Podcast

27 October 2025

PODCAST: Chris Hammer on Journalism, Storytelling Craft and His Latest Thriller

PODCAST: Chris Hammer on Journalism, Storytelling Craft and His Latest Thriller

Chris talks to Cheryl about his lifelong love of writing and how his career in journalism, including international reporting for Dateline, shaped his storytelling. He reflects on developing his craft, transitioning from nonfiction to fiction, and how fellow author Benjamin Stevenson helped bring Scrublands to life. His latest novel, Legacy, is out now.

About the Author

Chris Hammer is a leading Australian author of crime fiction. His first novel, Scrublands, was an instant bestseller when it was published in mid-2018. Before turning to fiction, Hammer was a journalist for more than thirty years, dividing his career between covering Australian federal politics and international affairs. He reported from more than thirty countries on six continents with SBS TV, while in Canberra his roles included chief political correspondent for The Bulletin, senior writer for The Age and online political editor for the Sydney Morning Herald.

Reviews

Perilous and Challenging: Read an Extract from Legacy by Chris Hammer

Review | Extract

30 September 2025

Perilous and Challenging: Read an Extract from Legacy by Chris Hammer

    Your Preview Verdict: Legacy by Chris Hammer

    Review | Preview

    19 August 2025

    Your Preview Verdict: Legacy by Chris Hammer

      Better Reading Preview: Legacy by Chris Hammer

      Review | Preview

      25 June 2025

      Better Reading Preview: Legacy by Chris Hammer

        An Addictive Standalone: Take a Sneak Peek of Nora Roberts' Legacy

        Review | Extract

        26 May 2021

        An Addictive Standalone: Take a Sneak Peek of Nora Roberts' Legacy

          Legacy is Another Thrilling Standalone from Master Storyteller Nora Roberts

          Review | Our Review

          26 May 2021

          Legacy is Another Thrilling Standalone from Master Storyteller Nora Roberts

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              Publisher details

              Legacy
              Author
              Chris Hammer
              Publisher
              Allen & Unwin
              Genre
              Fiction
              Released
              30 September, 2025
              ISBN
              9781761471025

              Buy now

              Synopsis

              The sound hits them, a shock wave … glass smashing ... Somewhere a woman screams. A second explosion, and 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?

              In a dramatic finale, he finds his fate linked to the disgraced ex-wife of a football icon, a fugitive wanted for a decades-old murder, and two nineteenth-century explorers from a legendary expedition.

              Martin Scarsden's most perilous, challenging and intriguing assignment yet.

              Publisher details

              Legacy
              Author
              Nora Roberts
              Publisher
              Hachette
              Genre
              Fiction
              Released
              26 May, 2021
              ISBN
              9780349426242

              Buy now

              Synopsis

              A powerful new standalone novel from global bestseller Nora Roberts - a novel of a mother, a daughter and a traumatic past reawakened. The first time Adrian met her father was the day he tried to kill her... Adrian Rizzo didn't have the easiest childhood, to put it mildly, but she's worked hard to put it behind her and to the outside world she is a beautiful young woman with a successful, high-profile career and a wonderful family and friends. When, out of the blue, she receives a death threat in the post, she is shocked but puts it down to someone's jealousy of her success and tries to forget about it. But Adrian doesn't realise that it's more than just spite. Someone is very, very angry about her happy life and will stop at nothing to bring it all crashing down.

              Publisher details

              Scrublands
              Author
              Chris Hammer
              Publisher
              Allen & Unwin
              Genre
              Fiction
              Released
              01 April, 2019
              ISBN
              9781760875527

              Buy now

              Synopsis

              Set in a fictional Riverina town at the height of a devastating drought, Scrublands is one of the most powerful, compelling and original crime novels to be written in Australia. In an isolated country town brought to its knees by endless drought, a charismatic and dedicated young priest calmly opens fire on his congregation, killing five parishioners before being shot dead himself.

              A year later, troubled journalist Martin Scarsden arrives in Riversend to write a feature on the anniversary of the tragedy. But the stories he hears from the locals about the priest and incidents leading up to the shooting don't fit with the accepted version of events his own newspaper reported in an award-winning investigation.Martin can't ignore his doubts, nor the urgings of some locals to unearth the real reason behind the priest's deadly rampage.

