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

Career

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

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

On 20 November 2025, it was announced at the ABC upfronts that Hammer's novel Treasure & Dirt had been optioned and turned into a television series which gone into production on location in Coober Pedy in South Australia.[6]

Recognition and awards

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

His first novel, Scrublands, won the John Creasey Award at the UK Crime Writers' Association's Dagger Awards in 2019.[7] The Tilt won the 2023 Danger Award for best crime fiction.[8] The Seven was shortlisted for the 2024 Fiction Indie Book Award.[9]

Selected works

Martin Scarsden series

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

Ivan Lucic and Nell Buchanan series

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

Non-fiction

  • The River (2010)
  • The Coast (2012)

References

  1. ^ "Hammer, Chris, 1960-". id.loc.gov. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  2. ^ "Chris Hammer: 'I am a serial killer. I kill my darlings left, right and centre'". the Guardian. 2019-09-28. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
  3. ^ "Chris Hammer". Curtis Brown. Archived 2021-06-15 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
  4. ^ "Gammage wins 2012 ACT Book of the Year Award". Books+Publishing. 2012-12-07. Archived 2016-03-26 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
  5. ^ "Chris Hammer: From the bush to the city for Trust". HerCanberra. 2020-10-05. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
  6. ^ Knox, David (2025-11-20). "Treasure & Dirt now filming for ABC Drama | TV Tonight". tvtonight.com.au. Retrieved 2025-11-20.
  7. ^ "Hammer wins UK Dagger award for ‘Scrublands’". Books+Publishing. 2019-10-25. Archived 2019-10-29 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
  8. ^ "Danger Awards 2023 winners announced". Books+Publishing. 2023-11-03. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
  9. ^ "Indie Book Awards 2024 shortlists announced". Books+Publishing. 2024-01-17. Retrieved 2024-01-17.