Welcome to Litsy!

Scarsden sets out to write a story on the anniversary of a mass shooting. The story he‘s familiar with isn‘t what he finds in this small Australian Outback drought-ridden community.

There‘s more murder, death, a car accident, even romance. Townsfolk are divided on their feelings for the mass murdering priest. The characters are outspoken & clearly developed. Even the oppressive heat becomes a character.

Similar to Harper‘s The Dry.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Excited 😁

Chris Hammer‘s debut crime novel (the first in a trilogy) is a solidly written whydunit rather than a whodunit but the depiction of a town dying from drought is more convincing than the human characters, who are thinly drawn. The pacing is thrown off by key strands of information being withheld back until the final quarter, some of the journalistic practices were unconvincing while the tentative romance between Martin and Mandy was a bit icky.

This book disappointed me. I was captured by the plot, but it took soooooo long to develop that I got bored. I‘m not sure reading to the end was worth the payoff. Plus it‘s clear this author thinks little of women, which is a good way to piss me off.

Journalist Martin travels to Riversend with the intention of writing an article that tells how the town is coping one year after the shooting. Instead he finds himself with unanswered questions and being the man on the ground when a new incident occurs.

I love reading stories that are set in Australia and this one had echos of my childhood. I really enjoyed this read, the characters and descriptions were fantastic. However it was a bit too long.

Solid Australian crime story/drama. Strong characters, well written, genuine page turner and it had me guessing to the end. It‘s not going have you thinking about the characters dilemmas for days but it‘s an entertaining read 👍

A compelling tale from start to finish. This month‘s Audible Editor‘s Extra kept me captivated and had so much going on that I never wanted to put it down. The author captured the spirit of a town suffering through a terrible drought, then rocked by a mass shooting. The after shocks just keep coming in this Australian crime novel.

...So this is where all the Errols have gone.

This was somewhere between a so-so and a pick for me...maybe ⭐️⭐️⭐️. Not sure whether it was me or the book 🤔. At times I was really into it & at others I felt it was a chore. The depiction of women annoyed me, but he captured the harsh, hot & dry Australian landscape really well. #ozfiction

While it's great in audio, I want to finish by the end of the year, or so I can fit in other books too by the end of the year, and I also won't be listening in my car too much now, so ebook it is!

Our weather forecast for the next few days 🥵🤬😱. If only I could just stay inside in the air con and reeeaaadd til it‘s over. 📚🤓🍹

One of my favourite summer reading accompaniments: nectarine & goat cheese on multigrain crackers 😋.
#currentlyreading #ozfiction #booknlunch

Thought northern hemisphere Littens might appreciate this accurate description of the Australian heat. #currentlyreading

Today it‘s a balmy 33 degrees Celsius, hot enough for us to bring our outdoor Christmas book club gathering forward an hour to avoid the heat. 🥵

When the family head out to watch some car movie on a Saturday afternoon 🙄 & leave me alone with Chris Hammer & an affogato 😍😉👏😋😂. #currentlyreading #ozfiction

Another beautiful day for sitting outside and reading. Finish this great read . We certainly have a lot of talent here in Australia. I was right in the town he so aptly describes. Thought I‘d solved one of the mysteries but not to be. Very clever story. Can‘t wait to get the next one which I see is out now. Hope there will be many more. @MrsMalaprop

Journalist Martin Scarsden arrives in Riversend, a town ravaged by drought and grief following the mass murder perpetrated by the towns much loved young priest. As Martin explores how the town in coping a year on from the tragedy he realises not everything is as it seems and everybody is still hiding dark secrets. The plot was well thought out but the style of writing just wasn‘t for me, (overly) descriptive and written in third person. 3star read

Bit long. Reasons for the priests rampage kept me reading but a bit disappointed by the climax (or lack of it). If I'm honest I was mildly confused a lot of the time. Good imagery though.

Well . . . I feel this is meant to be. Definitely up there with my favourite authors 😀

Holidays began today and my first book is about to be started. I do ❤ holibobs!

Another great Aussie read. This book has everything, mystery, murder sex and everything else you can think of. A brilliant read

A journalist arrives in Riversend to write a story on the anniversary of a horrific killing by a local priest. Martin Scarsden is as damaged as the people he is tasked with interviewing.

Jane Harper gives us the Outback as a character as powerful as any person. Hammer gives us characters as flawed as the dying town in which they live. Both give us Australia, but there the similarity ends. I enjoyed this, but it is challenging to the psyche.

We‘ve been waiting for a long drive to listen this.

In an isolated town brought to its knees by poverty and endless drought, a charismatic priest suddenly opens fire on his congregants, killing five before he is shot. A year later, a troubled journalist rolls into town and finds more questions than answers. DUN DUN DUUUUUNNNNNN

I picked this one up after I read about it in one of the Book Riot newsletters. It was a little slow, but it was a good mystery/thriller - it just got little complicated as more and more crimes and twists got pulled in, so o think it could have used a little editing of ideas! The writing was immersive and the setting was definitely one of the characters.

Quite the collection was waiting for me at the library today! Will bake with Sister Pie this week-end. Rereading the Iliad and Odyssey in February for a Buddy study. And then three very different books, all depressing in their own way LOL! Anyone else read Scrublands, Amity and Prosperity, or Not That Bad? Oh yeah and then I had to pick up a highly recommended book on the stories behind well known medieval manuscripts. Just because.

It starts with a mass shooting outside a church in Riversend, Australia. The story then moves to a year later & the arrival of journalist, Martin Scarsden.

It was well written & I liked that the author took time to build up a sense of suspense. Some cliches & the ending was too neat, but it‘s a good read. 4🌟

TW: violence, swearing, mention of animal abuse.

Thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Headline, for the opportunity to review an ARC.

[Fictional] journalism blurring the line between news & editorial.

Of the books I read in October Career of Evil was the best. Running a close (very close) second was Scrublands, which was a gift from the wonderful @Rissreads I‘m hoping that Scrublands is the beginning of a series.

#ozfiction
Thanks @Bklover for buddy reading this book with me. I took a risk picking it for you without having read it first! But it paid off! I am so surprised how much I enjoyed this book as the crime/thriller genre is not usually my thing. I really loved that it was set in Australia and the author captured the countryside and climate beautifully.

I really loved this book! I‘ve read a lot of thrillers lately and I‘m starting to feel like there‘s a contest to see who can write the most shocking/creative twist. This is a mystery/thriller as well, but is something completely different. This is a long, complex mystery that unfolds slowly. The descriptions of the location are amazing and the main character‘s personal story is interesting on it‘s own. Ending was a bit tidy, but overall ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Just started this one. Hope it‘s as good as the prologue!! Reading this as a #buddyread with @Rissreads , who sent me this book alllllllll the way from Australia!👏🎉✈️

This book consumed my Sunday, I read it one sitting , I just couldn't put it down. Taking us to a small country town in australia a year after a tragic shooting. The landscape is brutal as are the secrets of the people who live there. I loved it 😊

I did want to find out what was going on in this rural thriller, but the characterisation left a lot to be desired. Maybe it‘s just not my usual read, but I found Scrublands to be very schlocky with some occasional overblown introspection from the protagonist. And don‘t get me started on the representation of women ... although in fairness, most of the characters were one dimensional. Could have been half the length.