Legacy
On sale
30th July 2026
Price: £10.99
Martin Scarsden returns in the unmissable new thriller from Chris Hammer, bestselling author of Scrublands and Times Crime Book of the Year (2023) Dead Man’s Creek.
MARTIN SCARSDEN IS ON THE RUN. WILL THE DESERT SAVE HIM – OR BURY HIM?
A bomb at his book launch. Gunfire in his hometown. Someone wants journalist Martin Scarsden dead.
Fleeing for his life into the outback, he learns that nowhere is safe. The killers are closing in and it’s all he can do to survive. But who wants to kill him – and why?
As Scarsden gets deeper intwined with the local community, he finds his fate lies in the hands of some surprising individuals: a disgraced ex-wife of a football legend, a fugitive wanted for a decades-old murder, and two nineteenth century explorers from a legendary expedition.
With his life on the line, one thing is for sure: this is Martin Scarsden’s most perilous, challenging and intriguing assignment yet.
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 page-turner which stays long in the memory’ Sunday Times
MARTIN SCARSDEN IS ON THE RUN. WILL THE DESERT SAVE HIM – OR BURY HIM?
A bomb at his book launch. Gunfire in his hometown. Someone wants journalist Martin Scarsden dead.
Fleeing for his life into the outback, he learns that nowhere is safe. The killers are closing in and it’s all he can do to survive. But who wants to kill him – and why?
As Scarsden gets deeper intwined with the local community, he finds his fate lies in the hands of some surprising individuals: a disgraced ex-wife of a football legend, a fugitive wanted for a decades-old murder, and two nineteenth century explorers from a legendary expedition.
With his life on the line, one thing is for sure: this is Martin Scarsden’s most perilous, challenging and intriguing assignment yet.
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 page-turner which stays long in the memory’ Sunday Times
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Reviews
Vivid descriptions of landscape and an intricate plot make this a beguiling read.
Exciting, touching and even heart-breaking, this is a story of desperation, greed, love and resentment.
Hammer is up there with the best Australian novelists Garry Disher, Jane Harper and Peter Temple. Big issues and sharply drawn local relationships are explored. Redolent with claustrophobic tension this slow burn novel with dark simmering tones is gripping.
Hammer [is] now established at the top of the Australian posse of top class authors. Strikingly atmospheric and evocative, Hammer's plots and characters are unrelenting and sprawling, insidiously getting under your skin as they meander in staccato mode towards explosive conclusions. Another winner.
A story that starts with a bang.
An engrossing thriller and fascinating portrait of one of the world's harshest landscapes.
Standout among the intriguing characters is the Outback itself - a stunning wilderness of blue sky, red dust and ferocious heat. Savage and unpredictable, like the story.
Aussie noir at its finest. Hammer shows once again why he's Australia's most exciting crime writer.
A murder and plot that reveals itself in flashback like a parched wilderness coming to life.
A propulsive, landscape-rich thriller that drags you into the dust, the danger and the strange beauty of the Outback. This fourth thriller featuring Martin Scarsden stands alone for new readers, yet rewards long-time fans with familiar faces and deepened character arcs.
An absorbing epic about land, love and revenge, this story of innocents caught up in the clash of dynasties may be Hammer's best yet.
Hammer's knack for atmospheric suspense and noir is at its very best.
