The iconic mystery writer Penelope Highsmith has made a name for herself with unique plot twists, selling millions of books. Her announcement of an early retirement, a real-life twist no one expected, adds a new layer of mystery to her already enigmatic persona. But before she bids adieu, she has one last puzzle to present—a true crime retrospective focusing on the unsolved murders of her high school classmates in the small town of Willow’s Bane. The publisher plans a special event for the book's release at the very place Penelope has avoided since graduation.
On the fateful morning of the book's release, Penelope’s lifeless body is found on her hotel bed, an empty bottle of antidepressants still clutched in her hand. The circumstances of her death have left everyone with more questions than answers, including Penelope’s estranged daughter, Parker.
Even though she hasn't seen Penelope for years, Parker believes that her mother would never have taken her own life. She knew her mother had a dark side that contrasted with her public image, but those secrets didn’t explain Penelope’s recent behavior. Parker firmly believes that the key to her mother's death lies somewhere in the pages of the book no one wanted published—especially the residents of Willow's Bane. To get to the truth, Parker must confront her own repressed emotions and do what nobody seems willing to do: find the person responsible for her mother’s death.
What she uncovers, however, is a twist nobody saw coming!
DL Hammons wrote his first piece of fiction decades ago to impress a girl (he was moderately successful) and never looked back.
Growing up as a military brat, DL moved around quite a bit as a kid. After graduating from LSU and raising a family in several southern states, he now makes his home in Central Arkansas, where he has spent the last dozen years perfecting his voice, splitting his writing time between YA and Adult Mystery/Suspense. Besides being an author, DL claims that the most interesting thing about him is that he lacks a sense of smell. Other passions include (but are not limited to) his family (including his two mini-Australian Sheppards), music, movies, video gaming, and cool weather camping.
MOVING FEAR - his YA Supernatural Horror debut is due out early 2026.
5 MindBlowing ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I can honestly say I am probably one of the hardest critics when it comes to thrillers! Why??? Because majority of the time thrillers tend to be predictable or I can guess the twist a mile away but not with this one!
This follows a famous author who all of a sudden wants to retire even though she is in the prime of her writing career! However, before she retires she has one more book launch. This book is unlike anything she has ever written, a book that is about 3 unsolved murders in her hometown from when she was younger. She has something she wants to tell everybody at this book launch but before she can she is found in her hotel room. It is ruled a suicide however her daughter does not feel the same and is on the path to prove that this isn’t the case!
You think you know where the book is going and you think you know what going to happen but no one saw it coming! When those twists start they keep coming back to back and I could not put this book down! The author did an amazing job gripping the reader from the very beginning and I could not put this down! A binge-worthy keep you on the end of your seat read! Loved it!
When it comes to mystery thrillers I love to try and be like Sherlock Holmes or Joe Kenda. Trying to piece together gather each and every aspect of the story like a jigsaw puzzle. This book was indeed just that, an intricately woven jigsaw puzzle. The characters and their development had me flipping pages and unable to put it down. This book is full of twists and turns that had me yelling out loud. When I got to what I thought was the last twist in the book I literally yelled out loud “WHAT?!?” I didn’t not see that coming, I had many suspicious regarding characters, but as someone who’s an avid thriller/mystery reader I DID NOT SEE any of the twists coming.
I absolutely LOVED this book, it will definitely be in my top 5 of this year wrap up!!! This book is a perfect example of everyone is not always who you think they are, and things are not always what they seem. This book is a perfect illustration of betrayal, hardship, loss, and the desire to be better.
If you’re looking for a book that makes you feel like a detective or riding shotgun with the investigators this is the book for you!!
If you’re looking for a book you won’t be able to put down this is the book for you!! Read Twist
If you’re looking for a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Twist is it!!!
There were so many characters in here I absolutely loved. Some of them I even resonated with. There is banter, sarcasm and mystery, suspense. All wrapped up into a perfect bow!!!
D.L. Thank you for entrusting me with an arc of your book baby. It was an honor to be able to read it!! I would love to be considered for all future books!
This expertly crafted psychological thriller keeps readers on edge from start to finish. With a gripping premise and layers of deception, suspense, and emotion, it elevates the classic mystery into something truly unforgettable.
At its core is a shocking death that raises more questions than answers. As the truth unfolds, long-buried secrets emerge, leading to a tense and unpredictable investigation. Every twist is expertly placed, and just when you think you have it figured out, the story takes an unexpected turn.
With razor-sharp pacing and a deeply immersive plot, this is a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers and mysteries that keep you guessing until the very last page!
What a crazy, twisty ride… and I loved every single second of it! The prologue hooked me and I kept trying to figure out how everything fit together. I would have a theory and then I was proven wrong time and time again. I am usually pretty good at predicting the twists, but in this case I did not predict any of them. This author is brilliant. His writing pulled me in and didn’t let go. I cannot wait to read more of his work!
