll add this paragraph describing Amber’s first view of The Valley from above, before she and a friend drive down into it.

“The Valley spread beneath them, the mist rising in patches, the sun catching the western escarpment and the valley floor below it, painting the pastures and tree lines with dappled light. It looked like it was lifted from the pages of a fantasy book, with a waterfall coming off a cliff face far in distance, the wind transforming the falling water into a white veil.”

I’m glad I read it rather than listened to the audio. I think I’d have become lost and confused. I did sometimes have to go back to check which timeline I was in. Some chapters are in the first person, so I wanted to make sure whose memories I was reading.

Thanks to #NetGalley and Allen and Unwin for a copy of #TheValley for review.

I’ve enjoyed all of Hammer’s books and will list some below to check if you’re interested.

Ivan Lucic & Nell Buchanan series
My review of Treasure & Dirt (#1)

My review of The Tilt (#2)

My review of The Seven (#3)

The Martin Scarsden series
My review of Scrublands (#1)

My review of Silver (#2)

My review of Trust (#3)

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am loving this series, when Ivan and Nell are sent on another case this time to small town down south a long drive from home base in Dubbo, it ends up being very personal for Nell when the body of a well -known entrepreneur is found, it is discovered through DNA that Nell is a close blood relative, what else will they uncover in this investigation?

It seems that the past in encroaching on the present in this investigation, an old gold mine that some locals tried to re-open thirty odd years ago, a robbery a couple of years before that what really happened in The Valley all those years ago and what has Nell’s mother got to do with it, is it linked to police and political corruption and is it linked to the this murder? What will Ivan and Nell uncover, will the truth come out and will Nell finally find out who her father is?

This is such a brilliant story, I love Chris Hammer’s writing style he pulls the reader in with so many scenarios of what could or could not have happened he had me thinking throughout and wanting to get to the end to get all of the answers, I think Ivan and Nell are fabulous characters and they team up together so well, this one has a cast of wonderful characters who all added to the story and it is one that I highly recommend to any lover of a good crime mystery.

My thanks to Allen& Unwin for my copy to read and review.

[Ceecee · Rating 4 out of 5]

4-5 stars
U.K. title is The Broken River

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.

[Damo · Rating 4 out of 5]

The small town Australian crime novel has become the reliable domain of Chris Hammer and, once again, we find ourselves in the rural environment of The Valley, sinking our teeth into another complex crime. It’s the 4th outing for Nell Buchanan (recently promoted to Senior Constable) and her partner of 3 years Sergeant Ivan Lucic.

Before the case is introduced we’re given a teaser to set the scene. In 1988 a crew has just successfully pulled off a massive heist getting away with cash and gold bullion worth hundreds of thousands. But there’s a falling out, suspicions of a wire, gunplay and a fire at their hideout. Some of the crew die, some get away.

In the present day, Nell and Ivan have been called in to investigate a suspicious death - a drowning - in the tiny community called The Valley. This place, idyllic gauging from Hammer’s wonderfully rich description as they drive in, is located on the South Coast of New South Wales somewhere to the west of Batemans Bay.

The dead man’s name is Wolfgang Burnside and clearly his drowning death is a murder case. But very early on we discover that there’s a personal connection to the case, a bit of a bombshell that’s going to make this just a little more of an emotional investigation than usual.

This is a story told across a couple of time periods as we alternate from the present before flicking back to 1990 and then 1994. In 1990 Simmons Burnside arrives in The Valley as part of the police force tasked with keeping order between loggers and protesting environmentalists. We’re given his first person account of the events and the people involved at the time. This includes his traumatic near death experience at Gryphon Mine.

Amber Jones, Nell’s mother, comes to the Valley in 1994 having inherited the property that includes a house and land, called Watershine, and the now abandoned Gryphon Mine. The mine sits on the escarpment overlooking the house and is the centrepiece of the story, linked by the tragedy that occurred there 4 years earlier and its potential for providing wealth and prosperity if it were made operable again.

Using the details from the past and present, Hammer gradually pulls the story together. We’re given two suspicious deaths from the past and one from the present to think about. In the meantime, Amber meets Lucas Trescothic and forms a friendship that slowly develops into something more. The more we learn about Amber the more you wonder how she’s involved, a job made increasingly difficult as the twists and unexpected changes of direction begin to come thick and fast.

