Forty years ago, Steven Smith found a copy of a famous children's book by disgraced author Edith Twyford, its margins full of strange markings and annotations. Wanting to know more, he took it to his English teacher Miss Iles, not realising the chain of events that he was setting in motion. Miss Iles became convinced that the book was the key to solving a puzzle, and that a message in secret code ran through all Twyford's novels. Then Miss Iles disappeared on a class field trip, and Steven has no memory of what happened to her. Now, out of prison after a long stretch, Steven decides to investigate the mystery that has haunted him for decades. Was Miss Iles 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 Iles, 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.

I was such a massive fan of 'The Appeal', it was such an original, exciting read and one that I will never stop recommending. You can imagine my excitement at getting stuck into this. Which is why it pains me to write this review. This was not the same and I really struggled with it.

Hallett writes this in the format of audio files which was another original idea but for me, it did not work quite as well. I was lucky enough to receive an advance copy of this read which I will admit did hamper my enjoyment as the formatting is not there. This is in no way a reflection of Hallett's work but it did mean I was confused by what was happening and it definitely impacted my thoughts on the book.

Back to the plot and I liked the idea of telling the story using audio files but it was a bit too confusing for me. It was hard to tell who was talking and what was happening, I get that this is part of the mystery but I think it needed to be a bit clearer as it was a bit jumbled.

Towards the end of the book, Hallett alters the style, I will not detail how but for me, this format worked a lot better and the last section of the book was definitely the most exciting and gripping. I do think the book could have worked better if it had all been written this way.

'The Twyford Code' is another original mystery from Hallett with plenty of twists. However, I did not find this to be particularly gripping or thrilling and I lost interest.

Thank you to NetGalley and Viper Books for an advance copy.

The Twyford Code by Janice Hallett

Many years ago, schoolboy Steven Smith found on a bus a book by Edith Twyford, a writer now considered old-fashioned. It’s covered in mysterious scribbles and messages. He took it to his teacher Miss Isles who became obsessed with it, believing the book to contain the contain a code that can decipher a great mystery. On a school trip to Bournemouth shortly afterwards, she vanished without trace, her disappearance haunting Steven for the rest of his days.

After a stretch in prison, Steven decides to do something about it. He determines to decipher the code himself and to find out what really happened to Miss Isles. Steven isn’t good at writing and so he records all of his interviews with his old schoolfriends and anyone else he encounters in his investigations to solve his own past. But Steven soon discovers that he isn’t the only person to be intent on solving the mystery of the Twyford Code and by then it is too late. Steven is caught in a web and, just out of reach, tantalises the answers to it all.

The Appeal was my favourite crime mystery of 2021 and one of my very top reads of the year. It’s actually one of my favourite novels of all time, not just for the story it tells but for the way in which it tells it. It’s ingenious. An updated epistolary novel, which involves the reader with the mystery in such an engaging and thoroughly gripping way. It’s a hard act to follow but Janice Hallett is a very clever writer and in The Twyford Code she tweaks the style just a bit to deliver another original and consuming standalone mystery.

This time, the novel comprises a series of transcripts. These contain numerous mis-hearings of certain words, presumably due to the transcription software, adding a very curious element to the prose. This is the sort of novel, like its predecessor, in which the reader needs to keep their wits about them, staying alert and always on the look out for clues. The whole book is a puzzle. But where does it lead?

The Twyford Code is also a novel about a vulnerable boy who grows into a damaged soul. We learn about his relationships with his family, his school days and the trouble that he has found himself in. Now he has a mission. But will it be the death of him.

More than that, I cannot say. These are books to immerse oneself in, to be driven by curiosity and fascination to discover where they lead. I cannot wait for the next novel.

PS! I love the cover!

Other review
The Appeal

Thank you so much to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Unlike so many I have yet to read Hallett's popular first book, so I went into this one with no comparisons to make. I do have a copy of The Appeal though, so after this one I'm intrigued to see how the 'multi-media' aspects play out in that one too.

Here the story is told via transcripts of audio files, which I found to be cleverly written as would have been heard, rather than as a script of exactly what was said. This made the reading experience quirky and unusual, something a bit different.

I thought the pacing was decent throughout - though perhaps there was a little more 'middle' than was necessary - and kept your attention with just enough reveal moments as you went along. Things eventually slot into place, and by the end we have a satisfying resolution.

A quick, fun read, and one that leaves me wanting to read the next from this author. How many books can she write with 'unusual' formats though before the novelty wears off? Time will tell.

4 entertaining stars

Steven Smith has recently been released after a long stretch in prison. He was pretty much illiterate when he went in, but he’s now learnt to read and write and is determined not to return to his former life of crime. Using an old phone given to him by the son he only recently found out about, he starts to record his thoughts & some conversations, memories from his childhood & life now. The transcripts of these recordings form the basis of the book.
The story originates with an incident that happened when Steve was 14 and found a book on a bus – a children’s book “Six on Goldtop Hill”, written by Edith Twyford. His remedial English teacher, Miss Isles, believes the book contains codes to solve a puzzle and she takes the class on a trip to Bournemouth to visit the home of Edith Twyford near Bournemouth & seek clues - a trip none of the class has ever forgotten as that is the day that Miss Isles disappeared. For 40 years, Steve has been obsessed with the mystery of the disappearance of Miss Isles, and the belief that secret codes were embedded in the Twyford books. With the help of his former classmates, Paul, Donna, Michelle & Nate, along with Lucy the librarian, can Steve discover what happened to Miss Isles and crack the Twyford code? Does “The Twyford Code” really exist? And if so, does it lead to treasure?
Edith Twyford is undoubtably based on Enid Blyton, a prolific & much loved writer of 1930s childrens stories who is sadly out of favour for “political correctness”. In good old children’s adventure book style, within The Twyford Code we have clues, codes, a secret tunnel, danger, red herrings, plot twists and some missing gold, along with somewhat oblique references to Kit Williams’ Masquerade (the big sensation of 1980-1982) and other niche books.

Overall, this is a very unusual, complex and intriguing tale that will make you frustrated as you try to figure out what on earth is going on! The format takes a bit of concentration initially & you will find yourself reading aloud at times to grasp the phonetics, but don’t let this put you off, it is well written, cleverly plotted and unfolds in an unusual way. I wanted to find out more about what Steve & his schoolfriends had got up to during that school trip, what he had subsequently discovered, whether there was any truth in “The Twyford Code”, but also what ultimately happened to him, since we find out at the start that an inspector has his phone (hence the transcripts).
I do think that the book would be best as a print version rather than the e-book I read, simply so that you can flick backwards & forwards more easily when you want to refer back to an earlier point of reference. I found that I was missing the timestamps somewhat & I think being able to flick between them would be beneficial. Definitely a book to re-read as I believe there is more depth and subtlety that I missed first time round! (I will admit that it took me far too long to realise that the 5 classmates + Lucy made up a gang of six, just like in the books!)

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.

Gosh - how to describe this book?! A then, then and now story - using the works of an Enid Blyton style children's writer as the basis for a secret code which could either explain the disappearance of a much loved teacher - or lead to treasure.

The text is made up the audio files of Steve Smith, an illiterate ex-con. The scripts contain words which have been transcribed as they are heard - for example 'mustard' for must have been. There are a few pointers in the introduction so I found these easy to deal with. It is an intriguing approach to story telling and is integral to the plot and twists in the tale.

I did very much enjoy this book. It felt as if it went up a few gears towards the end - there were quite a few 'oooh' moments as things slotted together. My one quibble would be the length - like films - books seem to be getting longer for no apparent benefit. Get the editors to tidy up the middle section and it would be a ripping yarn.

A superb book full of mystery, drama and intrigue.

Felt I was in the middle of a proper spy film, was so engrossed in the book.

It would make a fantastic movie.

Great characters and plot.

Absolutely loved trying to solve the puzzles that were so skilfully written.

Highly recommended 5 stars from me

Towards the end of 2021 I read and enjoyed The Appeal by Janice Hallett. It was a good crime caper and it showed the power and talent of Hallett that she had a character that I was so irritated by that I still read the book - there is always the possibility that I will DNF a book due to hating a character. The writing in The Appeal was so good that I couldn’t give up.
In my opinion Janice Hallett's latest offering The Twyford Code has proven that she is not a one trick pony. The Twyford Code - another non-traditional novel is brilliant.

The Twyford Code centres on the story of Steven Smith - an ex-convict - and his search to solve a childhood mystery. On the way he reunites with friends from (and enemies) from his past as he works his ways through the clues.

The story is told through audio transcripts which helps give intimate knowledge of our cast of characters and like all good mysteries the reader has to work through several clues and red herrings and if you are anything like me you will be constantly slamming your hand against your head in despair that you should have seen the answer. Essentially, Hallett proves that she is a master at the mystery genre.

The Twyford Code by Janice Hallet is available now.

For more information regarding Janice Hallett (@JaniceHallwett) please visit www.sheilland.com/janice-hallett.

For more information regarding Viper Books (@ViperBooks) please visit www.serpentstail.com/viper/.

The Twyford Code was one of my most anticipated books this month. I have a copy of The Appeal (haven’t read it yet) and I had been reading awesome reviews about it so, when I was approved for an eARC of The Twyford Code I was ecstatic. Sadly, it wasn’t for me.

First of all I would like to commend the author on the originality of her book. Told entirely through audio files transcripts, I can only imagine the tremendous amount of hard work that writing it must have implied. But it was precisely this format what made me not to connect with the story at all.

I’m sure me not being a native English speaker was in part to blame. We are told from the start these are transcripts so many words are misspelled or written as they would sound in audio. Some times it took quite a bit of time to find out what they were supposed to really mean. Add the use of slang, word play and double entendres and I’m sure many of those just flew over my head.

The format made it also quite difficult for me to empathize with any of the characters, as it did not truly lead to any kind of development on most of them. The story kept jumping back and forth between the present and the narrator’s recollections from his past that didn’t have any real impact in the story until the very end.

I found the mystery itself slow moving and hard to follow sometimes once again due to the book’s format. Although as I got used to it it got a little bit easier to read I was never truly comfortable with it.

The ending caught me completely unaware. It was surprising but it also felt just like an explanation for all of us not bright enough to catch all the hidden clues.

Although this was not for me, I’m sure The Twyford Code will be a big hit and I have to admire the author for being able to craft such an original story.

Thanks to NetGalley and Viper Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

P.S: I just adore that cover!

9.71 on cawpile, this will be hard to beat! So gripping, so intriguing, and so twisty! By the end I wanted to go back and read it again based on all the reveals

I can tell you one thing this book is already making it on to my best reads of 2022. Mind = Blown. Like her first book The Appeal, The Twyford Code is told in an unusual format, that aids in the winding and twisting narratives that Hallett masterfully weaves into her plots. This story is primarily told in digitally transcribed printouts of audio recordings, it manages to hide so many clues in plain sight and is incredibly subtle in its complexity. By hiding those clues in such a way, when you finish the book and have all the revelations in your hand the first thing you want to do is go back and re-read it, so you can spot all these hints and tips that were staring you in the face the whole time. To me that is the mark of an amazing mystery book.

The Main Character, and our primary narrator as it is his audio recordings the transcripts are pulled from, is a triumph. He has so much depth to him that you are constantly learning and adapting how you perceive him. I loved him as a character despite his flaws, as we learnt more and more about him he became more and more intriguing and as the story of his past and the mystery he was trying to solve in the audio files intermingled and twists started to be revealed I was just drawn more and more towards Steve and his history and the story he had to tell. He was just such a compelling character to read about.

Hallett is just a genius at playing with language, particularly in a book where code breaking plays such a big roll it was fun to spot some cheeky little nods and winks as the mystery started to unravel. The words Cat and Fish playing so closely together in part of the plot, was very cheeky! I was sold as soon as there were fun nods and winks to on of my favourite writers, Douglas Adams but there is also a lot of other bookish clues, to capture the book nerds and draw them in. Also the close ties to real history also really brought this to life (I won’t mention what events to avoid spoilers) I found this really pulled me in to the adventure and I got just as excited to unveil the secrets as the characters themselves. This is where the perfectly paced timing of the twist and reveals really made this something special.

Each reveal and twist hits you just as you have been sucked down into an exciting little road of exploration and it is never what you have imagined the reveal will be! The Sheer number of gasp out loud twists is outstanding! Its so wonderfully tangled that the unravelling of it all at the end is a thing of beauty. The ending itself is such a lovely and bitter sweet moment that also had just as much excitements as the rest of the book.

I honestly could read it again and again. I think its one of those books that you will notice a new clue or hint on every read and wonder why on earth you didn’t see it before. Its one of the highest ESCAPE Scores I have ever rated and I encourage anyone to give this one a try!

It took me half the book to get into the style, but after that it was very compelling, but I definitely didn't enjoy it as much as The Appeal.

The Twyford Code takes the form of endless voice notes recorded by Steven Smith for his parole officer Maxine, as he seeks to solve the mystery of the Twyford Code, and what happened on a school field trip when he was a boy.

Things I liked: the mystery adventure of Steve piecing together the Twyford Code, and how that builds the whole book, I also like how that relates to the ending. I don't want to say too much for spoilers but that was fun.

Things I didn't like: The format. I'm not sure if it's because I had an ARC kindle copy from Net Galley, but the formatting really grated on me, it felt very squashed, maybe it's better in the physical book. The constant misspellings - since the premise of the book is that it's audio recordings translated by software, there's a lot of misheard words. I get it, it was part of the book, but it was tedious, especially in the first half. And lastly - I really enjoyed The Appeal because you got to solve the mystery along with the characters. There was no such thing here. Here there was a story, and a mystery in the last ten pages spelt out for you, with too much suspension of belief up until then.

It was fun, but not my favourite.

A very strange story. What starts as a mystery about false memory and family relationships becomes a crime mystery of a more prosaic type. Finally it transforms to a hidden treasure mystery. I did find the book hard to follow and, if I'm honest, frustrating to read

Steven Smith has recently been released from prison, and is using his new lease on life to investigate a mystery that has been on his mind since childhood. Forty years ago Steven found a strange book on the bus to school. He gave it to his teacher Miss Isles, who became convinced that the book was full of secret codes. Shortly after discovering the book Miss Isles disappeared, and Steven is determined to find out what happened to her.

I loved the premise of this one, the idea of secret codes hidden in books is like a dream come true for me. Unfortunately I found the execution to be flawed, so it wasn't one of my favourite reads.

I think one of the main things that contributed to my feelings on this one was that I didn't feel connected to the characters. I thought from early on that Steven was unreliable as a narrator, and got the impression he was making things up. I didn't care for him and so wasn't really invested in him finding answers. He's the only character we really spend any time with, the supporting characters are exactly that and we don't get to know much more about them. I also wasn't really interested in Steven's past. I did like the way Hallett brought things together at the end and his history became very relevant, but until that point I wasn't that fussed for reading about it.

The other thing that put me off was that the codes didn't make any sense to me. The way we are supposed to read them keeps changing as the book progresses, so you never really have a chance of figuring them out. I usually enjoy reading about puzzles and codes, and hidden trails, but I like to feel like I've got a chance of figuring things out myself rather than having to have everything explained to me. Perhaps other readers were able to do that here but I couldn't and that frustrated me.

The use of audio transcripts is an interesting way to go about writing a book. I'm not exactly sure why Hallett would choose that over a more traditional style, but it actually does work pretty well, especially once you get used to interpreting the mistranslations and things.

I think this one will have huge appeal for people who like books that are written in a different style, or enjoy not knowing exactly what is going on until the very last minute. Stay away if you don't like open endings though!

Thanks to NetGalley and Viper Books for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the premise of this book, that an author might leave a code in a book for her fans to follow. Or even for more nefarious purposes like espionage. It’s as if Enid Blyton had left a code for the Russians hidden in the Secret Seven. At first I was gripped. I loved following our narrator as he leaves his rambling thoughts and findings recorded on his son’s phone. For me though it was the format I struggled with, particularly in this digital copy. This probably says a lot more about my ability to concentrate than the book though and there was definitely enough to enjoy for me to search out a physical copy to read again. This was clever, tense and occasionally left me a bit bewildered as we followed our narrator from one place to the next, ever searching. The sense of place was brilliant as we found ourselves in a bunker under an old bank in Liverpool or a hole in the ground on an old military base. The clues themselves are intricate and all the time we’re slowly being told the story of this man’s life. I hope reading it a second time will make things clearer.

something about this synopsis tickled the back of my memory, so i went hunting and realized that it reminded me of the kit williams masquerade picture book treasure hunt. obviously there are some upped stakes and more adult oriented intensity here, but it all works spectacularly. loved the transcription format as well

The Twyford Code is a book that has been on my radar for a while, so I jumepd at the chance to be part of the blog tour via Viper Books and Random Things Tours. What drew me to this book was the mystery aspect, a secret code hidden in a childhood book that may lead to some treasure. Add on to that the disappearance of a school teacher and you have the ingredients for an intriguing and thrilling read; think Enid Blyton mixed with Agatha Christie.

There are many elements of The Twyford Code that are unique, but the main one is the Janice Hallet’s prose style. This book is narrated via Audio Files with the main character Steven, who is looking to find out what happened to his teacher, who never returned from a school trip with his English class, after visiting the home of Edith Twyford author of a series of children’s books. The Audio Files are fabulous to read, there are the anomalies of speech mixed in, wrongly pronounced words that add to the mystery and give some humour to the plot. The narration of these audio files also give the reader an opportunity to try and work out the puzzle for themselves. This is the reason it took me longer than normal to finish this book as I kept on flicking back to try and see the puzzles myself and work them out.

As a narrator Steven is brilliant, but also unreliable as he can’t remember what happened on that school trip forty years ago. Steven’s story is revealed bit by bit, but we know he has just been released from prison, and is wanting to solve the mystery of Mrs Iles’s death and the secret messages in the books of Edith Twyford. His thoughts and memories come out in a constant stream, jumping from his past, to the present, to the code in the books, and the reason he ended up in Prison. There is also the mystery of Maxine, to whom he addresses his audio recordings, she is obviously important to him as he wants her to known the truth and is leaving the audio files to her. I was completely immersed in his personal story, how he ended up where he is and his reasons for cracking the code.

The Twyford Code is one of the most origional, intelligent and thought provoking books I have read in a long time. I was drawn in from page one, both by Stevens story and by the puzzle that I spent far too long trying to solve myself as well as checking back on the codes to see if I could see it. The Audio narration is a fantastic writing style, giving first person narration added with the problems of relying on voice recognition software. This really is a compelling read, and one I highly recommend. I am now going to buy Janice Hallett’s previous book The Appeal.

After reading The Appeal, I couldn't wait to get my hands on The Twyford Code. I love the way Hallett writes. It's such a breath of fresh air and really makes you work for the story. This was another original detective story. There is hardly any physical description of people or places but you still feel very involved in the story. I did not see the twist coming...

@currentlyreading__
Book 5 of 2022

Thank you to @NetGalley, @viper.books and @janice.hallett for the copy of #TheTwyfordCode. I received a free review copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest unedited feedback. It was published yesterday, I finished it yesterday and then went asleep for 12 hours!! I was obviously exhausted by attempting to crack the code!

'The Appeal' certainly had a different narrative style to it and 'The Twyford Code' does too; with hundreds of audio transcripts to follow, some with poor, moderate or good sound. This was definitely unusual and took a bit of getting used to at first. The transcription blips are frequent with 'mustard' for 'must have' and 'missiles' for teacher Miss Iles.

Our protagonist Steven Smith has just been released from prison with a thought weighing heavily on his mind. Upon release he is handed his estranged son's iPhone4 containing audio transcripts and he has to make sense of them. Forty years ago he found a book 'The Twyford Code' and showed it to his Remedial English teacher Miss Isles (missiles). The book was full of strange annotations and symbols in the margin so Miss Isles takes it upon herself to involve the class in her discovery of what happened to Edith Twyford (author of the book). Cue some super sleuthing and flashbacks to the class on their jaunt to 'burmuth'. Even though the book was unusual in format, it had the red herrings and all of the usual tropes from espionage fiction although some had been cleverly re-worked by Hallett.

You will need to keep your focus when reading this as it certainly isn't light but one I am intrigued to discuss with other readers.

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Well this was just brilliant!! If you liked this authors last book - The Appeal, you will love this. Just as unique in its format, but different enough to not be compared, this book absolutely blew my mind!

So, to try and explain the plot without explaining the plot.... basically, we are reading audio transcripts from a mobile phone. The phone belongs to Steven Smith, an ex-con who, on his release, decides to try and work out what happened to his school teacher 40 years ago after he found an old childrens book and opened up a whole can of worms!

That's all I am saying!

But trust me, this book is utter genius and has more twists and turns than a corkscrew! For at least 90% of the book I had little to no clue what was going on and considering how many books I read, that is a feat in itself! It was an absolute ride and a half and if you like your mysteries with a capital M, get on this sharpish!