Legacy
The stunning and unmissable new crime novel from the million copy international bestseller
Will be published approx. on 30. July 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
496 pages
978-1-0354-1084-2 (ISBN)
Description
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?
The sound hits them, a shock wave...glass smashing ... Somewhere a woman screams. A second explosion, Martin looks towards the hall, what's left of it, flames roaring and smoke pouring skywards.
Someone is targeting Martin Scarsden. They bomb his book launch and shoot up his hometown.
Fleeing for his life, he learns that nowhere is safe, not even the outback. The killers are closing in and it's all he can do to survive.
But who wants to kill him and why? Can he discover their deadly motives and turn the tables?
As he gets deeper intwined with the local community, Scarsden finds his fate linked to the 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, 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
MARTIN SCARSDEN IS ON THE RUN. WILL THE DESERT SAVE HIM - OR BURY HIM?
The sound hits them, a shock wave...glass smashing ... Somewhere a woman screams. A second explosion, Martin looks towards the hall, what's left of it, flames roaring and smoke pouring skywards.
Someone is targeting Martin Scarsden. They bomb his book launch and shoot up his hometown.
Fleeing for his life, he learns that nowhere is safe, not even the outback. The killers are closing in and it's all he can do to survive.
But who wants to kill him and why? Can he discover their deadly motives and turn the tables?
As he gets deeper intwined with the local community, Scarsden finds his fate linked to the 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, 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
Reviews / Votes
Vivid descriptions of landscape and an intricate plot make this a beguiling read. * The Sunday Times * Exciting, touching and even heart-breaking, this is a story of desperation, greed, love and resentment. * Literary Review * Hammer is up there with the best Australian novelists Garry Disher, Jane Harper and Peter Temple. Big issues and sharply drawn local relationships are explored. Redolent with claustrophobic tension this slow burn novel with dark simmering tones is gripping. * Aspects of Crime * Hammer [is] now established at the top of the Australian posse of top class authors. Strikingly atmospheric and evocative, Hammer's plots and characters are unrelenting and sprawling, insidiously getting under your skin as they meander in staccato mode towards explosive conclusions. Another winner. * Maxim Jakubowski, Crime Time * A story that starts with a bang. * Crime Fiction Lover * An engrossing thriller and fascinating portrait of one of the world's harshest landscapes. * Irish Mail on Sunday * Standout among the intriguing characters is the Outback itself - a stunning wilderness of blue sky, red dust and ferocious heat. Savage and unpredictable, like the story. * The Sun * Aussie noir at its finest. Hammer shows once again why he's Australia's most exciting crime writer. * Daily Express * A murder and plot that reveals itself in flashback like a parched wilderness coming to life. * Daily Mirror * A propulsive, landscape-rich thriller that drags you into the dust, the danger and the strange beauty of the Outback. This fourth thriller featuring Martin Scarsden stands alone for new readers, yet rewards long-time fans with familiar faces and deepened character arcs. * Irish Independent * An absorbing epic about land, love and revenge, this story of innocents caught up in the clash of dynasties may be Hammer's best yet. * Morning Star * Hammer's knack for atmospheric suspense and noir is at its very best. * Daily Mail *More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Headline Publishing Group
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Illustrations
N/A
Dimensions
Height: 198 mm
Width: 129 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-0354-1084-2 (9781035410842)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Chris Hammer
Legacy
The stunning and unmissable new crime novel from the million copy international bestseller
E-Book
09/2025
Wildfire
€11.99
Available for download
Person
Chris Hammer is a leading Australian crime fiction novelist, author of the internationally bestselling Martin Scarsden series: Scrublands, Silver, Trust and Legacy. Scrublands was shortlisted for major writing awards in Australia, the UK and the United States. In the UK it was named the Sunday Times Crime Novel of the Year 2019 and won the prestigious UK Crime Writers' Association John Creasey New Blood Dagger Award. Scrublands was adapted for TV, airing on BBC4 in the UK. Silver aired on BBC2 in 2025. Chris also writes the award-winning series featuring homicide detectives Nell Buchanan and Ivan Lucic: Opal Country, Dead Man's Creek, Cover the Bones and The Broken River.
Before turning to fiction, Chris was a journalist for more than thirty years. He reported from more than thirty countries on six continents. Chris has also written two non-fiction books, The River, winner of the ACT Book of the Year, and The Coast, published by Melbourne University Press.
Chris lives in Canberra, Australia.
Before turning to fiction, Chris was a journalist for more than thirty years. He reported from more than thirty countries on six continents. Chris has also written two non-fiction books, The River, winner of the ACT Book of the Year, and The Coast, published by Melbourne University Press.
Chris lives in Canberra, Australia.