Once again Chris Hammer has managed to place a large scale crime within a majestic New South Wales landscape. Familiar local environmental issues give depth to the storyline and the question of Nell’s origins (although tinged with the old coincidence brush) adds further intrigue. There’s no doubt that the sense of place is profound with beauty found in every described panoramic vista, lake, leaf and tree.

The Valley is an epic crime story, masterfully crafted, intricately plotted and well executed. Although it’s nominally a Nell Buchanan and Ivan Lucic police procedural, they actually take a backseat to the more complex cast of characters from the past. The question of Nell’s lineage hangs tauntingly for the majority of the story and is cleverly worked into the case as things are brilliantly wrapped up.

This is another small town Australian crime story that draws you deeply in and makes you care about the local people and the surrounding countryside.

My thanks to Allen & Unwin and NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC giving me the opportunity to read, enjoy and review this book.

[Andrew Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’ve read a bunch of Chris Hammer’s Aussie based mysteries, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed them all. This is the fourth book in a series featuring detectives Nell Buchanan and Ivan Lucic. They operate in remote areas in New South Wales, and this this time they’re called out to investigate the death of an entrepreneur in a mountain valley, well off the beaten track. One advantage of the locations chosen for this series is that the most likely culprits tend to be one of a number of local characters we’re introduced to along the way. But this time, there seem to be wider issues at play, potentially involving a historic robbery and a local gold mine.

I listened to this book on audio this time around, which might have been a mistake. Although it was competently narrated, I quickly started to become confused by regular changes of timeline as current events alternated with historic happenings. I’m sure these segues were flagged, and yet I seemed to regularly become confused as to which timeline I was following. I actually enjoyed the historic tale more – detailing events that would eventually lead to the death of this man – but it did all seem quite repetitive, particularly as the history of the gold mine and a significant flooding were trawled over again and again.

There’s a significant personal twist impacting Nell here, too, which adds some interest. But by the end of this tale, I found that I’d lost interest in this element too, confused as I was by the hard to follow narrative. It’s a real pity, but I found this instalment by far the weakest of the series to date. I struggled to finish it, and it’s therefore only a two star offering for me.

My thanks to W.H. Howes Ltd for supplying a copy of this audiobook via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Carolyn Walsh · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had to fill out a general interest questionnaire last week and had no hesitation writing in Chris Hammer as my favourite author. It bothers me to give The Valley such a low rating and realize I am in the minority. I have read all of his books, and each was 5 -Stars for me ( except for the previous book in the Ivan Lucic & Nell Buchanan series (book 3), which was 3- Stars.) This hardcover edition was preordered and has the alternate title of The Broken River. My ratings are based on my enjoyment rather than the author's skill and story development.

Nell and Ivan are partners and detectives based in Dubbo, NSW, and cover a widespread rural area. There are three timelines: mainly 1988, 1994, and 2024. I found the changes in timelines abrupt and confusing. It took a while to realize what era I was reading. Too many characters were named, and the author seemed fond of some unusual names. There was an overload of detailed descriptions. The various threads were eventually brought together very well, but getting to the end became tedious. Only Nell's storyline was addressed, and the character development of the others was ignored, except when they were connected to Nell. The plot was convoluted.

The location of a small settlement, the Valley, was vividly described and unique for me. There was an excellent illustrated map with labels, and I found myself referring to it constantly. The Valley had seen better days when it was the centre of gold mining but has declined since the mine was shut down. The description of the mine, technical terms, and surroundings was overloaded with details: the lake, siphons, cisterns, escarpments, a rough, winding road, water levels, eventual flooding and closure.

The story revolved around bullion thieves, conmen, political corruption, shady lawyers, logging, environmental protests, false identity, greed, and deception.

Nell and Ivan are assigned to the Valley to investigate the murder of Wolfgang Burnside. He had plans to use the lake near the mine to generate hydroelectric power for the settlement. Nell learns that he is a close relative and that her biological mother had lived there and owned land. She wants to discover the identity of her father. Why Nell was not dismissed from the case due to conflict of interests is not understood.

