
Together We Read’s next digital book club pick:
Scrublands
by Chris Hammer
Thank you for participating in Together We Read AUNZ featuring Scrublands.
Stay tuned for future programs.
Note: contains mature themes
1 September – 15 September 2021
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What is Together We Read?

Together We Read is a Digital Book Club that is featuring participating libraries in Australia and New Zealand.
During this two-week programme, there will be no waitlists and no holds for the selected ebook. Download Libby to borrow the free ebook from your library using your phone or tablet. Learn more or download the app below.
Previous Title
Scrublands
by Chris Hammer
1 September - 15 September 2021
Winner of the 2019 CWA Dagger New Blood Award for Best First Crime Novel
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. Read more.

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Chris Hammer sits down with the Professional Book Nerds to discuss Scrublands.
For more interviews, book news and more, be sure to check out The Professional Book Nerds Podcast

Chris Hammer
Chris Hammer is a leading Australian crime fiction novelist, author of international bestsellers Scrublands and Silver.
His new book, Trust, was published in Australia and New Zealand in October 2020 and internationally from early 2021.Scrublands was an instant bestseller upon publication in 2018, topping the Australian fiction charts. It 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, Silver and Trust all feature troubled journalist Martin Scarsden and his partner Mandalay Blonde.
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More about The Van Apfel Girls are Gone
Winner of the 2019 CWA Dagger New Blood Award for Best First Crime Novel
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, which becomes the biggest story in Australia. The media descends on Riversend and Martin is now the one 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.
A compulsive thriller that will haunt you long after you have turned the final page.
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