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Cover the Bones cover art

Cover the Bones

By: Chris Hammer
Narrated by: Lockie Chapman
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Summary

NO ONE IS EVER INNOCENT IN PARADISE.

**THE TIMES CRIME BOOK OF THE MONTH**

A small town.
A closely guarded secret, stretching back decades.
And blood in the water.


A body has washed up in an irrigation canal, the artery running through Yuwonderie, a man-made paradise on the border of the Outback. Stabbed through the heart, electrocuted and dumped under cover of night, there is no doubt that detectives Ivan Lucic and Nell Buchanan are dealing with a vicious homicide.

The victim is Athol Hasluck, member of one of the seven dynasties who have controlled every slice of bountiful land in this modern-day Eden for generations.

But this is not an isolated incident. Someone is targeting the landed aristocracy of this quiet paradise in the desert. Secrets stretching back decades are rising to the surface at last - but the question remains, who stands to gain most from their demise?

Can Ivan and Nell track down a killer before the guilt at the heart of these seven families takes the entire town down with it?

Scrublands was named Sunday Times Crime Book of the Year 2019 and won the CWA John Creasey Dagger Award in the same year.

Dead Man's Creek was named the Times Crime Book of the Year in 2023.

©2023 Chris Hammer (P)2023 Headline Publishing Group Ltd

Critic reviews

'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

What listeners say about Cover the Bones

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Chris Hammer at his best!

A brilliant, intricate and twisted story with a surprising, difficult to predict ending. The characters, details and setting traditionally in the outback make this story of greed and power abuse a great listen. The great narrator compliments the tale nicely.

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Another good one.

I am enjoying this series of books, good narration from Lockie Chapman. As the investigation progresses the different timelines come together and the story is slowly revealed. Chris Hammer is very good at setting the scene and giving the listener a real feel for the place. Bring on the next book.

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Great story

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Read really well and always held my interest. Great characterisation with plenty of twists and turns. Can't wait for the next Chris Hammer read by the same person I hope!

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Building anticipation

I love the Chris Hammer books. The characters are intertwined with a great story which keeps you guessing right to the end. There are chapters with detailed descriptions of characters and their storylines which are expertly conveyed through the narration. Can’t wait for the next episode.

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Brilliant story superbly told

Loved the 3 storylines … 1914, 1994 and present day. Beautifully written and researched . Chris Hammer is a great story teller

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Highly recommended

I really enjoyed this audiobook, and Lockie Chapman does a fantastic job bringing it to life.
As always Chris Hammer weaves an intricate story that enthralls the listener. There are quite a large number of characters to get to grips with, and I did need to rewind occasionally to keep track, but it was well worth the effort.

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Narration frustrating

Enjoyable and entertaining storyline if not as gripping as previous books. Why oh why does the narrator almost shout some sentences then mumble quietly for dramatic affect almost at a whisper. I listen to lots of audiobooks and I’m not deaf but I expect to be able to understand what he’s saying. My wife finds the same issue. And I’ve listened to all of Hammers books on audible. Absolutely ruined this book for me.

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Another Excellent Chris Hammer book.

Well written, both descriptions and dialogue. Which is very well narrated. I have enjoyed all of the Chris Hammer books with their gripping story lines.

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Great storyline

For Audible listeners, it was difficult to keep track of the huge cast of characters over several generations. For future listeners, could the publishers supply some pdf family trees?

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Wonderful, evocative, clever

This was a wonderful story from the 1st chapter – managing to be intimate and ambitious, meaningful and entertaining, historic and contemporary, It was lovely to see the same characters back again, although I imagine you don’t need to read the previous books to enjoy this one. The narrator was excellent. One of the best I’ve read in a long time. a luxurious crime story!

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