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The Twyford Code
It's time to solve the murder of the century...
Forty years ago, Steven Smith found a copy of a famous children's book, its margins full of strange markings and annotations. He took it to his remedial English teacher, Miss Isles, who became convinced it was the key to solving a puzzle. That a message in secret code ran through all Edith Twyford's novels. Then Miss Isles disappeared on a class field trip, and Steven's memory won't allow him to remember what happened. Now, out of prison after a long stretch, Steven decides to investigate the mystery that has haunted him for decades. Was Miss Isles murdered? Was she deluded? Or was she right about the code? And is it still in use today? Desperate to recover his memories and find out what really happened to Miss Isles, Steven revisits the people and places of his childhood. But it soon becomes clear that Edith Twyford wasn't just a writer of forgotten children's stories. The Twyford Code has great power, and he isn't the only one trying to solve it...
Forty years ago, Steven Smith found a copy of a famous children's book, its margins full of strange markings and annotations. He took it to his remedial English teacher, Miss Isles, who became convinced it was the key to solving a puzzle. That a message in secret code ran through all Edith Twyford's novels. Then Miss Isles disappeared on a class field trip, and Steven's memory won't allow him to remember what happened. Now, out of prison after a long stretch, Steven decides to investigate the mystery that has haunted him for decades. Was Miss Isles murdered? Was she deluded? Or was she right about the code? And is it still in use today? Desperate to recover his memories and find out what really happened to Miss Isles, Steven revisits the people and places of his childhood. But it soon becomes clear that Edith Twyford wasn't just a writer of forgotten children's stories. The Twyford Code has great power, and he isn't the only one trying to solve it...
384 pages, Paperback
First published January 13, 2022
About the author
Janice Hallett
8 books1,604 followersJanice Hallett is a former magazine editor, award-winning journalist, and government communications writer. She wrote articles and speeches for, among others, the Cabinet Office, Home Office, and Department for International Development. Her enthusiasm for travel has taken her around the world several times, from Madagascar to the Galapagos, Guatemala to Zimbabwe, Japan, Russia, and South Korea. A playwright and screenwriter, she penned the feminist Shakespearean stage comedy NetherBard and cowrote the feature film Retreat. The Appeal is her first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,044 reviews
November 4, 2021
After The Appeal, Janice Hallett once again gives us an unusual angle in the mystery genre in this wonderfully riveting, full of heart, a puzzle of a story. Here we are given transcripts of voice recordings made on a old IPhone 4, with all the fun of decyphering what is meant with some words and phrases in the narrative. Steven Smith has recently been released after a long stretch in prison, having suffered the loss of his wife and is estranged from a son who gave him the IPhone. For 40 years, Steve has been obsessed with the mystery of the disappearance of his remedial English teacher, Miss Isles. He had found a book on the bus, it was by Edith Twyford, a writer, similar to Enid Blyton, who had gone out of fashion, deemed to be xenophobic. Miss Isles reads the book to the class, but takes the book, never returning it to him, convinced it contains a puzzle and secret codes.
However, she did take the class on a visit to the home of Edith Twyford in Bournemouth, a trip Steven has never been able to forget and is haunted by, for that is the day that Miss Isles vanished. Now he is determined to discover what happened to her, with the help of his former classmates, Paul, Donna, Michelle, Nate, and Lucy, the librarian. The voice recordings fill in the details of Steven's troubled personal life, his painful and neglected childhood, with both his mother and father leaving, with his older brother Colin bringing him up. There is his involvement with the well known criminal Harrison family. This is an exhilarating tale of adventures, related with much humour, with the requisite challenges, a format that works extremely well, littered with clues, of secrets, and the puzzle that is Steven's life.
Hallett writes a multilayered, intricate and complex novel, with a format that took me a little time adjust to, but once I did, I was completely immersed and just desperate to find out where it is all heading. I finished reading this, and know I will reread some time in the future to understand and appreciate all the clues in the narrative. The author is beginning to establish a reputation for irresistible and original mysteries that prove to be compulsive, entertaining, engaging and full of twists and turns. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
However, she did take the class on a visit to the home of Edith Twyford in Bournemouth, a trip Steven has never been able to forget and is haunted by, for that is the day that Miss Isles vanished. Now he is determined to discover what happened to her, with the help of his former classmates, Paul, Donna, Michelle, Nate, and Lucy, the librarian. The voice recordings fill in the details of Steven's troubled personal life, his painful and neglected childhood, with both his mother and father leaving, with his older brother Colin bringing him up. There is his involvement with the well known criminal Harrison family. This is an exhilarating tale of adventures, related with much humour, with the requisite challenges, a format that works extremely well, littered with clues, of secrets, and the puzzle that is Steven's life.
Hallett writes a multilayered, intricate and complex novel, with a format that took me a little time adjust to, but once I did, I was completely immersed and just desperate to find out where it is all heading. I finished reading this, and know I will reread some time in the future to understand and appreciate all the clues in the narrative. The author is beginning to establish a reputation for irresistible and original mysteries that prove to be compulsive, entertaining, engaging and full of twists and turns. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
October 1, 2022
The narrative of Janice Hallett’s The Twyford Code is presented through a series of 200 audio files that have been recovered and deciphered from an iPhone 4 belonging to Steven Smith, an ex-con recently released from prison after being incarcerated for 11 years. The files have been transcribed using specialized software and though the end result isn't quite perfect, it renders the content not too difficult to understand.
As the narrative progresses, Steven talks about his early childhood, him and his older brother Colin being abandoned by their parents and how after the mysterious disappearance of their remedial English teacher, Miss Isles, during a field trip to Dorset almost 40 years ago , he stopped going to school and fell in with a bad crowd which led him into a life of crime. Steven's memories of the day his teacher disappeared are vague and he is consumed with the need to uncover what happened to her. When he was 14 years old (1983), he had found a copy of a children's book written by author Edith Twyford (similar to author Enid Blyton) , on a bus and brought it to school where Miss Isles read it to the whole class, despite the author’s work being banned on account of “sexism, racism, misogyny and xenophobia”. It was rumored that Edith Twyford was more than just a childrens' author. Miss Isles believed that Twyford’s stories contained coded messages that would ultimately lead to the solution to a puzzle/ mystery dating back decades. In the present day, Steven reaches out to his former classmates from his R.E. classes- Paul, Shell(Michelle), Donna and Nate (Nathan) and though a few of them initially show an interest in the mystery and the code, one by one they opt out from pursuing the matter further. From the audio files, it is apparent that Steven and his friends are not alone in their quest and Steven is being followed by people who don’t want him to succeed. Steven befriends Lucy who works in the local library and she enthusiastically assists Steven in trying to crack the code. All of Steven’s efforts- his interviews and conversations, details about the places he explores and the history he uncovers, his successful and unsuccessful attempts at cracking The Twyford Code and details about his life and ties to a crime family are recorded as entries in his phone.
Is there any truth in the story behind the Twyford Code or is it just a myth or a figment of the author’s imagination? Is Miss Isle’s disappearance truly linked to The Twyford Code? Who are the people trying to prevent Steven from uncovering the truth? Can he trust his friends or do they know more than they are letting on?
The Twyford Code by Janice Hallett is a sharp and unique novel with an engaging premise, a well-woven mystery and an ending that I did not see coming! For those who enjoy puzzles, codes and acrostics, this book is definitely a treat. The beginning and the unique format hooked me in from the very first page. I will admit my interest did wane in the middle and I was prepared to be bored with the slow progression of the plot but after a series of clues, clever twists and red herrings, the author manages to pull off a magnificent ending (which elevated my original rating from a 3.5 to a 4). The audio transcription is not great (by design) and the approximations and errors take a while to get used to. (We are provided a key to help us make sense of it)This is not a novel that you can flip through or skip sections and requires more than a little patience and diligence to follow, but I would advise you to not give up because it is totally worth it in the end! I loved the literary references in the narrative and enjoyed the intrigue behind both Edith Twyford’s story and the present-day adventure and loved how everything comes together in the end. Overall, this was an enjoyable read and well worth the time invested!
As the narrative progresses, Steven talks about his early childhood, him and his older brother Colin being abandoned by their parents and how after the mysterious disappearance of their remedial English teacher, Miss Isles, during a field trip to Dorset almost 40 years ago , he stopped going to school and fell in with a bad crowd which led him into a life of crime. Steven's memories of the day his teacher disappeared are vague and he is consumed with the need to uncover what happened to her. When he was 14 years old (1983), he had found a copy of a children's book written by author Edith Twyford (similar to author Enid Blyton) , on a bus and brought it to school where Miss Isles read it to the whole class, despite the author’s work being banned on account of “sexism, racism, misogyny and xenophobia”. It was rumored that Edith Twyford was more than just a childrens' author. Miss Isles believed that Twyford’s stories contained coded messages that would ultimately lead to the solution to a puzzle/ mystery dating back decades. In the present day, Steven reaches out to his former classmates from his R.E. classes- Paul, Shell(Michelle), Donna and Nate (Nathan) and though a few of them initially show an interest in the mystery and the code, one by one they opt out from pursuing the matter further. From the audio files, it is apparent that Steven and his friends are not alone in their quest and Steven is being followed by people who don’t want him to succeed. Steven befriends Lucy who works in the local library and she enthusiastically assists Steven in trying to crack the code. All of Steven’s efforts- his interviews and conversations, details about the places he explores and the history he uncovers, his successful and unsuccessful attempts at cracking The Twyford Code and details about his life and ties to a crime family are recorded as entries in his phone.
