The blistering new thriller from Chris Hammer, 'leader of Australian noir' and award-winning author of the international bestsellers Scrublands, Silver, Trust and Opal Country.

Old bones sink - but secrets always rise to the surface.

Newly-minted homicide detective Nell Buchanan returns to her hometown, annoyed at being assigned a decades-old murder - a 'file and forget'.

But this is no ordinary cold case, her arrival provoking an unwelcome and threatening response from the small-town community. As more bodies are discovered, and she begins to question how well she truly knows those closest to her, Nell realises that finding the truth could prove more difficult - and dangerous - than she'd ever expected.

The nearer Nell comes to uncovering the secrets of the past, the more treacherous her path becomes. Can she survive to root out the truth, and what price will she have to pay for it?

Praise for Chris Hammer:
'Classic Hammer. A crime novel that will stay with me for a long time.' Ann Cleeves

'Utterly brilliant, a darkly simmering mystery - an Australian Where The Crawdads Sing.' - Dervla McTiernan

'This novel is Hammer's best work yet.' The Times

'Shimmers . . . A tortured tale of blood and loss' Val McDermid

'Opal Country is a top-notch Aussie Noir with real heat coming off the pages.' Christopher Fowler

'Hammer is a great writer - a leader in Australian noir' Michael Connelly

'Stunning - a page-turner which stays long in the memory' Sunday Times

'Hammer's writing is so evocative the heat practically rises off the pages' Guardian

'A dark and brilliant thriller, one that lingers in the mind' Mail On Sunday

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£14.99