The Broken River cover art

The Broken River

the page-turning new mystery from the award-winning author of Scrublands

 Preview
LIMITED TIME OFFER

3 Months Free

£5.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.
Get this deal
Offer ends on 15 July 2026 at 11:59 BST.
More purchase options

The Broken River

By: Chris Hammer
Narrated by: Lockie Chapman
Get this deal

£5.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.

Buy Now for £17.94

Buy Now for £17.94

BURIED GOLD, OLD BONES.
WHAT SECRETS LURK IN THE DEPTHS?

A masterclass of small-town mystery and jaw-dropping twists from Chris Hammer, the international bestselling author of Scrublands, The Times Crime Book of the Year 2023 Dead Man's Creek and Crime Book of the Month (January 2024) Cover the Bones.

A body has been discovered on the riverbanks of The Valley, a remote community in the hills of New South Wales. The gold mine at the heart of The Valley was once the lifeblood of this region, but it has been flooded for decades. Over the years, many have tried and failed to bring it back to life. Now, most believe the mine is barren.

The victim is Wolfgang Burnside, deputy mayor - a champion of change or local schemer, depending on who you ask. He had been working on plans to take the Valley off-grid with hydro-power using the lake surrounding the abandoned mine. Until he was poisoned, his body dumped in the river for all to see.

Detectives Nell Buchanan and Ivan Lucic are dispatched to investigate. The warning is clear - there are secrets lurking in the depths of this Valley, secrets worth more than their weight in gold. What price will this town have to pay to ensure that they never see the light of day?

An epic, atmospheric mystery spanning generations set against a luscious backdrop and the twisting veins of gold that lurk beneath.

Praise for Chris Hammer:

'A masterful, stunning thriller. A twisting mystery epic in scale yet intricate in detail. Irresistible.' Chris Whitaker

'Epic. Shakespearean in depth and range' The Times

'Fierce, gripping and spine-chilling.' Daily Mail

'My favourite Australian detective is Nell Buchanan.' - Ann Cleeves

'Hammer is a great writer - a leader in Australian noir' Michael Connelly

'Shimmers . . . A tortured tale of blood and loss' Val McDermid

'Stunning - a nail-biter which stays long in the memory' Sunday Times©2024 Chris Hammer Crime Thrillers Suspense Thriller & Suspense Crime Exciting
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1

Critic reviews

One of the foremost practitioners of rural noir
Impressive, well-paced and a triumph of the genre
A tense tale entwining past and present narratives, political scandal and police corruption, and unexpected familial connections for Nell Buchanan, THE BROKEN RIVER shows a storyteller at the top of his considerable game. Masterful.
One of the leading exponents of Australian outback noir
Australia's most exciting crime writer
All stars
Most relevant
A great story well narrated. The narration justifies choosing to listen rather than reading the book

Excellent narration

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Fab continuation of Nell's story, with support from Ivan of course. I had to concentrate as there are a lot of charactrrs; the two timelines work well. Amazing narration by Lockie Chapman, as always. Hugely, highly recommended. Fingers crossed for another book.

Compelling

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Great story with well-defined characters and excellent plotting which make you want to keep reading. Highly recommended. it can be read standalone but there are also characters common to other books in the series which is a nice touch.

Excellently plotted

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
An intricate and interesting plot. Well drawn characters. Beautifully read. And great to be back again with Nell and Ivan.

Excellent

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I came across this series by chance and was really surprised by the quality of the narration and the twists and turns of the plot (in all of the books in this series). Fantastic multilayered story and fantastic narration. Such vivid descriptions that truly bring the Australian landscape to life. Highly recommend!

Brilliant!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews