The Twyford Code - Janice Hallett

I thought Janice Hallett's book, The Appeal, was a fantastic listen. But, I think The Twyford Code is even better! 

Steve Smith is in his fifties when he's discharged from prison. Having had lots of time to ponder on things, he is determined to solve a mystery from his childhood. As a child, Steve found an illustrated children's book left on a bus, took it to school and showed it to his teacher Miss Iles. As the five students in the remedial class cannot read well, she reads the book to them. And as a treat, she takes the children on a field trip to one of the places the book describes. And....she disappears.

Determined to find out what happened to Miss Iles all those years ago, Smithy starts investigating. Armed with an old iPhone, he records his thoughts, memories, interactions and more. What a novel way of telling a story. I love epistolary books and The Twyford Code is the audio version of that style. Brilliant!

I was completely caught up in the complex puzzles that arise as the search begins - and the direction they take. Hallett is a clever, clever writer. Listen closely to those iPhone entries - the answers are there. But they're difficult to see and hear. A story within a story is waiting for keen listeners. I was (happily) caught completely off guard at the final 'ah hah' moment. 

I've often said I feel more immersed in a tale when I listen to it. And that is absolutely the case with The Twyford Code. The narrator was Thomas Judd. His voice is pleasant to listen to and he enunciates well. The pace of his reading is just right. Judd interprets Hallett's book perfectly, capturing the emotions and actions of the plot. His voice is changed to work with different characters. An excellent presentation of a wonderful book! Hear for yourself - listen to an audio excerpt.