“The Twyford Code” is a puzzling book, pun intended. The reveal is clever and I will give the book many points for originality, however, it was not extremely readable. The challenge that the reader faces is that the majority of the book is a set of transcribed audio files and these can be difficult to get through, given the way in which some words—most often contractions or words not well enunciated—appear on the page. The protagonist, Steve, records a wide array of monologues, phone calls, and conversations with friends as he explores aspects of his past: his childhood, one particular class in high school, and his years with a crime syndicate that landed him in jail. All of this is intertwined with the story of a book he found and the code that the author supposedly wove into the story that he attempts to unravel. I was intrigued by the premise of this book, but I found getting through it to be a struggle. It is long and reading the transcribed files was a slog. It was not always clear what was happening and I believe that this is an aspect of the puzzle, but I almost gave up. In the end I was rewarded with the knowledge of what the book was really about, but it was a hard won battle. In sum, a challenging read but interesting if you make it to the end. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.

Having read Janice Hallet’s first book, “The Appeal,” I knew I had to read her second book, “The Twyford Code” because her stories are full of intrigue. I won’t lie: the format (audio files written down as “transcripts”) takes some getting used to but as a twist on the epistolary novel, it’s, well, quite novel. And I was rooting for Steve Smith the whole time, whatever his story was. For me, the format and the complexity of the clues (I had to work to read the story) made me rate it 3 stars but that in no way precluded me from wanting to know what happened next. In conclusion, if you’re looking for a book with twists galore (acrostics! criminals! children’s books! history!), this is absolutely the book for you.

I hate to say it but this one just wasn’t it for me. I had a very hard time getting through the voice memo aspect and all of the “errors”.
I absolutely adored The Appeal and was so excited to dive into this book with a new way of telling a mystery. I just, honestly couldn’t power through it. I found it to be tedious and a bit boring (I’m sorry!!).

If you're looking for an unusual, cleverly written mystery, this book may be for you. The story is told almost completely in transcriptions of audio files that Steven Smith, an ex-con, recorded on his estranged son's old iPhone. Nearly illiterate himself, Steven found a marked-up adventure book abandoned on a public bus as a child in in 1983 and took it to his remedial English teacher. Although the author, Edith Twyford, had been reviled for her old-fashioned, narrow-minded perspectives, the teacher claimed that Twyford's books might actually contain a secret code. After reading the book to the class, she took the students on an unauthorized field trip, where an unexpected tragedy occurred. The teacher disappeared without a trace that day, leaving her students confused and disturbed.

Roughly forty years later, after Steven finishes a stretch of 11 years in prison, he vows to round up his former classmates to discover what happened to their teacher and to determine whether Edith Twyford's books truly contain clues to solving a mystery.

Reading and trying to make sense of the transcripts, which are rife with misspellings, gaps, and unfinished thoughts, was initially intriguing to me but eventually felt exhausting. Interspersing the transcriptions with more traditionally narrated sections might have relieved some of the tedium and kept the plot moving more briskly. And although I found the character of Steven to be quite engaging, the book's unrelenting format kept me from considering it a totally satisfactory reading experience.

My thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

As a huge fan of The Appeal, I was delighted to be able to read an advance copy of The Twyford Code thanks to the publisher and Netgalley. This book was completely different than its predecessor, but it was great in its own extremely clever way. The entire book was unique, and its mysteries were ingenious. I was slowed down quite a bit by most of the book being computerized transcripts of audio recordings, but they were important to the story. I would be interested in hearing the audio version of the book, which I'm guessing may appeal to other readers who don't have the patience to "decipher" the transcript.

The author is incredibly talented to be able to write two fabulous books which couldn't be more different. She brought the characters to life and captivated me with the story. I highly recommend this book and can't wait for #3!

Reading and reviewing a book these days can be quite dangerous if you let it. I mean, books are special things . . . they end up meaning something to some readers, while other readers end up absolutely hating the book.

If you want to be loved by some fans, you must say the right thing about the book they loved. But if you say the wrong things, other fans will feel personally attacked.

Why do I mention all of this? Well, The Twyford Code is a book about a book. In fact, it's about a book that leads its readers to a secret code, a secret code with the potential to find . . . okay, stop me before I get to far into this.

Let's back up.

