Books Read in 2023: The Twyford Code by Janice Hallet

“Take heed everyone. Trust what you find out. Right Doesn’t Come of deceit. Everything is spoken. Always love in vain. Each time of day answers you.”

Bestseller Hallett’s latest novel reunites us with the Fairway Players, the beleaguered am-dram group who featured in her debut, The Appeal. As before, young lawyers Femi and Charlotte are tasked with working out whodunnit from a bunch of emails, messages and transcripts of police interviews sent to them by their now retired pupil master, Roderick Tanner KC. Here, the source of discord is the Christmas show, Jack and the Beanstalk, with infighting over casting, logistics and scenery – the giant stem, a 40-year-old panto veteran that began its life in the West End, is rumoured to contain asbestos. Unfortunately, it also contains something else, which is gruesomely revealed during the first, and only, performance … Hallett is particularly good on small-town snobberies, rivalries and social dynamics – the splendidly snippy reactions to a boastful round robin are a highlight – and while this is a considerably slighter and less complex and emotionally engaging novel than The Appeal, there is a great deal of festive fun to be had.

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A spot of tea with borrowed library books: The Twyford Code and The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels, both by Janice Hallet

Twyford Code - Janice Hallett

Summary: In a series of voice messages sent to his estranged son, Steven Smith details his quest to discover what happened to his teacher Miss Isles on a fateful school trip forty years ago. As Steven explores his past, he becomes involved in a greater mystery that had consumed Miss Isles, that of the Twyford Code, the conspiracy that a secret code was hidden in the books of WWII-era children’s author Edith Twyford. 

Quote: “You must understand that two people may have different memories of the same thing. And both are correct.”

My rating: 3.0/5.0  Goodreads: 3.64/5.0

Review: Lots of fun, and even if not particularly brilliant, the mystery has layers that are trickier and more complex than they first appear. I was a little nervous about the promise of acrostics and codes-neither of which are my thing-but the reader has to do zero code-cracking on their own. All they have to do is follow along as Steve and then his son solve the mystery. Steve is a charming narrator, also more complex than he first appears. However, like in Hallett’s other work, The Appeal, the explanations at the end of the book are too long and the twist is overexplained. The first ten hours of the audiobook went fast, the rest far too slow.

Title: The Twyford Code | Author: Janice Hallett | Publisher: Viper (2022)

One day this book will forgive me for what I did to its spine.

The Mysterious Case Of The Alperton Angels by Janice Hallett

Today I am delighted to share my thoughts on The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels by Janice Hallett @JaniceHallett @ViperBooks #books #booktwitter #booktwt

Today I’m sharing my thoughts on the brand new novel from Janice Hallet, The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels. I was so excited to receive an early proof of this one from publisher Viper, having thoroughly enjoyed the author’s previous novel, The Twyford Code. Here’s what it’s all about: Source: Advance Reader CopyRelease Date: 19 January 2023Publisher: Viper Books (more…) “”

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REVIEW: The Twyford Code

REVIEW: The Twyford Code

Steve “Smithy” Smith is both Magwitch and Pip in this unusual story of wild expectation. The majority of the novel is told via audio transcripts of recordings made by Smithy. At times he is interviewing others, but is it mostly him telling his story of both childhood and the long-delayed solution to a mystery that has haunted him for decades. All my life it’s haunted me. But now I know, I’m…

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Books Read in 2024: The Appeal by Janice Hallet

“I would describe her as a survivor. We tend to consider survivors as strong and heroic. The reality is never as pretty or noble. Some survive because they deceive, some because they delude themselves. Others refuse to engage with reality.”

The Appeal by Janice Hallett 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 💀 Holy. Shit. When I picked this book up three days ago I had no idea I'd become so obsessed. I've even done something I swore I'd never do: wrote in the book with a pencil, to highlight what I thought was important. What an interesting way to write a book. Not a single spoken conversation in there, and yet so telling. Hallett manages to give her characters all their own tone through the medium of emails and texting, and manages to tell a story through them too. Absolutely wild ride I've been on these past few days. I don't know what I want to read next. 💀 📷

Newly acquired: The Appeal by Janice Hallet

i really admire janice hallett -- writing one email is already pretty hard, but writing a book that consists of hundreds of emails? i don't know how she did it; my nervousness would be through the roof

Best of 2023 - a 241. epizód

Ha itt az új év, akkor itt az előző évet összegző adásunk is: immár sokadik alkalommal készítjük el “best of” epizódunkat, amelyben az előző év legjobb könyves, filmes, sorozatos és általánosságban popkulturális élményeit vesszük sorra. Szerencsére 2023-ban is bőven voltak emlékezetes popkult élményeink, úgyhogy volt miről beszélni! Tartsatok velünk ti is az évösszegző epizódban. 🙂 Best of…

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