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Martin Scarsden #3
Trust
You think you know someone...Would you bet your life on it?A detective came to her home, drugged her and kidnapped her. She tries to make sense of it, but only one conclusion is it's the past, come to claim her.His new life seemed perfect - right up until the moment a missed call shatters everything. Ex-journalist Martin Scarsden checks his voicemail, and all he hears is his partner Mandy's terrified scream before the phone cuts off.Racing home, he finds an unconscious man sprawled on the floor and Mandy gone. Someone has abducted her. But who, and why?So starts a riveting tale of intrigue and danger, as Martin probes the hidden past of the woman he loves. But can he trust her, once her shocking secrets are finally revealed? Even if it means putting everything on the line...Praise for Chris Hammer'The best Australian crime novel for years' The Times'Shimmers . . . A tortured tale of blood and loss' Val McDermid'Intelligent, thought-provoking - an almost-perfect crime novel' Ann Cleeves'Hammer is a great writer - a leader in Australian noir' Michael Connelly'Stunning - a page-turner which stays long in the memory' Sunday Times'Hammer's writing is so evocative the heat practically rises off the pages' Guardian'A dark and brilliant thriller' Mail On Sunday
433 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 6, 2020
544 people are currently reading
3236 people want to read
About the author
Chris Hammer
13 books1,477 followersChris 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 629 reviews
November 11, 2020
Aussie Chris Hammer shifts location to Sydney for the third in his series featuring journalist and true crime writer, Martin Scarsden, now in a long term relationship that has worked out well for him with single mother, Mandalay 'Mandy' Blonde and her toddler, Liam, in Port Silver. This is a riveting, fast paced, adrenaline fuelled thrill ride and where the character names, bad guys and violence had echoes of the golden age of classic black and white Hollywood noir and gangster movies. It all begins with Mandy's abduction which sees her recognising that her past has come back to haunt her, a past that she has never confided in Martin about, a past that she is going to have address to reclaim her future, and which raises issues of trust for her, she had been unfortunate in the men she had chosen previously, has she finally struck lucky in Martin? That he loves her is not in question as he races to Sydney in the hope of finding her there, learning she had once been engaged to Tarquin Molloy, assumed to have stolen millions from Molllison's Investment Bank, then abandoned Mandy, and apparently gone on to live the good life.
However, the remarkably well preserved body of Tarquin is discovered in the foundations of a high rise building, showing signs of being badly beaten up and then shot, it emerges he was an undercover cop who might have had a different agenda beyond stealing money at Mollinson's. Martin is being asked to join his old editor, mentor and friend, Max Fuller, on a below the radar investigation, and it appears it has some connection to Molloy. Before he can talk to Max, his body is found in a compromising position with Elizabeth Torbett, a supreme court judge, looking like a murder-suicide. A grief stricken Martin wants to know what got Max killed, and nothing is going to stop him. Mandy looks to lay the past to rest for good as she tries to find out who Tarquin was and what happened to him. In a narrative that sees Martin and Mandy join forces, they uncover The Mess, an exclusive secret dining club for the rich, powerful and the criminal, formed after WW2, are in the gravest of danger and caught up in horrifying blood baths.
This is an atmospheric and compulsive thriller, packed with suspense and tension, that I feel Hammer wrote a little tongue in cheek, I can imagine that he had a great deal of fun in plotting and writing it. I think this latest outing for Scarsden might well be the best one yet, you get a great sense of location of a post-lockdown Sydney and there is a terrific cast of characters, featuring the good, the bad and the downright ugly. Martin and Mandy get help from a young IT expert Yev as they find their phones compromised, and face mafia guys, stone cold professional killers, corruption and more. A wonderfully entertaining Aussie thriller that had me avidly turning the pages to see where all the action and drama were heading. I think many crime and thriller readers will love this. Many thanks to Headline for an ARC.
However, the remarkably well preserved body of Tarquin is discovered in the foundations of a high rise building, showing signs of being badly beaten up and then shot, it emerges he was an undercover cop who might have had a different agenda beyond stealing money at Mollinson's. Martin is being asked to join his old editor, mentor and friend, Max Fuller, on a below the radar investigation, and it appears it has some connection to Molloy. Before he can talk to Max, his body is found in a compromising position with Elizabeth Torbett, a supreme court judge, looking like a murder-suicide. A grief stricken Martin wants to know what got Max killed, and nothing is going to stop him. Mandy looks to lay the past to rest for good as she tries to find out who Tarquin was and what happened to him. In a narrative that sees Martin and Mandy join forces, they uncover The Mess, an exclusive secret dining club for the rich, powerful and the criminal, formed after WW2, are in the gravest of danger and caught up in horrifying blood baths.
This is an atmospheric and compulsive thriller, packed with suspense and tension, that I feel Hammer wrote a little tongue in cheek, I can imagine that he had a great deal of fun in plotting and writing it. I think this latest outing for Scarsden might well be the best one yet, you get a great sense of location of a post-lockdown Sydney and there is a terrific cast of characters, featuring the good, the bad and the downright ugly. Martin and Mandy get help from a young IT expert Yev as they find their phones compromised, and face mafia guys, stone cold professional killers, corruption and more. A wonderfully entertaining Aussie thriller that had me avidly turning the pages to see where all the action and drama were heading. I think many crime and thriller readers will love this. Many thanks to Headline for an ARC.
April 25, 2021
For the past year Martin and Mandy have been living an idyllic life in Port Silver, renovating Mandy’s house and enjoying watching baby Liam grow up. But their peaceful life is suddenly shattered when Martin receives a call from Mandy screaming down the phone. When he returns home he finds an unconscious man on the floor and no sign of Mandy. Mandy has been kidnapped as the past she has tried to forget has caught up with her.
In her twenties Mandy met a man called Tarquin Molloy who helped her get a job at Mollison’s Bank where he also worked. When he absconded a few months later after stealing millions from the bank, Mandy assumed he was living the good life somewhere. However, his body and has just been found and it seems he never left Sydney. Mandy must now face her fast and her possible role in his death before she can move on with her life. Martin also finds himself on the trail of a huge story in Sydney. One involving a secret dining society and corruption at the highest levels.
Chris Hammer’s third book might just be the best yet. Wonderfully chilling and suspenseful with non stop action with a multi layered plot full of twists and surprising revelations, it makes for a tense and exhilarating read. Mandy and Martin must both decide who they can trust to survive in the dangerous world of cold blooded killers in which they now find themselves.
In her twenties Mandy met a man called Tarquin Molloy who helped her get a job at Mollison’s Bank where he also worked. When he absconded a few months later after stealing millions from the bank, Mandy assumed he was living the good life somewhere. However, his body and has just been found and it seems he never left Sydney. Mandy must now face her fast and her possible role in his death before she can move on with her life. Martin also finds himself on the trail of a huge story in Sydney. One involving a secret dining society and corruption at the highest levels.
Chris Hammer’s third book might just be the best yet. Wonderfully chilling and suspenseful with non stop action with a multi layered plot full of twists and surprising revelations, it makes for a tense and exhilarating read. Mandy and Martin must both decide who they can trust to survive in the dangerous world of cold blooded killers in which they now find themselves.
September 24, 2023
3.5★
“‘Don’t you want to know what happened? she asks.
‘Of course, he says. ‘But I’m not sure how you can help.’
She takes a breath. This is the first times she’s told anyone, trusted anyone.”
There are a lot of first times for trust in this complex story and almost as many times when that trust has been misplaced, particularly for Mandy, who is about to open up to Martin about her past.
We know she’s had what might politely be called a colourful youth, but we (and Martin) have never been privy to a lot of the details. As it turns out, people from her past who have been haunting her are connected to the recent murder of someone in Martin’s life.
The book opens on the beach below their home in Port Silver with Martin playing on the beach with toddler, Liam, Mandy’s son. Martin has been ignoring his phone, but when he finally checks his messages, he hears a horrifying scream from Mandy.
Between these cliffside houses and the beach is a long series of stairs from top to bottom, or in Martin’s frantic state, from bottom to top. By the time he gets up there, hauling Liam, of course, Mandy is gone, kidnapped, taken to Sydney, and there’s a body on the floor.
Mandy is in Sydney, and that’s where the action takes place (after Martin parks Liam with loving rellies and deals with the authorities about the body). He has also had a call from his old Sydney Morning Herald editor and mentor asking him to meet with him urgently about a great scoop he wants Martin to handle. So it’s back to the Big Smoke.
He has been a foreign correspondent (as has the author), so it’s interesting to see his flat, his pad, and some of the ‘trophies’ he’s collected.
“... a carving of Christ, from deep in the Amazon, a declaration of rebellion from the Arab Spring, a bullet-holed road sign from Africa. ... He’d once been proud of them, impressed by his own achievements, curating an exhibition in his own honour, but now they seemed try-hard and sad. Who else decorates walls of their living room with work-related memorabilia? Dentists with X-rays of recalcitrant mandibles? Accountants with challenging spreadsheets? Politicians with high-denomination brown paper bags? ... The Museum of Martin ...”
I suspect the author may speak from personal experience. But who doesn’t like to be reminded of the old adage, “The older I get, the better I used to be”?
The cast of characters grows, with so many people apparently not who Mandy or Martin thought they were. Journalists, judges, reporters, cops, investigators, friends, colleagues. They didn’t know who was trustworthy, and they occasionally had doubts about each other. Not surprising, considering the secrets Mandy reveals.
Turns out, she was engaged to someone before. Turns out ‘he’might have been a crook, might not, might have been an investigator, might not, might . . . it’s a story full of ‘what-ifs’and ‘why-didn’t-I-know-betters’ and all those soul-seeking questions that we ask in hindsight.
I think what I actually like best was the Sydney of Martin’s cadetship that he describes. I lived near Kings Cross in the late 60s and used to wait with friends for the truck to come to deliver the Saturday Morning Herald, an enormous paper, that had all the most recent classified ads for jobs and places to rent. You had to be quick to get the plum offerings!
“Of how after an evening of drinking and carousing they’d stagger up to Taylor Square at midnight to buy the papers fresh off the truck. The big, fat Saturday papers, still warm from the presses. Still smelling of printer’s ink, like fresh-baked bread to the young tribe of reporters, leavened by classified ads and supplements. And waking the next day to find the paper there to greet him, among the cigarette butts and empty bottles and the hangovers, left open at the page where he’d found his newly-minted byline.”
I remember those warm bundles and elbowing each other to grab a copy. (I didn't know anyone with a byline though!)
I listened to the audio, because that’s what was handy, but I think I should have waited for a print version. There were too many people to keep track of, and it’s too hard to skip back to check the who’s who when a character pops up again later in the story.