OMG !! So many twist and turns in this book don’t for one minute think you will be reading this book for very long you will be wrong. The want and need to know where the story is leading too after the many twist you have already received is inevitable. Once it all came to an end regrettably.. it will blow you away!! Fast paced greatly written will definitely read more by this author.
This isn’t your typical run of the mill mystery/thriller! It definitely keeps your gears turning because you think you know but you don’t! Soooo many twists and turns! This would honestly be a great movie! 👀
A famous author is retiring and writes her last book about her home town and the tragic events that happened when she was a teenager, holds a book event in her home town, something tragic happens, her daughter comes to investigate and finds out the truth!!!!
This book is called twist for a reason!! One of the best thrillers I've read in a long time! Just from reading the prologue, I knew I was gonna be hooked! This story follows a writer who's about to release her final book and retire when she is found dead in her hotel room the morning of her book launch. Everyone in the town thinks it was ruled as a suicide until her daughter arrives and decides that there's more to the story, you have to follow her along to find out what she figures out and what really happened to Penelope. There are so many twists and turns that I didn't see coming in this book! It kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end! Highly recommend this if you are a thriller reader!
I don't know that I'd call this book a thriller, but it is definitely filled with suspense and mystery. The pacing in the first half of the book was just a little slow for me. Then came the TWIST. It was quite a big one that shook me up and made me realize that everything I thought I'd figured out in the first half of the book was wrong. I love it when that happens! So while it was a bit of a slow burn, once the pace picked up, I couldn't put it down.
With a title like Twist, expectations on plot twist are high. This one didn't disappoint. There were a lot of characters to keep up with, but each one was with purpose, so pay attention.
Shoutout to Kat the side kick. She was a personally favorite character. Overall the book was fast paced and kept me wondering who done it! 😋
Twist by D.L. Hammons is a binge-worthy psychological thriller packed with shocking turns and relentless suspense. When a bestselling author dies right before revealing a major secret about three unsolved hometown murders, her daughter sets out to prove it wasn’t suicide—and uncovers layer after layer of deception. Just when you think you’ve got it figured out, the story flips again. Fast-paced, addictive, and impossible to put down—this one kept me guessing until the very last page! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This book is called Twist for a reason!! Wow! I didn’t see what was coming at all. And I love that there were several little twists and turns all throughout to keep you intrigued. Highly recommend if you’re looking for something fast paced!
TWIST is absolutely one of the most mind-blowing, edge-of-your-seat thrillers you will ever read! I just couldn’t put it down..I HAD TO KNOW!!! I never saw any of it coming!!!!
A unique plot that grabs you from the beginning and doesn’t let up until the very end! My jaw was on the floor!! This book undeniably measures up to its title with each TWIST thrown at you!
Everything falls into place smoothly and ties together so brilliantly. This author delivers a whole experience like no other! Bravo!!👏
An INCREDIBLE mystery/suspense novel! Right from the prologue, your jaw DROPS. And it doesn't stop there! The TWISTS-literally- will have you hooked. What I loved most was how DL makes you feel compassion for the main characters, and then strings you along for a wild adventure. Well done!
DL Hammons does not disappoint! Another banger that lives up to its title!
You think you have this one figured out…. Then bam! No you don’t!
I really enjoyed the detective aspect of this book as we join Parker trying our best to unravel the towns dark history that took place 38 years prior. Each time we think we’re close another TWIST is thrown at us.
The twist and turns are placed with purpose, not just a random thought that came to the author, like ooo let me just totally flip the script. The plot twist was tastefully done.
DL Hammons is an auto buy author for me, because I know he is going to leave us on the edge of our seats wanting more and more!
This is the first book I have read by this author and it won’t be the last.
This is a well written murder mystery thriller book. I absolutely loved the storyline, the descriptions of the characters are well thought out and fit perfectly within the storyline.
I felt like I was there and that I knew the characters personally.
The storyline is both simple and very complicated, exciting bits well woven in with an explosive plot. Didnt have to re-read bits because it didn’t flow - it was very fluid.
I didn’t guess any of the twists before they happened and that’s unusual for me.
Well written, well thought out plot brilliant closing of the storyline and no loose unexplained ends ……
Loved it
Highly recommend to everyone I know
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
OMG!!!! When I tell you I was sliding out of my chair reading this! This was a wild wild ride! I swear I was on a rollercoaster!! Just when I thought I knew who did the unliving it took a turn! This has been one of the best mystery/thrillers I have read this year!! I couldn't put the book down! I NEEDED to know what happened next!! All the many layers! All twists all the turns! Omg! What a freaking wild ride! This book left me GASPING FOR AIR!!
This was my first book to read of D.L. Hammons and I will say I am a FAN! This thriller had everything I could have wanted and more. At first, I felt like it had a very heavy resemblance of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo (which I loved) in the way the story was told. I felt like I was part of the investigation and I was skeptical of every character which are my favorite type of thrillers. I received an early copy of this book and I cannot wait to go back and read his other books!
