Review - Dead Man’s Creek by Chris Hammer

Dead Man's Creek by Chris Hammer

Publisher: Headline

Release date: 5 January 2023

Back cover blurb: 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?

This is the first novel that I have read by this author, and is his second book about Detective Narelle (Nell) Buchanan and her colleague Ivan Lucic. I haven't read the first in the series, but didn't struggle with this at all, so would say it is fine to read as a stand-alone! 

In the present day, Nell has recently been promoted to the role of Homicide detective and is really enthusiastic to get stuck in to her first case. She doesn't have to wait long. A body has been found at a nearby river.

Unfortunately for Nell, the body is a victim of murder that was been committed a long time ago, and so begins the cold case investigation..

At first she wonders why they are involved, but having grown up in the area, she is better placed than anyone to know the nuances of its people, history and secrets, and is able to shed light on things that with someone else investigating may have otherwise stayed hidden.

Dead Man's Creek is told from the perspective of three main eras, 1940s, 1970s and the present day, and is narrated by a variety of characters, most of whom have links to Nell and her family. 

It is probably safe to say that Nell's personal/family life is not perfect (lets be honest, whos is?), but she is determined to show that she is deserving of her promotion and despite her initial reluctance for the case, is determined to get some answers. 

It isn't long before another body is discovered, and it is yet another cold case of someone who was murdered years ago. Does Nell really know the area at all?

The puzzle pieces of the local area and it's history begin to fit neatly into place as the novel progresses. It can be a little confusing at times as there is so much going on, but it is a novel that I enjoyed and I wouldn't hesitate to try this author again.

Dead Man's Creek is available now via Amazon online and all good book shops.

Thank You to the publishers who approved my request via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.