Dorje Swallow is a good narrator with a pleasant voice and manner. There were times that I wasn’t sure who was speaking, although that can happen in printed material as well. If I have to wind back in the audio or flip pages back and start counting who the alternating voices are, I lose my place inside the story and move outside. Not satisfactory.
So for that reason, that the complexity made it hard for me to keep track of people (and I stress “me”), I am downgrading my overall rating. Others have loved this, and I do like Hammer’s writing, so I’ll be looking for more. 😊
“‘Don’t you want to know what happened? she asks.
‘Of course, he says. ‘But I’m not sure how you can help.’
She takes a breath. This is the first times she’s told anyone, trusted anyone.”
There are a lot of first times for trust in this complex story and almost as many times when that trust has been misplaced, particularly for Mandy, who is about to open up to Martin about her past.
We know she’s had what might politely be called a colourful youth, but we (and Martin) have never been privy to a lot of the details. As it turns out, people from her past who have been haunting her are connected to the recent murder of someone in Martin’s life.
The book opens on the beach below their home in Port Silver with Martin playing on the beach with toddler, Liam, Mandy’s son. Martin has been ignoring his phone, but when he finally checks his messages, he hears a horrifying scream from Mandy.
Between these cliffside houses and the beach is a long series of stairs from top to bottom, or in Martin’s frantic state, from bottom to top. By the time he gets up there, hauling Liam, of course, Mandy is gone, kidnapped, taken to Sydney, and there’s a body on the floor.
Mandy is in Sydney, and that’s where the action takes place (after Martin parks Liam with loving rellies and deals with the authorities about the body). He has also had a call from his old Sydney Morning Herald editor and mentor asking him to meet with him urgently about a great scoop he wants Martin to handle. So it’s back to the Big Smoke.
He has been a foreign correspondent (as has the author), so it’s interesting to see his flat, his pad, and some of the ‘trophies’ he’s collected.
“... a carving of Christ, from deep in the Amazon, a declaration of rebellion from the Arab Spring, a bullet-holed road sign from Africa. ... He’d once been proud of them, impressed by his own achievements, curating an exhibition in his own honour, but now they seemed try-hard and sad. Who else decorates walls of their living room with work-related memorabilia? Dentists with X-rays of recalcitrant mandibles? Accountants with challenging spreadsheets? Politicians with high-denomination brown paper bags? ... The Museum of Martin ...”
I suspect the author may speak from personal experience. But who doesn’t like to be reminded of the old adage, “The older I get, the better I used to be”?
The cast of characters grows, with so many people apparently not who Mandy or Martin thought they were. Journalists, judges, reporters, cops, investigators, friends, colleagues. They didn’t know who was trustworthy, and they occasionally had doubts about each other. Not surprising, considering the secrets Mandy reveals.
Turns out, she was engaged to someone before. Turns out ‘he’might have been a crook, might not, might have been an investigator, might not, might . . . it’s a story full of ‘what-ifs’and ‘why-didn’t-I-know-betters’ and all those soul-seeking questions that we ask in hindsight.
I think what I actually like best was the Sydney of Martin’s cadetship that he describes. I lived near Kings Cross in the late 60s and used to wait with friends for the truck to come to deliver the Saturday Morning Herald, an enormous paper, that had all the most recent classified ads for jobs and places to rent. You had to be quick to get the plum offerings!
“Of how after an evening of drinking and carousing they’d stagger up to Taylor Square at midnight to buy the papers fresh off the truck. The big, fat Saturday papers, still warm from the presses. Still smelling of printer’s ink, like fresh-baked bread to the young tribe of reporters, leavened by classified ads and supplements. And waking the next day to find the paper there to greet him, among the cigarette butts and empty bottles and the hangovers, left open at the page where he’d found his newly-minted byline.”
I remember those warm bundles and elbowing each other to grab a copy. (I didn't know anyone with a byline though!)
I listened to the audio, because that’s what was handy, but I think I should have waited for a print version. There were too many people to keep track of, and it’s too hard to skip back to check the who’s who when a character pops up again later in the story.
Dorje Swallow is a good narrator with a pleasant voice and manner. There were times that I wasn’t sure who was speaking, although that can happen in printed material as well. If I have to wind back in the audio or flip pages back and start counting who the alternating voices are, I lose my place inside the story and move outside. Not satisfactory.
So for that reason, that the complexity made it hard for me to keep track of people (and I stress “me”), I am downgrading my overall rating. Others have loved this, and I do like Hammer’s writing, so I’ll be looking for more. 😊
November 17, 2020
4.5 stars. 'Trust' confirms author Chris Hammer's predominant place at the top of the new and increasingly popular Australian thrillers.
Hammer is a brilliant writer and storyteller with fast-paced, gripping plots. He vividly evokes an atmospheric sense of place, transporting the reader to various Australian settings. His characters are intriguing, with well-developed personalities.
This is the third book featuring Martin Scarsdale and his girlfriend, Mandalay Blonde. They first met in 'Scrublands,' an intense thriller set in the desolate, sweltering, dusty bushland. 'Silver' finds them relocated to an oceanside town in an enthralling mystery. 'Trust' can be read as a stand-alone, but the previous two books would give readers more insight into the characters. Also, recommended, just because they are such compelling stories.
'Trust' begins with Martin arriving home in Port Silver. He finds a badly injured man unconscious on the floor. Mandy is missing. She has been abducted. He follows her trail to Sydney and they are reunited.
Mandy once worked at a low-level job in a Sydney bank. She had been engaged to a man whom she never mentioned to Martin. It seems he absconded with a huge sum of money from the bank five years ago and Mandy never heard from him again. His body has just been found. It turns out he has been dead ever since Mandy last heard from him, was using an assumed name and left behind a wife and children. She realizes she has made bad choices of men in the past. She is finding it difficult to trust Martin who truly loves her. Mandy is consumed with past guilt and secrets. She is now determined to discover more about her ex-fiance and why he was murdered.
Martin is shocked to find his past newspaper boss, father figure, and friend has been murdered along with a female Supreme Court judge. This leads him to a very complex, twisted tale involving a secret society of prominent citizens, nepotism, conspiracies, corruption, bank fraud and embezzlement, money laundering, murder, and even Mafia Involvement. These features in a mystery rarely hold my interest, but the intensity of the events kept me reading throughout the entire night. The death of Mandy's ex-fiance may even be connected with Martin's investigation of the secret society.
Martin hopes this crime story will give him another best selling non-fiction book if he can solve all the banking conspiracies and complications. There are more killings. Both he and Mandy have become the target of very brutal and desperate men and their lives are in danger.
Hammer is a brilliant writer and storyteller with fast-paced, gripping plots. He vividly evokes an atmospheric sense of place, transporting the reader to various Australian settings. His characters are intriguing, with well-developed personalities.
This is the third book featuring Martin Scarsdale and his girlfriend, Mandalay Blonde. They first met in 'Scrublands,' an intense thriller set in the desolate, sweltering, dusty bushland. 'Silver' finds them relocated to an oceanside town in an enthralling mystery. 'Trust' can be read as a stand-alone, but the previous two books would give readers more insight into the characters. Also, recommended, just because they are such compelling stories.
'Trust' begins with Martin arriving home in Port Silver. He finds a badly injured man unconscious on the floor. Mandy is missing. She has been abducted. He follows her trail to Sydney and they are reunited.
Mandy once worked at a low-level job in a Sydney bank. She had been engaged to a man whom she never mentioned to Martin. It seems he absconded with a huge sum of money from the bank five years ago and Mandy never heard from him again. His body has just been found. It turns out he has been dead ever since Mandy last heard from him, was using an assumed name and left behind a wife and children. She realizes she has made bad choices of men in the past. She is finding it difficult to trust Martin who truly loves her. Mandy is consumed with past guilt and secrets. She is now determined to discover more about her ex-fiance and why he was murdered.
Martin is shocked to find his past newspaper boss, father figure, and friend has been murdered along with a female Supreme Court judge. This leads him to a very complex, twisted tale involving a secret society of prominent citizens, nepotism, conspiracies, corruption, bank fraud and embezzlement, money laundering, murder, and even Mafia Involvement. These features in a mystery rarely hold my interest, but the intensity of the events kept me reading throughout the entire night. The death of Mandy's ex-fiance may even be connected with Martin's investigation of the secret society.
Martin hopes this crime story will give him another best selling non-fiction book if he can solve all the banking conspiracies and complications. There are more killings. Both he and Mandy have become the target of very brutal and desperate men and their lives are in danger.
October 15, 2020
Australian writer Chris Hammer has fast become one of my favourite authors. Scrublands is one of my favourite books and this book, Trust, is the 3rd in the series, featuring Martin Scarsden and Mandalay Blonde. Once again it is a fast-paced story with plenty of twists and characters to make you wonder how it is all going to end.
Trust starts off in the town of Port Silver, where we left these characters. Mandy has been kidnapped and Martin heads to Sydney to search for her. Who would take Mandy and why? When the 2 are reunited the investigation begins. Martin's journalistic brain will not let it rest. Mandy and Martin both have a mystery to solve taking them on different paths through the city to get to the truth. But who can they trust? What is in Mandy's past that nearly got her killed? And does it connect to Martin's story of corruption, secrets at the highest level of government and underground criminal activity? This story has it all and you will not want to put it down.
At almost 500 pages this is a big book - but believe me, you will not want it to end. Chris Hammer bring Sydney, post pandemic, to life with his writing. The locations were vivid and there are host of characters that you would never want to meet in real life.
I hope that there is more to Martin and Mandy's story to come. Trust can be read without reading Scrublands or Silver but for me it would be best to start at the beginning to fully understand the relationship between thee 2 and why they go to the lengths that they do for each other.
A fantastic Australian crime thriller. A big thank you to Allen and Unwin for sending me an advanced copy of this book to read. I am sure they could hear the squeal of delight when I opened it.
Trust starts off in the town of Port Silver, where we left these characters. Mandy has been kidnapped and Martin heads to Sydney to search for her. Who would take Mandy and why? When the 2 are reunited the investigation begins. Martin's journalistic brain will not let it rest. Mandy and Martin both have a mystery to solve taking them on different paths through the city to get to the truth. But who can they trust? What is in Mandy's past that nearly got her killed? And does it connect to Martin's story of corruption, secrets at the highest level of government and underground criminal activity? This story has it all and you will not want to put it down.
At almost 500 pages this is a big book - but believe me, you will not want it to end. Chris Hammer bring Sydney, post pandemic, to life with his writing. The locations were vivid and there are host of characters that you would never want to meet in real life.
