Book Review: The Twyford Code by Janice Hallett

[dustandhoney]

This one was a curious read - clever, circuitous, and full of static. Told entirely through auto-transcribed audio files (complete with mishearings and transcription errors), The Twyford Code unfolds like an archival puzzle where half the pieces are smudged. That’s part of its charm.

We follow Steven Smith, an ex-con with a tangled past, as he tries to unravel the mystery of a children’s book and the possible code buried within it. But more than that, it’s a story about misremembering, about what stories we tell ourselves to survive, and what gets lost in translation - not just in language, but in time, in shame, in silence.

I found the format fascinating. As someone who’s spent long hours with imperfect records and half-legible margins, I was pulled in by the layers - what’s said, what’s guessed, what’s omitted entirely. There’s something generous in how it invites the reader to fill the gaps.

🌿 Favourite takeaway: the idea that the most important messages might be hiding in the errors. In what’s wrongly heard. That felt deeply human.

That said, I didn’t quite fall in love. The emotional distance kept me hovering at the edges. While the twist (and there are several) was brilliantly handled, I wanted just a little more stillness, more space to breathe between the turns.

🌙 Three and three-quarter stars. Formally fascinating, thematically rich, but not quite one I’ll carry with me. A well-made thing, admired through glass.

Would recommend for: fans of cryptic crosswords and found documents, readers who enjoy form as mystery, those interested in the fragility of memory.