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Penitent
When Father Tom Morgan hears the confession of a murderer, he is faced with an impossible whether to violate the sacred seal of confession and betray his vows, remain silent while the killing continues and risk innocent lives ... or take justice into his own hands at the cost of his faith and conscience.
Meanwhile, Detective Atalia Reid is hunting a killer who ritually stages the bodies of his victims. As she finds more clues that seem to implicate Tom's parish, her suspicion of the troubled priest intensifies, leading her to believe he is concealing a dangerous secret.
Driven by mistrust and a mounting sense of dread, Tom and Atalia are drawn into a deadly contest between faith and justice. With each new murder, Tom's silence becomes harder to justify.
Penitent is a morally charged thriller about guilt, conscience and the impossible choice between a sacred duty and saving a life.
Meanwhile, Detective Atalia Reid is hunting a killer who ritually stages the bodies of his victims. As she finds more clues that seem to implicate Tom's parish, her suspicion of the troubled priest intensifies, leading her to believe he is concealing a dangerous secret.
Driven by mistrust and a mounting sense of dread, Tom and Atalia are drawn into a deadly contest between faith and justice. With each new murder, Tom's silence becomes harder to justify.
Penitent is a morally charged thriller about guilt, conscience and the impossible choice between a sacred duty and saving a life.
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About the author
A.W. Hammond
4 books11 followersA.W. Hammond was born in South Africa and emigrated to Australia as a child. He currently works at RMIT University and lives in Melbourne with his wife and daughters.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Penitent is a taut, morally charged thriller that grips from its opening confession and never loosens its hold. Father Tom Morgan hears something no priest ever wants to hear — a murderer admitting his crimes, seeking absolution while promising more bloodshed. What follows is an impossible dilemma: uphold the sacred seal of confession, or break his vows to save innocent lives. The novel leans beautifully into that tension, exploring faith, guilt, and the unbearable weight of silence.
Detective Atalia Reid provides a sharp counterpoint. She’s hunting a killer who stages his victims with ritualistic precision, and every clue seems to circle back to Tom’s parish. Her suspicion of him grows steadily, fuelled by his evasiveness and the sense that he’s carrying a secret too heavy to hide. Their dynamic is one of the book’s strongest threads — mistrust, frustration, and a creeping dread that they’re both circling the same darkness from opposite sides.
The murders themselves are chilling without ever feeling gratuitous. Each new body raises the stakes, tightening the moral noose around Tom’s conscience. His internal struggle is rendered with quiet intensity: the fear of betraying his vows, the horror of remaining silent, and the dawning realisation that justice may demand a price he isn’t prepared to pay.
The fictional city of Hillford adds atmosphere without overshadowing the story — a place where faith, community, and duty collide in ways that feel both intimate and unsettling. The author’s focus on moral complexity gives the thriller real depth, turning every decision into a question of identity as much as survival.
Dark, thoughtful, and gripping, Penitent is a thriller that asks what happens when sacred duty clashes with human responsibility — and whether saving a life can cost you your soul.
With thanks to AW Hammond, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC
Detective Atalia Reid provides a sharp counterpoint. She’s hunting a killer who stages his victims with ritualistic precision, and every clue seems to circle back to Tom’s parish. Her suspicion of him grows steadily, fuelled by his evasiveness and the sense that he’s carrying a secret too heavy to hide. Their dynamic is one of the book’s strongest threads — mistrust, frustration, and a creeping dread that they’re both circling the same darkness from opposite sides.
The murders themselves are chilling without ever feeling gratuitous. Each new body raises the stakes, tightening the moral noose around Tom’s conscience. His internal struggle is rendered with quiet intensity: the fear of betraying his vows, the horror of remaining silent, and the dawning realisation that justice may demand a price he isn’t prepared to pay.
The fictional city of Hillford adds atmosphere without overshadowing the story — a place where faith, community, and duty collide in ways that feel both intimate and unsettling. The author’s focus on moral complexity gives the thriller real depth, turning every decision into a question of identity as much as survival.
Dark, thoughtful, and gripping, Penitent is a thriller that asks what happens when sacred duty clashes with human responsibility — and whether saving a life can cost you your soul.
With thanks to AW Hammond, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Given my 2027 debut suspense thriller is called The Confession, I was immediately drawn to this book about a priest who hears the confession of a serial killer. A very different story to mine, but with a similar theme around moral conflict and conscience.
The cover perfectly captures the mood. Dark, foreboding and intense.