The mine had been closed after it was flooded and partially collapsed. There is evidence that it may still contain gold. In the mid-1990s, a powerful man who was an outsider and a wealthy local woman intended to reopen the mine. Both met mysterious deaths. There are now plans to reopen the mine with modern drainage equipment if it is still flooded. Proof of gold will bring new industry to benefit the town. A satisfactory conclusion was reached, with most of its characters and history falling into place, but it was slow getting there.

[Bruce Hatton · Rating 5 out of 5]

As in previous episodes, once again Detectives Nell Buchanan and Ivan Lucic are dispatched to a remote New South Wales township to investigate a murder.
The victim is deputy mayor Wolfgang Burnside, whose ambitious plans to convert The Valley to hydro power have not been universally popular. The Valley was once a booming place thanks to a local gold mine. However, since the mine closed decades ago, The Valley has fallen on hard times. It soon turns out that subsequent attempts to revive the mine could have resulted in other murders.
What follows is a complex tale stretching back to a bullion heist back in 1988, many false identities and levels of corruption that lead right to the highest parts of national government. In her attempts to discover who murdered Wolfgang, Nell also discovers shocking details about her past and parentage.
Once again Chris Hammer has managed to construct an engrossing story full of action, mystery and local colour.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh Chris Hammer… how I love your stories. The Valley was brilliant - an intricate plot, interesting characters and lots of twists that leave the reader wanting more… I was totally unable to stop reading. 5 stars once again!

[Mandy White (mandylovestoread) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Chris Hammer book, another 5 star read. This man can do no wrong. Ever since picking up Scrublands when it first came out, I have been a great admirer of this author. He has away of drawing the reader into his multi timelines and layered mysteries. The Valley is another absolute cracker of a story,filled with twists and turns that nobody could imagine.

We are back in country NSW with Ivan and Nell, investigating the murder of local entrepreneur, Wolfgang Burnside. It is soon revealed through DNA, that Nell has a family connection to the victim and the case becomes increasingly personal for her. Through seamless tales from each timeline, we follow the case today, and what happened here in the past that has a huge bearing on what is going on now.

What I love so much about Chris Hammers writing is his wonderful character development through the book and series. We are quite involved in the lives of these detectives now, and learning more about Nell’s biological family was just a joy. There are also various past characters who make an appearance in The Valley, which is always fun. He also has a wonderful way of bringing the location and the environment into his stories and they are vivid and a hug part of the narrative, almost like another character.

The Valley is going to make readers of this series so very happy like it did me. We have so much happening all the time and ai didn’t want to stop reading.

Thank you so very much Allen and Unwin for the advanced copy to read. Publishes in Australia on October 1st.

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding, this book was brilliant.

What I enjoyed the most about this book was the timeline, tropes, setting and the characters.

*Timeline - It was a past (1994) and present (2024) timeline. I love books from 1970 onwards.

* Tropes - found family, dna testing, missing people, and cold cases. These are my tropes that I love reading about.

* Setting - it mentions so many places near where I live and visit so it was very easy to picture it.

* Characters - so many characters and everyone plays a role in the storyline. I connected with Nell as she had to navigate her way through, her personal interest vs her work ethic.

This book is about connections, coincidences , politics, corruption and the environment.

[Brooke - Brooke's Reading Life · Rating 4 out of 5]

**4.5 stars**

Let's start with yes this is the fourth book in a series and while I would highly recommend you read them in order, you could enjoy this as a standalone. I would go as far as saying (so far) this is my favourite in the 'Ivan and Nell' series. Featuring a dual timeline and a clever connecting plot, this one engages readers from the very beginning. The murder investigation is interesting as always, and the connections to Nell's personal history made for a very intriguing read. As per previous novels the location and setting descriptions are just so well-written; you can picture it in your head so easily.
Happily recommend this Australian crime story for those readers that enjoy a bigger book with intricate and detailed plot weaving.

[Caren · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had difficulty following the twists and turns of plot with Hammer’s latest thriller. The narratives were divided by time, covering over 30 years, with the focus on The Valley and the personal connection revealed between Detective Nell Buchanan and a murder victim caught up in the investigation. Hammer created “an evocative sense of place”, but the meticulous details of a closed goldmine were overloaded. Much of the discussion of water levels and flooding left me confused. I have generally enjoyed what has become known as “Australian outback noir” with Hammer’s detective duo, Ivan and Nell, but I struggled to finish this one.