I hope that there is more to Martin and Mandy's story to come. Trust can be read without reading Scrublands or Silver but for me it would be best to start at the beginning to fully understand the relationship between thee 2 and why they go to the lengths that they do for each other.
A fantastic Australian crime thriller. A big thank you to Allen and Unwin for sending me an advanced copy of this book to read. I am sure they could hear the squeal of delight when I opened it.
March 13, 2021
A couple of years ago, Chris Hammer introduced us to ex-war correspondent Martin Scarsden, in his first book Scrublands. Still earning his living as a journalist, but now reporting on events on the home front, he’d travelled from his home in Sydney to a small town in Eastern New South Wales to research a piece he intended to write on a mass shooting carried out by a young priest some twelve months earlier. There he met and fell in love with the beautiful Mandalay Blonde who ran the local bookstore come coffee shop. It was a brilliantly tense novel with a great setting, interesting characters a twisty, complex plot. In Silver, the second book in this series, we learned a good deal about Martin’s early life as he returned to his home town, a place he’d left under something of a cloud years ago. I wasn’t quite so taken with this one but I still liked relationship between the characters and the setting enough to want to continue following this pair in their further adventures, even if I had some doubts about Scarsden.
In this latest book the couple are still based in the small NSW town of Port Silver, featured in book two, but events quickly remove us from this setting and immerse us into a mystery of murder, financial impropriety and an exploration of Mandalay’s former life. Early on few characters from previous books make a re-appearance and this briefly provides a settling sense of continuity even if this turns out to be simply a ruse - this definitely isn’t going to be a comfortable sit back and soak it up ride. Martin is soon headed back to Sydney looking for Mandalay, she’s been violently abducted and his instincts tell him that this is where he should begin his search for her. From this point the action is ever moving, ever evolving and as new players enter the story many have a tendency to be offbeat and unsettling. It’s not clear where this is all going but a number of events, all in themselves serious and unexplained, might be linked.
It’s a high velocity tale, complex and sometimes confusing but never dull. Though it’s the story of Martin and Mandalay running through this series that really grabs me: they’re very different characters, each somewhat swallowed up the past and yet their relationship is believable, if never quite fully balanced. I like, too, the Aussie setting for these books, with its own vernacular and fantastically dramatic backdrops. If I have a criticism it’s that the denouement feels somewhat over-engineered and, for me, it rather stretches credibility. But I’m happy to set that aside, the ending is seldom the most important part of a book for me – and definitely not if the journey is as good as this one was.
My thanks to Headline and NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
In this latest book the couple are still based in the small NSW town of Port Silver, featured in book two, but events quickly remove us from this setting and immerse us into a mystery of murder, financial impropriety and an exploration of Mandalay’s former life. Early on few characters from previous books make a re-appearance and this briefly provides a settling sense of continuity even if this turns out to be simply a ruse - this definitely isn’t going to be a comfortable sit back and soak it up ride. Martin is soon headed back to Sydney looking for Mandalay, she’s been violently abducted and his instincts tell him that this is where he should begin his search for her. From this point the action is ever moving, ever evolving and as new players enter the story many have a tendency to be offbeat and unsettling. It’s not clear where this is all going but a number of events, all in themselves serious and unexplained, might be linked.
It’s a high velocity tale, complex and sometimes confusing but never dull. Though it’s the story of Martin and Mandalay running through this series that really grabs me: they’re very different characters, each somewhat swallowed up the past and yet their relationship is believable, if never quite fully balanced. I like, too, the Aussie setting for these books, with its own vernacular and fantastically dramatic backdrops. If I have a criticism it’s that the denouement feels somewhat over-engineered and, for me, it rather stretches credibility. But I’m happy to set that aside, the ending is seldom the most important part of a book for me – and definitely not if the journey is as good as this one was.
My thanks to Headline and NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
November 13, 2020
⭐️4 Stars⭐️
Trust is Chris Hammer’s third book in the series featuring Martin Scarsden and Mandalay Blonde.
Life is rosey sweet for the couple and their young son Liam living at Port Silver until Mandalay is abducted and Martin finds an unconscious man on the floor at home. He heads up to Sydney in his search for Mandalay and it’s then that the city of Sydney becomes the setting for this new book.
There are secrets in Mandalay’s past and the time has arrived to face it head on, will her mystery man threaten their future? Martin is drawn into the tendrils of Sydney's dark side, corruption, nepotism, scandal, secret clubs, extreme violence and murder, including the murder of a good friend. Will Mandalay finally learn how to trust Martin?
An excellent crime thriller that moves at a good bouncy pace with threads aplenty and a considerable amount of violence and heinous characters.
I wish to thank Allen & Unwin for the wonderful opportunity to win an advanced copy of the book
Trust is Chris Hammer’s third book in the series featuring Martin Scarsden and Mandalay Blonde.
Life is rosey sweet for the couple and their young son Liam living at Port Silver until Mandalay is abducted and Martin finds an unconscious man on the floor at home. He heads up to Sydney in his search for Mandalay and it’s then that the city of Sydney becomes the setting for this new book.
There are secrets in Mandalay’s past and the time has arrived to face it head on, will her mystery man threaten their future? Martin is drawn into the tendrils of Sydney's dark side, corruption, nepotism, scandal, secret clubs, extreme violence and murder, including the murder of a good friend. Will Mandalay finally learn how to trust Martin?
An excellent crime thriller that moves at a good bouncy pace with threads aplenty and a considerable amount of violence and heinous characters.
I wish to thank Allen & Unwin for the wonderful opportunity to win an advanced copy of the book
October 6, 2020
Martin Scarsden’s life is going along beautifully until the moment he is put on high alert by a scream coming from the other end of the phone of his partner Mandy Blonde. Arriving home he finds a man on the floor severely injured, and Mandy is gone, abducted. But by who and why? As Martin investigates Mandy’s abduction and events of the past, he learns a lot that he never knew about Mandy and also about other people. What happened to Mandy’s fiancé who disappeared? Both Mandy and Martin begin to wonder who they can trust. Can they trust each other? Can they trust the police? Where is the truth in among all of the lies and secrecy swirling around? Can Martin trust the information he discovers or his sources? Just exactly what is going on that has far reaching effects and produces a sting of violence and murder?
I really liked the portray al of Sydney as the setting for this novel. It is a character in itself and is evocatively described, the good and the bad. Also the way the weather has an influence on feelings and attitudes of people in the city. It was perhaps my favourite thing in the novel. The story moves along at a pace with a considerable amount of gruesome violence and mayhem. I didn’t handle the violent scenes all that well and had to put the book down at times. Also got over the language and I don’t mean just the f word. These two aspects spoiled my enjoyment of the novel.
Since Liam had been safely parked with others caring for him there was little softening influence in this book as there was in Silver. No doubt I am going I am be in minority with this one, as I found it just seemed to go on too long, exposing more and more crime and violence and I got over it. However at no point did I consider abandoning it, which is attributed to the skill of the writer. It kept me reading, even if intermittently at times. I am sure there will be a lot of people who are going to be enthralled by this book. Those who like violent crime novels and a convoluted plot with secret societies and mafia and concerning the world of banking and computers, will no doubt respond better to it than I did. While I appreciated certain aspects it’s probably the sort of book that will appeal to a lot of others more than it did to me. It is certainly well written and researched and I have no doubt it will be a success again for this author. Just, really not the right book for me. My thanks though to Allen & Unwin for my copy to read and review.
July 22, 2021
She breathes deeply, trying to quell the rising sense of panic. A detective came to her home, drugged her and kidnapped her. She tries to make sense of it, to imagine alternatives, but only one conclusion is possible: it’s the past, come to claim her….
Trust is the third instalment in the Martin Scarsden series and it did not disappoint! Chris Hammer has a marvellous writing style that creates in your mind, the most vivid pictures about the Australian environment and the characters in his books.
In Trust, we have the city of Sydney as our setting. This was quite different to his previous two in the series which were set in both rural and coastal towns. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about a city I love and locations I have personally visited.
Chris Hammer is a master at writing investigative crime fiction. Just like his previous works, Trust is full of suspense! False leads, double crossing, lies, corruption, privilege, power and murder! This book keeps you on your toes and doesn’t slow down! I loved it!
If you haven’t read any books set in Australia or by an Australian Author, I urge you to start with Chris Hammer. Pick up Scrublands, the first in the series and let yourself be taken over by the atmospheric Australia he creates.
You won’t be disappointed!
Trust is the third instalment in the Martin Scarsden series and it did not disappoint! Chris Hammer has a marvellous writing style that creates in your mind, the most vivid pictures about the Australian environment and the characters in his books.
In Trust, we have the city of Sydney as our setting. This was quite different to his previous two in the series which were set in both rural and coastal towns. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about a city I love and locations I have personally visited.
Chris Hammer is a master at writing investigative crime fiction. Just like his previous works, Trust is full of suspense! False leads, double crossing, lies, corruption, privilege, power and murder! This book keeps you on your toes and doesn’t slow down! I loved it!
If you haven’t read any books set in Australia or by an Australian Author, I urge you to start with Chris Hammer. Pick up Scrublands, the first in the series and let yourself be taken over by the atmospheric Australia he creates.
You won’t be disappointed!
August 21, 2023
As any local literary listicle will tell you, Australian crime fiction has been having a 'moment' for a few years now. One of the more successful voices in this mostly enjoyable bubble is Chris Hammer, whose debut Scrublands was a kitchen sink mystery set in regional Australia.
Yet even then the cracks were starting to show. The first Martin Scarsden novel was positively packed to the gills with plot points and sub-mysteries, almost defying belief. In the follow-up Silver, Scarsden and his girlfriend Manadalay Blonde are at the centre of another more streamlined drama. Filled with self-conscious prose and bizarrely named characters, little did we know that the otherwise enjoyable thriller was a warning shot for where Hammer’s mind would take him.
Which brings us to Trust, a book that requires the reader to not just forget everything they know about Sydney but about narrative convention as well. Poor Mandalay Blonde is once again at the centre of an imbroglio, being a character that Hammer seems to have created not so much to fridge but keep indefinitely in icy trouble. The intention seems to be a throwback piece, possibly to a time when intrepid reporters rescued their perpetually imperilled blonde offsiders in a world lacking the integrity our favourite reporter has in spades.