Bear with me on this! Also, there will be NO spoilers. The author sucked me in with the prologue, it was so intense that it started a snowball rolling down the hill. With every chapter, it just got bigger. If you’ve ever driven down a country back road, that’s how this book feels. It could be smooth asphalt one minute, to a bumpy dirt road the next. There could be nothing but woods on each side of the road or there could be a breathtaking view of a lake covered in fallen blossoms from the trees. You could be enjoying every second and then worry that you will never find your way back to the safety of your home. So, trust me readers, if you enjoy a thriller, get you out a piece of paper and start a suspects list and enjoy the ride!
Twist had a premise that instantly hooked me—the estranged daughter of a famous mystery writer digging into her mother’s suspicious suicide, convinced it’s actually murder. Add in a small town full of secrets and a final manuscript that might hold the truth? Totally my kind of setup.
But while the idea was solid, but it just didn’t fully land for me. Part One really dragged, and it took me a while to feel invested. I also struggled to connect with Parker, especially with her insisting on going by her last name only—I would have loved a few past POVs from Penelope to help build a stronger connection to the characters.
The twist at the end was shocking, but I had expected something along those lines, so the impact wasn’t as strong. For me, this leaned more mystery than thriller—it’s about uncovering buried secrets and guilt, not that nonstop, edge-of-your-seat suspense.
All that said, I didn’t hate it. The foundation was really interesting, and I can see why others might love it more. For me, though, it just felt a little too slow and inconsistent to be the gripping story I was hoping for.
What a ride! For the last two days every spare moment was spent in D L Hammon’s new Thriller, Twist. I regrets not one second spent there. It was captivating from the short prologue to the very end. I read slowly and determinedly so that I could solve this mystery developing before me. I was unsuccessful. I have never had so much fun being a failure. These characters were so real to me and I enjoyed getting to know them and their secrets. Not sure why Hammon named this book Twist (the singular) when there were multiple twists, each one more satisfying and unexpected than the last. I would highly recommend this book to any lover of Thrillers or Mysteries.
Twist was a novel by DL Hammons that I just couldn't put down. I felt compelled to continue reading chapter after chapter to discover what new secrets would be revealed. What an appropriate name this novel has, because there are major twists and turns that occur in this novel. Never once did I suspect what would happen in the big reveal! I had my sights set on other guilty parties and boy was I wrong.
The atmosphere created by the author in the little town of Willow's Bane dragged me in and made me feel like I myself was experiencing being there. This place radiated a deep-seated sadness that never passed from when the murders took place, but also a feeling of intense secrecy and malice of folks wanting the past to stay there.
Even with these challenges, the main protagonists Parker and Kat persevered in order to find out who had killer Parker's mother, Penelope. Parker, level-headed and intelligent, combined with Kat, sassy and driven, made one heck of an investigative team! How they started to learn more about Penelope's life, as well as the weaving of parts of their lives before Willow's Bane, flowed so naturally and kept the story at an excellent pace. It also made me really care for these two characters and want to know more about them. If there was ever to be a second book with these two investigating another crime, I'd pick it up immediately!
If you are looking for a good murder mystery, I highly recommend picking up Twist! I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
While I was able to guess one of the twists in this book, there were plenty more that still had me guessing. This is a book that has you guessing the entire time and just when you think you have things figured out, things turn again. If you need a fast paced, twisty read, this one is it!
Thriller/Mystery is not my norm but omgosh 🤯🤯🤯 I couldn’t stop reading!! I NEED TO KNOWWWW!! To me.. everyone was sus! But then again.. I’m a horrible detective 😂 the plot was PLOTTING and there were so many parts to it where there was twist after twist after twist.. no wonder it’s literally titled.. TWIST!! 😂
The setting was in a close knit small town where families are generational but even though this town is close knit.. people have held on to soooo many SECRETS!! 😳🤫🤐
Everything written had a purpose, it wasn’t just fluff to fill a page. If you love a mystery/thriller.. this one is a page turner!!
Love this! I love a good who done it book and this book delivered! And the name definitely fits the book!
We follow Penelope’s daughter lynn, (I believe) as she learns about her mother’s suicide. She does not believe it is suicide though so she takes a trip pack to her home town to investigate who killed her, if anyone did kill her mother. Do you think she is wasting her time? After all everyone in the town believes she killed her self and was acting strange before her death.
This book is like a puzzle inside a puzzle! The plot lines are expertly layered, smart, and suspenseful, making it completely addictive! It kept me guessing the entire time.
The balance between suspense and emotional depth is fantastic and each character adds so much to the story.
Twist is a roller coaster of surprises that never lets up. Just when you think you’ve got it all figured out, it flips the script in the best way possible. It’s thrilling, clever, and totally binge-worthy. If you’re ready for a mystery that challenges your brain and tugs at your heartstrings, buckle up-this one’s a blast!
I received an ARC of this book and this is my voluntary, honest review.