I have already reviewed this book, but have re-read it for a discussion with my U3A Crime Fiction readers group.

I must confess that I began reading it as a printed paperback but swapped over about halfway through to a copy that I already had on my Kindle.

Last time I wrote "A book with many themes, a very harsh environment, where the miners themselves struggle to make a living, and a virtual pageant of quirky characters." and I was struck again by the fact that, while there is the central plot of the crucified opal miner, there are a large number of mini plots. It is also a novel where the Australian outback setting plays a strong role.

If you are looking for something that has strong Australian flavour, then this is it. ( )

I've read and reviewed all three of Chris Hammer's novels in the Martin Scarsden series (Scrublands, Silver and Trust) so it was refreshing to read a new stand alone novel from this beloved Aussie author. I should note that my copy arrived last year along with a signed book plate and letter from the author thanking me for participating in the blog tour for Trust. The letter also acknowledged the work book bloggers do to champion books and inspire people to read more. During the many lockdowns in Australia and abroad, authors weren't able to attend book launches, festivals or signings and the importance of book reviewers has been touchingly recognised here. This was such a wonderful gesture by the author and the publisher that I felt it was worthy of another mention here. Now, onto the book!

Located in a fictional town in outback NSW where the elements will literally kill you, Finnigans Gap is full of opal miners and men intent on making their fortune. Ivan is a Homicide Detective from Sydney who draws the short straw to travel to Finnigans Gap and run a murder enquiry. Nell did 2 years as a copper in Finnigans Gap and has been recalled from her station in Bourke to assist Ivan.

It was a surprising choice to have Martin Scarsden popping up in the background of this novel as a somewhat disgraced journalist who caused a lot of trouble in the media. It was an interesting choice and I'm not sure I saw the point; other than a cool cross-over. Perhaps it's a story seed for the next Scarsden novel? I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Hammer does do an excellent job of describing the environment and surrounds at Finnigans Gap, and even though it's winter at the moment, I almost started sweating along with Ivan as he navigated his way around the place. Having said that, I did think there were too many in depth character reflections and too much observational nature writing for me and I was impatient for the story to keep plowing on.

Ivan and Nell keep digging and quickly discover that the mining culture is cut throat, town politics are heated and secrets abound. The whodunnit/whydunnit murder mystery played out well, but the ending was a little convoluted for me. The characters are mining for opals and this reader was mining for pearls or gold nuggets and I suspect we all walked away with a little less in our pockets at the conclusion of Treasure & Dirt than we expected. Isn't that the miner's way?

Recommended for fans of intelligent Aussie crime fiction with a distinctly Australian outback setting and clear sense of place.

* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin * ( )

Excellent.. good characters, little bits of imperfections, bouncy plot that is twisted. Worth the read. ( )

Chris Hammer is an Australian author who's been on my radar for a couple of years, and since I love opals, Opal Country persuaded me that this is where I needed to jump in and test the waters.

Ivan Lucic is a fascinating, multi-faceted character. His introduction to the climate in Finnegans Gap made me smile, desert dweller that I am, and his driving skill on dirt roads made me laugh out loud. There's a subplot involving his partner, Detective Inspector Morris Montifiore, that he's got to be wary of since the workings of any police force's "internal affairs" are serious. Lucic is well-described as " a lone wolf forced to tend a flock," It can chafe him when he realizes that he has to keep Nell Buchanan in the loop, and that there are people in Finnegans Gap for whom he has a duty of care. He's also got a gambling problem that almost made me roll my eyes until Hammer worked his magic on it.

Nell Buchanan is another fascinating character. She's relatively new on the job and has faced her share of misogyny, but she's incredibly dedicated and intuitive. However, she can also be incredibly thoughtless. These two form a very interesting partnership.

As an American of a certain age, I have to admit being thrown each and every time one of the bad guys was mentioned by name. Why? Because the name is Bullwinkel, that's why. I kept hearing Boris and Natasha muttering away about "Moose and Squirrel" in my ear. Ah well. The name certainly didn't stop him from being a five-star slimeball.

As Lucic and Buchanan fought their way to the truth and Opal Country concluded in a good old-fashioned shootout, I gained a hearty respect for the mayor of Deadmans Well. That's one very important thing I learned about Chris Hammer: never dismiss one of his characters. You never know what they're capable of (other than surprising you).

Hammer's setting took me right into Australia's opal country and gave me a nice, twisty mystery to solve alongside some amazing characters. I'll be back for more. ( )

My thanks to the Author publisher's and NetGalley for providing me with a Kindle version of this book to read and honestly review.
A well written entertaining story from first to last page, a clever Police procedural set in as the title suggests the Opal Country of Australia. Two out of town cops arrive to investigate a murder? Or is it? Beautifully descriptive even though it's minus degrees outside, I could almost feel the heat, and swear a couple of times I wafted at the swarms of flies troubling a brilliant cast of colourful eccentric downright weird in some case characters. An atmospheric quality mystery that left this reader with no clue as to whodunit, and even more surprised when there turned out to be several more crimes to solve.
Completely and utterly recommended. ( )