Is there any truth in the story behind the Twyford Code or is it just a myth or a figment of the author’s imagination? Is Miss Isle’s disappearance truly linked to The Twyford Code? Who are the people trying to prevent Steven from uncovering the truth? Can he trust his friends or do they know more than they are letting on?
The Twyford Code by Janice Hallett is a sharp and unique novel with an engaging premise, a well-woven mystery and an ending that I did not see coming! For those who enjoy puzzles, codes and acrostics, this book is definitely a treat. The beginning and the unique format hooked me in from the very first page. I will admit my interest did wane in the middle and I was prepared to be bored with the slow progression of the plot but after a series of clues, clever twists and red herrings, the author manages to pull off a magnificent ending (which elevated my original rating from a 3.5 to a 4). The audio transcription is not great (by design) and the approximations and errors take a while to get used to. (We are provided a key to help us make sense of it)This is not a novel that you can flip through or skip sections and requires more than a little patience and diligence to follow, but I would advise you to not give up because it is totally worth it in the end! I loved the literary references in the narrative and enjoyed the intrigue behind both Edith Twyford’s story and the present-day adventure and loved how everything comes together in the end. Overall, this was an enjoyable read and well worth the time invested!
February 11, 2023
Another innovative take on epistolary novel storytelling sees The Twyford Code being mostly told in transcripts of voice recordings and messages, and it works so very well in so many ways. Stephen 'Little Smithy' Smith has served his time in prison and now truly on the straight and narrow, he visits his childhood friends trying to find out what really happened to their amazing teacher on an unofficial school trip over three decades previously. He, his friends and others get caught up in the mystery that puzzled their teacher all the years ago, the mystery of the Twyford Code.
The core concepts and styling of this read had me thinking this is going to be a Five Star read, but with almost everyone of the cast an unreliable narrator and the multi layered feints, tricks, puzzles and smokescreens in the plot, even though truly innovative and entertaining, it all got a bit too much and felt like the puzzles and mysteries became bigger than the book. A second read is definitely needed for me; Hallet's The Appeal worked a lot better for me, feeling a more accessible read; but I want to be clear Janice Hallett is without a doubt a new powerhouse in mystery writing who is going to be absolutely dominate best seller lists for years to come. An easy Four Star, 8 out of 12 read for me.
2023 read
The core concepts and styling of this read had me thinking this is going to be a Five Star read, but with almost everyone of the cast an unreliable narrator and the multi layered feints, tricks, puzzles and smokescreens in the plot, even though truly innovative and entertaining, it all got a bit too much and felt like the puzzles and mysteries became bigger than the book. A second read is definitely needed for me; Hallet's The Appeal worked a lot better for me, feeling a more accessible read; but I want to be clear Janice Hallett is without a doubt a new powerhouse in mystery writing who is going to be absolutely dominate best seller lists for years to come. An easy Four Star, 8 out of 12 read for me.
2023 read
December 15, 2022
This definitely won’t be a book for everyone. If you don’t enjoy books that use other forms of media to tell a story-you may want to steer clear.
BUT, if you love solving puzzles, the brilliant Janice Hallett has given you a code to break-within the pages of this very intellectual story…
Did I crack the code before turning the final pages?
NOT A CHANCE!!
Steven Smith has just been released from prison, and he is finally free to investigate a mystery that has haunted him since childhood. Forty years ago, he found a copy of a famous children's book, full of strange markings and annotations, which had been left behind on a bus he was riding.
He took it to his remedial English teacher, Miss Isles, who became convinced that it was the key to solving a puzzle-that a message in secret code ran through all of Edith Twyford's novels. She began reading the “banned book” to her class-convinced that the book was meant to find its way to her.
Then Miss Isles disappeared while on a field trip with her students, to Edith Twyford’s cottage.
Was the author a spy sending messages through her children’s books during WW2? Did Miss Isles get too close to uncovering the truth?
The book is told through the 200 transcripts of audio files, recovered from an IPhone 4 and deciphered by a high speed transcription software. Each transcript is a conversation between one to three characters and a key is included to help make sense of words or phrases that may have been misheard. Example: Miss Isles was deciphered as MISSLES.
I could probably reread this book and STILL NOT follow the code inside, but when everything is revealed it was NOT AT ALL what I expected it to be, and OH SO SURPRISING!!
Janice Hallet is much too CLEVER for me!
First published January 13, 2022 abroad by Viper
U.S. publication is January 24, 2023 by Atria Books
June 23, 2024
**4.5-stars rounded up**
Damnnn, that was impressive. A literary treasure hunt the likes of which may never be matched. I am so in awe of this!
When I read Janice Hallett's release, The Appeal, in January of 2022, I gave the book a rating of 3.5-stars.
I noted that I gave the author top marks for thinking outside the box and getting super creative with her format, but that the story itself was just average for me. It was solid, but it wasn't great.
In spite of not being necessarily blown away by the plot, I found the use of mixed media to tell the entire story impressive. I knew she was an author that I would want to read more from.
I went into The Twyford Code not knowing much. I knew it had the mixed media use I loved, but what was the plot?
I listened to the audiobook for this and was absolutely swept up into the narrative right away.
The majority of the story is made up of quasi-diary entries that our protagonist, Steven Smith, recorded on an old phone gifted to him by his estranged son. There are also conversations, phone and otherwise, with a varied cast.
We find out that 40-years ago, on an unsponsored trip to the coast with their beloved school teacher, Miss Isles, Steven and five of his classmates were stranded after their teacher disappeared.
Maybe stranded is the wrong word, they made it back to the school very late at night, but none of them can really recall how they got there. Miss Isles never returned to school and none of the children present on the trip ever saw her again.
The incident has haunted Steven ever since. He blames himself. Miss Isles only took them to the coast that day because of the Edith Twyford book Steven had found and brought to class. Miss Isles was convinced there were coded messages within the book to some lost treasure.
It's all a muddled mess in Steven's hazy memories, but after being released from a stint in prison, he is determined to discover what the truth is about that day. What happened to Miss Isles?
I started this early Saturday morning while out walking my dog. I became so engrossed that I barely remember getting back to the house.
I then listened to it for hours will cleaning and doing my standard Saturday errands. It's all a haze. When I tell you I fell down a rabbit hole with this one, I'm not joking. Yikes, this was enthralling.
By the time Sunday morning rolled around, I had 48-minutes of the audio left. I sat on my couch and just listened.
To even think about the complexity of this story makes my head spin. It is so impressive to consider how one would even tackle a project such as this. How in the actual heck did Hallett pull this off?
I don't want to say anything else about the plot, or even my thoughts, because I think this one is best experienced if you just sit back, relax, trust Hallett and let it all wash over you like the literary masterpiece that it is.
I do have a couple of unresolved questions, but I am sure that is more to do with my own tiny brain trying to wrap itself around all the details, than an issue with the story. Nevertheless, those small items did make the experience a tiny smidge short of perfect for me.
With this being said, I have never read anything like this and I am really looking forward to seeing what Janice Hallett delivers us next!
Thank you to the publisher, Atria Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This was an absolute blast to read and will stick with me for a long time to come.
Damnnn, that was impressive. A literary treasure hunt the likes of which may never be matched. I am so in awe of this!
When I read Janice Hallett's release, The Appeal, in January of 2022, I gave the book a rating of 3.5-stars.
I noted that I gave the author top marks for thinking outside the box and getting super creative with her format, but that the story itself was just average for me. It was solid, but it wasn't great.
In spite of not being necessarily blown away by the plot, I found the use of mixed media to tell the entire story impressive. I knew she was an author that I would want to read more from.
I went into The Twyford Code not knowing much. I knew it had the mixed media use I loved, but what was the plot?
I listened to the audiobook for this and was absolutely swept up into the narrative right away.
The majority of the story is made up of quasi-diary entries that our protagonist, Steven Smith, recorded on an old phone gifted to him by his estranged son. There are also conversations, phone and otherwise, with a varied cast.
We find out that 40-years ago, on an unsponsored trip to the coast with their beloved school teacher, Miss Isles, Steven and five of his classmates were stranded after their teacher disappeared.
Maybe stranded is the wrong word, they made it back to the school very late at night, but none of them can really recall how they got there. Miss Isles never returned to school and none of the children present on the trip ever saw her again.
The incident has haunted Steven ever since. He blames himself. Miss Isles only took them to the coast that day because of the Edith Twyford book Steven had found and brought to class. Miss Isles was convinced there were coded messages within the book to some lost treasure.
It's all a muddled mess in Steven's hazy memories, but after being released from a stint in prison, he is determined to discover what the truth is about that day. What happened to Miss Isles?
I started this early Saturday morning while out walking my dog. I became so engrossed that I barely remember getting back to the house.
I then listened to it for hours will cleaning and doing my standard Saturday errands. It's all a haze. When I tell you I fell down a rabbit hole with this one, I'm not joking. Yikes, this was enthralling.
By the time Sunday morning rolled around, I had 48-minutes of the audio left. I sat on my couch and just listened.
To even think about the complexity of this story makes my head spin. It is so impressive to consider how one would even tackle a project such as this. How in the actual heck did Hallett pull this off?