Which might be where we strike Hammer’s nail on the head. His novels feel adrift in time, despite being set in a post-Covid Sydney that has rapidly shaken off a global pandemic as easily as a summer flu. Hammer’s Sydney of the not-too-distant-future is a dark place indeed, filled with Chicago mobsters, tech masterminds, baristas who burn coffee, and secret societies pulling strings. It’s a Sydney where street shoot-outs occur in the CBD, while Potts Point, Paddington and Redfern contain the entirety of the city’s life. "Sydney is winter dark," Hammer/Scardsen reports, evidently having never been west of Cleveland street. "The colours of summer nowhere apparent, stored as if with mothballs to be aired occasionally but not work seriously until spring."
Yes, some of the passages are so overwrought, I had to double-check that this was not a follow-up to Sean Penn’s Bob Honey Who Just Do Stuff. Convenience stores are "pustules on the inner-city landscape." A bladder "screams its insistence." Dentists examine "recalcitrant mandibles" while "time runs its own race, disdainful of external chronologies." (Ok, that last one is 2020 to a tee).
Of course, Hammer’s penchant for pulling character names out of a hat (or somewhere even darker than Sydney) appears to be his sole purpose for writing this book. This is a world populated by people named Tarquin Molloy, Winifred Barbicome, Zelda Forshaw, Clarity Sparkes, Titus and Talbot Torbett, Harry Sweetwater, Morris Montifore, and Jack Goffing (giggle). So proud is Hammer of these names, he creates a denouement device to just list them all with a few bonus ones. Why Delaney ‘Big Deal’ Bullwinkel wasn’t a major character, we’ll never know.
None of these quirks would matter if the plot was a ripper. After all, some of the greatest detective fiction is filled with outlandish characters and noirish landscapes. It’s just that none of it comes together. By the time you add up the tortured prose, the wackadoodle names and the massive suspension of belief many of the crucial plots points require, it turns into a bit of a slog.
One of the crucial plot points involves an elite club in Sydney, a Court of Owls for the Eastern Suburbs set if you will. By the time we reach the end of the book, this feels like the vantage point Hammer is writing from. Led by a character who seems constantly surprised - by the decline of print media, public transport, the existence of shops – the picture in my mind is solidly of someone typing furiously in a room, and who only half-remembers the outside world. That said, there’s separate scenes involving an ibis and the State Library, so an extra star for a glimpse of those staples.
Yet even then the cracks were starting to show. The first Martin Scarsden novel was positively packed to the gills with plot points and sub-mysteries, almost defying belief. In the follow-up Silver, Scarsden and his girlfriend Manadalay Blonde are at the centre of another more streamlined drama. Filled with self-conscious prose and bizarrely named characters, little did we know that the otherwise enjoyable thriller was a warning shot for where Hammer’s mind would take him.
Which brings us to Trust, a book that requires the reader to not just forget everything they know about Sydney but about narrative convention as well. Poor Mandalay Blonde is once again at the centre of an imbroglio, being a character that Hammer seems to have created not so much to fridge but keep indefinitely in icy trouble. The intention seems to be a throwback piece, possibly to a time when intrepid reporters rescued their perpetually imperilled blonde offsiders in a world lacking the integrity our favourite reporter has in spades.
Which might be where we strike Hammer’s nail on the head. His novels feel adrift in time, despite being set in a post-Covid Sydney that has rapidly shaken off a global pandemic as easily as a summer flu. Hammer’s Sydney of the not-too-distant-future is a dark place indeed, filled with Chicago mobsters, tech masterminds, baristas who burn coffee, and secret societies pulling strings. It’s a Sydney where street shoot-outs occur in the CBD, while Potts Point, Paddington and Redfern contain the entirety of the city’s life. "Sydney is winter dark," Hammer/Scardsen reports, evidently having never been west of Cleveland street. "The colours of summer nowhere apparent, stored as if with mothballs to be aired occasionally but not work seriously until spring."
Yes, some of the passages are so overwrought, I had to double-check that this was not a follow-up to Sean Penn’s Bob Honey Who Just Do Stuff. Convenience stores are "pustules on the inner-city landscape." A bladder "screams its insistence." Dentists examine "recalcitrant mandibles" while "time runs its own race, disdainful of external chronologies." (Ok, that last one is 2020 to a tee).
Of course, Hammer’s penchant for pulling character names out of a hat (or somewhere even darker than Sydney) appears to be his sole purpose for writing this book. This is a world populated by people named Tarquin Molloy, Winifred Barbicome, Zelda Forshaw, Clarity Sparkes, Titus and Talbot Torbett, Harry Sweetwater, Morris Montifore, and Jack Goffing (giggle). So proud is Hammer of these names, he creates a denouement device to just list them all with a few bonus ones. Why Delaney ‘Big Deal’ Bullwinkel wasn’t a major character, we’ll never know.
None of these quirks would matter if the plot was a ripper. After all, some of the greatest detective fiction is filled with outlandish characters and noirish landscapes. It’s just that none of it comes together. By the time you add up the tortured prose, the wackadoodle names and the massive suspension of belief many of the crucial plots points require, it turns into a bit of a slog.
One of the crucial plot points involves an elite club in Sydney, a Court of Owls for the Eastern Suburbs set if you will. By the time we reach the end of the book, this feels like the vantage point Hammer is writing from. Led by a character who seems constantly surprised - by the decline of print media, public transport, the existence of shops – the picture in my mind is solidly of someone typing furiously in a room, and who only half-remembers the outside world. That said, there’s separate scenes involving an ibis and the State Library, so an extra star for a glimpse of those staples.
November 20, 2020
Another fast-paced, thrilling story from the author who is not afraid to name his characters whatever the hell he likes.
Although this series is all about Martin Scarsden, the investigative journalist (and now the king of true crime), in each of the three books so far it is his partner Mandalay Blonde who has been central to the plot. In this latest book, Chris Hammer sets off to a cracking start once again by having Mandy abducted (this is not a spoiler - the blurb tells us this will happen) from their home in Port Silver. When Homicide Detective DS Montifore turns up to tell Martin that the body of Mandy's former fiancé has been discovered in the foundations of a damaged building, Martin heads south to Sydney to see if he can find her. While he's there, he can drop in on his former editor and mentor, Max Fuller, to let him know he won't be able to take on the new investigation that Max had wanted him to work on, having his hands full with the abduction, finding out about the mystery fiancé and whatnot. Luckily Martin still has a ready-made base in Sydney, at his Surry Hills apartment. He goes there to cool his heels while waiting for news of Mandy, but before he knows it, he's caught up in a web of corruption, intrigue and murder.
Once again Hammer has delivered a clever mystery/crime with a really healthy dose of character development for the regulars. One of the things that disappointed me a bit about the previous book, was that although Mandy was so firmly positioned as a murder suspect at the centre of the plot, as a character she was very much in the background. That's not the case here. This story is intrinsically connected with her past, and she is front and centre, amongst the action all the way through. Meanwhile, Martin is gaining a more balanced perspective between the thrill of the story and the comfort of his close relationships.
I thought it was quite brave of Hammer to set this story in the 'present' - late winter 2020 - with a number of references to the pandemic scattered throughout the story. Why brave? Because it's not over yet, and therefore some of the actions and behaviours of the characters are not appropriate for the times. It was a gamble that hasn't paid off 100%. However, it's not something that affects the success of the story.
Although I really enjoyed this book, I do have 2 minor criticisms. 1) Mandy is barely 30 years old - this has to be the last time the story revolves around her. She's not really old enough to have lived enough to warrant a 4th mystery! 2) The names. This joke is getting really old. I've heard the author explain how it started, and I get it, but it's got to stop. There isn't room for Talbot Torbutt, Clarity Sparkes and Zelda Forshaw all in the same book.
With thanks to Allen & Unwin for an ARC to read and review.
Although this series is all about Martin Scarsden, the investigative journalist (and now the king of true crime), in each of the three books so far it is his partner Mandalay Blonde who has been central to the plot. In this latest book, Chris Hammer sets off to a cracking start once again by having Mandy abducted (this is not a spoiler - the blurb tells us this will happen) from their home in Port Silver. When Homicide Detective DS Montifore turns up to tell Martin that the body of Mandy's former fiancé has been discovered in the foundations of a damaged building, Martin heads south to Sydney to see if he can find her. While he's there, he can drop in on his former editor and mentor, Max Fuller, to let him know he won't be able to take on the new investigation that Max had wanted him to work on, having his hands full with the abduction, finding out about the mystery fiancé and whatnot. Luckily Martin still has a ready-made base in Sydney, at his Surry Hills apartment. He goes there to cool his heels while waiting for news of Mandy, but before he knows it, he's caught up in a web of corruption, intrigue and murder.
Once again Hammer has delivered a clever mystery/crime with a really healthy dose of character development for the regulars. One of the things that disappointed me a bit about the previous book, was that although Mandy was so firmly positioned as a murder suspect at the centre of the plot, as a character she was very much in the background. That's not the case here. This story is intrinsically connected with her past, and she is front and centre, amongst the action all the way through. Meanwhile, Martin is gaining a more balanced perspective between the thrill of the story and the comfort of his close relationships.
I thought it was quite brave of Hammer to set this story in the 'present' - late winter 2020 - with a number of references to the pandemic scattered throughout the story. Why brave? Because it's not over yet, and therefore some of the actions and behaviours of the characters are not appropriate for the times. It was a gamble that hasn't paid off 100%. However, it's not something that affects the success of the story.
Although I really enjoyed this book, I do have 2 minor criticisms. 1) Mandy is barely 30 years old - this has to be the last time the story revolves around her. She's not really old enough to have lived enough to warrant a 4th mystery! 2) The names. This joke is getting really old. I've heard the author explain how it started, and I get it, but it's got to stop. There isn't room for Talbot Torbutt, Clarity Sparkes and Zelda Forshaw all in the same book.
With thanks to Allen & Unwin for an ARC to read and review.
July 15, 2023
Trust is the third book featuring investigative journalist Martin Scarsden and picks up in the Queensland town of Port Silver shortly after the events described in Silver have died down. With yet another true crime book under his belt, Martin is hoping life can return to some semblance of normal. It’s a hope that is doomed to fantasy.
The seemingly idyllic life that Martin is living in Port Silver with his partner Mandalay Blonde and her son Liam is thrown into absolute turmoil when she is abducted from their family home. And just like that, the quiet Port Silver life is forgotten and they’re thrust back into a heart-stopping mystery that dredges up Mandy’s past.
Unlike the other two books in the series which are predominantly rural settings, Trust is set largely in Sydney and deals with the high pressure, high stakes world of investment banking and property development. At the heart of the story is the discovery of the body of Tarquin Malloy, a security advisor with Mollison Bank who, years before had disappeared after having stolen $10 million from the bank.
