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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/33292
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

One thing you can do is to frame the explanation around a character in the story. For instance, there might be a meta narrative in which the story is being told by a particular character, and when the twist happens the character explains everything in the aftermath.

There can be tiny "clues" (if possible) scattered throughout the story itself, but it might not be enough to work out the mystery. Just enough, say, that things don't quite add up but the reader doesn't notice it on a first read through. The benefit of something like this is that it can make a second read through even more enjoyable, as the reader notices all the things they missed the first time around (such as a small unimportant seeming detail, or a character's reaction being slightly off).

An example of this that I absolutely LOVE is Moriarty by Anthony Horowitz. I won't say more than that because I would be giving it away and that would be an absolute shame, but if you're looking for examples definitely give this one a read. It kept me hooked right up to the final page.

Original score: 3