In the western tradition, forests are an “imagination exerciser” where danger can lurk in every hollow, every shadow.
For his fifth fiction novel ‘The Tilt’, best-selling Australian author Chris Hammer – who recently visited the Whitsundays whilst touring with his novel up the coast - followed in the footsteps of fairy tales, setting his story of familial intrigue, history, and murder in a famed Australian woodland.
In the Barmah Millewa Forest, which stretches across the state line of New South Wales and Victoria, becoming a swamp when the Murray River swells to its fullest, the crime writer plants a multi-layered story where bodies and secrets are unearthed.
“It’s a forest nine months of the year and a wetland for three when the river spills out, running up the myriad creek,” Hammer said.
“The water managers have put little dams on all of the mouths of these, regulating the water. That’s the setting and it’s a good setting for a crime book – in forests they tell you to not go off the path.
“In this book, it’s not just one storyline but three – one in the second world war, another in the ‘70s, and in modern day.”
At three Whitsunday libraries – Cannonvale, Proserpine, and Bowen – Hammer was interviewed on his latest book by local journalists for ‘In Conversation’ events, including Whitsunday Life writer and journalist Declan Durrant.
Locals attended the intimate events to ask their own questions to Hammer, an ex-journalist of 30 years, have their books signed, and listen.
Hammer has established himself as one of the country’s premier writers in the Australian noir genre – which often sees small-town life thrown into disarray when a dark and chilling crime takes place.
“I think I’m very fortunate to be a full-time author, and that’s thanks to all of you,” he said.
Chris Hammer’s novel The Tilt is available at each of the Whitsunday libraries, as well as online for purchase at Booktopia.
Author Chris Hammer and Whitsunday Life journalist Declan Durrant at Cannonvale Library during an ‘In Conversation’ Event hosted by Whitsunday Regional Council
