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