Central Coast Reads Author Talk: Chris Hammer

Author Talk: Treasure & Dirt by Chris Hammer

In the desolate outback town of Finnigans Gap, thieves pillage opal mines, religious fanatics recruit the vulnerable, and billionaires do as they please. When an opal miner is found crucified down his mine, Sydney homicide detective Ivan Lucic and inexperienced investigator Nell Buchanan are sent to investigate. But Finnigans Gap has already ended one police career, and soon both officers face damning allegations. Set up and running out of time, their only chance at redemption is to find the killer — before the town’s buried secrets consume them both.

Soon to be a major TV series

Chris Hammer is a leading Australian author of crime fiction. His first book, Scrublands, was an instant bestseller when it was published in mid-2018. It won the prestigious UK Crime Writers Association John Creasy Award for a debut crime novel in 2019 and was shortlisted for various awards in Australia and the United States.

Before turning to fiction, Chris was a journalist for more than thirty years, dividing his career between covering Australian federal politics and international affairs. He reported from more than 30 countries on six continents with SBS TV, while in Canberra, roles included chief political correspondent for The Bulletin, senior writer for The Age and Online Political Editor for Fairfax.