I don't want to say anything else about the plot, or even my thoughts, because I think this one is best experienced if you just sit back, relax, trust Hallett and let it all wash over you like the literary masterpiece that it is.
I do have a couple of unresolved questions, but I am sure that is more to do with my own tiny brain trying to wrap itself around all the details, than an issue with the story. Nevertheless, those small items did make the experience a tiny smidge short of perfect for me.
With this being said, I have never read anything like this and I am really looking forward to seeing what Janice Hallett delivers us next!
Thank you to the publisher, Atria Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This was an absolute blast to read and will stick with me for a long time to come.
October 13, 2021
Janice Hallett does it again! Ex-con Steven Smith records his story on his sons old iPhone 4 and trust me, it’s a darned good one. It all starts forty years ago when he’s in Miss Isles remedial English class when Steven finds a well known story book left behind on a bus which he takes into school. The book is by Edith Twyford and even forty years ago these books are frowned on as they are seen as unchallenging or even xenophobic but Miss Isles reads the story out to the class anyway! She believes the book contains codes to solve a puzzle and she takes the class on a trip to Bournemouth to seek clues ... then Miss Isles disappears. What happens to her? Steven revisits his past with the help of his former remedial English classmates to try to solve the mystery and he records their quest along the way. These are then transcribed for reasons I won’t reveal and this becomes the format of the book. This works so well as it offers the author some entertaining writing devices, such as how some of the words are transcribed from the recordings. This lends itself to some humour and a number of clever double entendres which I really enjoy. It’s amazing too how so much of the personality of those involved comes across through the files especially of Steven himself. His story is not a happy one with a number of revelations that rock you. There’s also some illuminating descriptive detail which is very adroitly done.
I love how the gang of five (Steven, Donna, ‘Shell, Nathan and Paul) go fishing for clues, with the purpose of finding out what happens to Miss Isles and unlocking the book codes becomes an obsession especially for Steven. This part of the storytelling is really good and almost has you on the edge of your seat. The story mirrors the capers, the adventures and dangers of books from the era that Edith Twyford is writing, it’s like a Famous Five adventure of Enid Blyton and just like those books hooked me as a child so this one reels me in, anchoring me for many a golden hour. You have dilemmas, loads of excitement and danger, plot twists, red herrings and some major curve balls to delight you. It’s colourful, clever, a bit of an enigma(tic) trail to decipher the unpredictable truth. I love the illuminating inclusion of books like Kit Williams ‘Masquerade’, Lord of the Flies and The Hitch Hikers Guide.. The ending is so smart and it makes you smile.
Overall, a very entertaining, gilded, lustrous tale that will have you angling or desperately trawling for clues and having huge fun along the way.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Serpents Tail/Viper/Profile Books for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
I love how the gang of five (Steven, Donna, ‘Shell, Nathan and Paul) go fishing for clues, with the purpose of finding out what happens to Miss Isles and unlocking the book codes becomes an obsession especially for Steven. This part of the storytelling is really good and almost has you on the edge of your seat. The story mirrors the capers, the adventures and dangers of books from the era that Edith Twyford is writing, it’s like a Famous Five adventure of Enid Blyton and just like those books hooked me as a child so this one reels me in, anchoring me for many a golden hour. You have dilemmas, loads of excitement and danger, plot twists, red herrings and some major curve balls to delight you. It’s colourful, clever, a bit of an enigma(tic) trail to decipher the unpredictable truth. I love the illuminating inclusion of books like Kit Williams ‘Masquerade’, Lord of the Flies and The Hitch Hikers Guide.. The ending is so smart and it makes you smile.
Overall, a very entertaining, gilded, lustrous tale that will have you angling or desperately trawling for clues and having huge fun along the way.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Serpents Tail/Viper/Profile Books for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
March 2, 2022
Oh dear…It isn’t often I don’t finish a book but I seriously debated whether to persevere with this one. I did finish it though and in hindsight wish I had just DNF’d it. I was looking forward to reading it as The Appeal was a genuinely fun read, but I found this annoying and to be honest, tedious.
Sometimes a format works and other times it really doesn’t. This one definitely didn’t work for me. The way the story is presented by what are supposed to be audio recordings might sound like an interesting concept, but I think it’s tricky to keep up the style and voice. At times the narrator speaks in colloquialisms which makes the style informal and conversational, as you would expect audio recordings to be. But then he will say things like ‘I nodded sagely’ or describe something like: ‘we touch the disintegrating metal like a hallowed relic.’
Now maybe this would be fine if not juxtaposed with the informal language and style used for other parts of the supposed recordings. Or if there was a narrative framing the recordings where these things could be elaborated on. People just wouldn’t speak like that if recording themselves. Ugh, maybe I was overthinking it and should have just tried to enjoy the story, but the plot is over-complicated and I was so annoyed by the ending I wish I hadn’t bothered finishing it. I haven’t been this wound up by a book since The Thursday Murder Club!
Sometimes a format works and other times it really doesn’t. This one definitely didn’t work for me. The way the story is presented by what are supposed to be audio recordings might sound like an interesting concept, but I think it’s tricky to keep up the style and voice. At times the narrator speaks in colloquialisms which makes the style informal and conversational, as you would expect audio recordings to be. But then he will say things like ‘I nodded sagely’ or describe something like: ‘we touch the disintegrating metal like a hallowed relic.’
Now maybe this would be fine if not juxtaposed with the informal language and style used for other parts of the supposed recordings. Or if there was a narrative framing the recordings where these things could be elaborated on. People just wouldn’t speak like that if recording themselves. Ugh, maybe I was overthinking it and should have just tried to enjoy the story, but the plot is over-complicated and I was so annoyed by the ending I wish I hadn’t bothered finishing it. I haven’t been this wound up by a book since The Thursday Murder Club!
December 15, 2022
3.5 Stars. Raised to 4 because of its mind-boggling, satisfying conclusion. I have mixed feelings about this book. The author's previous book, The Appeal, was one of my favourites the year I read it. It was an innovative puzzle in epistolary format, mainly through emails and other mixed media.
I found the format for The Twyford Code challenging. The story was compiled from transcripts of voice recordings made on an iPhone 4. Some words and phrases were misheard/ altered phonetically, leading to some quirky spelling and parts of sentences lost from the recording. Adding to the difficulty in deciphering errors in the transcriptions, the voices of people speaking are identified only by number. It takes a while to resolve who is included and speaking in those files. There is humour in vague references and mistakes in transcribing the spoken word.
I felt lacking in the capacity to recognize and figure out any possible clues, and it was often a slow-paced read for me. I came to appreciate how creative and ingeniously constructed the plot was and wondered if it would have been more engaging if told in a more traditional format.The narrative has much misdirection, and the reader shouldn't take anything for granted. It took some determination and patience on my part to get through the book. The conclusion was so clever, twisted, and mind-blowing that it proves that Janice Hallett can construct brilliant puzzles and is a writer to follow.
There are about 200 audio transcript files made by Steven Smith on an old iPhone. These recordings are supposed to be made for his parole officer, Maxine. He was recently released from prison after 11 years, serving time for murder. He tells the sad story of his home life and drifting into a life of crime with a notorious criminal family. He also is preoccupied with something that happened 40 years earlier.
The phone was given to him by a previously unknown son; he learned of his son's existence while in prison. He would do anything for his son, now a math professor, but his son does not feel ready to acknowledge him.
Steve was in a Remedial Reading class but didn't learn to read and write until in prison. When he was fourteen, he found a book on a bus by now discredited children's author, Edith Twyford. He brought the book to his classroom, and their teacher, Miss Isles (missiles), snatched it away from him. She said the series of six Twyford books were now treated as having no useful content and are considered to contain racism, misogyny, sexism, and xenophobia. Nevertheless, she began to read selections from the books to the children. She was enthusiastic about the book and author, being under the belief that a secret code was hidden in her books. Forty years ago, Miss Isles took Steve and four other remedial students to visit the area and old home where Twyford wrote the books many years previously. Steve remembers vividly that Miss Isles disappeared while on the trip and has no memory of how they got home on the bus. Miss Isles was never heard from again. Was she abducted and killed because she knew too much about the Code?
Steve contacts the four former classmates and asks them for help. He wants their recollections of what happened that day. He feels that if they can figure out the Code together, it will solve the mystery of Miss Isles's disappearance. Some initially agree to help but become reluctant to participate. Their memories of the long-ago field trip are vague, varied and confusing. He has been joined in his quest by a young librarian. The narration meanders to his criminal career, how he was betrayed, and the earlier disappearance of his mother and father.
Steve learns that others are trying to solve the Code, and internet sites are devoted to it. What secrets does it hide? Does it point to a great hidden treasure or maybe to WW2 secrets? Many conspiracy theories abound. As he feels he is getting closer to discovering the fate of his former teacher, he dreads he may be followed and in danger.
Steve is much more intelligent than he seems. He has come up with a complex plan during his long years in prison.
Recommended for the intricate plotting tied together in an amazing conclusion. The author has proven that she can devise intriguing puzzles in original formats. This is a book I will reread in the future for a better understanding of how the author fits the clues together.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this challenging book.
