When an old iPhone is analysed, almost 200 voice recordings are discovered. The recordings relay how ex-prisoner Steve Smith is determined to solve The Twyford Code. The code is linked to a series of children's books from the 30's and 40's. Steve found a copy of one of the books when he was fourteen, and as a result, his English teacher, Miss Iles, mysteriously disappeared. The voice recordings reveal the lengths Steve goes to in order to solve the code and find out exactly what happened to Miss Iles.
The Twyford Code is such a fun read, even better than Hallett's first novel, The Appeal. The nature of the audio transcripts immediately draws you in. Short and snappy but with the air of listening in to someone else's private conversations. The information hidden in the code is "at best sensitive and at worst dangerous, to this very day". There are lots of suggestions as to what the code could lead to, from untold wealth to time portals.
Conspiracy theories abound, and you are never quite sure who to trust. Characters disappear and reappear with regularity, along with mysterious villains dressed in black. You do begin to wonder if everything is real.
The story is very reminiscent of children's books such as The Famous Five and The Secret Seven. The nostalgia factor really adds to the enjoyment, keeping the reader moving forward, wanting to know if the code is going to be solved. Counter-balanced to this are the snippets we get of Steve's background. His dysfunctional family and how he came to be involved with organised crime.
With a fitting conclusion that explains everything to the reader, Janice Hallett must be congratulated for such a well-structured mystery that keeps the reader on their toes throughout.
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