It transpires that Mandy once worked at Mollison Bank and had been in a relationship with Tarquin Malloy, a couple of facts that she had been trying to forget. The discovery of Malloy’s body has revealed that he was an undercover cop conducting a clandestine investigation into the bank. Mandy is drawn back into it through the abduction and Martin is drawn in while in pursuit of Mandy.
As a good investigative journalist is prone to do, he kicks over a few rocks, trips a flag or two and, suddenly, secrets that had been closely guarded for years are in danger of coming to the surface. There are powerful people with wide-reaching contacts who’d like those secrets kept quiet and will do just about anything to keep things that way. It’s a recipe for an investigation that has a real risk of blowing dangerously out of control.
Having read the first two Martin Scarsden books it was pleasing to finally get to know more about Mandy. She plays a far more prominent role here taking her from being simply Martin’s partner to a more fully defined person. There is significant development of her character thanks to an in-depth background into her life that led to the present. She also plays a far greater role in meaningful investigative work which means we get to see her in a more reactive way as she deals with moments of great stress and pressure. It’s long overdue but a very welcome aspect of the series as a whole.
I really enjoyed the way this story moved along. Sure, things started getting complex and a little challenging as we dug deeper into the world of big business and some pretty shady corporate cover-ups, but the explanations were sufficient to keep me transfixed.
Trust is a far more violent story than the other two Martin Scarsden novels. It’s also a gritty, pulsating thriller that is filled with its share of offbeat characters and tough, uncompromising showdowns. My preference is for this type of unapologetically real style. It’s a dark and it’s bare-knuckled and ultimately compelling reading.
The seemingly idyllic life that Martin is living in Port Silver with his partner Mandalay Blonde and her son Liam is thrown into absolute turmoil when she is abducted from their family home. And just like that, the quiet Port Silver life is forgotten and they’re thrust back into a heart-stopping mystery that dredges up Mandy’s past.
Unlike the other two books in the series which are predominantly rural settings, Trust is set largely in Sydney and deals with the high pressure, high stakes world of investment banking and property development. At the heart of the story is the discovery of the body of Tarquin Malloy, a security advisor with Mollison Bank who, years before had disappeared after having stolen $10 million from the bank.
It transpires that Mandy once worked at Mollison Bank and had been in a relationship with Tarquin Malloy, a couple of facts that she had been trying to forget. The discovery of Malloy’s body has revealed that he was an undercover cop conducting a clandestine investigation into the bank. Mandy is drawn back into it through the abduction and Martin is drawn in while in pursuit of Mandy.
As a good investigative journalist is prone to do, he kicks over a few rocks, trips a flag or two and, suddenly, secrets that had been closely guarded for years are in danger of coming to the surface. There are powerful people with wide-reaching contacts who’d like those secrets kept quiet and will do just about anything to keep things that way. It’s a recipe for an investigation that has a real risk of blowing dangerously out of control.
Having read the first two Martin Scarsden books it was pleasing to finally get to know more about Mandy. She plays a far more prominent role here taking her from being simply Martin’s partner to a more fully defined person. There is significant development of her character thanks to an in-depth background into her life that led to the present. She also plays a far greater role in meaningful investigative work which means we get to see her in a more reactive way as she deals with moments of great stress and pressure. It’s long overdue but a very welcome aspect of the series as a whole.
I really enjoyed the way this story moved along. Sure, things started getting complex and a little challenging as we dug deeper into the world of big business and some pretty shady corporate cover-ups, but the explanations were sufficient to keep me transfixed.
Trust is a far more violent story than the other two Martin Scarsden novels. It’s also a gritty, pulsating thriller that is filled with its share of offbeat characters and tough, uncompromising showdowns. My preference is for this type of unapologetically real style. It’s a dark and it’s bare-knuckled and ultimately compelling reading.
December 20, 2021
Chris Hammer’s "Trust" is third in a trilogy based on the exploits of Martin Scarsden and his partner, Mandalay (Mandy) Blonde. The story gets off to a screaming start – literally – when Martin listens to a voicemail from Mandy that features a single scream which is abruptly cut off. He races home to find Mandy gone and an unconscious man sprawled on the floor. Unlike the first two books in the trilogy, this story is set in Sydney. There, five years earlier, a man to whom Mandy was engaged, disappeared. He had been posing as a lawyer working for a merchant bank but was, in fact, an undercover cop looking into the bank’s dark secrets. Once Martin starts delving into the case, he discovers a side of Sydney riven with corruption and nepotism, privilege and power in very high and surprising corners of society. The more layers of the story Martin unfolds, the more he puts himself – and Mandy – in danger. But, as always, and forever the investigative journalist, he will leave no stone unturned in his search for the truth.
Hammer’s first in the trilogy, "Scrublands" was set in the Australian outback, the second, "Silver", set in a fictitious seaside town in northern New South Wales. This one isn’t quite so exotic with its Sydney setting, yet the author delves into a seamier side of Sydney which is probably not a million miles from reality. The story is action packed, involving people in high places in Sydney society, colourful police, villainous characters and sharp dialogue. While the plot is a little complex, it is worth focussing on each layer of the story as it unfolds, as the author neatly ties up all the loose ends in the rather bloody dénouement. But be alert, there are a lot of twists and turns along the way. A common theme throughout the three books making up the trilogy is Hammer’s suburb prose which makes them a delightful read. Highly recommended for readers interested in thrillers and unique Australian stories.
Hammer’s first in the trilogy, "Scrublands" was set in the Australian outback, the second, "Silver", set in a fictitious seaside town in northern New South Wales. This one isn’t quite so exotic with its Sydney setting, yet the author delves into a seamier side of Sydney which is probably not a million miles from reality. The story is action packed, involving people in high places in Sydney society, colourful police, villainous characters and sharp dialogue. While the plot is a little complex, it is worth focussing on each layer of the story as it unfolds, as the author neatly ties up all the loose ends in the rather bloody dénouement. But be alert, there are a lot of twists and turns along the way. A common theme throughout the three books making up the trilogy is Hammer’s suburb prose which makes them a delightful read. Highly recommended for readers interested in thrillers and unique Australian stories.
January 8, 2021
This book is the third in the series featuring journalist Martin Scarsden and his girlfriend, Mandalay Blonde and more than a year has passed since the events of Silver. In all three books the location is like another character and in this one Sydney takes centre stage. Mandy worked for a bank, Mollisons, 5 years previously and was involved with a man that apparently stole a lot of money and disappeared. This bank is the centre of the story but there’s also a secret society with a lot of the upper echelons of Sydney society as members (politicians, lawyers, judges etc). It’s a bit of a complicated plot but it flows well with nothing out of place and I think this is probably the best of the 3 books. There’s plenty of intrigue and twists and turns, and never boring. Definitely an enjoyable read.
November 7, 2020
I honestly think Trust, Chris Hammer's third instalment in his Martin Scarsden series is the best yet!
In Trust, Hammer takes us away from the rural and regional settings of Scrublands and Silver, to the high-stakes world of banking and property development in Sydney.
Martin is dramatically reeled back in to his former life as a well-connected investigative journalist when Manderlay is abducted from their idyllic home at Port Silver. He follows hot on her trail south to Sydney and begins uncovering a sordid story of money laundering, underworld connections and secret society backroom deals in the merchant bank for whom Mandy worked, years before they met.
While I've found Hammer's ability to capture the nuances of the harsh Australian landscape and the struggles of regional Australia superlative in his previous works, I really enjoyed the gritty urban setting he employs in Trust. His own history as a high-ranking political and international affairs journalist really shines through, both in his characterisation of Martin Scarsden and in the complex plotting of this novel. This is a well-constructed and engrossing novel, with many multi-faceted central and supporting characters and plenty of edge-of-your seat action.
I really can't recommend Trust highly enough to all readers who enjoy contemporary Australian thrillers, political intrigue or just a rollicking good read. That said, there are multiple scenes depicting fairly graphic violence, which may present an obstacle for some readers.
Many thanks to the author and publisher Allen & Unwin for granting me the opportunity to read and review an advance copy of this title.
In Trust, Hammer takes us away from the rural and regional settings of Scrublands and Silver, to the high-stakes world of banking and property development in Sydney.
Martin is dramatically reeled back in to his former life as a well-connected investigative journalist when Manderlay is abducted from their idyllic home at Port Silver. He follows hot on her trail south to Sydney and begins uncovering a sordid story of money laundering, underworld connections and secret society backroom deals in the merchant bank for whom Mandy worked, years before they met.
While I've found Hammer's ability to capture the nuances of the harsh Australian landscape and the struggles of regional Australia superlative in his previous works, I really enjoyed the gritty urban setting he employs in Trust. His own history as a high-ranking political and international affairs journalist really shines through, both in his characterisation of Martin Scarsden and in the complex plotting of this novel. This is a well-constructed and engrossing novel, with many multi-faceted central and supporting characters and plenty of edge-of-your seat action.
I really can't recommend Trust highly enough to all readers who enjoy contemporary Australian thrillers, political intrigue or just a rollicking good read. That said, there are multiple scenes depicting fairly graphic violence, which may present an obstacle for some readers.
Many thanks to the author and publisher Allen & Unwin for granting me the opportunity to read and review an advance copy of this title.
October 17, 2020
This is the 3rd Martin Scarsden book by Chris Hammer with Scrublands being the first and favourite, Silver being a slightly disappointing second and coming home strong again with this third novel.
This books certainly moves fast, is it pretty much set in Sydney and we get to know Mandy a lot better and get a more detailed insight into her past.
Many will be put off by the violence and language but I found it was not gratuitous and therefore tolerable. It deals with a secret society/dinner club where the powerful and elite of Sydney compare notes. It becomes apparent that this club although honourable in its beginnings may now harbour a criminal and corrupt element.
For me this was a 4.5 star read, losing half a star for the terrible character names. Thank you Allen & Unwon for the ARC paperback that I won. I can highly recommend this book and this series.
This books certainly moves fast, is it pretty much set in Sydney and we get to know Mandy a lot better and get a more detailed insight into her past.
Many will be put off by the violence and language but I found it was not gratuitous and therefore tolerable. It deals with a secret society/dinner club where the powerful and elite of Sydney compare notes. It becomes apparent that this club although honourable in its beginnings may now harbour a criminal and corrupt element.
For me this was a 4.5 star read, losing half a star for the terrible character names. Thank you Allen & Unwon for the ARC paperback that I won. I can highly recommend this book and this series.
April 12, 2021
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**4.5 stars**
Trust by Chris Hammer. (2020).
