Bestselling Australian author Chris Hammer will visit Cleveland Library from 10am to 11am on Wednesday, October 8, to talk about his latest crime novel, Legacy.
Set in the Paroo River region, Legacy brings back journalist Martin Scarsden, the protagonist from Hammer’s earlier novels Scrublands and Silver.
Hammer said he was inspired to revisit the character after watching the television adaptations of his first two books.
“I watched the adaptations and it gave me the seed of an idea,” Hammer said.
“In the second series, they have Martin at a book launch. This new book starts with a book launch and sees Martin go on the run.”
He said the new story presents a fresh direction for the familiar character.
“This is a new dynamic for Martin, who has always been the sole storyteller,” Hammer said.
In Legacy, the story alternates between two characters — Martin and Ecco, a Brisbane-based ghostwriter.
“I don’t want to give anything away, but when she is commissioned to write the history of a family on a property on the Paroo River, it seems inevitable that their paths will cross,” he said.
Hammer said his novels always begin with a strong sense of place.
“There is something about an Australian country town that draws me in,” he said. “I always say I grew up in an isolated, drought-stricken town — Canberra.”
Describing himself as a “pantser,” Hammer said his writing process is fluid and instinctive.
“I write by the seat of my pants,” he said. “I’m one of those rare Australian full-time writers. I write every day and while I may not always put words on the page, the plot is evolving.”
The author’s Cleveland appearance is expected to draw local readers eager to hear from one of Australia’s leading voices in crime fiction.
