I was a little unsure when I read that the book was voice notes,and things weren't always correct (mustard,missiles etc etc) BUT I went with it,as Hallet won me round completely with her last book with a format I wasn't sure of.

A little bit of a puzzler to begin with,as to if anything even happened that's worth mentioning,but slowly things are clearer,as more characters say their piece.

Then it sometimes became even more of a puzzler as I wasn't always sure I knew what was going on.

Another interesting way to tell a story,that adds a little something to the story.

It's a worthy second book,that I hope does as well as the first.

This author has done it again what a spectacular book that kept me hooked from beginning to end . This author is becoming an auto by author I also love the writting style of both her books. And the ending wow x

An unusually plotted and intriguingly presented mystery told only through ‘audio clips’ or voice recordings. Edith Twyford was a suspected double agent during WWII and left clues in her ‘Enid Blyton style’ children’s books to the whereabouts of Britain’s hidden treasure. Steve, an ex-prisoner and past pupil of Miss Isles begins to search for the treasure many decades after his teacher had piqued his interest in the ‘Twyford Mystery’ . This is a twisty, turny, clever mystery, and unlike any other mystery I have read due to the interesting format.
What unfolds is not all it seems.

Thanks to #NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ahead of publication in exchange for an honest review

After recently reading this authors first book, ‘The Appeal’ and it easily being one of my favourite books of the year, I was really excited to receive an advanced copy of her next book, ‘The Twyford Code’.

‘The Twyford Code’ introduces us to Steven Smith, recently released from prison he has a mystery he wants to solve. After having had a lot of time to think about things whilst inside, he is determined to find answers upon his release, to stop the memories that have haunted him for decades. Along the way he uncovers a secret code, however it soon becomes clear he’s not the only one trying to decipher it…

Whilst ‘The Appeal’ was told through the means of emails and text messages (which I really loved the format of despite initial concerns I wouldn’t!) this sorry is told through the transcriptions of audio files. This took me a lot longer to get used to than text messages and emails and I did struggle with the story because of this initially as it seems all over the place - this could also have been down to the proof layout received as well though, it may be presented differently in the printed edition.

The story is good though and leaves an unexpected and clever twist at the end, it is literally something you don’t see coming in the slightest until the point of reveal. Am a big fan of Janice Hallett’s writing style and, although I may not have enjoyed this as much as The Appeal, I am definitely looking forward to reading more by this author in the future.

I must be one of the few people not yet to have read Janice Hallett’s previous book, The Appeal, but I’m certainly aware of all the fuss it attracted and I jumped at the chance to read a review copy of her forthcoming novel, The Twyford Code.

The Twyford Code begins with a letter from an Inspector Waliso to a Professor Mansfield, asking the Professor to examine some transcripts of audio files taken from an iPhone belonging to a missing person. The introduction reminded me straight away of the beginnings of some classic epistolary novels, and intrigued me.

The transcripts themselves are then presented, as dictated by Steven Smith. It soon becomes apparent that Steven has had a bit of a chequered past and, on his release from prison, is recording the files while he tries to solve a mystery that’s been on his mind for years, concerning an old school teacher of his who went missing on an unofficial school outing. The Twyford Code is set up as a kind of mystery within a mystery, as we don’t know what has happened to Steven himself.

The Twyford of the title refers to the fictitious author, Edith Twyford, a children’s author who has fallen out of fashion and whose books are thought to contain a secret code. Steven believes that his teacher’s disappearance has something to do with her attempts to crack this code. The descriptions of Edith Twyford and her novels bring to mind Enid Blyton, and there’s a sly humour that runs through The Twyford Code.

I don’t want to give too much away about this novel, other than to say it’s complex and very cleverly constructed, and you may well be tempted to re-read parts of it when you reach the end, to see for yourself all the things you missed.

I have, of course, now obtained a copy of The Appeal!

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 really love how Janice Hallet sets out her books. The plots are so cleverly thought out and the twist hits you from nowhere.
I started this not quite sure where it would take me and I loved the characters and how over time you get to know them.
I can not wait for another mystery to read.

After devouring The Appeal and loving the way it was set out in the way of emails, I was waiting for The Twyford Code. Again another refreshing set up of a book, this time in audio transcripts. Another great mystery to solve a long the way. Amazing sequel.

I received a free review copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest unedited feedback.

I have read this book in the space of a day and a half. I have had to be forced to put it down when I’ve needed to do something and now that it is finished I’m feeling a little speechless, desperate to talk to someone about it in great detail and slightly lost as to what I could possibly read next that will stand up to it.

I don’t want to give any spoilers because this really is a mystery full of twists and turns. It kept me guessing and has completely taken me by surprise in the most wonderful way.

Like The Appeal this book is set out in a new and interesting way. Told through a series of voice recordings, phone calls and messages - we are able to follow the story of the characters as The Twyford Code is uncovered.

