Reviews with content warning for Domestic abuse - The Twyford Code

‘The Twyford Code’ by Janice Hallett is a twisty found audio mystery centered around a code in a children’s book that led to a teacher’s disappearance.
Told through audio files, mostly voice recordings, the story centers on Steven Smith, a man trying to find his way after getting out of prison. After his release, he becomes obsessed with the Twyford Code, a code in a series of children’s books that he found when he was a child. The code is connected to the disappearance of one of his favorite teachers and Steven believes that he can not only crack the code but also figure out what happened to his teach all of those years ago.
Hallett does a great job of utilizing the audio files to tell a story where you’re never quite sure what is true. Since we are getting the story primarily through Steven’s audio recordings, including his own recollections of encounters with acquaintances, it leaves the truth of what is going on up in the air as he begins to unravel the code.
There was a point towards the end where the story was heading in a direction I wasn’t a fan of but Hallett did manage to bring the story around to a satisfying conclusion.
The audiobook is a great option for this story since the story is told through audio files. I do wish there had been a few more narrators incorporated to make it feel more like an audio drama but I also understand that ultimately this wouldn’t have served the story.
I’m interested to read more of Hallett’s work since I love stories told through letters, documents, audio files, and the like.

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savvyrosereads's review

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challenging funny mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? N/A
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Out now! [Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!]

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Steve “Smithy” Smith has recently been released from prison and is hunting for a mysterious code in the children’s books of author Edith Twyford, which may be tied to the decades-old disappearance of his teacher.

I love a good mystery/puzzle and heard really great things about this one, which is told in a series of transcribed audio files, a truly unique format (I don’t think I’ve ever read anything quite like it). I was able to read this as part of a buddy read, which absolutely added to the fun, as we were able to put our detective hats on and discuss.

That said, while I was definitely intrigued the whole time, The Twyford Code ultimately didn’t land in quite the way I hoped—I found myself confused and a bit frustrated with the way the mystery played out, and while that may be the point, it isn’t my preferred style at all. I felt like I never knew what the actual questions were, so I couldn’t really focus on solving them, and it made the reveal(s) at the end feel a bit out of left field. I also felt like there were a bunch of unanswered questions in the end, and as someone who really likes closure in a book the lack of resolution wasn’t my favorite.

All of that said, I truly know people who ADORE this book, and if it sounds intriguing to you I would absolutely say to give it a shot! It will easily go down as the most original thing I’ve read this year (and maybe ever) and I think if you are the type of person who will enjoy this one you’ll REALLY enjoy it.

Recommended if you like: puzzle books; unconventional/epistolary(ish) formats; multiple plot threads

CW: Violence/injury/blood (all mild); death/loss of parents (off-page); mentions of domestic abuse

Content Warnings

aden_'s review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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emma6544's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging hopeful inspiring mysterious relaxing sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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mercurialbooks's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Thank you to Pigeonhole and Janice Hallett for letting my read this book ahead of its publishing date.

I don't know how to review this. The Twyford Code is excellent.

It is a puzzle within a puzzle and I can see people reading it twice to check through if they missed anything the first time.

I would absolutely say to everyone to make sure you have a physical copy of this book rather than audio or e-book, as flicking back to different pages will be something you want to do.

Essentially, an ex-con (Steve) wants to trace a teacher he once knew in secondary school that disappeared. He doesn't know exactly where to start so he goes back to ask his old school friends. They act shifty around the subject and it leads him to discover The Twyford Code. A code hidden within children's novels written during WWII. This author is no longer enjoyed by modern audiences due to her sexist, racist and elitist writing and is a great pastiche of Enid Blyton. Steve and his friends follow a trail of clues to try to discover what they mean, and how on Earth they are related to the former teacher never coming home. There are a lot of flashbacks to Steve's younger years, including his not so nice family life, so please check content warnings. But the whole thing is tied up with Steve's humorous point of view, he is often unexpectedly funny and quite without meaning to be.

The ending is NOT what you are expecting.

I found reading with Pigeonhole that a few readers dropped out quickly due to the format of the book. It is written as transcriptions of voice recordings. I think this bothered me less as I am not compelled to read each time stamp associated with the paragraph and could skim over them, but some others felt obliged to read them and they found this quite frustrating.

This had the best reveal of any novel I have read in a long time and I genuinely loved it. I'd not read The Appeal (also by Janice Hallett) but now it's all I want to read!

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