I found the format for The Twyford Code challenging. The story was compiled from transcripts of voice recordings made on an iPhone 4. Some words and phrases were misheard/ altered phonetically, leading to some quirky spelling and parts of sentences lost from the recording. Adding to the difficulty in deciphering errors in the transcriptions, the voices of people speaking are identified only by number. It takes a while to resolve who is included and speaking in those files. There is humour in vague references and mistakes in transcribing the spoken word.
I felt lacking in the capacity to recognize and figure out any possible clues, and it was often a slow-paced read for me. I came to appreciate how creative and ingeniously constructed the plot was and wondered if it would have been more engaging if told in a more traditional format.The narrative has much misdirection, and the reader shouldn't take anything for granted. It took some determination and patience on my part to get through the book. The conclusion was so clever, twisted, and mind-blowing that it proves that Janice Hallett can construct brilliant puzzles and is a writer to follow.
There are about 200 audio transcript files made by Steven Smith on an old iPhone. These recordings are supposed to be made for his parole officer, Maxine. He was recently released from prison after 11 years, serving time for murder. He tells the sad story of his home life and drifting into a life of crime with a notorious criminal family. He also is preoccupied with something that happened 40 years earlier.
The phone was given to him by a previously unknown son; he learned of his son's existence while in prison. He would do anything for his son, now a math professor, but his son does not feel ready to acknowledge him.
Steve was in a Remedial Reading class but didn't learn to read and write until in prison. When he was fourteen, he found a book on a bus by now discredited children's author, Edith Twyford. He brought the book to his classroom, and their teacher, Miss Isles (missiles), snatched it away from him. She said the series of six Twyford books were now treated as having no useful content and are considered to contain racism, misogyny, sexism, and xenophobia. Nevertheless, she began to read selections from the books to the children. She was enthusiastic about the book and author, being under the belief that a secret code was hidden in her books. Forty years ago, Miss Isles took Steve and four other remedial students to visit the area and old home where Twyford wrote the books many years previously. Steve remembers vividly that Miss Isles disappeared while on the trip and has no memory of how they got home on the bus. Miss Isles was never heard from again. Was she abducted and killed because she knew too much about the Code?
Steve contacts the four former classmates and asks them for help. He wants their recollections of what happened that day. He feels that if they can figure out the Code together, it will solve the mystery of Miss Isles's disappearance. Some initially agree to help but become reluctant to participate. Their memories of the long-ago field trip are vague, varied and confusing. He has been joined in his quest by a young librarian. The narration meanders to his criminal career, how he was betrayed, and the earlier disappearance of his mother and father.
Steve learns that others are trying to solve the Code, and internet sites are devoted to it. What secrets does it hide? Does it point to a great hidden treasure or maybe to WW2 secrets? Many conspiracy theories abound. As he feels he is getting closer to discovering the fate of his former teacher, he dreads he may be followed and in danger.
Steve is much more intelligent than he seems. He has come up with a complex plan during his long years in prison.
Recommended for the intricate plotting tied together in an amazing conclusion. The author has proven that she can devise intriguing puzzles in original formats. This is a book I will reread in the future for a better understanding of how the author fits the clues together.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this challenging book.
January 9, 2022
Steve Smith has just been released from prison after an eleven year spell for murder. Illiterate when he went in, he’s learnt to read and write and is determined not to return to his former life of crime. Known as Little Smithy to his friends (as opposed to his father, Smithy, and his brother, big Smithy), he also wants to solve the mystery of what happened to his favourite high school Remedial English teacher, Alice Isles, who disappeared on a day trip to Cornwall with his class.
When he was 14, Steve found an old children’s book on a bus. He showed it to the teacher who recognised it as one written by Edith Twyford, a popular writer in the 1930s who wrote about a group of six children and their adventures. Despite Twyford’s books now being banned from school libraries because of their inherent racism and sexism, she read it to the class and later took them to Cornwall to visit the locations in the book as well as Edith Twyford’s cottage, before suddenly disappearing and leaving the bewildered children to find their own way home.
Now reconnecting with his four friends from that class, Nate, Michelle, Paul and Donna, he discovers that many of Twyford’s readers, including Miss Isles, believed a secret code was embedded in the book which would lead to a hidden treasure. With Lucy, a young librarian he met at the library, making up a gang of six, he sets out to crack the code and solve the mystery of Miss Isles’ disappearance.
This is a very original mystery, meticulously planned and written in an unusual style. In her debut novel ‘The Appeal’, Hallett presented readers with a narrative composed of emails, letters, social media postings, newspaper articles and police reports and invited them to act as sleuths and form their own deductions. Here, she has followed up with another unusual novel composed of transcripts of recordings made on an old iPhone.
When he was still in prison Steve discovered he had a son he never knew about. Although the son, now a University lecturer in Maths came to meet him, he decided he wasn’t ready for Steve to meet his family, but gave his an old iPhone to keep in touch. Once Steve worked out how to use it, he recorded all his conversations and thoughts. The transcripts lead to some phonetic spellings and at first hard to recognisable words, making for an unusual format but one you soon get used to. Steve also relates details of his earlier life and upbringing, including how he came to become involved with the notorious criminal Harrison family, who in the end betrayed him, despite his loyalty to them.
This unusual format works brilliantly in narrating this mystery and becomes addictive reading, especially as Steve’s obsession about finding Miss Isles, morphs into something deeper. His irrepressible character shines through his recordings and his revelations about his life and times with the Harrisons. He shows himself to be much smarter than people give him credit for as he carries out a plan, he has had eleven years to perfect. The echoes of the adventures Edith Twyford (and her ilk) wrote about are delightful stuff with clues and codes, secret tunnels and signs, danger, shadowy characters in black, false trails and enough twists to keep any mystery reader happy. There is also a lot of subtle humour in the recordings and the twisty ending is sure to delight, which all adds up to a hugely engrossing and intriguing, fun read.
With thanks to Viper Books and Netgalley for a copy to read. Expected publication 13th January 2022. Original review first published in Mystery & Suspense magazine https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/th...
When he was 14, Steve found an old children’s book on a bus. He showed it to the teacher who recognised it as one written by Edith Twyford, a popular writer in the 1930s who wrote about a group of six children and their adventures. Despite Twyford’s books now being banned from school libraries because of their inherent racism and sexism, she read it to the class and later took them to Cornwall to visit the locations in the book as well as Edith Twyford’s cottage, before suddenly disappearing and leaving the bewildered children to find their own way home.
Now reconnecting with his four friends from that class, Nate, Michelle, Paul and Donna, he discovers that many of Twyford’s readers, including Miss Isles, believed a secret code was embedded in the book which would lead to a hidden treasure. With Lucy, a young librarian he met at the library, making up a gang of six, he sets out to crack the code and solve the mystery of Miss Isles’ disappearance.
This is a very original mystery, meticulously planned and written in an unusual style. In her debut novel ‘The Appeal’, Hallett presented readers with a narrative composed of emails, letters, social media postings, newspaper articles and police reports and invited them to act as sleuths and form their own deductions. Here, she has followed up with another unusual novel composed of transcripts of recordings made on an old iPhone.
When he was still in prison Steve discovered he had a son he never knew about. Although the son, now a University lecturer in Maths came to meet him, he decided he wasn’t ready for Steve to meet his family, but gave his an old iPhone to keep in touch. Once Steve worked out how to use it, he recorded all his conversations and thoughts. The transcripts lead to some phonetic spellings and at first hard to recognisable words, making for an unusual format but one you soon get used to. Steve also relates details of his earlier life and upbringing, including how he came to become involved with the notorious criminal Harrison family, who in the end betrayed him, despite his loyalty to them.
This unusual format works brilliantly in narrating this mystery and becomes addictive reading, especially as Steve’s obsession about finding Miss Isles, morphs into something deeper. His irrepressible character shines through his recordings and his revelations about his life and times with the Harrisons. He shows himself to be much smarter than people give him credit for as he carries out a plan, he has had eleven years to perfect. The echoes of the adventures Edith Twyford (and her ilk) wrote about are delightful stuff with clues and codes, secret tunnels and signs, danger, shadowy characters in black, false trails and enough twists to keep any mystery reader happy. There is also a lot of subtle humour in the recordings and the twisty ending is sure to delight, which all adds up to a hugely engrossing and intriguing, fun read.
With thanks to Viper Books and Netgalley for a copy to read. Expected publication 13th January 2022. Original review first published in Mystery & Suspense magazine https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/th...
January 23, 2023
The one thing I can say about this book before you start is to have patience. There were a couple of times around 40-50% in that I started to glaze over and wonder if powering through would be worth it. When I got to the end I came to the conclusion that it absolutely was worth it.
I loved The Appeal last year, but I do think that it and this book had one thing in common which was that it got pretty bogged down in the middle, although the payoff was great.
This is a book told as a series of audio file transcriptions from Steve Smith, who has just been released from an 11 year stint in prison. He meets up with his adult son, who isn't quite ready for a relationship with Steve, but he gives him an old iPhone 4 so they can keep in touch. Steve didn't grow up in the best of circumstances and only learned to read while he was in prison, so he creates voice recordings of what is going on in his life. He reminisces about his high school remedial English class and his teacher Miss Isles, who disappeared shortly after introducing the class to a set of books by an author named Edith Twyford. Miss Isles was convinced there was a secret code in the Twyford books, reaching back to World War II. Steve sets off on a mission to find out what happened to Miss Isles and if the code really exists, and if so, what it leads to.