[Sandysbookaday (taking a step back for a while) · Rating 4 out of 5]

EXCERPT: The Valley is not a town. It's a village at best, a hamlet, buildings strung out along the Valley Road as it runs southwards from the pass, surrounded by dairy pastures, stone fruit orchards and vineyards. There's a cricket ground, football goalposts already erected at either end. A church. A smattering of houses, a dozen at most, another church. A street library. Then a general store boasting a solitary petrol bowser, and a crossroad, Miner's Institute on one corner, a pub diagonally opposite. A few more houses, a park, and the road continuing south. Nell pulls over, turns back towards the pub. She feels she recognises The Valley: the sort of place where everyone knows everyone else; the sort of place where people leave their doors open at night, the keys in the ignition of their cars, toys unattended in the front yard. Except now there's been a murder. It looks peaceful, but Nell wonders at the conversations behind closed doors, th4e speculation and the fear; understanding it's their job to quell those fears, to catch the perpetrator or perpetrators, to return The Valley to its slumber.

ABOUT 'THE VALLEY': Nell Buchanan and Ivan Lucic are back – as Nell is thrown into her most emotionally fraught investigation yet.

A controversial entrepreneur is murdered in a remote mountain valley, but this is no ordinary case. Ivan and Nell are soon contending with cowboy lawyers, conmen, bullion thieves and grave robbers.

But it's when Nell discovers the victim is a close blood relative, that the past begins to take on a looming significance.

What did take place in The Valley all those years ago? What was Nell's mother doing there, and what was her connection to troubled young police officer Simmons Burnside? And why do the police hierarchy insist Ivan and Nell stay with the case despite an obvious conflict of interest?

MY THOUGHTS: As always with a Chris Hammer book, The Valley has great character development, is strong on ethical issues and is full of dramatic action.

The sense of place is amazing. By the time I finished The Valley I felt I knew every nook and cranny. I could have moved there and felt like I had been there for years. And thanks for the map of The Valley, Chris. Initially I referred to it often. I would also have appreciated a list of characters instead of having to rack my brains as to where any particular character fitted into the narrative.

The Valley is set over two timelines - 1988 - 1994 when a gold bullion robbery takes place, a previously peaceful environmental protest turns ugly, and a man goes missing during a deluge, triggering a chain of events involving Nell's mother that will continue for decades; and 2024 when things come to a head.

The thriller element is cleverly interwoven with Nell discovering a personal link to the victim of the 2024 murder, leading to DNA testing, found family and another whole can of worms.

As with every book I have read by this author, I became enamored and involved, unable to put it down, and ignored my other reads. The twists and turns are compelling and unexpected, yet entirely plausible. However, some of the information relating to the flooding of the goldmine went right over my head despite reading these sections several times and referring to the map which, incidentally, doesn't show the ventilation shaft which is crucial to the theory.

I have read the Ivan Lucic and Nell Buchanan series from the beginning and will definitely be devouring future books in the series. I will also be going back to read some of this author's earlier works.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.4

#TheValley #WaitomoDistrictLibrary

MEET THE AUTHOR: Chris Hammer was a journalist for more than thirty years, dividing his career between covering Australian federal politics and international affairs. For many years he was a roving foreign correspondent for SBS TV’s flagship current affairs program Dateline. He has reported from more than 30 countries on six continents. In Canberra, roles included chief political correspondent for The Bulletin, current affairs correspondent for SBS TV and a senior political journalist for The Age.
Chris has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Charles Sturt University and a master’s degree in international relations from the Australian National University. He lives in Canberra with his wife, Dr Tomoko Akami. The couple have two children.

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Valley, also titled The Broken River, is the fourth book in the Ivan Lucic and Nell Buchanan series by award-winning Australian journalist and author, Chris Hammer. While the murder in the mountain valley seems like one the district constabulary could handle, DS Ivan Lucic and DC Nell Buchanan are sent to investigate.

Local entrepreneur, Wolfgang Burnside, a personable man with a finger in many pies and ambitious plans for The Valley that don’t please everyone, has been found dead on the banks of the Broken River, drowned after a blow to the back of the head, with traces of cyanide in his system.

Ivan and Nell have soon decided that neither his current wife, nor his ex, are likely candidates for his murder, and are set to dig into connections of those who may have had a beef with the victim, as well as tracking down an elusive yellow van, when DNA proves that Nell has a much closer link to Wolf than she could have imagined. She’s ready to step back, but their boss, DS Packenham insists she stay.

