The Valley (Detective Nell Buchanan #4) by Chris Hammer

The Valley by Chris Hammer is a good example of how sophisticated Australian crime writing has become in recent years.

The novel is set in an area of Southern New South Wales, with which Chris is very familiar. Most of the events occur around an isolated small town off the Kings Highway. Many real place names are used, although the main setting is The Valley, a tiny settlement not unlike the quaint village of Araluen.

This is a complex crime novel, with many interspersed themes of events and characters stretching from 1998 to 2023. While of course there are murders, the book also explores a major heist of cash and gold bullion; police and political corruption; serious fraud; impacts of DNA revelations on major characters; conflicts between the logging industry and environmentalists; grave robbery; and romantic relationships formed and broken.

Chris Hammer clearly loves the natural environment in which this book is set, with lyrical descriptions of forests, birds, animals and natural features including rugged mountains, gushing streams and waterfalls. Many of his characters seek refuge, solitude and rejuvenation in nature, and it is possible to envisage the author doing the same.

Two of the main characters have featured in earlier books by Chris Hammer – Detective Senior Constable Nell Buchanan and her boss, Detective Sergeant Ivan Lucic. They become enmeshed in trying to resolve the suspicious death of a prominent and controversial entrepreneur, whose apparently drowned body is found floating in the Broken River in the middle of the town. Their investigation takes them into many dark secrets of The Valley and eventually intertwines with the major bank robbery, environmental protests, an abandoned goldmine and several other murders over three decades.

Nell also uncovers DNA links to her previously unknown father, a former policeman involved in some of their investigation. But despite the possible conflict of interest, her superiors in Sydney insist that she remains involved, for reasons which only become clear later in the story.

The Valley enhances Chris Hammer’s reputation as one of Australia’s leading crime novelists. It is skilfully written with a surprising conclusion which cleverly brings all of the disparate threads together in a satisfying manner. If you have not read any of Chris Hammer’s acclaimed novels, The Valley would be a good place to start.

Reviewed by Peter Maywald
SMSA Member