              Just as Martin believes he is making headway, a shocking new development rocks the town. The bodies of two backpackers - missing since the time of the church shootings - are found in a dam in the scrublands. It's the biggest story in Australia. The media descends on Riversend and Martin finds himself caught in the spotlight. His reasons for investigating the shooting have suddenly become very personal.

              Wrestling with his own demons, Martin finds himself risking everything to discover a truth that becomes darker and more complex with every twist. But there are powerful forces determined to stop him, and he has no idea how far they will go to make sure the town's secrets stay buried.

              Chris Hammer
              About the author

              Chris Hammer

              Chris Hammer was a journalist for more than thirty years, dividing his career between covering Australian federal politics and international affairs. For many years he was a roving foreign correspondent for SBS TV's flagship current affairs program Dateline. He has reported from more than thirty countries on six continents. In Canberra, roles included chief political correspondent for The Bulletin, current affairs correspondent for SBS TV and a senior political journalist for The Age. His first book, The River, published in 2010 to critical acclaim, was the recipient of the ACT Book of the Year Award and was shortlisted for the Walkley Book Award and the Manning Clark House National Cultural Award. Scrublands, his first novel, was published in 2018 and was shortlisted for Best Debut Fiction at the Indie Book Awards, shortlisted for Best General Fiction at the Australian Book Industry Awards, shortlisted for the UTS Glenda Adams Award for New Writing at the NSW Premier's Literary Awards and won the UK Crime Writers' Association John Creasey Debut Dagger Award. His second novel, Silver, was published in 2019 and was shortlisted for Best General Fiction at the Australian Book Industry Awards, shortlisted for the 2020 ABA Booksellers' Choice Book of the Year Award, and longlisted for the UK Crime Writers' Association Gold Dagger Award. Chris has a bachelor's degree in journalism from Charles Sturt University and a master's degree in international relations from the Australian National University. He lives in Canberra with his wife, Dr Tomoko Akami. The couple have two children.

              Books by Chris Hammer

              Scrublands
              Chris Hammer

              Scrublands

              Retail partners

              Silver
              Chris Hammer

              Silver

              Retail partners

              Trust
              Chris Hammer

              Trust

              Retail partners

              Treasure and Dirt
              Chris Hammer

              Treasure and Dirt

              Retail partners

              The Tilt
              Chris Hammer

              The Tilt

              Retail partners

              The Seven
              Chris Hammer

              The Seven

              Retail partners

              The Valley
              Chris Hammer

              The Valley

              Retail partners

              Legacy
              Chris Hammer

              Legacy

              Retail partners

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                14 November 2025 at 9:36 am

                I just listened to the podcast “Chris Hammer on Journalism, Storytelling Craft and His Latest Thriller” on Better Reading, and it’s truly captivating. Hammer shows how much attention to detail matters in both journalism and fiction writing. It reminded me of how using a reliable forex vps Amsterdam is a bit like playing at an online casino: you plan carefully, wait for the outcome, and when everything works flawlessly, it’s a real thrill. If you value stability and performance, check out https://myforexvps.com/forex-vps-datacenters/amsterdam‑forex‑vps/ — dependable service without any hiccups.

                Reply
              2. sala6 says:
                20 November 2025 at 4:28 am

                Long storytelling podcasts often inspire deeper curiosity about audio platforms, especially when interviews explore creativity, reporting or craft. Listeners wanting dependable playback tend to review impressions connected to sirius xm radio where people described clarity of broadcasts, subscription concerns or unexpected access interruptions. These shared viewpoints help others understand what kind of assistance may be available when long-form listening becomes part of their daily routine.

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              3. sorinr says:
                20 November 2025 at 4:29 am

                Hi! Long storytelling podcasts often inspire deeper curiosity about audio platforms, especially when interviews explore creativity, reporting or craft. Listeners wanting dependable playback tend to review impressions connected to sirius xm radio where people described clarity of broadcasts, subscription concerns or unexpected access interruptions. These shared viewpoints help others understand what kind of assistance may be available when long-form listening becomes part of their daily routine.

                Reply