The fact that Amber Jones, the mother she only recently discovered, spent time is the Valley is not the only surprise in store for Nell. Can she defer her curiosity about her origins to concentrate on finding who murdered the relative she never got a chance to know?

In a tale that features a massive cash and gold bullion heist, confrontations between loggers and environmentalists, a gold-mining scam, a dodgy lawyer, a dishonest accountant, and denied paternity, Hammer easily captures setting and eras. The story is told through three narratives, each with their own time-line, and there are some great twists, surprises, and red herrings.

Hammer dials back a bit on the ridiculous character names, but there are two power couples, corrupt cops and politicians, a fake photographer, and a journalist with integrity. Before matters are resolved, there’s an attempted abduction that results in a gunfight in the street, a grave is robbed, a man is thrown out of a window, and the body count exceeds ten. Again, there’s a very handy map at the front created by Aleksander Potočnik. Another exceptional dose of Australian rural crime fiction.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Allen & Unwin.

[Jackie Murrell · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Carolyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really looking forward to reading the new Chris Hammer novel, becoming immersed in a new landscape, characters with complicated backstories and the gradual unfolding of secrets and solving of crimes by detectives Nell Buchanan and Ivan Lucic. Sadly this one didn’t quite work for me. While I really enjoyed The Tilt this book has soured that one for me a bit too. It’s made Nell’s personal story of discovering her grandmother living a nomadic life between a wetland island humpy and abandoning her daughter to travel the world seem a tad far fetched. What we learn about Nell’s mother in this book gets even more hard to fathom. There were a great many characters and none of them rang true, we don’t get to connect with Nell or anyone else in the story, the timelines are confusing and the descriptions of The Valley itself were laborious and repetitive but still hard to picture, even with the help of the drawing at the front. So, I’m still a Chris Hammer fan but my enthusiasm is now tempered.

[Michele (michelethebookdragon) · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fabulous, incredible book. Chris Hammer can do no wrong.

In The Valley we see the continuation of the pairing of detectives Ivan Lucic and Nell Buchanan as they are thrust into another intriguing and far reaching murder investigation. They are called to The Valley, a scenic and lush part of rural NSW, part way between Canberra and the coast, to investigate the murder of high profile businessman, Wolfgang Burnside.

As with all of Chris's books there is more to this crime than first meets the eye. And for Nell there are life changing revelations that come to light. The then and now storylines are so well executed and I could vividly see all that was going on (though my vision of Francis and Teramina was always very 1920's and I don't know why), and the map was a constant reference point. I always love a map.

The evolution of the working relationship between Nell and Ivan is so good to watch. Ivan has faith in Nell and her abilities and knows she has a different way of looking at things to him. There are times he is happy for Nell to take the lead and follow her instincts. The way they bounce off each other and work together continues to get better and better.

There was so much at stake in this story. The environmental and economic implications and concerns with both logging and gold mining in a location like The Valley. The relationships and friendships that are impacted when greed drives people, and the emotional impact of lies and deceit and secrets.

I devoured two thirds of this book in one day and enjoyed every minute. The reveals and twists were so well done and I loved piecing it all together bit by bit. The references to characters from other Chris Hammer books is always cleverly woven into the story and I love and hope that these two worlds will continue to collide. I eagerly await the next book offering from this highly accomplished author.

[Gloria (Ms. G's Bookshelf) · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️4 Stars⭐️
Wow what an intriguing journey! You’ll find multiple timelines and compelling twists & turns galore in Chris Hammer's latest crime thriller The Valley. I couldn’t stop reading!

Detective Sergeant Ivan Lucic and Detective Senior Constable Nell Buchanan are back to investigate the murder of local entrerpreneur Wolfgang Burnside found dead, his body partially submerged in the Broken River.

The plot is intricate, the characters are well developed and the setting atmospheric in this small NSW town exploding with secrets and corruption.

The murder victim is found to be closely linked to Nell as we learn more of her past and unconnected events align.

An old gold mine, a heist, forest logging protesters and politics make an immersive story with action aplenty. I am really enjoying this series.