The Twyford Code is presented as a series of transcripts from voice recordings found on an old iPhone 4. Steve Smith, an ex-con, uses the phone to record voice messages to his estranged son, whom he hopes will listen to them someday. He wants to connect with his son, and so he goes about detailing his past so people will understand his personal journey.

Because of the strange epistolary type of format, this novel will turn some people off from the very beginning. The format alone will turn some away. For others, it will add to the mystery and mystique surrounding the story. I, for one, loved the format and the story.

Steve Smith, or Little Smithy, details his experience finding a copy of an old book called Six on Goldtop Hill. He takes it to his English teacher, who shares with him the stories of a secret code contained in the book. And this event cascades into a set of mysteries Steve is anxious to solve.

Having said that, what's good about the book? First off, it's clever. Janice Hallett truly went through the trouble of creating a mystery and a secret code hidden within the text. All is revealed in the end. (Well, most everything.)

Secondly--I found the characters fascinating. Steve the ex-con and Lucy the Librarian endear themselves to the reader despite the fact you know something devious is afoot. They have a likability which lends itself to a fun mystery/adventure story and the reader can easily get swept up with them in their desire to solve the puzzle.

Third, despite the obvious shell game Janice Hallett plays in the narrative, and it is obvious she's playing one, the reader is willing to go along for the ride. This happens because well, so many of us readers cut our teeth reading overly exaggerated adventure/mysteries intended for boys and girls. And Janice Hallett gives us exactly that, a story so reminiscent of the kind of adventure stories many readers loved as children, that they suspend their disbelief and let the narrative sweep them along.

Because, you see, books are about stories. And we all love our own perfect story. And Janice's novel tells a story about a man, and a book, and how those stories can sink into your heart, and how those stories can change your perception of life.

So, you're either in it, and will let the story sweep you up, or you're going to go find another book.
I stuck with it, and despite the end being a bit tedious during the explanation and reveal, the ride was well worth it, even if I had to wait to get out after Janice Hallett parked the car.

But either way, I loved it because it is a love letter to secret codes and adventure, and mystery, and family, and lies, and deception and all the stuff that makes a story good. It's about a book and that book's importance to the main character.

And there's an important book for all of us who like to read. Because we're the main character in our story.

I hope I said the right thing.

I was excited to be approved for The Twyford Code, having enjoyed Hallett's first book, The Appeal. Unfortunately, the magic was not there in this one for me.

First of all, I was distracted by the way words are transcribed by the supposed software. Why is "Shell" recognized as a proper name and capitalized? "Acrostic" transcribed as "a cross tick" -- no "an"? (Nobody would say "it's acrostic," they would say "it's an acrostic") Why "Miss Isles" as "missiles" -- is that really how Steven pronounces it? Surely a more likely transcription would be "miss aisles" if not "miss isles"? Why can the software correctly transcribe lots of unusual proper names (including Twyford) but not "Bournemouth"? Why is the slurred "musta (must have)" transcribed as "mustard"? Nobody puts a "d" in there. "Muster" would make more sense.

The latter turns out to be important to the solution of the puzzle, which makes it all the more annoying that this detail was not better attended to. As for the rest of the transcriptions and the story that eventually comes out to explain them ... it's all way. way too elaborate and unbelievable. I think a good puzzle mystery should make you want to go back and figure out the clues that were set for you. This one just left me frustratedly wanting to know the answer, and underwhelmed when I had it.

I may try another Hallett book, but I hope she doesn't try so hard with the gimmick next time.

How easy it would be to say too much about this novel!

Fourteen-year-old Steve “Little Smithy” Smith picked up a copy of an old-fashioned book by Edith Twyford (a thinly veiled Enid Blyton) off a bus and takes it with him to school, where his remedial reading teacher, Miss Isles, gets a hold of it. She captures the class’s attention — perhaps by the first time ever — reading from this 1940s children’s book. But then Miss Isles disappears.

Forty years later, Smithy’s getting out of prison and decides to find his classmates in order to find the missing Miss Isles. While Smithy’s learned to read, his writing is sub-par, so he hits on the idea of dictating his progress into an old iPhone — an oral diary of sorts. (A caution: The iPhone uses pronunciation and predictive text as it types messages, so that “Miss Isles” is rendered “missiles,” based on the British pronunciation. Don’t be confused as I was!) That’s all you need to know! Anything more will ruin this page-turner!