When Father Tom Morgan hears the confession of a murderer, he's faced with an impossible dilemma. Does he violate the seal of confession, or does he honour his sacred vows while the killing of innocent people continues? In this gripping psychological thriller, the troubled priest decides to take justice into his own hands. At the same, we have a female detective who is investigating the murders and trying to convince the priest to reveal what he knows, plus his ex-girlfriend, a journalist, who is searching for a big story to rejuvenate her career. When these three threads intersect, the tension that has been building from chapter to chapter finally explodes in a climax that was satisfying, both intellectually and emotionally.
This story is heavy in Catholicism and pretty gruesome in parts, but don't let that deter you. Once the characters are established and the scene is set up, the plot sprints to an exciting finish. This was a different kind of thriller for me, and one I enjoyed. Father Tom is a complex and interesting character whose story arc I was invested in and the author's knowledge of the church is impressive. I could easily see this book adapted to a movie for the big screen.
The cover perfectly captures the mood. Dark, foreboding and intense.
When Father Tom Morgan hears the confession of a murderer, he's faced with an impossible dilemma. Does he violate the seal of confession, or does he honour his sacred vows while the killing of innocent people continues? In this gripping psychological thriller, the troubled priest decides to take justice into his own hands. At the same, we have a female detective who is investigating the murders and trying to convince the priest to reveal what he knows, plus his ex-girlfriend, a journalist, who is searching for a big story to rejuvenate her career. When these three threads intersect, the tension that has been building from chapter to chapter finally explodes in a climax that was satisfying, both intellectually and emotionally.
This story is heavy in Catholicism and pretty gruesome in parts, but don't let that deter you. Once the characters are established and the scene is set up, the plot sprints to an exciting finish. This was a different kind of thriller for me, and one I enjoyed. Father Tom is a complex and interesting character whose story arc I was invested in and the author's knowledge of the church is impressive. I could easily see this book adapted to a movie for the big screen.
Review of advance copy
Charismatic Father Tom Morgan, a former investigative journalist, is successfully bringing his community back into the church, but when he listens to a confession that any priest would dread to hear, he is conflicted between doing what is right and his duty to uphold canonical secrecy. After a series of horrific ritualistic killings that may have a religious connection, detective Atalia Reid attempts to get the truth out of Tom as he cautiously negotiates both his jittery church superiors and a difficult relationship with his former partner, journalist Isobel Chiu.
There is so much more here than the usual thriller, and it poses serious questions about ethics and sacred trust. The narrative is crisp and taut but does not shy away from the spiritual dilemmas of guilt and conscience, and the challenges of a society largely unsympathetic to the homeless. The ancient and complex church rules that clash with our modern secular world will enlighten anyone who is unfamiliar with such aspects of the Catholic faith. Dark and disturbing, this is not always an easy read, but definitely one that will make you pause and think.
(With thanks to "Good Reading" magazine for the review copy.)
https://goodreadingmagazine.com.au/ti...
There is so much more here than the usual thriller, and it poses serious questions about ethics and sacred trust. The narrative is crisp and taut but does not shy away from the spiritual dilemmas of guilt and conscience, and the challenges of a society largely unsympathetic to the homeless. The ancient and complex church rules that clash with our modern secular world will enlighten anyone who is unfamiliar with such aspects of the Catholic faith. Dark and disturbing, this is not always an easy read, but definitely one that will make you pause and think.
(With thanks to "Good Reading" magazine for the review copy.)
https://goodreadingmagazine.com.au/ti...
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I loved the idea of the story with the serial killer and church links but I found the story a bit hard to follow in places. There were too many characters involved and some of them didn't seem necessary to the story at all. Unless this was part of a series that planned to fill in these other characters I think the book could have done without them. I did enjoy the Tom and Atalia chapters the most and the story that was built through here, I don't feel the other perspectives were necessarily required. The serial murder storyline was great and I really liked how that came together. I also really enjoyed seeing Tom's character arc as he struggled with his choice between the church and what is 'the right thing'. Regardless of the other characters, this was still a good read. Just make sure you stick it out for the first few chapters until it really starts ramping up!!!
Thanks to the publisher for this ARC.
Thanks to the publisher for this ARC.
September 7, 2026
Review of a free copy from Good Reading Magazine (thanks!)
I read a lot of Australian thrillers so I was looking forward to this one even though I hadn't heard of the author. Thrillers can be a touch formulaic and that's often the appeal. This book broke the mould in multiple ways and had a really distinct voice. Was interesting to see the author is originally from South Africa, I wonder if that's added flavour to the tale. Loved the characters in this. Each one had a way of thinking, speaking and behaving all of their own. In fact, I found the characters, their backgrounds and interactions the most compelling part of the story, with the murders being more incidental.