Publication Date 01 October 2024
Publisher Allen & Unwin Australia

Thank you so much Allen & Unwin for giving me the chance to read this fabulous book

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

More of the same.... how many more lost relatives can this bird have? And how many more of them are the NSW Police going to let her investigate before she declares a conflict of interest?

[Aaron · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Valley, a place where no-one has a common name.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Valley (published in the UK with the title Broken River) is another compelling and multilayered mystery-thriller from former political journalist Chris Hammer, the fourth instalment in his popular series featuring NSW Regional Homicide "Flying Squad" Detective Sergeant Ivan Lucic and his colleague Detective Senior Constable Nell Buchanan.

The story is multi-layered over three different time periods, opening in 1988 with a shootout between the members of a gang that have just committed an armed robbery in Sydney. The remainder of the story takes place in and around The Valley, an idyllic but isolated rural community surrounded by dramatic escarpments in the hinterland behind Batemans Bay, NSW. The narrative shifts backwards and forth between the present - in which DS Lucic and DSC Buchanan are summoned from their Dubbo base to The Valley to investigate the suspicious death of local entrepreneur Wolfgang Burnside - and events in 1990 and 1994, a tumultuous time for the residents of The Valley.

As Lucic and Buchanan probe the landscape and population of The Valley for clues as to Wolfgang's demise, events of thirty years previously are related from the perspective of young police constable Simmons Burnside, who in 1990 has returned to his birthplace after training and a short stint in Sydney.

Past and present converge as the long-defunct Gryphon Gold Mine becomes the focus of community hopes for financial security, political skulduggery and as a cover for a criminal enterprise. The case in the present day develops a shock personal element for Nell, after DNA results on the victim are returned, whilst in the parallel 1994 storyline, we learn of Nell's late mother Amber's fateful association with The Valley.

[Craig and Phil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Big thanks to Allen & Unwin for sending us a copy to read and review.
The title, the cover and the authors name all act as a guarantee that this will be a fantastic read highlighting a crime in a small town.
The Valley township has a trove of secrets and has links to crimes that need to be solved.
A body brings Nell and Ivan to the picturesque town.
A murdered man is just the beginning, as they delve into the thick of the clues they discover a web of mystery and that Nell has a DNA match to the victim. Professionally and personally this will be an epic journey for her.
A connection that automatically adds an extra dimension to the plot.
A gold heist, scamming and corruption are the forefront as the culprits and their devious behaviour and pasts come to light.
A work that demonstrates the articulate talent and tenacity that Chris brings to his readership.
Twisty and intricate scenarios will keep the reader guessing.
As Nell is well known in the series, the reader immediately felt how the revelation impacted her and her emotions became ours.

[Naomi (aplace_inthesun) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t know why I didn’t get to this book sooner, but it was worth waiting for. As it stands it will be one of my final reads for 2024 and one of my favourites I think.

This book is strangely a more personal story about our DSC Nell Buchanan (we know she was adopted after her mother passed). The Valley sees Nell and Ivan investigating a crime that is linked with Nell, but (given it’s fiction) she’s able to stay on the case.

Chris Hammer books always include political or environmental issues or plots, and this is no exception. I find them (unlike in other books) incredibly interesting because of the way Chris weaves the issues into the fabric of the story. The Valley is again rich in setting - a setting that is extremely close to my heart, having grown up exploring the beaches at Batemans Bay, Surf Beach, and Malua Bay and frequenting the many places depicted in this story.

I found this enthralling both for the mystery and the unravelling of Nell’s learnings about her Lifestory.

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first books in this series were excellent,but this one...There´s a good story in there,but it gets bogged down by endless and minute descriptions (every turn, every hairpin), the mechanics of the mine flooding/not flooding,there are plot holes, and certain things are unbelievable. It only picks up in the last 1/4. Another thing that´s starting to irritate me is that everything revolves about Nell´s past,parents, family, etc.
I had the same experience with Hammer´s other series;started great,went downhill by repetition of formulas.

[Jacqui · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent story only slightly undermined by patches of unrealistic dialogue and a few typos (maybe an ebook issue?).

I'm usually a basic b who likes her lead detectives to fall in love with each other but even I have to admit that Ivan and Nell's platonic professional relationship is great and probably a lot more realistic when it comes to people who work together like this.

[Tonia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this but it got a little convoluted towards the end.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

What can I say another good Chris Hammer book.

