The Twyford Code

The mysterious connection between a teacher’s disappearance and an unsolved code in a children’s book is explored in this new novel from the “modern Agatha Christie” (TheSunday Times, London) and author of The Appeal.

Forty years ago, Steven “Smithy” Smith found a copy of a famous children’s book by disgraced author Edith Twyford, its margins full of strange markings and annotations. When he showed it to his remedial English teacher Miss Iles, she believed that it was part of a secret code that ran through all of Twyford’s novels. And when she later disappeared on a class field trip, Smithy becomes convinced that she had been right.

Now, out of prison after a long stretch, Smithy decides to investigate the mystery that has haunted him for decades. In a series of voice recordings on an old iPhone, Smithy alternates between visiting the people of his childhood and looking back on the events that later landed him in prison. But it soon becomes clear that Edith Twyford wasn’t just a writer of forgotten children’s stories. The Twyford Code holds a great secret, and Smithy may just have the key.

“Filled with numerous clues, acrostics, and red herrings, this thrilling scavenger hunt for the truth is delightfully deceptive and thoroughly immersive” (Publishers Weekly, starred review).


Genre: Mystery

"Packed with perplexing puzzles and linguistic legerdemain, but behind that is a poignant tale of redemption." - D V Bishop

"A superb mystery with true heart at its centre. No one does twists quite like Janice Hallett." - Sophie Flynn

"A multi-layered, multi-voiced mystery unlike anything I've read before. It's packed with tricky clues, red herrings and cunning acrostics, but ultimately it packs an emotional punch you don't see coming." - Kate Griffin

"The Twyford Code turned my brain inside out. It totally foxed me. So clever and totally brilliant." - Lisa Hall

"I absolutely love it. The Secret Seven for grownups." - Faith Hogan

"A highly original, immersive story that draws you in from the very beginning and keeps you thinking. Smithy was a fascinating character with whom it was a pleasure to spend time." - S V Leonard

"A stunning book. A fiendishly clever yarn that hooked me from the first line to the final revelation." - Chris McDonald

"Fiendishly clever... Golden Age Christie-esque puzzle meets The Usual Suspects. Outstanding. Unlike anything you'll ever read." - Imran Mahmood

"I thoroughly enjoyed it. It really pulls you in, and makes for addictive reading." - Faith Martin

"Just finished the brilliant The Twyford Code by Janice Hallett. It's twisty, clever and deceptive, with clues dropped along the way - although I missed most of them! Loved it!" - Guy Morpuss

"An ingenious novel that allows the reader to investigate the case themselves. Full of twists and credible characters, I loved every single word." - Louise Mullins

"Janice Hallett is a genius at conjuring a whole world through dialogue, and yet there's so much more to it than that. Pure genius." - Leonora Nattrass

"I read the last fifty pages of The Twyford Code with my mouth hanging open and my brain very close to exploding. There is clever and then there's this." - Laura Pearson

"Enid Blyton meets Agatha Christie with a cracking twist. Witty and wonderful." - Marion Todd

"An elegant puzzle of a book, which entombs an exquisite little heart." - Matt Wesolowski