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