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challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Gun violence, Rape, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Suicide, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Pregnancy, War
Minor: Child death, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Car accident
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
No one writes Australiana like Chris Hammer!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, Murder
Moderate: Child abuse, Sexual violence
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Physical abuse, Violence, Kidnapping, Murder
Moderate: Child abuse, Rape, Police brutality, War
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Rape, Violence
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
"He's driven from the black soil of the flood plain into the Scrublands, a huge peninsula of mulga scrub where there is no soil...
Here there are no clouds and no rain. The drought can't last forever; he knows it, everyone knows it. It's just become hard to believe."
In present day Riversend, a fictional town in the outback in western New South Wales, jaded reporter Martin Scarsden has been sent to write a story. Suffering complex PTSD, following being trapped for three days in the boot of a car whilst reporting in Gaza, Israel, he's been asked to write a 'one year on' piece, following an unexplained shooting of five town residents. It's January, there's a heatwave, a draught and Riversend is bleak, its residents struggling and long-suffering with grief and poverty. This could be just what Scarsden needs to revitalise his flagging career, of this is what his editor hopes. As Scarsden gets to know the locals, it becomes apparent there is more than meets the eye to the shootings, much, much more.
The author's debut and the first of his novels I have read and, having read positive reviews, I was not disappointed. Scarsden is a flawed but likeable protagonist, dying Riversend is described with rich imagery in all its ruin and abandon and the mystery of the residents' secrets and crimes are enthralling and worth investing in. Town life flits between the languidness essential to survive a heatwave and a draught and the urgency required to respond to wildfires and other emergencies. Scarsden is involved in all, genuine and determined, to help Riversend and it's people and to unpick the complex mysteries and crimes he encounters. Sometimes he has the help of locals, including the families of the shooting victims, a beguiling love interest and various law enforcement and sometimes, their hindrance as they battle to keep secrets hidden.
It reads like an epic, an examination of rural Australian life and is a very accomplished debut, I'd recommend to fans of 'outback noir' and authors like Jane Harper, Margaret Hickey and Michael Trent.
"...the story was something that happened to other people; he was just there to report, an observer. And that all changed in Gaza. He became the story; it was happening to him. He was involved; he had no God-given leave pass, no right to stand apart from the story, apart from life."
Here there are no clouds and no rain. The drought can't last forever; he knows it, everyone knows it. It's just become hard to believe."
In present day Riversend, a fictional town in the outback in western New South Wales, jaded reporter Martin Scarsden has been sent to write a story. Suffering complex PTSD, following being trapped for three days in the boot of a car whilst reporting in Gaza, Israel, he's been asked to write a 'one year on' piece, following an unexplained shooting of five town residents. It's January, there's a heatwave, a draught and Riversend is bleak, its residents struggling and long-suffering with grief and poverty. This could be just what Scarsden needs to revitalise his flagging career, of this is what his editor hopes. As Scarsden gets to know the locals, it becomes apparent there is more than meets the eye to the shootings, much, much more.
The author's debut and the first of his novels I have read and, having read positive reviews, I was not disappointed. Scarsden is a flawed but likeable protagonist, dying Riversend is described with rich imagery in all its ruin and abandon and the mystery of the residents' secrets and crimes are enthralling and worth investing in. Town life flits between the languidness essential to survive a heatwave and a draught and the urgency required to respond to wildfires and other emergencies. Scarsden is involved in all, genuine and determined, to help Riversend and it's people and to unpick the complex mysteries and crimes he encounters. Sometimes he has the help of locals, including the families of the shooting victims, a beguiling love interest and various law enforcement and sometimes, their hindrance as they battle to keep secrets hidden.
It reads like an epic, an examination of rural Australian life and is a very accomplished debut, I'd recommend to fans of 'outback noir' and authors like Jane Harper, Margaret Hickey and Michael Trent.
"...the story was something that happened to other people; he was just there to report, an observer. And that all changed in Gaza. He became the story; it was happening to him. He was involved; he had no God-given leave pass, no right to stand apart from the story, apart from life."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mass/school shootings
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Car accident
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Sexual violence, Suicide, War
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Rape, Murder
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thanks to @tandemcollectiveuk I was able to read Scrublands by Chris Hammer as part of one of their readalongs.
It’s set in an isolated country town in Australia suffering from a severe drought, and a young priest opens fire on his congregation - killing five men and then shooting himself dead. One year later, Martin Scarsden arrives in the town to write a feature on the tragedy, soon finding out the local stories do not fit with the reports in the press. Martin then finds himself risking everything to discover the truth.
I really enjoyed this thriller! There were so many twists and turns I couldn’t keep up. Each chapter had me guessing at what could be the truth. I also have read many (if any) books set in Australia so it was fun and refreshing to have Riversend as the setting.
If you love a thriller, definitely pick this one up! I’m super excited to read the sequel, Silver, at some point soon.
It’s set in an isolated country town in Australia suffering from a severe drought, and a young priest opens fire on his congregation - killing five men and then shooting himself dead. One year later, Martin Scarsden arrives in the town to write a feature on the tragedy, soon finding out the local stories do not fit with the reports in the press. Martin then finds himself risking everything to discover the truth.
I really enjoyed this thriller! There were so many twists and turns I couldn’t keep up. Each chapter had me guessing at what could be the truth. I also have read many (if any) books set in Australia so it was fun and refreshing to have Riversend as the setting.
If you love a thriller, definitely pick this one up! I’m super excited to read the sequel, Silver, at some point soon.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Gore, Suicide, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma
Moderate: Child abuse, Infidelity, Blood, Kidnapping