Deciphering the pages of voice transcripts, even with a glossary, is a bit difficult and tedious. However once I got to the end and found out how everything worked together, I immediately wanted to start over so I could pick up on the things I missed out on the first readthrough and now that I knew the big picture. It is a cleverly written tale that is sure to surprise even the most astute of readers.
If you enjoy books that present puzzles inside of puzzles, ones that carve out a subtle and affecting mystery, this is the book for you. Just remember to have patience and see it through to the conclusion because you need to see the big picture of the puzzle. This is a prime example of how a slow burn turns into a delightful surprise.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
I loved The Appeal last year, but I do think that it and this book had one thing in common which was that it got pretty bogged down in the middle, although the payoff was great.
This is a book told as a series of audio file transcriptions from Steve Smith, who has just been released from an 11 year stint in prison. He meets up with his adult son, who isn't quite ready for a relationship with Steve, but he gives him an old iPhone 4 so they can keep in touch. Steve didn't grow up in the best of circumstances and only learned to read while he was in prison, so he creates voice recordings of what is going on in his life. He reminisces about his high school remedial English class and his teacher Miss Isles, who disappeared shortly after introducing the class to a set of books by an author named Edith Twyford. Miss Isles was convinced there was a secret code in the Twyford books, reaching back to World War II. Steve sets off on a mission to find out what happened to Miss Isles and if the code really exists, and if so, what it leads to.
Deciphering the pages of voice transcripts, even with a glossary, is a bit difficult and tedious. However once I got to the end and found out how everything worked together, I immediately wanted to start over so I could pick up on the things I missed out on the first readthrough and now that I knew the big picture. It is a cleverly written tale that is sure to surprise even the most astute of readers.
If you enjoy books that present puzzles inside of puzzles, ones that carve out a subtle and affecting mystery, this is the book for you. Just remember to have patience and see it through to the conclusion because you need to see the big picture of the puzzle. This is a prime example of how a slow burn turns into a delightful surprise.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
July 8, 2022
fulfilling my 2022 goal to read one book each month that was not published in my country that i wanted badly enough to have a copy shipped to me from abroad and then...never read.
hallett's debut, The Appeal, was an extremely fun mystery novel that invited the reader to solve a muuurrrrderrr along with the characters entrusted with the same task, providing a novel's-worth of emails and texts sourced from a number of suspects to sift through for clues in order to determine the victim, the motive, the accused, and the real killer.
The Twyford Code is another solve-it-yourself mystery novel, involving encoded children's books, treasure, nazis, a dickensian orphan boy taken under a criminal's wing, symbols, acrostics, patterns, red herrings, double-crosses, and redemption.
the clues this time are in the form of transcribed audio files, which may or may not lead to HIDDEN TREASURE! the files are of varying quality and significance, and the software returns some humorous phonetic translations, as well as lots of instances of ALL CAPS FOR EMPHASIS, [background noise] drowning out conversations, and intriguing elisions () of "indecipherable verbal content."
here is the intro-letter inviting a character and the reader into the mystery's deets:
with The Appeal, i felt reasonably-equipped to participate in the crime-solving; i have a good memory for details and for noting discrepancies between characters' versions of events, but here, i was verysoon outta my depth because codebreaking is not at all a part of my skill set. i'm fine with anagrams, but beyond that, my eyes kept balking anytime there was an explanation about how to go about cracking a code, and i just had to trust that the mystery would be solved by someone more capable at codesmithery and pattern recognition than dum dum me. however, i did try, and in the process, i played around with an online anagram generator and here are some choice selections from a much, MUCH longer list ( > 10,000) i generated using inspector waliso's name:
answers il octopi
anoretic owl piss
alts oneiric wops
alpinist cow rose
alp crow noisiest
alien crow posits
air polices towns
ails inspector ow
acts spoiler wino
actors spoil wine
actors loin wipes
acorns stop Wilie
Ascot loin wipers
ASCII porn towels
Alonso rips twice
clitoris weapons
even though i was unable to participate in the investigative part of the experience, i had a ton of fun reading it. The Twyford Code has a better story to it than The Appeal, both because the structure of The Appeal isn't narrative, so it's jagged-by-design, but also The Twyford Code turned out to be more than *just* a mystery; there's a lovely and emotionally-rewarding story at its core THAT I WILL SAY NO MORE ABOUT (...).
in conclusion: When you get what you want, you lose what you have.
in conclusion #2: YOU DIE NINTH, TOLL WHIFFS.
come to my blog!
We all remember things in our own way, she smiles, and we’re all correct…it’s emotional truth that matters.
hallett's debut, The Appeal, was an extremely fun mystery novel that invited the reader to solve a muuurrrrderrr along with the characters entrusted with the same task, providing a novel's-worth of emails and texts sourced from a number of suspects to sift through for clues in order to determine the victim, the motive, the accused, and the real killer.
The Twyford Code is another solve-it-yourself mystery novel, involving encoded children's books, treasure, nazis, a dickensian orphan boy taken under a criminal's wing, symbols, acrostics, patterns, red herrings, double-crosses, and redemption.
the clues this time are in the form of transcribed audio files, which may or may not lead to HIDDEN TREASURE! the files are of varying quality and significance, and the software returns some humorous phonetic translations, as well as lots of instances of ALL CAPS FOR EMPHASIS, [background noise] drowning out conversations, and intriguing elisions () of "indecipherable verbal content."
here is the intro-letter inviting a character and the reader into the mystery's deets:
Dear Professor Mansfield,
I am investigating a mysterious case and suspect you may be able to help. Let me explain.
An iPhone 4 is among a number of items belonging to a recently reported missing person. It is not associated with any mobile network and at first appeared to be blank, with no call records, music, emails, texts or photographs. Upon closer examination it was found to contain a series of deleted audio files: voice recordings in various encrypted formats, with dates that span eleven weeks in 2019. we recovered these files and deciphered them.
There are 200 files in total. We utilised specialist software and processed them in batches to speed up the transcription process. A key to this follows, along with the text. You will notice the transcription is phonetic, so spelling and grammar are quirky to say the least. On a number of occasions the software "mishears" or simply approximates words and phrases, especially when speech is in the vernacular. For instance, the phrase "must have" is frequently transcribed as "mustard." "Going to" becomes "gun a" and the town of Bournemouth is referred to variously as "bore mouth," "Bormuth," "bore moth" and "boar mouth." You will soon become accustomed to this and it should not interfere with your understanding of the material.
I've sent these files to you, Professor, in the strictest confidence. Quite apart from any personal connection you may have to the subject, your expert opinion on their contents would be very much appreciated. Call me when you've read to the end and we'll speak then.
Yours sincerely,
Inspector Waliso
with The Appeal, i felt reasonably-equipped to participate in the crime-solving; i have a good memory for details and for noting discrepancies between characters' versions of events, but here, i was verysoon outta my depth because codebreaking is not at all a part of my skill set. i'm fine with anagrams, but beyond that, my eyes kept balking anytime there was an explanation about how to go about cracking a code, and i just had to trust that the mystery would be solved by someone more capable at codesmithery and pattern recognition than dum dum me. however, i did try, and in the process, i played around with an online anagram generator and here are some choice selections from a much, MUCH longer list ( > 10,000) i generated using inspector waliso's name:
answers il octopi
anoretic owl piss
alts oneiric wops
alpinist cow rose
alp crow noisiest
alien crow posits
air polices towns
ails inspector ow
acts spoiler wino
actors spoil wine
actors loin wipes
acorns stop Wilie
Ascot loin wipers
ASCII porn towels
Alonso rips twice
clitoris weapons
even though i was unable to participate in the investigative part of the experience, i had a ton of fun reading it. The Twyford Code has a better story to it than The Appeal, both because the structure of The Appeal isn't narrative, so it's jagged-by-design, but also The Twyford Code turned out to be more than *just* a mystery; there's a lovely and emotionally-rewarding story at its core THAT I WILL SAY NO MORE ABOUT (...).
in conclusion: When you get what you want, you lose what you have.
in conclusion #2: YOU DIE NINTH, TOLL WHIFFS.
come to my blog!
December 10, 2022
3.5 stars, rounded down
I was a big fan of Hallett’s The Appeal. This book, not so much. For starters, it was very strange. There were large swaths when I just felt confused. You know that feeling that things just aren’t making sense but you can’t put your finger on why not? That was me. Another reviewer made a point about seeing this book through to the end. I heartily second that.
I thought the style of the book was excellent, using audio recordings which are phonetically sounded out. For example, “must have” comes out as mustard.
Steve Smith was recently released from prison. Back when he was in school, forty years earlier, he was in remedial reading. He found a children’s book and brought it to class. His teacher was convinced the book had a code. She takes the kids out on a field trip to the author’s hometown and disappears. Now, Steve is trying to crack the code. He gets back in touch with the other students in the class.
To say the plot is complicated is an understatement. The group is ever shifting - classmates refusing to stay involved, possible bad guys on their tails and doing harm, computer chat rooms, a new friend brought in. There are multiple versions of the Twyford books through the years with different codes/acrostics to decipher. The codes may or may not have something to do with spying during WWII or a large treasure. In addition to all the recordings to his parole officer about the search, Steve also reminisces about his time as a criminal working for the Harrison gang.
The ending did help to improve my feelings about this book. Hallett truly came up with a very clever resolution to the story which I greatly enjoyed. And there were some very interesting facts in the Author’s Note.
My thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for an advance copy of this book.
I was a big fan of Hallett’s The Appeal. This book, not so much. For starters, it was very strange. There were large swaths when I just felt confused. You know that feeling that things just aren’t making sense but you can’t put your finger on why not? That was me. Another reviewer made a point about seeing this book through to the end. I heartily second that.
I thought the style of the book was excellent, using audio recordings which are phonetically sounded out. For example, “must have” comes out as mustard.
Steve Smith was recently released from prison. Back when he was in school, forty years earlier, he was in remedial reading. He found a children’s book and brought it to class. His teacher was convinced the book had a code. She takes the kids out on a field trip to the author’s hometown and disappears. Now, Steve is trying to crack the code. He gets back in touch with the other students in the class.
To say the plot is complicated is an understatement. The group is ever shifting - classmates refusing to stay involved, possible bad guys on their tails and doing harm, computer chat rooms, a new friend brought in. There are multiple versions of the Twyford books through the years with different codes/acrostics to decipher. The codes may or may not have something to do with spying during WWII or a large treasure. In addition to all the recordings to his parole officer about the search, Steve also reminisces about his time as a criminal working for the Harrison gang.
The ending did help to improve my feelings about this book. Hallett truly came up with a very clever resolution to the story which I greatly enjoyed. And there were some very interesting facts in the Author’s Note.
My thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for an advance copy of this book.
January 24, 2023
HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY!
Nicholas Cage, meet Steve Smith!
The Twyford Code is the new National Treasure! It is a highly complex, imaginative, and clever mystery, where nothing is what it seems.
The majority of the text is a transcribed iPhone recording from a newly released prisoner, Steve Smith. In the transcript intended for his probation officer, he relays much about his past. We learn about his sad family life, illiteracy, time in Remedial English in High School, and his life of crime. Additionally, he is actively investigating the disappearance of his former English teacher, Miss Isles. This leads to the discovery of the Twyford Code, which was hidden inside a book he found on a bus as a teenager.
What is the Twyford Code? Does it actually exist? Will Steve be able to solve it?
The unique format of this book makes it very original. Initially, I thought the audio files would lend itself to a fast read, but instead, i found it difficult to get through. The transcription includes many awkward breaks and frequently jumps around from topic to topic. Ultimately, the reader is led on a journey into the mind of an ex-con, whose ultimate goal may not be what it seems.
While this plot leads in many directions, the reveal won me over! It is actually one of the best twists I have read in a long time! If you stay with the long journey to the truth, you will be rewarded!
I really enjoyed this book and I cannot wait to go back and read Hallett’s first thriller, The Appeal.
4.5/5 stars rounded down
Expected publication date: 1/24/22
Thank you to Edelweiss and Simon & Schuster-Atria Books for the ARC of The Twyford Code in exchange for an honest review.
Nicholas Cage, meet Steve Smith!
The Twyford Code is the new National Treasure! It is a highly complex, imaginative, and clever mystery, where nothing is what it seems.
The majority of the text is a transcribed iPhone recording from a newly released prisoner, Steve Smith. In the transcript intended for his probation officer, he relays much about his past. We learn about his sad family life, illiteracy, time in Remedial English in High School, and his life of crime. Additionally, he is actively investigating the disappearance of his former English teacher, Miss Isles. This leads to the discovery of the Twyford Code, which was hidden inside a book he found on a bus as a teenager.
What is the Twyford Code? Does it actually exist? Will Steve be able to solve it?
The unique format of this book makes it very original. Initially, I thought the audio files would lend itself to a fast read, but instead, i found it difficult to get through. The transcription includes many awkward breaks and frequently jumps around from topic to topic. Ultimately, the reader is led on a journey into the mind of an ex-con, whose ultimate goal may not be what it seems.
While this plot leads in many directions, the reveal won me over! It is actually one of the best twists I have read in a long time! If you stay with the long journey to the truth, you will be rewarded!
I really enjoyed this book and I cannot wait to go back and read Hallett’s first thriller, The Appeal.
4.5/5 stars rounded down
Expected publication date: 1/24/22
Thank you to Edelweiss and Simon & Schuster-Atria Books for the ARC of The Twyford Code in exchange for an honest review.
May 25, 2023
3.5 This book began a series of books that took brain power to interpret and even then the meaning remained elusive. The other books that I place with this one I have already read but not yet reviewed. Kind of serendipitous that they came one after another. Maybe the fates knew I needed to immerse myself in something,a diversion to my reality.
A clever book, some might say too clever, indefinite props for originality. Different format, each entry preceded by time and date. A mystery within a mystery. Literature containing a code with some kind of treasure at the end. ChAracters that are playing a part, but.which part is real? Which not? A missing person, did she ever actually exist? A quest, but for what reason?
You see? Confused yet? I got lost in the story several times, but enjoyed the challenging journey. Haven't read this authors first book but I intend to backtrack and read. An unusual and original talent.
Listened to this on audio. Thought it was wonderfully done but do wonder what my reaction would have been had I read.
A clever book, some might say too clever, indefinite props for originality. Different format, each entry preceded by time and date. A mystery within a mystery. Literature containing a code with some kind of treasure at the end. ChAracters that are playing a part, but.which part is real? Which not? A missing person, did she ever actually exist? A quest, but for what reason?
You see? Confused yet? I got lost in the story several times, but enjoyed the challenging journey. Haven't read this authors first book but I intend to backtrack and read. An unusual and original talent.
Listened to this on audio. Thought it was wonderfully done but do wonder what my reaction would have been had I read.
April 15, 2023
My first book by this author and it came highly recommended by several Goodreads members whose opinions I value. However I found I was not able to really enjoy it mostly because the layout of the text was a print reconstruction of audio files which was okay at first, but which became tedious after a while. Following endless conversations between two people who are not named as each 'voice' changes is exhausting.
By the last third of the book I was waiting for it to be over, but there were redeeming moments towards the end. I recognised early on that the main character was an unreliable narrator but what that meant to the denoument was totally unexpected. Not enough to redeem the book for me though.
By the last third of the book I was waiting for it to be over, but there were redeeming moments towards the end. I recognised early on that the main character was an unreliable narrator but what that meant to the denoument was totally unexpected. Not enough to redeem the book for me though.
November 10, 2022
4.5 stars
February 20, 2022
The Twyford Code intrigues from the first page. The story is told by a man who has gone missing, through a series of audio files that were found on his iPhone. Steven Smith has just been released from prison. He's lonely, aimless, and his grown-up son wants nothing to do with him. He becomes obsessed with the memory of Miss Iles, his former teacher who disappeared on a school trip 40 years ago. The trip was prompted by a children's book Steven found, written by a once popular author, Edith Twyford. Miss Iles believed that Twyford inserted codes into her stories, which would lead to hidden treasure. In the present, Steven investigates what really happened to his teacher on that fateful day. And with the help of Lucy, a local librarian, he looks into the theory that there actually were secrets hidden in the pages of Twyford's books.
I loved the innovative way in which this compelling story was told. The audio files have been transcribed using computer software, which occasionally gets words wrong ("mustard" for "must have" etc) and this adds to the authenticity. Steven is a narrator who elicits sympathy, despite his criminal past. He's at a loose end and the whole Twyford code hypothesis (the out of fashion author obviously based on Enid Blyton) gives him a sense of purpose. And the story poses enough questions to keep the reader guessing. How does Steven end up missing? What really happened to Miss Iles? And could the crazy idea of secret codes inside a children's book actually be true? However, at a certain point, I'm afraid the narrative becomes over-complicated. And the ending, which finally explains everything, didn't convince me All in all, I enjoyed the concept of this fun, inventive novel, I just found the execution of it a bit lacking.
I loved the innovative way in which this compelling story was told. The audio files have been transcribed using computer software, which occasionally gets words wrong ("mustard" for "must have" etc) and this adds to the authenticity. Steven is a narrator who elicits sympathy, despite his criminal past. He's at a loose end and the whole Twyford code hypothesis (the out of fashion author obviously based on Enid Blyton) gives him a sense of purpose. And the story poses enough questions to keep the reader guessing. How does Steven end up missing? What really happened to Miss Iles? And could the crazy idea of secret codes inside a children's book actually be true? However, at a certain point, I'm afraid the narrative becomes over-complicated. And the ending, which finally explains everything, didn't convince me All in all, I enjoyed the concept of this fun, inventive novel, I just found the execution of it a bit lacking.
December 25, 2021
Well that was a bit sneaky and very clever! I really didn’t like her first book and dreaded reading this but I ended up enjoying it a lot. Hallett doesn’t want to tell her stories in the traditional way - the first one was told through a series WhatsApp messages and didn’t work for me, but this story is told as transcripts of recorded voice messages and it works much better.
This is the story of Steven Smith, a child who had a troubled upbringing. He found a book on the bus one morning with annotations and comments on the margins and shows it to his remedial English (RE) teacher Miss Isles. The book is is a children’s story set during or just after WWII, a bit like the Famous Five. Miss Isles reads it to the class despite telling them book is now banned because of its outdated views on sexism, racism and the like. Miss Isles seems to think there is a secret code buried in the book and takes her five RE students on a field trip to Bournemouth where Edith Twyford used to live. Miss Isles disappears on this trip and Steve can’t bring himself to remember what happened.
