Ok, so I didn’t love this one as much as The Appeal. I appreciated the unusual narrative style though so that kept me invested. I wanted to see where it was going but I wasn’t super connected to Steve.

It wasn’t until the last 20% or so where the story really picks up. It was hard to see where it was going until there. There were several different parts to one story being told. You kind of have to stick it out to see how clever it is. I’m glad I did as much. It’s an unusual story and an unusual format. Which seems to be the author’s thing.

Looking forward to her next one!

I have mixed feelings about this book. It was interesting, but the conceit of the book is that the main character is recording his thoughts using a cell phone which I had a hard time with. In a couple of places, I lost track of who was saying what. However, I think this is a case of either you love it or hate it. I struggled, but maybe someone who listens to a lot of audio books will love the format. For me, it took what took would have been a good book and made it hard to read.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley.com and voluntarily chose to review.

The format of this book makes it virtually impossible to read. I couldn't get into the story and gave up about one-third of the way through. Interesting format though for those who wish to slog through.

This book was not what I was expecting but overall I enjoyed it. I like the audio files, such a unique writing style. Overall, I feel like it was slow at times but I was hooked and wanted to figure everything out so I kept reading. There were a few twists, which I enjoyed because it kept things interesting but I wasn’t a huge fan of the ending. I would recommend this book is you like slow mysteries. I liked feeling like I was an apart of cracking the code alongside the characters. It felt like it was more about the journey though and not the code

Janice Hallett has proven that she has one of the most brilliant and creative minds. This book is the perfect example of “Just keep reading.” The first half of this story was a bit slow and difficult to follow. However, this hard-to-follow storylines culminate into a truly whiplash inducing finale. There were so many twists and secrets to be revealed and I was dumbfounded that I did not catch on earlier. I had to re-read several parts and pick my jaw up from the floor. I will certainly be purchasing a copy to reread.

While I absolutely love the first book by this author, The Appeal, this one felt that for me. I’d like did it first, it also follows an unconventional format just like The Appeal, but after a while the plot started to feel redundant. Nothing was really happening, and I started to lose interest. I ended up DNFing at 50%.

If you enjoyed The Appeal then you will enjoy this one! It is a great classic British cozy perfect for anyone who enjoys reading novels broken up in different ways. It is a must read!

An interesting mystery which takes much thought to follow. I found the concept intriguing enough to continue reading despite not caring for the "transcription" aspect of the text. I am not a huge fan of allegory and finding out the book I've just read is something completely different, but The Twyford Code is written well enough that I can see past that. There are so many redeeming scenarios and reason to forgive the lies Steve dictates to his phone, that you can't help but root for him in the end. I myself only caught one acrostic as I read through. I wonder how obvious the others were if I were to go back from the start. An enjoyable enough mystery.

To start, this book is told in first person & through transcripts of audio files. That’s definitely not my preferred way to read (I’m not a huge fan of epistolary novels) so just a warning for my review. I did enjoy the book despite that or I suppose because of it. Once I found the rhythm I was very much pulled in by the plot. Smithy is a very unique main character, especially to be solving a mystery. He’s not overly likeable but that’s what makes the book unique. Not my usual fair but a decent read.

Once I got used to reading the transcript-style text, I could not put this book down. The story twists and turns at a dizzying pace, with lots of unexpected surprises. I was a voracious reader of the Famous Five books by Enid Blyton so that made this story even more fun!

The Twyford Code is the latest book by Janice Hallett, author of The Appeal. The novel focuses on Steven Smith, an ex-con recently released from prison who is on a quest to uncover the truth about his missing remedial teacher who disappeared 40 years ago on a class trip. He feels responsible for her disappearance since it was him who found a book by children’s author Edith Tyford filled with strange writing and markings in the margins. What follows is Steven trying to uncover the 40 year mystery and reconnecting with former classmates and family members.

What I liked about this book:
-innovative style of the book told by audio transcripts
-filled with secret codes and riddles
-loved the premise of a 40yr old mystery connected to a children’s book
-dual timelines

What I disliked about this book:
-although the style of the book was innovative I also thought it was its downfall in readability, perhaps a mixture of traditional storytelling and this method would have kept my interest
-the spelling of the audio was extremely difficult for me to interpret so a lot of the story was lost on me
- pacing was slow and repetitive

My rating 2 ¾ stars out of 5

My final takeaway: Although the style and premise was original it fell flat for me, I had high expectations for this book and was disappointed. If there had been a blend of traditional storytelling paired with the audio files then it would have been more impactful and enjoyable.

Thank you NetGalley and Attria Books for this eARC.

