Our final honourable mention Review Season 2022, 'The Tilt' by Chris Hammer, provides a daunting task. The second novel in the Nell Buchanan and Ivan Lukic series is vast, spanning three timelines and uncountable stories. Flex couldn't quite figure out how to sum it all up, so instead, it's time to talk about why this novel matters so much in the scope of Australia's Outback Noir. Chris Hammer’s ‘The Tilt’ is an executional masterpiece in Outback Noir, collating the hallmarks of Australia’s now-signature subgenre of crime fiction. With arrestingly realised characters telling a generational story of family, trauma, and the evolving forest, its vast page count will prove no obstacle with Chris Hammer’s gripping and insightful hand hurtling you through its many twists and turns. What ‘The Tilt’ achieves structurally is such a monumental achievement that it’s almost a disgrace how effortless it feels, and Chris Hammer deserves the world of credit for pulling it off. Thank you to Allen & Unwin & BAD: Sydney Crime Writers' Festival for providing copies of 'The Tilt', and arranging our time with Chris Hammer.

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