Photos: guests at the Rules Club for the One Book One Wagga Gala Dinner, author Chris Hammer, the cover of Scrublands, Chris enjoying himself, and Chris in conversation with interviewer Amy Heap.

The novel selected for One Book One Wagga 2019 was Scrublands by Chris Hammer.

In an isolated country town brought to its knees by endless drought, a charismatic and dedicated young priest calmly opens fire on his congregation, killing five parishioners before being shot dead himself. A year later, troubled journalist Martin Scarsden arrives in Riversend to write a feature on the anniversary of the tragedy. But the stories he hears from the locals about the shooting don't fit with the accepted version of events.

More than 400 library members borrowed Scrublands, and more than 120 people attended that year's Gala Dinner, held on May 24th at the Wagga Rules Club.

Scrublands won the John Creasy New Blood Award for Best First Crime Novel at the UK CWA Dagger Awards 2019, and was shortlisted for Best First Mystery or Crime Novel at the US Barry Awards in 2020. In Australia, it was shortlisted for General Fiction Book of the Year at the ABIA Awards 2019, and shortlisted for Best Debut Fiction at the Indie Book Awards 2019.