I really enjoyed this read. I have never read a book from the perspective of audio recordings, and let me say, I really enjoyed it! The only down side was at the beginning it was a little hard to follow because of the errors (ex. missiles took me quite a bit to figure out what he was saying). I would just like to see a little more on the decipher code at the beginning. But, other than that I could not put this down! It’s a must read for me to tell my other bookies to read! Great author!

The best advice I can give for this book is to 1) Don’t expect The Appeal if that’s why you’re reading. 2) Trust Janice Hallett!

This was a four star read for me. It is an intriguing read that made me feel dumb for missing so many clues but I was swept up in what felt like the main plot. This novel is largely driven by our main character who is interesting in his own right and whose story is integral to the over-arching plot. At times I felt this dragged on but in hindsight I think I just wasn’t paying close enough attention. Hallett is a genius and I’m excited for more of her signature epistolary novels in the future.

We follow Steve fresh out of jail through his young life, adulthood and his need to connect with family. A functional illiterate as a child, brought up by his teenage brother, young Steve falls for his Remedial Reading class teacher, Miss Iles. When she leaves to take another post, Steve is devastated having lost the only parental figure in his life. He turns to a gang run by a family and is treated as a member of the family as long as he produces for them. Having accomplished the biggest heist in the history of England, while saving his own skin and getting away with the loot is no small feat. Spending 11 years in jail for a murder he did not commit gave him time to learn to read and appreciate how a story is constructed. Once out of jail, he tries to connect with the grown son he never knew (a mathematics professor at a University) but is politely but firmly rejected. Nevertheless, Steve is still all about family and he involves old schoolmates in his narrative about cracking the Twyford Code. Still not a good writer, Steve records his stories on an old cell phone hoping that one day his son will crack the code he's left behind, find the treasure and realize that his old dad ain't such a bad bloke after all. More than a search for treasure, this is a story about a search for belonging, family and love which is worth much more than gold.

I really enjoyed The Appeal and was excited to jump into The Twyford Code. This book also has a fun format, just like the appeal, told through voice notes/recordings. The story is unusual and very well put together. I can't wait to see what Janice Hallett does next.

Janice Hallett's The Twyford Code is quite a unique mystery. ⁠
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Steve is newly released from prison. His life has passed him by and he's determined to go straight. He's finally overcome his dyslexia and it's changed his life. He's been thinking about his early years and about his limited choices growing up poor and neglected. His mind goes to his learning assistance teacher and her disappearance. It seems to be connected with these vintage children's adventure books by Edith Twyford. His teacher was convinced they were written with an embedded code. Using his estranged son's iPhone 4, Steve begins recording his journey to discover what happened to Miss Isles. ⁠
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It's a mystery wrapped up in a secret code, surrounded by a MacGuffin, lined in an enigma with a big old bow of a riddle - all told through audio transcripts. It is so multilayered and ingeniously written with a big, successful payoff at the end. The trouble is I found my interest ebbing as I went along. There's so much detail and I lost interest a couple of times. I eventually was hooked back in but it was an effort. I rated it a 3.5 but put it to a 4 because of the sheer scope. Hallett does an incredible job. ⁠
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Thank you to @netgalley and @atriabooks for this book.

I had read and enjoyed Janice Hallett's previous book, The Appeal, so was really looking forward to this one (thanks to NetGalley for the ARC). I was not disappointed! Similar to The Appeal, which was told in a series of emails and texts, The Twyford Call consists of conversations dictated to a voice recorder by the main character. While some people may not like this format, I really did.

Steven Smith is recently released from prison and is trying to solve the mystery of the disappearance of his remedial English teacher during a class field trip 40 years ago. He embarks upon an investigation with some of his fellow classmates, which leads to a surprising conclusion.

I enjoyed the mix between the mystery and the story of Steven's past; he is a very likable character despite his life of crime, and I was really rooting for a reconciliation with his estranged son.

If you're looking for a light and entertaining read, this is the book for you!

Do yourself a favor and read this book.

Do it. You'll love it.

The format is as much fun as the last one from @janice.hallett and the story is both heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time.

I got a bit confused at times, but that only added to the scavenger hunt motif of the book. And it was probably because I stayed up reading waaaay past my bedtime too many nights in a row 😆

This one doesn't come out until January 2023, but I already can't wait for the next one.

Thank you to @netgalley and @atriabooks for this wonderful #arc

This is a fascinating and complicated book but totally intriguing and well done. A mystery surrounding a secret code in old children’s books is a great premise and pulled off in a totally fascinating way.

I absolutely loved this book! Hallett’s unique take on the epistolary novel combined with Agatha Christie like mysteries is SO much fun! The Twyford Code centers on a mystery surrounding a secret code in old children’s books. I love the author’s style of writing so much. The structure is interesting and different. Must read for mystery lovers!