This really is such a clever book - I can’t even begin to imagine how Janice Hallett has come up with such a masterpiece.

Without doubt this is a must read and I recommend you preorder it from your local book shop now!!

I received a free review copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest unedited feedback.

Well, how to review a book like this without spoilers is tough.

My main reaction is that it's a cunning, clever story. The format is essential, it wouldn't work as a movie or tv series. The reader may or may not pick up on certain aspects of the text, but that's not important, just enjoy it.

I took a few pages to get used to the format, but soon it flows naturally. As I was reading, it felt like I was missing something, or seeing something out of the corner of my eye, it's beautifully constructed.

As I'm typing this the morning after finishing it, I'm realising small but significant touches the author has added.

I was tempted to go back and read it again, which I've no doubt some people will. But that not really the point, is it?

What I can say to finish is that categorically, in London or Venice, every day is terrific. Catching on?

I'd give this more than five stars if I could. Magnificent.

I really enjoyed The Appeal so was super grateful to receive an advance copy of The Twyford Code.

I must admit - I didn't immediately get into the book - I think part of this might be because I was reading it on a kindle and suspect formatting issues may be at play but I persevered and am so glad I did - the ending was unexpected, the mystery was exciting and it was actually really heartwarming! Janice Hallett is definitely on my list of must-read authors!

I was so excited to read this as I had loved The Appeal. I wasn't sure what to expect with The Twyford Code but I had already heard rumblings that it was another fabulous book!

Janice has a unique way of structuring her novels and I really love this style. I was immediately drawn into the narrative and the characterisation was spot on yet again. The story kept unfolding and just as I thought I had solved the mystery and bang, another great twist!

Absolutely my kind of book and I really can't wait to read more by this incredible author.

I received a free review copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest unedited feedback, I have to say yet again Janice Hallett has blown my mind and my socks off!
As per her previous romp, this took a while to get my head around (the layout and the wording) once that sank in it was a rip roarer. The way the story is told is reminiscent of the sixth sense in that I now need to go back and read it all again to catch all the links I missed! I had already preordered this prior to being privileged to an advanced copy, I will still be getting my copy and then sharing it and my views ofthe authors crafting of another magnificent story!

I loved The appeal and had high hopes for this. Inevitably it’ll be compared. Sorry but it just didn’t do it for me. It’s a similar e format to The Appeal but in this case it’s voice recordings. For me I found it stilted and unconvincing. Not a fan of this sadly.

I loved this. The plot was fantastic, the characters phenomenally written and generally a great book.

What a fantastic book, I couldn't put it down. Steven Smith found a book when still at School and took it to his remedial English teacher Miss Isles. She recognised it as a book she read when she was young, but this copy has annotations and symbols in the margins. Steven, Miss Isles and the rest of the class go on a day out and Miss Isles doesn't return or does she? Forty years later after his release from prison Steven is on a mission to find out what went on that day. Is their a secret code written by the disgraced author Edith Twyford? Can he get his memory back with help of the other kids in the class? I love the way Steven uses his mobile phone to record the conversations he has. Such a complex mystery, It had me guessing right to the end, beautifully written.

Wow!

What a clever, well devised, gripping book. Having loved The Appeal, I couldn't wait to start on The Twyford Code and it was everything I was hoping for.

Smithy was a brilliant narrator, and I loved the way Hallett added clues throughout the book to drip feed a phenomenal ending.

Cannot wait to see what she writes next.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review.

A phenomenally clever and entertaining mystery

When your debut novel is as well received and applauded for its intelligence as Janice Hallett’s #TheAppeal was, your next book must be the most daunting thing in the world. So let me start this review by saying that not only has Hallett matched the genius of The Appeal, she’s surpassed it in so many ways! In fact, The Twyford Code is so unique, ingenious and mysterious that it’s incredibly hard to review without unintentionally giving something away that may ruin someone else’s enjoyment of trying to work this devious plot out.

The novel unfolds as a series of audio recordings from Steven Smith, who has recently been released from prison. He is obsessed with solving the mysterious disappearance of one of his teachers, which happened shortly after he found a book on a bus as a boy. What follows over the course of the audio files is a gripping puzzle, an exciting adventure and an affecting memoir. However, not everything is as it seems and there are plenty of twists and turns as both Steven and the reader try to solve a host of perplexing secrets to get to the truth. As with The Appeal, this unique way of laying out a crime/mystery novel is Hallett’s power as a writer. The Twyford Code is a unique piece of storytelling that is addictive to read and so very, very clever. By stepping away from a traditional chapter structure, Hallett delivers a novel that is nigh on impossible to put down. The short bursts of action that are delivered in each recording means the novel progresses at pace, whilst also generating a deep routed tension that permeates throughout. I really enjoyed the format and structure, which is different from The Appeal (I promise the comparisons will stop now!), but equally refreshing and effective. Hallett continues to shake up the crime genre with The Twyford Code and this novel cements her as an auto-buy author for me.

