The Seven
Reviewed By Janet Mawdesley October 16, 2023
Author Chris Hammer

Distributor: Allen and Unwin
ISBN: 9781761067426
Publisher: Allen and Unwin
Release Date: October 2023
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Yuwonderie’s wealth is directly attributed to the irrigation of what was dry, arid pastureland. The families, known as The Seven are responsible for the innovative approach to greening this once fickle farming land, amassing great wealth and power.
Lording it over people of the township, built along Victorian era guidelines with a certain perfection of style still very much apparent, these seven founding families continue to reap the rewards of their canny ancestors. They are untouchable, powerful and have over the last Century had members of their own in Politics at the highest levels, and established several large companies to further ensure the wealth remains within their circle of influence.
When one of their own is found to have been murdered Nell Buchannan and Ivan Lucic are sent to investigate. The investigation has to be kept discreet, handled without alerting the media. Plentiful resources have been made available to get the case closed as soon as possible.
As the investigation crawls along the reason for the murder still remains elusive, none of the threads leading to anything substantial. When Nell is knocked unconscious, Alice Figtree is stabbed and the former office of Athol Hasluck is torched the stakes rise.
The Seven peels back the layers of a town that has been built on water rights, managed by the first settlement families who have over time covered up their dirty past. As Lucic and Buchannan slowly try to piece together why a quiet accountant was murdered, it would seem that there is a link, or possible link to an unsolved murder that took place there more than 40 years ago.
Throughout the story there are the beautiful letters from Bessie to her mother telling of her life with the Titchfields, which gives a depth of history and perspective to the fledgling irrigation scheme, as well as establishing the power base that was built back in the early years of post-World War One.
Water rights, money laundering and greed form the basis of the story. The Seven starts slowly setting the scene with care, before burgeoning into a fast paced narrative that once again captivates, forcing the pages to be turned with rapidity in an attempt to discover who did commit murder!
Complex and historic The Seven is slightly different to Chris Hammers previous books as the sense of history, which still relates to current day water trading and political opacity, tends to be paramount, the murder simply the vehicle to link several other intriguing storyline lines together.