The Tilt

Reviewed By  Grasshopper2       October 17, 2022

 

Author  Chris Hammer.

Distributor:      Allen & Unwin
ISBN:                 9781761067419
Publisher:         Allen & Unwin
Release Date:   October 2022  

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Once again, the master craftsman of crime Chris Hammer has woven an engaging tale in The Tilt. His characters are realistic and well developed, his plot is complex with many threads, but the outstanding feature of this book is his descriptions.

The reader is transported to the area between New South Wales and Victoria, near Tulong. We are taken to the tiny township, or the forest, or the banks of the Murray River; all our senses are engaged while we navigate the storyline. In the early pages, the geology of the area gives an introduction to the tone of the story and a sense of the age of the land.

However, this is a murder mystery, where we are introduced to the newly promoted homicide detective Nell Buchanan. She has been assigned a case in her hometown.  A regulator on the river has been breached and once the water has drained out, a skeleton is exposed. This seems like a cold case, as the remains are old and while it is definite that a murder has occurred, the chances of discovering the history seem faint.

The complexity is eased when an early identification of the remains is made. Many local issues were at play at that time. The army were supervising Italian prisoners of war who worked in the forest, there was local small-time criminality and forest dwellers who were avoiding any attention.

Then, a second skeleton was found. It is more recent than the first; a gun is also found. While Nell comes to grips with the complex family links in the town, she begins to discover her own family has secrets. To add to the understanding, a parallel story is told by one of the residents who witnessed a murder as a child.

There isn’t a “down time” in this story. It is dangerous in many ways. The Tilt, all too real, all to possible.