The Twyford Code, which I thought was going to be some medieval code, instead reminds me of the phenomenal 1995 film “The Usual Suspects” At first, you think that one thing is going on — but then, no, it’s another. No, it’s yet another! That’s what The Twyford Code is like: enough twists as to leave a reader dizzy. In the best possible way.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and Atria Books in exchange for an honest review.

What a special book! I would expect nothing less from Janice Hallett, the author of The Appeal (A favorite of mine).

The Twyford Code tells many stories and contains riddles among riddles. There is a bit of a slow start but once you have invested yourself, you will not want to put it down! In Twyford, Steven is a recently released inmate. To try and bridge the gap between himself and his adult son he has taken to recording voice memos on an old iphone. In the many memos we begin to learn about the odyssey that is known the Twyford Code.

Invest the time in learning more about this code, the book , the trip and everything else that happened to Steven. You will not be sorry! There are twists and turns and twist within the turns. Janice Hallett is brilliant and a true original ! If you like a story of riddles, enjoy a unique thriller, or just want to read something new and unique, The Twyford Code is for you! #TheTwyfordCode. #JaniceHallett
#Atriabooks

What a twisty tale full of puzzles and codes for those who loves books with puzzles at the center. Told mostly through a series of transcripts from voice recordings found on a I-phone 4. It gives it a puzzle and mystery feel right away. It was very clever and I really enjoyed how it stretched me as a reader. While some will find it challenging, once you get into the style, it really works.

Thank you to Net Galley, the author, and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

No one is doing it like Janice Hallett! Having just read The Appeal, I can say with confidence that her mystery novels are unlike any I've ever read. While The Appeal was an epistolary text conveyed purely through email and text exchanges, The Twyford Code is presented as an audio transcript, recorded off of a hand-me-down iPhone 4. While this unique formatting is definitely an adjustment - and frustrating at times - I really appreciated the level of detail that went into it.

Following an eleven year stint in prison, Steven Smith has made it to the other side and on a mission. His task? To reunite with a handful of his old schoolmates to decipher what happened on a class trip-gone-wrong. You see, Miss Iles, the group's beloved (remedial) English teacher, took them out to visit famed author Edith Twyford's cottage... only to never be seen or heard from again. The mystery behind her disappearance is one that Steve doesn't have the answers to... and one his classmates are (even forty years later) reluctant to address. While attempting to piece details together, Steve stumbles upon the Twyford Code, a series of clues embedded in Edith Twyford's controversial children's books. These clues initially lead him to more and more questions, the most prominent of which seems to be: was the code responsible for Miss Iles' disappearance?

I don't think this book will be for everyone (and the mixed reviews I've read about it seem to prove as much). Hallett did a great job of reeling me in at the beginning. I loved the premise and was hoping for a little bit of a Stand By Me/Goonies moment to break out between the group of kids. However, that's not really the direction this went in. And, in the middle, there were definitely moments where I felt like the narrative lost me. BUT, if you see is through, the payoff is satisfying. And my respect for this author remains. I appreciate how clever and original this story feels... and how much responsibility Hallett puts on her readers. She trusts that they'll keep with it, even through some of its more convoluted moments.

While I wanted a little bit more out of the ending - and was certainly confused throughout much of the rising action - I appreciated the challenge. And ultimately, I really loved the story that unfolded. Steve is a character that, despite his flaws, you can't help but find endearing. And while I won't say too much about it (since I'm trying to stick to a spoiler-free review), I found his journey and the motivation behind it to be really heartwarming. Definitely check this one out if you're looking for something a little different. You won't be disappointed!

The Twyford Code is an interesting sibling to The Appeal, Hallett's first book. The themes and storytelling devices are similar -- a story ostensibly about a mystery, but more revealingly about human relationships and family ties, unfolds through the use of an electronic trove, files complied for a legal trial in The Appeal, and audio files found on a phone involved in a missing person's case in The Twyford Code. This is one of my favorite literary devices, and the execution does not disappoint.

However, The Twyford Code is a much more claustrophobic book. Our found footage comes (almost entirely) from one source, dictated audio files on a single phone. Two pasts and a present are woven together, and tangled primarily in a single stream of consciousness monologue. The pay off at the end made the effort largely worthwhile, I look forward to rereading the book knowing the trick of it, but I did nearly give up before reaching the end. All in all, a good book, one hopes the readers will choose to forge on.

