81:
memories, arrives in
Riversend to write about the crime's impact on the town. As he interviews locals, he discovers that the official story, as reported by his newspaper, might not be entirely accurate. Martin delves into the community, uncovering differing opinions about the priest, and finds that the town has hidden complexities not evident at first glance.
22:
80:
In the drought-stricken town of
Riversend, the charismatic priest Byron Swift, who was well-liked by the community, suddenly turns violent, shooting five parishioners on a Sunday morning. Swift is then shot and killed by a local police officer. A year later, journalist Martin Scarsden, haunted by war
231:
193:
250:
102:) is emblematic of the isolation and drought experienced in many rural Australian communities; one publication described it as "full of Australianness".
316:
268:
212:
58:
who kills five of his parishioners before being shot himself, and a journalist's investigation into his motivations. The novel is a
317:"'Scrublands': Luke Arnold, Bella Heathcote & Jay Ryan To Lead Stan And Nine Network Drama Series Based On Chris Hammer Novel"
485:
294:
95:
described it as a work of "remarkable breadth and depth", with other publications calling it stunning and a brilliant debut.
397:
449:
490:
495:
480:
110:
424:
146:
138:
106:
63:
91:
371:
343:
8:
348:
321:
98:
The book's detailed setting (aided by research for Hammer's previous non-fiction book,
134:
59:
26:
156:
Season 1 of the series was released on Stan on 16 November 2023, and was aired on
130:
47:
474:
194:"Scrublands review: Chris Hammer's brilliant crime novel set in a dying town"
66:
142:
39:
150:
126:
232:"Scrublands by Chris Hammer: journalist's insight makes brilliant debut"
21:
72:
A four-part television series based on the novel was aired in 2023.
157:
51:
43:
213:"Review: Scrublands; Run You Down; For the Missing; Cold Bones"
55:
149:
directed the series, with
Felicity Packard, Kelsey Munro, and
251:"Scrublands: An unsettling story from the heart of Australia"
89:
The book has been met with generally positive reviews - the
171:
Hammer's second novel, featuring the same protagonist, was
398:"BBC acquires new Australian crime thriller Scrublands"
137:were cast in the lead roles in February 2023, with
472:
269:"Hammer wins UK Dagger award for 'Scrublands'"
163:In March 2024 a second series was announced.
229:
191:
248:
210:
376:Australian Television Information Archive
314:
38:is the first novel by Australian author
20:
473:
425:"Stan unveils bumper Originals slate"
422:
315:Whittock, Jesse (26 February 2023).
107:2019 John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger
54:, and revolves around a small-town
13:
14:
507:
116:
442:
416:
390:
230:Peter Pierce (18 August 2018).
364:
336:
308:
295:"'Scrublands' optioned for TV"
287:
261:
242:
223:
204:
185:
160:in the UK in the same month.
1:
486:Novels set in New South Wales
423:Knox, David (12 March 2024).
211:Joan Smith (6 January 2019).
192:Sue Turnbull (27 July 2018).
178:
125:was optioned for television.
111:UK Crime Writers' Association
344:"Scrublands filming begins!"
249:Karen Hardy (29 July 2018).
84:
7:
450:"Scrublands: Silver (2024)"
166:
50:during a period of intense
10:
512:
42:. The story is set in the
16:2018 novel by Chris Hammer
255:The Sydney Morning Herald
198:The Sydney Morning Herald
145:joining as broadcasters.
491:Novels about journalists
496:Allen & Unwin books
105:Hammer was awarded the
75:
481:2018 Australian novels
30:
92:Sydney Morning Herald
46:town of Riversend in
25:First edition (publ.
24:
404:. 4 September 2023
349:Deadline Hollywood
322:Deadline Hollywood
31:
378:. 30 October 1998
275:. 25 October 2019
27:Allen & Unwin
503:
465:
464:
462:
460:
454:Screen Australia
446:
440:
439:
437:
435:
420:
414:
413:
411:
409:
402:BBC Media Centre
394:
388:
387:
385:
383:
368:
362:
361:
359:
357:
340:
334:
333:
331:
329:
312:
306:
305:
303:
301:
291:
285:
284:
282:
280:
273:Books+Publishing
265:
259:
258:
246:
240:
239:
227:
221:
220:
208:
202:
201:
189:
511:
510:
506:
505:
504:
502:
501:
500:
471:
470:
469:
468:
458:
456:
448:
447:
443:
433:
431:
421:
417:
407:
405:
396:
395:
391:
381:
379:
370:
369:
365:
355:
353:
342:
341:
337:
327:
325:
313:
309:
299:
297:
293:
292:
288:
278:
276:
267:
266:
262:
247:
243:
228:
224:
209:
205:
190:
186:
181:
169:
131:Bella Heathcote
119:
87:
78:
48:New South Wales
17:
12:
11:
5:
509:
499:
498:
493:
488:
483:
467:
466:
441:
415:
389:
363:
352:. 8 March 2023
335:
307:
286:
260:
241:
236:The Australian
222:
203:
183:
182:
180:
177:
168:
165:
118:
115:
113:for the book.
86:
83:
77:
74:
60:crime thriller
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
508:
497:
494:
492:
489:
487:
484:
482:
479:
478:
476:
455:
451:
445:
430:
426:
419:
403:
399:
393:
377:
373:
367:
351:
350:
345:
339:
324:
323:
318:
311:
296:
290:
274:
270:
264:
256:
252:
245:
237:
233:
226:
218:
214:
207:
199:
195:
188:
184:
176:
174:
164:
161:
159:
154:
152:
148:
144:
140:
136:
132:
128:
124:
117:TV adaptation
114:
112:
108:
103:
101:
96:
94:
93:
82:
73:
70:
68:
67:present tense
65:
61:
57:
53:
49:
45:
41:
37:
36:
28:
23:
19:
457:. Retrieved
453:
444:
432:. Retrieved
428:
418:
406:. Retrieved
401:
392:
380:. Retrieved
375:
372:"Scrublands"
366:
354:. Retrieved
347:
338:
326:. Retrieved
320:
310:
298:. Retrieved
289:
277:. Retrieved
272:
263:
254:
244:
235:
225:
216:
206:
197:
187:
172:
170:
162:
155:
153:as writers.
143:Nine Network
122:
120:
104:
99:
97:
90:
88:
79:
71:
64:third person
40:Chris Hammer
34:
33:
32:
18:
408:7 September
356:7 September
328:7 September
151:Jock Serong
147:Greg McLean
127:Luke Arnold
475:Categories
429:TV Tonight
300:14 January
279:8 November
179:References
123:Scrublands
44:fictitious
35:Scrublands
217:The Times
121:In 2019,
100:The River
85:Reception
434:12 March
175:(2019).
167:See also
158:BBC Four
141:and the
135:Jay Ryan
62:told in
459:27 July
382:27 July
109:by the
52:drought
173:Silver
133:, and
56:priest
461:2024
436:2024
410:2023
384:2024
358:2023
330:2023
302:2019
281:2019
139:Stan
76:Plot
477::
452:.
427:.
400:.
374:.
346:.
319:.
271:.
253:.
234:.
215:.
196:.
129:,
69:.
463:.
438:.
412:.
386:.
360:.
332:.
304:.
283:.
257:.
238:.
219:.
200:.
29:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
.jpg)