Chris Hammer


Chris Hammer is an Australian journalist and writer of crime fiction. He is known for his best-selling Martin Scarsden series of novels.

Career

Hammer has a 30-year career as a journalist and has worked for The Bulletin, Fairfax and on the SBS TV program Dateline. In 2011 he published a non-fiction book entitled The River.
He wrote the Martin Scarsden series of novels, that have been bestsellers in several countries, starting with [Scrublands |Scrublands] in 2018. When writing his crime novels he allows the story to develop, rather than plotting it out in advance.
On 20 November 2025, it was announced at the ABC upfronts that Hammer's novel Treasure & Dirt had been optioned and turned into a television series which gone into production on location in Coober Pedy in South Australia.

Recognition and awards

Hammer won the ACT Book of the Year in 2011 for his non-fiction book The River.
His first novel, Scrublands, won the CWA [New Blood Dagger|John Creasey Award] at the UK Crime Writers' Association's Dagger Awards in 2019. The Tilt won the 2023 Danger Award for best crime fiction. The Seven was shortlisted for the 2024 Fiction Indie [Book Awards |Indie Book Award].

Selected works

Martin Scarsden series

  • Scrublands
  • Silver
  • Trust
  • ''Legacy''

    Ivan Lucic and Nell Buchanan series

  • Treasure and Dirt
  • The Tilt
  • The Seven
  • ''The Valley''

    Non-fiction

  • The River
  • ''The Coast''