I don't know much about mining which is a big part of the plot yet this managed to hold my interest. I was actually worried this would not be the case, but the characters where relatable all the same so I could see why the situation with the mine and the logging (and the access to that specific road) would matter so much to them.

That made the reading of this book a lot smoother. I am a life long city dweller but I know a thing or two about the need for job security and the financial commitments that tie someone to a place. So when the characters were faced with the prospects that they were I could feel and understand that worry as if it were happening right where I am.

Chris Hammer is very good at both creating a strong sense of place and yet write characters we can all see living right next door.

The ending felt both surprising me and felt like it couldn't be any other way, which is quite a feat. So I am already looking forward to my next book by this author

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very satisfying story and wrap up

[Ron Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book opens with a scene taken from Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs, stolen millions and gun fight, something very un-Chris Hammer but then quickly restores itself to the steady pace of a usual Chris Hammer story set in a small country community. The appearance of police duo Nell Buchanan and Ivan Lucic bring sanity to the story.

Like his previous stories Hammer likes to construct a narrative that jumps from one time period to another time. The opening scene is 1988, then it is 2024 or 1994. There are characters who inhabit both stories and there are 1994 characters long gone who are crucial to the things happening in 2024. I would love to ask Hammer if he writes the 1994 story, then the 2024 story and edits the two stories to blend into the completed book. All somewhat complicated and the reader/listener needs to pay close attention to the time changes. Nevertheless, I think Hammer has completed this technique successfully.

Another interesting technique is that story one is told in first and third person. From the point of view of Simmons Burnside, a police constable and then in third person when Amber Jones (Nell Buchanan’s mother) arrives on the scene.

There are three mysteries in the story; who killed Hardcastle in 1994, who killed Wolfgang Burnside in 2024 and who is Nell’s father. In the later half political and police corruption is added to the brew.

Like most Hammer stories there is a cast of characters that would challenge a Russian novel. In the closing chapters when certain characters were mentioned I drew a blank. As the story drew to a close, I had lost a great degree of interest. There were so many strings to the story. It was like trying to straighten a plate of noodles. The corruption issue led to a few crises where gun shots were exchanged.

As Hammer loosened the Gordian Knot and past incidents were explained and characters exposed, this lengthy and complicated tale came to a satisfying end. It might be an idea to take notes over the closing pages to satisfy any post reading reflections or discussions.

Chris Hammer knows his market and he has perfected this type of country crime fiction noir. The mix of characters from everyday neighbours to harden criminals blend to make a palatable story in an Australian bush setting so liked by city tied readers. He is a craftsman at this type of multicharacter multi-time adventure. My only criticism is its length and list of characters the length of the Eyre Highway.

Hammer occasionally comes up some memorable lines:

"A smile as broad as the Nullarbor.
A bowl of minestrone large enough to swim laps in.
Exotic punctuation of the night sky.
Showered and changed and caffeinated.
A wiry looking doctor, hair like steel wool, wire framed glasses with metal braces on his teeth."

In the 1994 part Hammer has a dig at the illustrious Paul Keating and high interest rates of 19% (my recollection was 17.5%).

As with ‘Seven’ the cover photograph and the accompanying map are excellent.

Hammer has been busy, virtually a book a year since Scrublands in 2018.

[charlotte, · Rating 5 out of 5]

On my blog.

Galley provided by publisher


Chris Hammer’s series featuring Lucic and Buchanan has to rank among my favourite crime series. Each book is better than the last and The Broken River proved that further. From the moment I picked this one up, I knew I would love it. Unsurprisingly, my prediction bore out.

What I enjoy most about this series is the way the mysteries are always so tightly plotted, with twists and turns you don’t see coming. The past and present narratives are woven together in such a way that you never know something before Ivan and Nell do (pet peeve of mystery novels), but you can start to make guesses — even if they then turn out to be wrong. And the mysteries are genuinely, heart-poundingly thrilling, especially as they reach their conclusions.

This is helped by the fact that every Chris Hammer character, regardless of how major a role in the plot they play, feels so real, like someone you could meet on the street in real life. You read as much for the compellingness of the characters as you do the plot.

Really, this is a series that shouldn’t be missed. If you like mysteries in any sense of the word, then you really, really, need to pick these books up.