An exceptional Aussie thriller

 

 ⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑ Chris Hammer just gets better and better. His novels start out with one mystery but end in a delicious web of intrigue well beyond the initial investigation. More complexity than your typical police procedural with the added benefit of being set in Australia.

With Cover the Bones, the strong partnership of Ivan Lucic and Nell Buchanan really shines as they investigate the death of a man from a thriving, well-water oasis in Australia. The Seven, a set of influential families who brought Yuwonderie to life with an irrigation scheme to keep the land green when drought dessicates most of the country, go back generations as do the secrets they keep. This novel is the perfect example of one mystery wrapped within another. I loved the historical elements of the story. Smart, strong and varied characters make this tale sing in traditional Aussie fashion. A brilliant all rounder sure to satisfy.

I am enthusiastic about Chris Hammer's books and forever pushing them on friends and family but recommend you start with Scrublands, if he is new to you, and follow the books on from there. It isn't essential to read them in order but it does help lay the ground work as characters have a habit of popping up. Loved the cameo in this book, by the way. Glad Martin is well as I am missing him.