(Martin Scarsden ; #3)
Martin's new life seems perfect, right up until the moment it is shattered by a voicemail: his partner Mandy screaming. Racing home, he finds an unconscious man and Mandy gone. She's been abducted, but by who and why? So starts a twisting tale of intrigue and danger as Martin probes the past of the woman he loves, a woman who has buried her past and never mentioned it. And for the first time, Mandy finds denial impossibly, now that the body of a mystery man has been discovered: a man whose name she doesn't know, a man who was her fiancé when he died. It's time to face her demons once and for all; it's time she learned how to trust.
Another excellent crime read from this author. Every time I've left each book in the series on my shelf for awhile because of the big length, but every time I actually start it just doesn't feel like a big book because the plots are so engaging. You can absolutely read this as a standalone and enjoy, you will just miss some references to the previous books and obviously not have the full knowledge and understanding of Martin and Mandy's personal and relationship histories. As with the other books, there is profanity and violence that some readers may not like but I personally think it's fitting with the storylines. The main plot is complex with secrets, abduction, murder, corruption, a secret society, and millions of dollars missing - it feels complicated but it all ties together neatly in the end with a satisfying conclusion.
Overall: a fantastic Australian crime thriller that I'd highly recommend.
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**4.5 stars**
Trust by Chris Hammer. (2020).
(Martin Scarsden ; #3)
Martin's new life seems perfect, right up until the moment it is shattered by a voicemail: his partner Mandy screaming. Racing home, he finds an unconscious man and Mandy gone. She's been abducted, but by who and why? So starts a twisting tale of intrigue and danger as Martin probes the past of the woman he loves, a woman who has buried her past and never mentioned it. And for the first time, Mandy finds denial impossibly, now that the body of a mystery man has been discovered: a man whose name she doesn't know, a man who was her fiancé when he died. It's time to face her demons once and for all; it's time she learned how to trust.
Another excellent crime read from this author. Every time I've left each book in the series on my shelf for awhile because of the big length, but every time I actually start it just doesn't feel like a big book because the plots are so engaging. You can absolutely read this as a standalone and enjoy, you will just miss some references to the previous books and obviously not have the full knowledge and understanding of Martin and Mandy's personal and relationship histories. As with the other books, there is profanity and violence that some readers may not like but I personally think it's fitting with the storylines. The main plot is complex with secrets, abduction, murder, corruption, a secret society, and millions of dollars missing - it feels complicated but it all ties together neatly in the end with a satisfying conclusion.
Overall: a fantastic Australian crime thriller that I'd highly recommend.
October 8, 2020
Trust is the third book in the Martin Scarsden series by award-winning Australian author Chris Hammer. Five years ago, before Mandalay Blonde had met Martin Scarsden, she was engaged to a lawyer, Tarquin Molloy. He’d got her a job as a clerk at Mollisons Investment Bank, a job she lost when he disappeared overseas with a lot of the bank’s money. She’s avoided thinking about the whole awful thing since.
Martin is unaware. Then a voicemail scream sends him rushing back to their Port Silver house, to find Mandy abducted and an unconscious police detective lying on their loungeroom floor. With that, he and Mandy are both thrown into the aftermath of past events.
Homicide cop Morris Montifore arrives with questions, and some answers: apparently the embezzler’s remains have recently been found in the foundations of a five-year-old Parramatta apartment building. He also reveals that Molloy was an undercover cop.
By the time he and Mandy have been reunited in Sydney, Martin learns that his closest friend, a journalist with an explosive story in the works, has been killed. Their plan to return to the safety of Port Silver is delayed: Martin feels duty-bound to find out why his good friend and mentor was murdered; and, out of a misplaced sense of guilt, Mandy wants to know what really happened to Tarquin.
From there, it’s a roller-coaster ride: Martin’s Sydney apartment is trashed and burgled; he and Mandy find themselves dealing with infected phones, and navigating, thanks to a very cluey computer geek, the deep web and the cloud; they encounter petty crooks, crooked cops and a Chicago mobster; there’s an exclusive dinner club that indulges in more than meals, a gun battle in Sydney street, and, within mere pages, three crooks express a desire for Martin to clear their names.
The narratives alternate between Martin and Mandy, and describe a tangled web that involves lies, secrets, a seemingly universal lack of trust, murder, blackmail, corruption, and nepotism. ASIO gets involved and by the end of the novel, there’s a very blood-thirsty scene and, ultimately, quite a high body count of innocents, the less-than-innocent and the definitely guilty.
Mandy proves she has been singularly bad at judging who to trust; maybe she’s finally got it right with Martin? The setting Hammer has chosen for this third installment, with its plentiful mentions of Sydney locations, will certainly appeal to those who know the city. Once again, an excellent Aussie crime thriller.
This unbiased review from an uncorrected proof copy provided by Allen&Unwin.
Martin is unaware. Then a voicemail scream sends him rushing back to their Port Silver house, to find Mandy abducted and an unconscious police detective lying on their loungeroom floor. With that, he and Mandy are both thrown into the aftermath of past events.
Homicide cop Morris Montifore arrives with questions, and some answers: apparently the embezzler’s remains have recently been found in the foundations of a five-year-old Parramatta apartment building. He also reveals that Molloy was an undercover cop.
By the time he and Mandy have been reunited in Sydney, Martin learns that his closest friend, a journalist with an explosive story in the works, has been killed. Their plan to return to the safety of Port Silver is delayed: Martin feels duty-bound to find out why his good friend and mentor was murdered; and, out of a misplaced sense of guilt, Mandy wants to know what really happened to Tarquin.
From there, it’s a roller-coaster ride: Martin’s Sydney apartment is trashed and burgled; he and Mandy find themselves dealing with infected phones, and navigating, thanks to a very cluey computer geek, the deep web and the cloud; they encounter petty crooks, crooked cops and a Chicago mobster; there’s an exclusive dinner club that indulges in more than meals, a gun battle in Sydney street, and, within mere pages, three crooks express a desire for Martin to clear their names.
The narratives alternate between Martin and Mandy, and describe a tangled web that involves lies, secrets, a seemingly universal lack of trust, murder, blackmail, corruption, and nepotism. ASIO gets involved and by the end of the novel, there’s a very blood-thirsty scene and, ultimately, quite a high body count of innocents, the less-than-innocent and the definitely guilty.
Mandy proves she has been singularly bad at judging who to trust; maybe she’s finally got it right with Martin? The setting Hammer has chosen for this third installment, with its plentiful mentions of Sydney locations, will certainly appeal to those who know the city. Once again, an excellent Aussie crime thriller.
This unbiased review from an uncorrected proof copy provided by Allen&Unwin.
July 21, 2025
I really enjoyed reading Chris Hammer’s books Scrublands and Silver and I was delighted to get a copy of the follow up story Trust.
It was great to revisit the characters of Martin Scarsden and Mandalay Blonde in another fast paced story of action, adventure and mystery.
I can’t wait for the next book from this author.
Thank you to NetGalley and Headline for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
It was great to revisit the characters of Martin Scarsden and Mandalay Blonde in another fast paced story of action, adventure and mystery.
I can’t wait for the next book from this author.
Thank you to NetGalley and Headline for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
September 26, 2021
Trust is the third book in the Martin Scarsden series by award-winning Australian author Chris Hammer. The audio version is narrated by Dorje Swallow. Five years ago, before Mandalay Blonde had met Martin Scarsden, she was engaged to a lawyer, Tarquin Molloy. He’d got her a job as a clerk at Mollisons Investment Bank, a job she lost when he disappeared overseas with a lot of the bank’s money. She’s avoided thinking about the whole awful thing since.
Martin is unaware. Then a voicemail scream sends him rushing back to their Port Silver house, to find Mandy abducted and an unconscious police detective lying on their loungeroom floor. With that, he and Mandy are both thrown into the aftermath of past events.
Homicide cop Morris Montifore arrives with questions, and some answers: apparently the embezzler’s remains have recently been found in the foundations of a five-year-old Parramatta apartment building. He also reveals that Molloy was an undercover cop.
By the time he and Mandy have been reunited in Sydney, Martin learns that his closest friend, a journalist with an explosive story in the works, has been killed. Their plan to return to the safety of Port Silver is delayed: Martin feels duty-bound to find out why his good friend and mentor was murdered; and, out of a misplaced sense of guilt, Mandy wants to know what really happened to Tarquin.
From there, it’s a roller-coaster ride: Martin’s Sydney apartment is trashed and burgled; he and Mandy find themselves dealing with infected phones, and navigating, thanks to a very cluey computer geek, the deep web and the cloud; they encounter petty crooks, crooked cops and a Chicago mobster; there’s an exclusive dinner club that indulges in more than meals, a gun battle in Sydney street, and, within mere pages, three crooks express a desire for Martin to clear their names.
The narratives alternate between Martin and Mandy, and describe a tangled web that involves lies, secrets, a seemingly universal lack of trust, murder, blackmail, corruption, and nepotism. ASIO gets involved and by the end of the novel, there’s a very blood-thirsty scene and, ultimately, quite a high body count of innocents, the less-than-innocent and the definitely guilty.
Mandy proves she has been singularly bad at judging who to trust; maybe she’s finally got it right with Martin? The setting Hammer has chosen for this third installment, with its plentiful mentions of Sydney locations, will certainly appeal to those who know the city. Once again, an excellent Aussie crime thriller.
Martin is unaware. Then a voicemail scream sends him rushing back to their Port Silver house, to find Mandy abducted and an unconscious police detective lying on their loungeroom floor. With that, he and Mandy are both thrown into the aftermath of past events.
Homicide cop Morris Montifore arrives with questions, and some answers: apparently the embezzler’s remains have recently been found in the foundations of a five-year-old Parramatta apartment building. He also reveals that Molloy was an undercover cop.
By the time he and Mandy have been reunited in Sydney, Martin learns that his closest friend, a journalist with an explosive story in the works, has been killed. Their plan to return to the safety of Port Silver is delayed: Martin feels duty-bound to find out why his good friend and mentor was murdered; and, out of a misplaced sense of guilt, Mandy wants to know what really happened to Tarquin.
From there, it’s a roller-coaster ride: Martin’s Sydney apartment is trashed and burgled; he and Mandy find themselves dealing with infected phones, and navigating, thanks to a very cluey computer geek, the deep web and the cloud; they encounter petty crooks, crooked cops and a Chicago mobster; there’s an exclusive dinner club that indulges in more than meals, a gun battle in Sydney street, and, within mere pages, three crooks express a desire for Martin to clear their names.
