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Nov 5, 2026 28 min

A.W. Hammond in Conversation

from The Readings Podcast Hosted by Readings Books

In this episode, a recording taken at Readings Carlton and the Melbourne launch of crime writer A. W. Hammond’s new book, Penitent, a morally charged thriller about, among many things, guilt, conscience and duty. When Father Tom Morgan hears the confession of a murderer, he is faced with an impossible dilemma: 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.

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A.W. Hammond in Conversation

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