Scrublands is the first novel by Australian author Chris Hammer. The story is set in the fictitious town of Riversend in New South Wales during a period of intense drought, and revolves around a small-town priest who kills five of his parishioners before being shot himself, and a journalist's investigation into his motivations. The novel is a crime thriller told in third person present tense.
A four-part television series based on the novel was aired in 2023.
In the drought-stricken town of Riversend, the charismatic priest Byron Swift, who was well-liked by the community, suddenly turns violent, shooting five parishioners on a Sunday morning. Swift is then shot and killed by a local police officer. A year later, journalist Martin Scarsden, haunted by war memories, arrives in Riversend to write about the crime's impact on the town. As he interviews locals, he discovers that the official story, as reported by his newspaper, might not be entirely accurate. Martin delves into the community, uncovering differing opinions about the priest, and finds that the town has hidden complexities not evident at first glance.
The book has been met with generally positive reviews - the Sydney Morning Herald described it as a work of "remarkable breadth and depth",[1] with other publications calling it stunning[2] and a brilliant debut.[3]
The book's detailed setting (aided by research for Hammer's previous non-fiction book, The River) is emblematic of the isolation and drought experienced in many rural Australian communities; one publication described it as "full of Australianness".[4]
Hammer was awarded the 2019 John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger by the UK Crime Writers' Association for the book.[5]
In 2019, Scrublands was optioned for television.[6] Luke Arnold, Bella Heathcote, and Jay Ryan were cast in the lead roles in February 2023, with Stan and the Nine Network joining as broadcasters. Greg McLean directed the series, with Felicity Packard, Kelsey Munro, and Jock Serong as writers.[7] [8]
Season 1 of the series was released on Stan on 16 November 2023,[9] and was aired on BBC Four in the UK in the same month.[10]
In March 2024 a second series was announced.[11] [12]
Hammer's second novel, featuring the same protagonist, was Silver (2019).