The narratives alternate between Martin and Mandy, and describe a tangled web that involves lies, secrets, a seemingly universal lack of trust, murder, blackmail, corruption, and nepotism. ASIO gets involved and by the end of the novel, there’s a very blood-thirsty scene and, ultimately, quite a high body count of innocents, the less-than-innocent and the definitely guilty.
Mandy proves she has been singularly bad at judging who to trust; maybe she’s finally got it right with Martin? The setting Hammer has chosen for this third installment, with its plentiful mentions of Sydney locations, will certainly appeal to those who know the city. Once again, an excellent Aussie crime thriller.
November 8, 2020
Hammer had already released a book in this series in 2020 (Silver) but obviously he spent his time wisely in Iso and, as such, has gifted us with another this year. Yay!
It’s now about 18 months since the happenings of Silver and Martin and his girlfriend Mandaly (Mandy) Blonde are living quietly in their new beach house. Their idyllic life is shattered, however, when Mandy is kidnapped. Soon Martin becomes caught up in the mayhem of Mandy’s past which sees him investigating murders, a mob of miscreant millionaires, the mafia, and Mandy's missing money. (Sorry… I thought I was funny anyway...)
The theme of the book is, obviously, trust. Just who can you trust comes up a lot and this time we once again get to wonder about Mandy's involvement in the crimes and whether or not she is as innocent as she claims. I’ve never been a huge fan of hers but, as a nice change up, we got her point of view this time around. I must admit, reading her inner thoughts did make me warm towards her.
I think, out of the three Martin Scarsden books, the mystery plot of this one is the most far fetched and it actually gets a little complicated in spots. I was still eager to solve it all though and the colourful cast of characters Hammer introduced (with mad names like Clarity Sparkes and Zelda Forshaw and Titus Torbet and Harry Sweetwater -- Chris, are you taking the piss?) kept me guessing. I think my only issue was the slight twist at the end which, unfortunately, was rushed when it was revealed and wrapped up a little too easily.
I would probably say this book was the most graphic out of the three. The crimes and language were quite adult. If you don’t like your mystery/thrillers gritty, this isn’t the book for you. It is pretty standalone though, so there would be no worries about picking this one up without having read the others.
My favourite thing about Scrublands and Silver was the way Hammer brought their settings to life. This time he moved the action to Sydney. I’m not sure if he brought it to life quite as much as I was expecting. I even found the mention of trams all the time weird (but then I googled and found they’ve put some in since I was last there). The talk of the pigeons and bin chickens was classic though!
I also liked how Hammer handled the time setting - weaving the 2019/20 fires and Covid into the story seamlessly.
I think I enjoyed Silver more than this one but that doesn’t take away the fact this is an action packed rollercoaster ride of a read which I’d highly recommend. The sheer size of these books have scared me each time I've picked them up but I still somehow find myself flying through them without any real effort, so I think this proves how much I enjoy them.
Yet another great Aussie thriller/mystery - 4 ½ out of 5
It’s now about 18 months since the happenings of Silver and Martin and his girlfriend Mandaly (Mandy) Blonde are living quietly in their new beach house. Their idyllic life is shattered, however, when Mandy is kidnapped. Soon Martin becomes caught up in the mayhem of Mandy’s past which sees him investigating murders, a mob of miscreant millionaires, the mafia, and Mandy's missing money. (Sorry… I thought I was funny anyway...)
The theme of the book is, obviously, trust. Just who can you trust comes up a lot and this time we once again get to wonder about Mandy's involvement in the crimes and whether or not she is as innocent as she claims. I’ve never been a huge fan of hers but, as a nice change up, we got her point of view this time around. I must admit, reading her inner thoughts did make me warm towards her.
I think, out of the three Martin Scarsden books, the mystery plot of this one is the most far fetched and it actually gets a little complicated in spots. I was still eager to solve it all though and the colourful cast of characters Hammer introduced (with mad names like Clarity Sparkes and Zelda Forshaw and Titus Torbet and Harry Sweetwater -- Chris, are you taking the piss?) kept me guessing. I think my only issue was the slight twist at the end which, unfortunately, was rushed when it was revealed and wrapped up a little too easily.
I would probably say this book was the most graphic out of the three. The crimes and language were quite adult. If you don’t like your mystery/thrillers gritty, this isn’t the book for you. It is pretty standalone though, so there would be no worries about picking this one up without having read the others.
My favourite thing about Scrublands and Silver was the way Hammer brought their settings to life. This time he moved the action to Sydney. I’m not sure if he brought it to life quite as much as I was expecting. I even found the mention of trams all the time weird (but then I googled and found they’ve put some in since I was last there). The talk of the pigeons and bin chickens was classic though!
I also liked how Hammer handled the time setting - weaving the 2019/20 fires and Covid into the story seamlessly.
I think I enjoyed Silver more than this one but that doesn’t take away the fact this is an action packed rollercoaster ride of a read which I’d highly recommend. The sheer size of these books have scared me each time I've picked them up but I still somehow find myself flying through them without any real effort, so I think this proves how much I enjoy them.
Yet another great Aussie thriller/mystery - 4 ½ out of 5
February 19, 2022
The third novel in the series featuring journalist Martin Scarsden and his partner Mandalay Blonde sees their near-idyllic life at Port Silver torn apart when Mandalay’s past comes back to haunt her.
Most of the action in the novel takes place in Sydney and is focused on Mollison’s bank where Mandalay used to work and from where her former fiance Tarquin Molloy is alleged to have stolen ten million dollars. It soon turns out that Molloy was an undercover cop and his body has recently been discovered in a condemned Sydney tower block. After more shocking revelations, Martin and Mandalay find it impossible to know whom to trust. Both the police and former colleagues are all under suspicion and, at times, they can barely trust each other as more past secrets are revealed. At the centre of the mystery and corruption is a masonic-like society known as The Mess, which started off, innocently enough, as a dining club for former POWs, but seems to have evolved into a nexus of organised crime.
Despite the complex plot, the novel is easy to follow as the tensions increase with each successive chapter. Another very worthy addition to this highly original series. I’m looking forward to seeing what the author has in store for Martin and Mandalay next time.
Most of the action in the novel takes place in Sydney and is focused on Mollison’s bank where Mandalay used to work and from where her former fiance Tarquin Molloy is alleged to have stolen ten million dollars. It soon turns out that Molloy was an undercover cop and his body has recently been discovered in a condemned Sydney tower block. After more shocking revelations, Martin and Mandalay find it impossible to know whom to trust. Both the police and former colleagues are all under suspicion and, at times, they can barely trust each other as more past secrets are revealed. At the centre of the mystery and corruption is a masonic-like society known as The Mess, which started off, innocently enough, as a dining club for former POWs, but seems to have evolved into a nexus of organised crime.
Despite the complex plot, the novel is easy to follow as the tensions increase with each successive chapter. Another very worthy addition to this highly original series. I’m looking forward to seeing what the author has in store for Martin and Mandalay next time.
November 24, 2020
This book was boring. Scrublands had me hook line and sinker, I loved it. Silver...not as good but still enjoyable.
Trust, however is terrible.
Trust, however is terrible.
May 3, 2021
3.5
This is the third novel in the Martin Scarsden series.
I haven't read the second novel but that doesn't matter, as the novels are stand-alone.
These days, Scarsden, a successful novelist and freelance journalist, lives a semi-retired life in a quaint town together with Mandy and her son.
Yet again, he finds himself in the middle of messy affairs, finding out information that escapes even the police or the other higher authorities.
If you suspend your disbelief, you'll enjoy this fast-paced novel, about corruption and power.
The issues I had with Hammer's first novel, Scrublands appear in this novel as well - too many coincidences and some unlikely situations. The fact that both Martin and his love interest, Mandy, had separate but not that separate investigations going on in Sydney, made me feel even more incredulous. Also, the things got too convoluted. Less is more and all that.
This is the third novel in the Martin Scarsden series.
I haven't read the second novel but that doesn't matter, as the novels are stand-alone.
These days, Scarsden, a successful novelist and freelance journalist, lives a semi-retired life in a quaint town together with Mandy and her son.
Yet again, he finds himself in the middle of messy affairs, finding out information that escapes even the police or the other higher authorities.
If you suspend your disbelief, you'll enjoy this fast-paced novel, about corruption and power.
The issues I had with Hammer's first novel, Scrublands appear in this novel as well - too many coincidences and some unlikely situations. The fact that both Martin and his love interest, Mandy, had separate but not that separate investigations going on in Sydney, made me feel even more incredulous. Also, the things got too convoluted. Less is more and all that.
October 8, 2020
Martin Scarsden and Mandalay Blonde are back in Chris Hammers’ third book in this series - TRUST.
You can easily read this book as a standalone, you don’t need to read the previous two
books.
Martin races home after hearing his voicemail his partner Mandy’s horrific scream in fear then the line abruptly cuts off. An unconscious man is found on the floor, but Mandy is nowhere to be seen, she’s been taken. Enter Homicide detective Morris Mortifore, he questions Martin a well-preserved body has been found hidden in wall cavity, it’s the body of Tarquin Molloy. Tarquin was an undercover cop, Mortifore is surprised when Martin claims he’s never heard of him. 5 years ago Tarquin Molloy was engaged to Mandalay Blonde.
Mandy has kept her past life a secret, she didn’t know who to trust. Set in the backdrop of the streets of Sydney, this twisty, gritty crime novel is riddled with corruption, power and manipulation as we uncover Mandys’ past, the secrets she has kept hidden and who killed Tarquin Molloy.
At the centre of this story is TRUST, the reader is constantly questioning characters, who can be trusted, there are lots of red herrings this one kept me on my toes and I flew through the book in two days. I highly recommend this book if you enjoy gritty, dark investigative crime novels with a cast of unlikable characters where you need to connect the dots.
Thank you to Allen & Unwin and Chris Hammer for my copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
You can easily read this book as a standalone, you don’t need to read the previous two
books.
Martin races home after hearing his voicemail his partner Mandy’s horrific scream in fear then the line abruptly cuts off. An unconscious man is found on the floor, but Mandy is nowhere to be seen, she’s been taken. Enter Homicide detective Morris Mortifore, he questions Martin a well-preserved body has been found hidden in wall cavity, it’s the body of Tarquin Molloy. Tarquin was an undercover cop, Mortifore is surprised when Martin claims he’s never heard of him. 5 years ago Tarquin Molloy was engaged to Mandalay Blonde.
Mandy has kept her past life a secret, she didn’t know who to trust. Set in the backdrop of the streets of Sydney, this twisty, gritty crime novel is riddled with corruption, power and manipulation as we uncover Mandys’ past, the secrets she has kept hidden and who killed Tarquin Molloy.