The plot is a brilliant mix of missing person mystery, discovering hidden messages and solving secret codes and questions around hunting for an elusive treasure, all wrapped up in a very personal history. At times it almost feels like this could be the transcripts of a true crime podcast and this also made it an incredibly engaging read. I was fully invested in the characters and was desperate to know exactly what the Twyford code was and what it lead to. However, one of the aspects of the novel that I found particularly interesting was the exploration of the English language. The fictional transcribing service that has been used to turn the audio recordings into written words picks things up incorrectly (think things like “Miss Isles” being “missiles”, “Bournemouth”being “bore muff” or “must have” being “mustard”). I was absolutely fascinated by how it was still so easy to understand what was being said when reading how the word(s) sounded. It’s an incredible way to write a novel and shows the power of great writing, when meaning is not lost even if sentences can look like nonsense on the surface. Similarly, the way Hallett pulls all the narrative strands together to deliver such a plausible conclusion is nothing short of miraculous. The comparisons to Christie are very well deserved, because as with the Queen of Crime, whilst the mystery is multifaceted, complex and impossible to guess, there’s a beautiful simplicity to the truth that will immediately have you kicking yourself for not seeing clearly (even if you’ve had the slightest rumblings of a suspicion along the way!).

I don’t want to give any of this wonderful novel away, so I’ll close here by simply imploring you to read this book if you love to get lost in a spine tingling mystery that you immediately want to read again with a newfound knowledge!

This book is SERIOUSLY GOOD, EXTREMELY ADDICTIVE, PHENOMENAL, LOVED IT, DEVOURED IT, COMPELLING, JUST WOW, WOW, WOW!. Story draws you in immediately and it's kind of written in a way that the reader try's to investigate the code themselves, it's a puzzling story told through recordings by the protagonist Steven Smith, who is talented, clever & witty. It's full of twists and all the characters are believable. The plot is fantastic and I have never read a book like it before. When the case is finalised and the story comes to an end, it literally left me gob smacked, it's one hell of a mind-blowing ending. The more you read, the more you become addicted to the story and bef0re you know it you have read the whole book. It truly is a masterpiece and Janice Hallett is a very clever author. If I could I would give it millions of stars, unfortunately I can only give it five. It deserves so many more. I would like to give a huge THANK YOU to NetGally and Viper for ARC, I really appreciate it.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Viper Books for sending me an uncorrected proof of 'The Twyford Code' in exchange for an honest review. Janice Hallett's first novel, 'The Appeal', is the best crime novel I've read in the last decade at least, and so I was very excited to read her second novel. 'The Twyford Code' has lots in common with 'The Appeal' and is enjoyable for many of the same reasons, but also treads new ground. I don't think I liked this novel quite as much as 'The Appeal', but that says more about the strength of Hallett's first novel, and there are certainly still plenty of reasons to read 'The Twyford Code'!

The novel largely consists of transcripts of audio files recorded by Steven Smith, an ex-convict whose teacher went missing when he was at school, possibly after discovering a secret code in the novels of Edith Twyford, a once popular children's writer whose novels who are now considered dated and un-PC (a definite nod to Enid Blyton.) Smith enlists the help of his former classmates and a friendly librarian to crack the Twyford Code, whilst pursued by two shadowy figures who seem determined to thwart him. As the story progresses, we start to wonder if there is more than meets the eye (or ear) in these audio files.

Hallett takes us on a gleefully implausible romp, which at times feels like an Usborne Puzzle Adventure book for grown-ups as a lot of the fun is in looking for the secret messages hidden in plain sight. The epistolary form once again works really well for this - being given a collection of documents without a narrator to guide us through them puts us in the position of the detective, and we spend much of the novel alert but pleasantly mystified by the mass of information with which we have been presented. However, the final plot twists are ingenious and satisfying, and make sense of everything that comes before them.

There is some effective humour in this novel- particularly the amusingly idiosyncratic transcription software - but I didn't find it as entertaining as 'The Appeal' where Hallett creates such instantly recognisable caricatures through how they communicate electronically. 'The Appeal' is very much grounded in the minutiae of a small community, whereas 'The Twyford Code' unfolds on a larger canvas, requiring us to suspend disbelief fairly early on. This brings its own rewards with some great set-pieces, but I did miss the sharpness of the previous novel's characterisation, as well as the range of different voices.

It feels unfair to dwell too much on these comparisons - had I not read 'The Appeal' first, I think my comments on 'The Twyford Code' would have been almost entirely positive. it was once again a gripping page-tuner, and, having read two very different but very diverting detective novels from Janice Hallett, I am intrigued to see what she will write next!