In 2019, after an 11 year stint in prison, he contacts his son that he never knew about before and sets about discovering what happened to Miss Isles and maybe cracking the Twyford code. His son doesn’t want to know the old con just yet but gives him an old iPhone for when he does. This is what Steve uses to record his story. And what a story it is - covering his teen years and times in between to the present where he is in his mid-fifties.
His search for Miss Isles sees him reconnecting with the other 4 members of his RE class, befriending a young librarian, Lucy, who becomes invested in his quest and potentially painting a target on his back from the criminal gang he worked for until his latest stint in prison. He follows the clues and tries to crack the code which is figuratively and literally constantly changing shape.
This story is constantly shape shifting as every time something is re-visited there is more to it. You get to really relate to Steve, he’s not a bad bloke, he just had a difficult start in life. He’s quite a loveable old chap really. There are twists here you won’t see coming. The ending is slightly ambiguous but perfect for the book. Steve may have dropped out of school early and he may not be very literate but he is nevertheless pretty darn smart and when you finally realise what he has done you feel like applauding him. I seriously recommend this book to all mystery lovers, it’s very cleverly done. Many thanks to Netgalley and Viper Books for the much appreciated arc which I reviewed voluntarily and honestly.
This is the story of Steven Smith, a child who had a troubled upbringing. He found a book on the bus one morning with annotations and comments on the margins and shows it to his remedial English (RE) teacher Miss Isles. The book is is a children’s story set during or just after WWII, a bit like the Famous Five. Miss Isles reads it to the class despite telling them book is now banned because of its outdated views on sexism, racism and the like. Miss Isles seems to think there is a secret code buried in the book and takes her five RE students on a field trip to Bournemouth where Edith Twyford used to live. Miss Isles disappears on this trip and Steve can’t bring himself to remember what happened.
In 2019, after an 11 year stint in prison, he contacts his son that he never knew about before and sets about discovering what happened to Miss Isles and maybe cracking the Twyford code. His son doesn’t want to know the old con just yet but gives him an old iPhone for when he does. This is what Steve uses to record his story. And what a story it is - covering his teen years and times in between to the present where he is in his mid-fifties.
His search for Miss Isles sees him reconnecting with the other 4 members of his RE class, befriending a young librarian, Lucy, who becomes invested in his quest and potentially painting a target on his back from the criminal gang he worked for until his latest stint in prison. He follows the clues and tries to crack the code which is figuratively and literally constantly changing shape.
This story is constantly shape shifting as every time something is re-visited there is more to it. You get to really relate to Steve, he’s not a bad bloke, he just had a difficult start in life. He’s quite a loveable old chap really. There are twists here you won’t see coming. The ending is slightly ambiguous but perfect for the book. Steve may have dropped out of school early and he may not be very literate but he is nevertheless pretty darn smart and when you finally realise what he has done you feel like applauding him. I seriously recommend this book to all mystery lovers, it’s very cleverly done. Many thanks to Netgalley and Viper Books for the much appreciated arc which I reviewed voluntarily and honestly.
February 1, 2022
I really really wanted to love this book, but sadly I could not finish it. It's clear from the other reviews on here that I'm clearly in the minority, but I refuse to carry on reading a book that's hurting my head! I loved The Appeal, it hooked me in right away, and as a result I jumped at the opportunity to read The Twyford Code as soon as it was released. Sadly though, it did not live up to the hype for me and I've given up after 140 pages, I'm loathed to do this but hey, I refuse to be put in a book slump when I'm currently on a roll!
February 6, 2022
After loving Janice Hallett’s The Appeal, I was excited to jump straight into The Twyford Code. It has a similarly inventive format: the narrative is made up almost entirely of transcriptions of audio recovered from the phone of one Steve Smith, an ex-con who had become obsessed with what happened to a former teacher of his and was seemingly recording the investigation for his probation officer. It’s an extremely clever book, loaded with clues and misdirection, designed so that even if you figure out some of the mysteries (and/or spot some of the acrostics), chances are you won’t piece together the full picture until close to the end. Its one weakness (and it’s arguably a big one) is Steve’s voice; I found it grating at times, and longed for the polyphony of The Appeal’s email exchanges. In the end I found it an extremely satisfying story, and as such I’m glad I read it, though I admit I might not have got past the first chapter if I hadn’t enjoyed The Appeal so much.
TinyLetter | Linktree
TinyLetter | Linktree
November 30, 2023
WAIT THIS WAS SO FUN AND GOOD WTF
January 18, 2022
Ah, the much anticipated "The Twyford Code". Much anticipated because Janice Hallett's previous offering "The Appeal" made many a list of books of the year in 2021. Mine included. Could the author repeat that success or would they fall victim to the dreaded second book curse. From reviews I've seen, it seems to have gone down rather well with most folks. Unfortunately for me, I'm not exactly one of them.
First things first. I can't but applaud the absolutely refreshing way Janice Hallett tells a crime story. This time around through the medium of audio files recorded on a phone by our main character, Steve. What starts as trying to find out what happened to a favourite teacher, quickly turns into something entirely different as Steve takes the reader on what feels like an adventure, looking for that elusive X that marks the spot. But what spot? And why?
If there are clues for the reader to discover themselves, I missed all of them. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing. But boy, did I struggle with about 75% of this book. There were times where I felt the story dragged too much, there were times where it seemed we were just going around in circles, there were times where all I felt was utter confusion. Steve seemed extremely obsessed with things and I didn't at all understand why. To be honest, I almost threw in the towel but sheer stubbornness prevented that. In the end, I'm glad I continued because the latter part of the story is something else entirely! When all the pieces came together and the full picture was revealed, you could almost have knocked me over with a feather.
And so, despite my struggle with this one, Janice Hallett remains one of the most exciting crime fiction authors out there and I very much look forward to what is next from her even if The Twyford Code didn't entirely convince me.
First things first. I can't but applaud the absolutely refreshing way Janice Hallett tells a crime story. This time around through the medium of audio files recorded on a phone by our main character, Steve. What starts as trying to find out what happened to a favourite teacher, quickly turns into something entirely different as Steve takes the reader on what feels like an adventure, looking for that elusive X that marks the spot. But what spot? And why?
If there are clues for the reader to discover themselves, I missed all of them. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing. But boy, did I struggle with about 75% of this book. There were times where I felt the story dragged too much, there were times where it seemed we were just going around in circles, there were times where all I felt was utter confusion. Steve seemed extremely obsessed with things and I didn't at all understand why. To be honest, I almost threw in the towel but sheer stubbornness prevented that. In the end, I'm glad I continued because the latter part of the story is something else entirely! When all the pieces came together and the full picture was revealed, you could almost have knocked me over with a feather.
And so, despite my struggle with this one, Janice Hallett remains one of the most exciting crime fiction authors out there and I very much look forward to what is next from her even if The Twyford Code didn't entirely convince me.
February 23, 2022
I am sure in the minority for this one, but unfortunately, The Twyford Code didn't work for me. At all.
This was the kind of book which is too clever for its own good, where the execution felt lacking even though the idea was pretty solid. I had enjoyed Hallett's previous book and was looking forward to reading this. But this book failed to hook me in, and that has nothing to do with the format. I felt the story was going nowhere and i still persevered upto about 40% of the book when i lost all interest and in my irritation, just decided to check out the last few chapters to know what it was all about, what the code was. And when i read those chapters, i was glad i didn't continue reading it because even the twist wouldn't have made the book work for me.
I will still eagerly look forward to Hallett's next offering and i am genuinely sad that i found this book not to my liking. I admire the author for the novel aporoaches she brings to storytelling, especially the mystery genre and i think i will ask you to still give it a read if the blurb appeals to you. Most readers have loved it, after all!
This was the kind of book which is too clever for its own good, where the execution felt lacking even though the idea was pretty solid. I had enjoyed Hallett's previous book and was looking forward to reading this. But this book failed to hook me in, and that has nothing to do with the format. I felt the story was going nowhere and i still persevered upto about 40% of the book when i lost all interest and in my irritation, just decided to check out the last few chapters to know what it was all about, what the code was. And when i read those chapters, i was glad i didn't continue reading it because even the twist wouldn't have made the book work for me.
I will still eagerly look forward to Hallett's next offering and i am genuinely sad that i found this book not to my liking. I admire the author for the novel aporoaches she brings to storytelling, especially the mystery genre and i think i will ask you to still give it a read if the blurb appeals to you. Most readers have loved it, after all!
December 26, 2022
Somewhere between 3.5 & 4 stars - This was so imaginative and distinctive from most mysteries or thrillers I read, which I appreciate! I'm not sure this ultimately was "my thing" but I did appreciate having a conspiracy thriller with a unique vision and a lot of confidence in the story telling
January 15, 2022
I loved The Appeal so when the Sunday Times said this was just as good I bit.
It is not. It is overly complicated, overlong and frankly irritating.
Written mostly as transcriptions from audio submissions by the main character (who may or may not be called Steve Smith). The transcriptions jump from one time frame to another and I lost track several times even of what time of day the recordings took place. The dialogue is clunky and unbelievable at times. The plot is so convoluted I got tired of trying to work out who and what was real.
By the "end" (which is dragged out) I was skimming through paragraphs, desperate to finish.
What irritates more than anything is Ms Hallett's seeming need to turn what could have been an interesting, well told "detection" novel into a gimmick. You do finally understand why it's told in this way but it felt like plowing through nearly 400 pages for little reward.