Hallett does it again! Bringing us a new story and one that had me flipping the pages till 1am.

Reading a Hallett novel is like watching a movie play out on the pages.
Her writing is so descriptive, it’s easy to visualize every person, place, and object in the story.

The Twyford Code by Janice Hallett is a unique, and exciting crime novel with a fantastic cast of characters.
I was immediately drawn into this story. I could not put this down.
I love the way she gets your attention in her books and keeps it from the beginning and all the way to the end. It’s never a dull moment.
I was not disappointed in this new book. I enjoyed enjoyed everything about it.
Interesting characters, compelling storyline and one story I devoured.

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Atria Books,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!
I will post my review to my blog, platforms, BookBub, B&N, Kobo and Waterstone closer to pub date.

I LOVED the Appeal but this didn't work as well for me. Compared to the Appeal, I found it considerably more difficult to follow and less fun to read. That said, the author created an endearing main character and an intriguing mystery. I think a lot of people will enjoy this book, especially people who enjoy podcasts and other audio media.

Get ready to feel confused but compelled to keep reading by this book! In the end it reminded me a bit of The Usual Suspects but as I was reading I kept thinking this book is so confusing and odd and in the end it was just completely brilliant.

If you love mysteries, codes, and the feeling of not being sure which end it up as you read, this book is for you!

I’ve been searching for a book that really captures and holds your attention and makes you think. The Twyford Code is it. The bulk of the story is told in the unusual format of recorded voice messages which require the reader to pay attention in order to keep to the plot. I did find this a bit difficult to follow at times and thought there could be some editing done, but it all works out in the end.

I can often predict the twist in mysteries, but this one had me completely unsuspecting the ending resolution, which IS AMAZING!

This book makes you work - I found myself going back and re-reading passages several times to keep everything straight, and spent a lot of time re-reading parts after I got to the end.

Puzzle aficionados will adore this and I can see book clubs chewing on this one. Very well-done.

4.5 Stars

I very much enjoyed this unique book. It's definitely more mystery than thriller. It took me a few chapters to get used to the writing style, which is very unique to this book and required me to remember what some of the symbols meant. The symobls are presented at the beginning of the book and that was a little annoying to follow. Once I got the hang of it, I didn't really notice them anymore. My only other real complaint with the book is that some of the names aren't going to be easy to translate if you're not a native of England, but it won't detract from the book. I loved the characters and the unique plot. Highly recommend this one if you enjoy a good mystery and/or enjoyed books like A Man Called Ove.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Viper for this ARC!

I initially requested an arc of The Twyford Code because I was introduced to Janice Hallet's writing in her AMAZING book, The Appeal. As soon as I saw she wrote another book I requested it SO FAST!

Just like she did in The Appeal, Hallet uses a very unusual format to tell the story. In this case we're being fed the story through transcripts of voice recordings that were found on a phone after an inspector sends the transcripts to a college professor asking for his opinion. A "quirk" of this book is that the system used to transcribe the voice recordings sometimes 'hears' incorrectly, so sometimes, the reader isn't sure what is actually meant.

Ex-felon, Steven Smith, who was just released from the clink after 11 years is who did the recordings. Steve has become absolutely OBSESSED with finding out what happened to one of his school teachers who disappeared during a class trip over 40 year ago which is what leads him to the Twyford Code.

I really enjoyed this book slightly more than The Appeal but I can't put my finger on exactly why that is. Like Hallett's The Appeal, The Twyford Code is *very cleve*r and I couldn't wait to find out what Steve would discover and where it would take him.

My only complaint about this book is I really, really dislike the cover art. I know that's a superficial complaint but I only read The Appeal after a second version of the book came out that had a very compelling cover. It "felt" like it matched what we were getting ourselves into. This book cover doesn't tell me anything besides "meh." Hopefully there will be another cover change and I'll purchase the hard copy version of that one as well because this is definitely worth a buy and a re-read.

I really enjoyed the ending and I was surprised (but slightly bummed) that I didn't have ANY suspicions until it was all revealed at the end. Guess it's a good thing that I'm not a detective in real life haha. Overall, I really liked the plot and characters and Hallett is now an auto-buy author for me. If you haven't read anything from her yet, I'd start with the Appeal before jumping into this book as the unusual format might be a little confusing for those who are not used to the way she formats her stories. Solid 4.75/5 stars.