I also really loved the portrayal of the Catholic faith. Too often the priesthood are written as foolish or wilfully naive or all-wise and perfect but the characters here were real and interesting. I came away knowing the author had done their research but not knowing which side of the fence they personally land on which is a real feat.
In summation, great characters, decent thrills.
I read a lot of Australian thrillers so I was looking forward to this one even though I hadn't heard of the author. Thrillers can be a touch formulaic and that's often the appeal. This book broke the mould in multiple ways and had a really distinct voice. Was interesting to see the author is originally from South Africa, I wonder if that's added flavour to the tale. Loved the characters in this. Each one had a way of thinking, speaking and behaving all of their own. In fact, I found the characters, their backgrounds and interactions the most compelling part of the story, with the murders being more incidental.
I also really loved the portrayal of the Catholic faith. Too often the priesthood are written as foolish or wilfully naive or all-wise and perfect but the characters here were real and interesting. I came away knowing the author had done their research but not knowing which side of the fence they personally land on which is a real feat.
In summation, great characters, decent thrills.
September 19, 2026
Penitent by A.W. Hammond is an intriguing murder mystery involving an up and coming priest with a history, murders driven by martyrs and a detective keen to make her first bust.
I really enjoyed that the story was driven by so many different characters parts, it really showed the difference between different viewpoints, beliefs and laws.
I found the murders based on martyrs was hard to stomach and I’m still struggling to work out the why.
I did find the first half of the book lagged quite a bit with the second half making up for it (and then some), and I would have liked to see more of the Catholic symbolism and beliefs drawn on as they were what I found really interesting throughout the story.
I really enjoyed that the story was driven by so many different characters parts, it really showed the difference between different viewpoints, beliefs and laws.
I found the murders based on martyrs was hard to stomach and I’m still struggling to work out the why.
I did find the first half of the book lagged quite a bit with the second half making up for it (and then some), and I would have liked to see more of the Catholic symbolism and beliefs drawn on as they were what I found really interesting throughout the story.
September 5, 2026
The Penitent is a gripping crime thriller exploring a big moral dilemma. I was hooked in immediately when we meet journalists and couple Tom and Isobel in Myanmar being accused of espionage. I loved how Hammond built the tension and feel of their panic and their attempts to evade the authorities and then their escape. The novel slows down a bit whilst it moves into more of a police procedural, however, it was still very hard to put down as I watched events unfold to its big finish.
Nine years on, we meet Tom and Isobel again. Tom is now a priest and Isobel is still a journalist in a new world of media and they’re no long together. Isobel has been asked to write about their time in Myanmar. A homeless man who is connected to Tom’s church is murdered and as the investigation starts more murders and evidence all pointing towards Tom occur. He then takes a confession of a penitent who confesses to their murders and plans to commit more. I enjoyed the police procedural elements, different points of view and links to religion and Renaissance Art. The characters were interesting and complex and I liked the way Tom’s moral and ethical dilemmas played out both in the past and present. Having previously enjoyed Hammond’s historical fiction I enjoyed his move into crime and hope to see more of Tom and Isobel. Perfect for fans of Chris Carter and Chris Culver.
Nine years on, we meet Tom and Isobel again. Tom is now a priest and Isobel is still a journalist in a new world of media and they’re no long together. Isobel has been asked to write about their time in Myanmar. A homeless man who is connected to Tom’s church is murdered and as the investigation starts more murders and evidence all pointing towards Tom occur. He then takes a confession of a penitent who confesses to their murders and plans to commit more. I enjoyed the police procedural elements, different points of view and links to religion and Renaissance Art. The characters were interesting and complex and I liked the way Tom’s moral and ethical dilemmas played out both in the past and present. Having previously enjoyed Hammond’s historical fiction I enjoyed his move into crime and hope to see more of Tom and Isobel. Perfect for fans of Chris Carter and Chris Culver.
Review of advance copy
A priest's tormented by not being able to break the secrets of the confessional when a deranged killer whispers atrocities in his ear - and promises more deaths to come. Quite a dark and twisty read, with a blazing finale.
Thankyou to Good Reading Magazine for the advance read. What a story!
Thankyou to Good Reading Magazine for the advance read. What a story!
October 6, 2026
A priest hears a confession, and must wrestle with church law and personal knowledge of right vs wrong. Confidentiality of confession is his duty, yet what about public safety? This thriller keeps the reader on edge as the story unfolds.
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August 31, 2026Review and podcast to follow.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews