My thanks to Viper Books for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Twyford Code’ by Janice Hallett in exchange for an honest review.

This is a remarkable novel, unlike anything I have ever read before. So, just a taste of the plot as I feel that this is a novel best read ‘cold’.

Forty years ago, Steven Smith had found a discarded copy of a book written by disgraced children’s author, Edith Twyford. Steven is unable to understand the strange markings and annotations in the book’s margins. So he shows it to his Remedial English teacher, Miss Isles. This sets off a chain of events that reverberates down to the present day.

Miss Isles becomes convinced that the book contains messages that form a secret code that has been scattered throughout Twyford’s novels. She eventually takes her small class of five, including Steven, on an outing to visit Twyford’s seaside home. During the trip home Miss Isles disappears and Steven has no memory of how.

Her disappearance has haunted Steven. Following his release from a prison sentence, he is determined to discover the truth. His quest is recorded as a series of audio files created on his estranged son’s smartphone.

This story is primarily presented via transcripts of these files, complete with amusing transcription blips. Steven has a unique take on life, the universe, and everything and proved a delightful protagonist.

It’s fairly obvious that Edith Twyford and her Super Six books were inspired by Enid Blyton. The extracts included from Twyford’s stories were spot on with respect to the style of Blyton’s adventure books for children.

I found ‘The Twyford Code’ an intriguing and wickedly complex mystery. There is also plenty of humour scattered throughout the transcripts along with references to other books.

‘The Twyford Code’ was an instant hit with me and I preordered its ebook and audiobook editions.

Very highly recommended.

The Appeal was original and very clever. Janice Halley has pulled off the seemingly impossible and delivered another totally original book which is even better than her her previous title.

This is fiendishly complex, very cleverly constructed and yet it draws the reader in right from the start. It kept me puzzled from start to finish. The premise, at face value is simple, but it’s tackled in such an inventive way that it takes murder mystery to a new level. The bar is set and I can’t wait for another from Ms Hallett. This is the book which everyone should be talking about in the coming months. Absolutely brilliant.

My thanks to the publisher for a review copy via Netgalley.

If Janice Hallett ever wants to give up writing (Which I’m NOT at all suggesting) she could become a criminal mastermind judging by this book. I loved it without really knowing what was going on at least 50 per cent of the time but what a clever book I thought the appeal was clever but the Twyford Code is on a different level completely. I will be suggesting it to everyone I know just for it’s utter brilliance .

Steve, an ex gangster is on release from prison and keen to keep a connection with his newly discovered adult son. Haunted by traumatic childhood memories, he tries also to connect with some old school friends and the mysterious disappearance of their remedial English teacher Miss Isles. Told with great humour through a series of audio transcripts, Steve is intrigued by an old children's book that he found back then and it's connection to the fabled "Twyford Code". He gets involved in a a complicated treasure hunt for long lost wartime gold. The childhood stories will be very familiar to fans of Enid Blyton. Clues, codes and red herrings are everywhere. I enjoyed the epistolary style, similar to Hallet's previous work "The Appeal" but completely different here. We mainly hear Steve's voice and his narration of others. The conclusion comes together beautifully.

I was absolutely hooked by The Appeal so was nervous starting the Twyford Code as I wasn’t sure it would live up to its predecessor.

I needed my have worried, Janice Hallet has done it again. One this story started I could not put it down. Once again it’s a completely unique and engaging method of storytelling which hooks you from the start!

I would definitely recommend.

This is one of those marmite books. For the first hundred pages or so I found it utterly bizarre and it takes some getting into the rhythm of it. The style of presentation in 'audio files' with their idiosyncratic method of transcription is probably a step too far as it gives an impression of too much smugness in the novelty of the format for me. There are some great moments of humour sprinkled throughout and the parody of a parody within a parody will bemuse some and add to the marmiteness of the book. for others.

All that said it is an interesting read and the characters are both convincing and relatable. My rating is somewhere around 3.7 stars.

Ad-pr product: Thank you to @viper.books via @netgalley for my advanced copy of this gem of a novel. My mind was blown reading this!

I thoroughly enjoyed The Appeal last year and was so happy to be accepted to read a copy of The Twyford Code, due to be published tomorrow. Like The Appeal, this novel has an unusual layout, being mainly audio files that have been transcripted, as well as messages between two characters at the end. In The Twyford Code, Steve Smith relays the details about his childhood in remedial English, where he discovered a book on a bus by the children's author Edith Twyford. This leads to a day trip with the group and their teacher Miss Isles but Steve's memories are hazy. What actually happened to Miss Isles? What was the code for? How is Steve's later involvement in the Harrison gang all a part of the story and his ending?

I also loved all the funny words swapped for the correct words. As it's audio transcripts, Miss Isles often became Missiles, 'must've' often becomes 'mustard' and 'gonna' turns into 'gun a'!

This was clever; probably the cleverest book I've read in a while! I loved cracking the codes, working what all of the audio files meant as the whole story was explained at the end. This must have taken a lot of planning and my hat goes off to Janice Hallett for such a fab, clever read!

I really enjoyed this particularly because the author is attempting to be original and break the mould rather than write formulaic books.

This is her second novel and is totally different in scale and scope to her first.

Exciting, original, well written and plotted it was a delight to read.

Highly recommended.

I have a love-hate relationship with THE TWYFORD CODE, starting from its structure, which is written as the work of an automatic transcription software as it goes through several audio files. Cool idea, but not such a cool reading experience.

All in all, I found this novel difficult to enjoy. Not to mention, finish it. In the end, though, the rhythm picks up pace, and all elements end up making perfect sense, down to the smallest word choices. What looks like (seriously) lazy writing turned out to be a perfectly crafted, impressive story with so many twists. I only wish I didn’t have to wait until the final hundred or so pages to find this out.

Do I recommend this book? Absolutely yes. But I also suggest being very, very, very patient with it.

I loved Hallett's 'The Appeal' so couldn't wait to read The Twyford Code. Using an equally engaging concept as The Appeal, The Twyford Code is a mystery told through audio snippets and transcriptions. It's a great, unique way to tell a story and I did enjoy trying to get to the heart of the mystery in The Twyford Code. However, the formatting was a little off in my digital proof, especially in the opening chapters, which did impede my enjoyment somewhat - though that doesn't take away from the book itself and I am keen to pick up a finished copy to clear up the issues with the proof formatting.

This is a fascinating and very complicated puzzle, a mystery, the story of a man, and a book full of mirror and smokes.
The story is told using vocal messages and it took me a bit to be hooked as the transcription of the messages was sometimes a bit hard to understand.
I was enthralled by the story, the clues and the story of the inner-city kids and their travel.
I wasn't sure if what I was reading was reliable or if Steve, the main voice, was creating a possible story.
I loved this story that kept me guessing and I liked the final part.
It's a riveting and entertaining story.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

The Twyford Code by Janice Hallett is a wonderfully cryptic first-person journey that will have you puzzling and second-guessing what you have just read!

As a neglected child, adult Steven Smith relives a life-changing experience with an influential teacher and questions his recollection of events. Steven discovers and contacts other children who went on the same school trip for validation and assistance. What happens next is totally unexpected but thoroughly engaging. Hallett has created a unique, mesmerising story!

I really enjoyed this mystery novel by Janice Hallett. It's very interesting writing concept which did take a while to get into. However, once I got used to the 'audio transcriptions' writing style I enjoyed the story and especially the twists and turns. The big twist at the end completely surprised me and I raced through the final part of the book. It's definitely a book that will stay with me for a long time because of the uniqueness of the writing style and plot.

I would definitely recommend for mystery fans and I really want to read The Appeal now!

Written through the use of audio transcripts, the style grated with me.

The story starts with Inspector Waliso forwarding the transcripts to a Professor for his professional opinion. It's pointed out that the transcription of the audio is phonetic. So for example, Miss Iiles is Missiles throughout these transcripts. Any profanity is shown as e.g. s[EXPLICIT]t - realistic maybe but clumsy to read from my point of view. Add into this the flip flopping around of the storyline and I nearly gave up reading a few times. I was intrigued though so I read onto the end.

Around half way through the book I actually got fully drawn into this book and it felt like a real mystery. Later as the twists began to be revealed I felt cheated by the author. I can't say more without spoiling the book but I wished I hadn't invested time reading this book.

I recognise this is a clever plot concept but it just wasn't for me.

It must be difficult for a writer to write a second book when the first has been such a resounding success, but Janice Hallett has pulled it off! Smithy is trying to break a code to possibly find treasure, based on a series of children’s books (clearly based on the Famous Five). The plot is gripping and all the characters are fully developed. There is a twist at the end that took me by surprise. I can’t wait for the third book!

I have a confession to make, I haven’t read the previous book, The Appeal, I knew they weren’t connected but also knew that this one was bound to be written in an unusual way. I wasn’t wrong.
The book is written as a transcript of various voice notes left on an iPhone 4. This takes some getting used to, especially as they have been transcribed by an automated program, so Miss Isles becomes missiles & Bournemouth, bore moth. Don’t let this put you off, you do get it, just a heads up readers.

As a child Steven Smith finds a book on the bus. He takes it to school. The book was written by Edith Twyford & the margins are full of symbols & jottings. Miss Isles, his teacher, confiscates the book from Steven informing him that it is hers. On a school trip to Bournemouth, Miss Isles disappears. Many years later, upon his latest release from prison, Steven discovers he has a son & he realises he has to do more with his life. He decides to try & solve the forty year old mystery of his missing teacher & the Twyford Code.

This is a very cleverly written story, not just the style, but also the content. The characters are well rounded & I really felt for Steven & the hand that he had been dealt.
A great read & recommended. The Appeal is now in my tbr pile!

I read “The Twyford Code” a couple of months ago, but held off posting a review as I didn’t know what to say. Having had a think, I’m still conflicted about the book.

Having read “The Appeal” (which I loved) I thought I knew what to expect. It wasn’t a surprise that the book was written in a different style, and I got used to the format quite quickly. The main character is very interesting, an extremely clever man who is hampered by lack of education and poor reading skills. However, I didn’t warm to him.

I’m not going to give any spoilers, as I feel they really would spoil the book. Suffice it to say, the book is well worth reading, even if at the end, like me you can’t decide what to think.

One point that other reviewers have mentioned. I read the book on Kindle, and I would have probably got more out of it if had been able to flip back and reread passages.

I’m definitely looking forward to seeing what Janice Hallett does next.

What can I say but wow! I sat and read this book in an afternoon it is like no other book I have ever read. 5 stars I love the cover and the story. I just can't fault it I can't wait to read more of Janice Hallett's work thank you Netgalley for allowing me to review this excellent book.

The Twyford Code is the perfect book to kick-start the year. Our protagonist is Steven Smith, ex-con, dyslexic, father to Colin, though they are estranged. Smith has recently been released from jail and has vanished without trace. The only information we have from him is in the form of audio recordings on Colin’s old iPhone 4. The transcription software isn’t perfect though, so you have to pay close attention….

Now Colin, Smith’s son – an academic mathematician, has been sent the audio files by the police in the hope that he can make some sense of them. It appears that Smith has been on a journey of recollection, determined to resolve the mystery of what happened to his old Primary School teacher, Miss Isles some 40 years ago.

By all accounts a dedicated and empathetic young woman, Miss Isles taught a remedial English class in which Smith was a pupil. The interest of the class was engaged by a book that Smith found on a bus and brought in to Miss Isles, who read it to the class.

Written by Edith Twyford, this book is akin to the Famous Five novels of Edith Blyton, and like that author, Twyford has since fallen out of favour, cancelled through a casual racism tinged with xenophobia that runs through the books.

Reading this is a bit like following a true crime podcast. What you get is a mixture of past and present as Smith reconnects with old classmates and as he investigates, we learn a great deal about his own background and upbringing and the criminal endeavours that led to his stretch in prison.

The Twyford Code is both a fabulous secret squirrel mystery with hidden codes, mysterious symbols and espionage with a second world war conspiracy to steal treasure.

You’ll follow the clues as Smith sets out his journey, aided by the local librarian and various of his classmates, remembering always to keep his probation officer clued in to what he’s up to. He is nothing if not a model ex-con.

Janice Hallett leads her readers on a fabulous, merry jaunt through the English countryside, with hidden tunnels, visits to old houses and some serious sleuthing to solve the puzzles. But what is it all in aid of? With references to other puzzles in other books, the reader begins to wonder just how reliable Colin’s narration is? For sure someone is not telling the whole story…

The Twyford Code is great fun. Full of humour, fast on its feet and keen to exploit every possible misdirection and misinterpretation, it contains both a terrific mystery and a serious message.

Verdict: The Twyford Code is an exciting and innovative book for bibliophiles with a sense of fun. It is a terrific mystery; a great exercise in misdirection and a novel that both delights and satisfies. A great start to the New Year!

Another super clever rollercoaster ride by Janice Hallett, who's quickly becoming one of my favourite authors. The way the story is told through transcripts of audio recordings made for a super intriguing and captivating read. It felt like I was accompanying the characters on a very detailed and mysterious treasure hunt which was honestly super fun!