At the centre of this story is TRUST, the reader is constantly questioning characters, who can be trusted, there are lots of red herrings this one kept me on my toes and I flew through the book in two days. I highly recommend this book if you enjoy gritty, dark investigative crime novels with a cast of unlikable characters where you need to connect the dots.
Thank you to Allen & Unwin and Chris Hammer for my copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
August 28, 2022
4.5. Another stunner book by one of my favourite authors. But first a mention of his superb writing style. Such that I read every word. Rare for me.
A plausible story about techy theft, high level political involvement and a superb understanding of human psychology. The last part referring to Mandalay Blonde - the female lead. How our past can so disapoint us - we bury it. Unconsciously.
Unputdownable.
A plausible story about techy theft, high level political involvement and a superb understanding of human psychology. The last part referring to Mandalay Blonde - the female lead. How our past can so disapoint us - we bury it. Unconsciously.
Unputdownable.
March 29, 2021
Martin Scarsden’s last vestiges of calm occur in the opening moments of Trust.He is lounging on the beach in Port Silver, enjoying a moment of respite with his partner Mandy’s son Liam. When he returns home, he finds an unconscious man on the floor and Mandy missing. Learning that Mandy has been abducted, Martin starts searching for her. His search for Mandy brings him to Sydney, the site of her abduction. When they find each other, Mandy slowly begins to reveal the story of her five “ lost years” in Sydney. Mandy was engaged to a man,Tarquin Molloy, who stole millions of dollars from the bank where Mandy worked. After the theft, Tarquin disappeared and Mandy, the police and the bank assumed he was enjoying his ill gotten gains in an undiscovered location. Surprisingly, Tarquin’s dead body now has turned up under a building.
The discovery of the body is the catalyst for a fast paced adventure that involves corruption rampant in government and financial institutions.There is a “ social dining club” shrouded in secrecy and populated by the most influential pillars of society. Ominous characters with odd sounding names appear.Bodies pile up.Distractions and false trails appear. Martin and Mandy are confronted with sensory overload and plenty of danger as they race around Sydney, staying one step ahead of disaster and trying to come closer together as Mandy tries to exorcise her past demons and build a truly trusting relationship with Martin.
I found this book entertaining and extremely fast paced. As I read, I kept having thoughts that the plot resembled a modern day homage to authors such as Dashiell Hammett. I kept thinking of the Maltese Falcon transported to the twenty first century and relocated in Sydney with an twist of modern technology and financial cabals.Chris Hammer creates a palpable sense of atmosphere in his novels.In this book, his descriptions of the smog from the Sydney fires recreated a SanFrancisco fog in my imagination. Hammer also seems to have a penchant for bestowing his characters with extremely oddball names.As these bizarrely named characters came into the story, I was prepared for Sydney Greenstreet and Peter Lorre to come wandering by.The cumulative effect of these various devices is to craft a fun and suspenseful thriller.This book is a bit of a departure from the first two books in this trilogy ( Scrublands and Port Silver). Those books were more infused with rural atmosphere and relied less on red herring plot twists. Nevertheless, this third book is enjoyable and casts the protagonists in a light that can either conclude their stories or possibly set them up for further adventures.
The discovery of the body is the catalyst for a fast paced adventure that involves corruption rampant in government and financial institutions.There is a “ social dining club” shrouded in secrecy and populated by the most influential pillars of society. Ominous characters with odd sounding names appear.Bodies pile up.Distractions and false trails appear. Martin and Mandy are confronted with sensory overload and plenty of danger as they race around Sydney, staying one step ahead of disaster and trying to come closer together as Mandy tries to exorcise her past demons and build a truly trusting relationship with Martin.
I found this book entertaining and extremely fast paced. As I read, I kept having thoughts that the plot resembled a modern day homage to authors such as Dashiell Hammett. I kept thinking of the Maltese Falcon transported to the twenty first century and relocated in Sydney with an twist of modern technology and financial cabals.Chris Hammer creates a palpable sense of atmosphere in his novels.In this book, his descriptions of the smog from the Sydney fires recreated a SanFrancisco fog in my imagination. Hammer also seems to have a penchant for bestowing his characters with extremely oddball names.As these bizarrely named characters came into the story, I was prepared for Sydney Greenstreet and Peter Lorre to come wandering by.The cumulative effect of these various devices is to craft a fun and suspenseful thriller.This book is a bit of a departure from the first two books in this trilogy ( Scrublands and Port Silver). Those books were more infused with rural atmosphere and relied less on red herring plot twists. Nevertheless, this third book is enjoyable and casts the protagonists in a light that can either conclude their stories or possibly set them up for further adventures.
October 21, 2020
Somewhere between 3-3.5
Having enjoyed the previous two novels in this series - Scrublands and Silver - requesting this was a no-brainer. Hammer's writing and complex but accessible plots have engaged me previously, and this new book is a similar set-up: a multi-layered story beginning with the purported theft of millions of dollars by Martin Scarsden's partner Mandy's ex, Tarquin Molloy, from when she worked at a bank in Sydney.
Quite a lot happens across the course of the book, with sections being relatively high-octane, but everything took a little bit too long to come together for me in this novel. I personally like mystery/thrillers where just enough is given away for the reader to work out what happened and start drawing their own conclusions, but I felt wholly in the dark until right at the end of Trust as to how the various leads and people interlinked and weaved together.
Despite my reservations I'd wager that if you liked Hammer's other books then you'll find something to enjoy here.
Thank you Netgalley and Headline for the advance copy, which was provided in exchange for an honest review.
Having enjoyed the previous two novels in this series - Scrublands and Silver - requesting this was a no-brainer. Hammer's writing and complex but accessible plots have engaged me previously, and this new book is a similar set-up: a multi-layered story beginning with the purported theft of millions of dollars by Martin Scarsden's partner Mandy's ex, Tarquin Molloy, from when she worked at a bank in Sydney.
Quite a lot happens across the course of the book, with sections being relatively high-octane, but everything took a little bit too long to come together for me in this novel. I personally like mystery/thrillers where just enough is given away for the reader to work out what happened and start drawing their own conclusions, but I felt wholly in the dark until right at the end of Trust as to how the various leads and people interlinked and weaved together.
Despite my reservations I'd wager that if you liked Hammer's other books then you'll find something to enjoy here.
Thank you Netgalley and Headline for the advance copy, which was provided in exchange for an honest review.
November 25, 2020
I enjoyed "Trust" as a read, I am an absolute fan of Chris Silver's writing and of the character he created, Martin Scarsden and both of those elements are here in their usually glorious way.
However if I'm being honest I was not that enamoured of the story this time around. I didn't binge read it in the way i did Scrublands and Silver, I never got above mildly interested in what was going on although the writing meant I looked forward to going back to it.
I think it's the girlfriend. This is the third book and the third time, or I suppose second technically, where something is happening with her that drives the narrative. I kind of felt "been there done that " about it so for me the read lacked tension. Also I don't really like her that much.
Overall though still a very good book from an author who I expect to follow throughout his sure to be long career.
However if I'm being honest I was not that enamoured of the story this time around. I didn't binge read it in the way i did Scrublands and Silver, I never got above mildly interested in what was going on although the writing meant I looked forward to going back to it.
I think it's the girlfriend. This is the third book and the third time, or I suppose second technically, where something is happening with her that drives the narrative. I kind of felt "been there done that " about it so for me the read lacked tension. Also I don't really like her that much.
Overall though still a very good book from an author who I expect to follow throughout his sure to be long career.
May 12, 2023
Trust is the third (and most recent) book in the Martin Scarsden series about an Australian journalist and his troubled girlfriend Mandalay Blonde. We’ve now listened to all three as audiobooks, and while I don’t particularly like the characters, they are all well written conspiracy thrillers even if they do rely rather too much on coincidences to drive the plot forward.
A year or so on from the events of Silver, Martin and Mandy have been living happily in Port Silver with her young son Liam, when she is suddenly kidnapped by a dodgy past acquaintance who wants information about her role in the theft of ten million dollars from an investment bank five years earlier.
Rushing to Sydney to find her, Martin is contacted by his former editor at the Sydney Morning Herald, dragging him in to a dangerous world of secret organisations, corruption and murder.
This is definitely a series to be read in order - although each book is about a separate mystery. There are recurring minor characters and the ongoing question of whether beautiful Mandy can truly be trusted, and if so, can she learn to trust a man after some pretty past bad relationships. I dislike Martin for the usual reason - fictional journalists who’ll do anything for a story, and although he is improving, he’s still not much of a hero, stumbling into trouble at every turn and escaping each time through luck rather than skill or charm. These books depict a fairly grim view of Australian life, where nepotism and greed influence everything and the police all seem to have their own agenda - again, you don’t know who to trust.
The audiobook is ably narrated by Dorje Swallow, who balances the various accents without overdoing the Aussie twang. It’s all told in third person present, from the pov of both main characters, but I find that more tolerable in audiobooks than with eyebooks. I don’t know if this is the end of the series - I note there are two more books about one of the recurring policemen: I find it odd he chose to focus on Ivan Lucic rather than the more interesting Morris Montifiore, so am undecided on whether to continue with those. 3.5 rounded down for the present tense.
A year or so on from the events of Silver, Martin and Mandy have been living happily in Port Silver with her young son Liam, when she is suddenly kidnapped by a dodgy past acquaintance who wants information about her role in the theft of ten million dollars from an investment bank five years earlier.
Rushing to Sydney to find her, Martin is contacted by his former editor at the Sydney Morning Herald, dragging him in to a dangerous world of secret organisations, corruption and murder.
This is definitely a series to be read in order - although each book is about a separate mystery. There are recurring minor characters and the ongoing question of whether beautiful Mandy can truly be trusted, and if so, can she learn to trust a man after some pretty past bad relationships. I dislike Martin for the usual reason - fictional journalists who’ll do anything for a story, and although he is improving, he’s still not much of a hero, stumbling into trouble at every turn and escaping each time through luck rather than skill or charm. These books depict a fairly grim view of Australian life, where nepotism and greed influence everything and the police all seem to have their own agenda - again, you don’t know who to trust.
The audiobook is ably narrated by Dorje Swallow, who balances the various accents without overdoing the Aussie twang. It’s all told in third person present, from the pov of both main characters, but I find that more tolerable in audiobooks than with eyebooks. I don’t know if this is the end of the series - I note there are two more books about one of the recurring policemen: I find it odd he chose to focus on Ivan Lucic rather than the more interesting Morris Montifiore, so am undecided on whether to continue with those. 3.5 rounded down for the present tense.
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