I hope Ms Hallett writes something a little less annoying next time. Replicating The Appeal would not work but there is no need for the bells and whistles if you have a good story.
I gave it one star because I managed to finish it but it gave me a headache.
It is not. It is overly complicated, overlong and frankly irritating.
Written mostly as transcriptions from audio submissions by the main character (who may or may not be called Steve Smith). The transcriptions jump from one time frame to another and I lost track several times even of what time of day the recordings took place. The dialogue is clunky and unbelievable at times. The plot is so convoluted I got tired of trying to work out who and what was real.
By the "end" (which is dragged out) I was skimming through paragraphs, desperate to finish.
What irritates more than anything is Ms Hallett's seeming need to turn what could have been an interesting, well told "detection" novel into a gimmick. You do finally understand why it's told in this way but it felt like plowing through nearly 400 pages for little reward.
I hope Ms Hallett writes something a little less annoying next time. Replicating The Appeal would not work but there is no need for the bells and whistles if you have a good story.
I gave it one star because I managed to finish it but it gave me a headache.
July 26, 2022
I so wanted to love this book, and it feels bad to give it such a low rating. But having recently read and LOVED 'The Appeal', I was so excited to be able to move to the author's 2nd book so quickly. I 'm a big fan of both word puzzles AND a good detective novel - so thought this book would be right up my street.
And...... I just didn't love it at all. Still trying to get to grips with why not - it felt like it was trying to be too clever with the final unveiling of what the whole book was about, along with a very confusing (intentionally, I'm sure) mix-up of stories and narratives along the way. In fact, maybe its that the heart of the book is (to me) has an unreliable narrator, and I don't generally get on too well with them???
I got frustrated with the transcription plot-device about half-way through. All the brackets and background noises and trying to work out who was saying what (let alone why). And whilst Steve's backstory is obviously going to be integral to the denouement, I got frustrated every time he jumped from present to past, to long-past, and back again. Eventually, I got bored with all the coming and going and lack of clarity, and just sped through reading to the end. And whilst its a clever ending, it also felt like a bit of a let-down after all that hard work to get there.
Realising that I am in the minority of those who didn't enjoy the book, I think I'll shelve this one for a while and come back to it - maybe reading it with foreknowledge of what is coming might give me a better perspective.
And...... I just didn't love it at all. Still trying to get to grips with why not - it felt like it was trying to be too clever with the final unveiling of what the whole book was about, along with a very confusing (intentionally, I'm sure) mix-up of stories and narratives along the way. In fact, maybe its that the heart of the book is (to me) has an unreliable narrator, and I don't generally get on too well with them???
I got frustrated with the transcription plot-device about half-way through. All the brackets and background noises and trying to work out who was saying what (let alone why). And whilst Steve's backstory is obviously going to be integral to the denouement, I got frustrated every time he jumped from present to past, to long-past, and back again. Eventually, I got bored with all the coming and going and lack of clarity, and just sped through reading to the end. And whilst its a clever ending, it also felt like a bit of a let-down after all that hard work to get there.
Realising that I am in the minority of those who didn't enjoy the book, I think I'll shelve this one for a while and come back to it - maybe reading it with foreknowledge of what is coming might give me a better perspective.
March 10, 2023
This mystery/thriller is chock full of DECEPTION!
Lies and Betrayal!
Dirty Deeds!
An unreliable narrator... or two... or three....!
It will stretch your credulity to the outer limits...
And, as is the recent fad, there are many, many surprise (or not so surprising) TWISTS...
I'm going to rate this one a 3.7out of 5, but but bump it up to a 4 ONLY because GR does not allow half stars. (GR can revamp the look but they can't fix the rating system?!!!) I was intrigued by the main character's ingenuity, but there were too many coincidences and lucky breaks - the plot started to feel a tad contrived. (Shell's husband, the plastic surgeon, for one: you could just see that plot twist coming!)
The writing was often uneven: The author would descend into slang, then revert back to proper English during Smithy's dictated messages as well as the Detective Waliso passages.
Once again, there was too much repetition and the rehash/summation at the end was excruciatingly tedious. It felt exactly like Teacher showing us how to solve a math equation and having to show our work. Preserve me from all math professors... Oie!!! ZZZZzzzzzz! That was tough going!
But this is still an intriguing story, with a somewhat likeable main character. Who wouldn't stand behind a former Con who was redeemed by Literature?!!! Bookish People Unite!!! (Yeah, yeah, whatever!)
Smithy is portrayed as a decent bloke who has reformed his ways - up to a point! Did I guess the many twists, etc.? Hard not to: this is one of those mysteries where the author confuses you, then over-explains and bludgeons you over the head with the clues. I was back in class, bored to tears several times over - but I said that already a time or two, yes...? See what I mean?
I'm still recommending this one as a good read, but be prepared to hone your speed reading skills for those repetitive passages! My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Lies and Betrayal!
Dirty Deeds!
An unreliable narrator... or two... or three....!
It will stretch your credulity to the outer limits...
And, as is the recent fad, there are many, many surprise (or not so surprising) TWISTS...
I'm going to rate this one a 3.7out of 5, but but bump it up to a 4 ONLY because GR does not allow half stars. (GR can revamp the look but they can't fix the rating system?!!!) I was intrigued by the main character's ingenuity, but there were too many coincidences and lucky breaks - the plot started to feel a tad contrived. (Shell's husband, the plastic surgeon, for one: you could just see that plot twist coming!)
The writing was often uneven: The author would descend into slang, then revert back to proper English during Smithy's dictated messages as well as the Detective Waliso passages.
Once again, there was too much repetition and the rehash/summation at the end was excruciatingly tedious. It felt exactly like Teacher showing us how to solve a math equation and having to show our work. Preserve me from all math professors... Oie!!! ZZZZzzzzzz! That was tough going!
But this is still an intriguing story, with a somewhat likeable main character. Who wouldn't stand behind a former Con who was redeemed by Literature?!!! Bookish People Unite!!! (Yeah, yeah, whatever!)
Smithy is portrayed as a decent bloke who has reformed his ways - up to a point! Did I guess the many twists, etc.? Hard not to: this is one of those mysteries where the author confuses you, then over-explains and bludgeons you over the head with the clues. I was back in class, bored to tears several times over - but I said that already a time or two, yes...? See what I mean?
I'm still recommending this one as a good read, but be prepared to hone your speed reading skills for those repetitive passages! My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
October 23, 2021
A little gem in the mystery genre !
First of all, let me tell you about the format of the book: these are automatic transcripts of recorded voice messages on an old Iphone 4, meaning that you will regularly need to read phonetically to catch the original meaning. That irked me a little at first, but I got used to it very quickly. The writer also sometimes forgot that she was writing voice recordings and the text is beautiful prose instead of spoken word, but I cannot complain about that. It is a very original and refreshing format.
Then the content: the part about the Twyford code almost reads like a children's book, like in which the codes are hidden. It's a treasure hunt for adults and it is satisfyingly intriguing. It got me reading sentences again to try to decipher possible hidden acrostics - and you will too.
But at the very core, it is the story of Steven, a man who came from a broken home, got into crime and only found out he had a son after a long stint in prison. And it is the love for his son, whom he has only seen once, that drives him to do everything he does. It is a story about unconditional love and friendship, about memories and the consequences of once's choices.
It's a riveting pageturner, one that kept me up late at night and that I truly recommend to anyone who wants to read something very original and out of the ordinary.
First of all, let me tell you about the format of the book: these are automatic transcripts of recorded voice messages on an old Iphone 4, meaning that you will regularly need to read phonetically to catch the original meaning. That irked me a little at first, but I got used to it very quickly. The writer also sometimes forgot that she was writing voice recordings and the text is beautiful prose instead of spoken word, but I cannot complain about that. It is a very original and refreshing format.
Then the content: the part about the Twyford code almost reads like a children's book, like in which the codes are hidden. It's a treasure hunt for adults and it is satisfyingly intriguing. It got me reading sentences again to try to decipher possible hidden acrostics - and you will too.
But at the very core, it is the story of Steven, a man who came from a broken home, got into crime and only found out he had a son after a long stint in prison. And it is the love for his son, whom he has only seen once, that drives him to do everything he does. It is a story about unconditional love and friendship, about memories and the consequences of once's choices.
It's a riveting pageturner, one that kept me up late at night and that I truly recommend to anyone who wants to read something very original and out of the ordinary.
August 10, 2022
I thought here we go, another one of those "clever" crime books written in a different way! Well I was pleasantly mistaken, it is a clever crime book! I loved it.
Mysteries heaped upon mysteries, secrets, lies and deception this book had it all. I loved the fact that the whole story was recorded on a phone (which then gives us some clever plot points)
Only downside, we never solve the Twyford Code (but that's no big thing as someone does....)
Oh and publishers stop calling people the new Agatha Christie or the modern Agatha Christie. This book was excellent but it was not an Agatha Christie style read!
Mysteries heaped upon mysteries, secrets, lies and deception this book had it all. I loved the fact that the whole story was recorded on a phone (which then gives us some clever plot points)
Only downside, we never solve the Twyford Code (but that's no big thing as someone does....)
Oh and publishers stop calling people the new Agatha Christie or the modern Agatha Christie. This book was excellent but it was not an Agatha Christie style read!
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