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** WINNER OF THE CRIME & THRILLER BRITISH BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023 **

* THE PHENOMENAL SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER FROM THE QUEEN OF COSY CRIME *
* LONGLISTED FOR THE THEAKSTON OLD PECULIAR CRIME NOVEL AWARD *

A SUNDAY TIMES BEST BOOK OF 2022
A TELEGRAPH BEST BOOK OF 2022
A GUARDIAN BEST BOOK OF 2022
A FINANCIAL TIMES BEST BOOK OF 2022

‘Every page is a joy. The queen of unreliable narrators’ SUNDAY TIMES
‘Brilliant – a mind-bending, heartwarming mystery not to be missed’ OBSERVER
‘She’s an absolute master of what she does’ RICHARD COLES

Can you crack the Twyford Code?

Edith Twyford was once a world-famous children’s author, but now her only legacy is the rumoured existence of the Twyford Code: a series of clues hidden in her books leading to… what? No one knows – but that hasn’t stopped the speculation.

Steve Smith can trace nearly all the bad things in his life back to Edith Twyford. As a child he found one of her books, covered in strange symbols. He showed it to his teacher, Miss Iles, who was convinced it held the key to the code. Within weeks Miss Iles had disappeared, and Steve has no idea if she is dead or alive – or if she was right. Now he’s determined to find out.

But the Twyford Code hides secrets some would do anything to possess, and Steve isn’t the only one on its trail. The race is on to solve the mystery of the century. Could you get there first?

The top ten bestselling cosy crime sensation of the summer from the author of The Appeal, perfect for fans of Richard Osman and S. J. Bennett.

Publisher Review

Hallett has aced it... Every page is a joy, with laugh-out-loud moments even as the plot becomes more outlandish, and the startling final reveal crowns Hallett as the queen of unreliable narrators * Sunday Times * Even better [than The Appeal]... This fiendishly clever book manages to be both tricksy and surprisingly moving * Guardian * A tour de force - a genuinely complex puzzle with real clues to be solved... A mind-bending, heartwarming mystery that is not to be missed * Observer * A brilliantly clever, deceptive mystery with a unique twist * Heat * The Twyford Code turned my brain inside out. It totally foxed me. So clever and totally brilliant -- Lisa Hall, author of The Party A wonderful book, clever and surprisingly compassionate, constantly wrong-footing the reader on its way to an ingenious and wholly satisfying final reveal -- Brian McGilloway Enid Blyton meets Agatha Christie with a cracking twist. Witty and wonderful -- Marion Todd, author of What They Knew Fiendishly clever... Golden Age Christie-esque puzzle meets The Usual Suspects. Outstanding. Unlike anything you'll ever read -- Imran Mahmood, author of I Know What I Saw I thoroughly enjoyed it. It really pulls you in, and makes for addictive reading -- Faith Martin, author of A Fatal Truth If you love a puzzle, you'll enjoy this novel packed full of mystery and intrigue. Perfect for Richard Osman and SJ Bennett fans * Yours * An elegant puzzle of a book, which entombs an exquisite little heart -- Matt Wesolowski, author of Six Stories 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, author of Kitty Peck and the Music Hall Murders 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, author of The Islanders Packed with perplexing puzzles and linguistic legerdemain, but behind that is a poignant tale of redemption -- D.V. Bishop, author of City of Vengeance I absolutely love it. The Secret Seven for grownups -- Faith Hogan, author of What Happened to Us? 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, author of I Know You A superb mystery with true heart at its centre. No one does twists quite like Janice Hallett -- Sophie Flynn, author of All My Lies 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, author of Black Drop A stunning book. A fiendishly clever yarn that hooked me from the first line to the final revelation -- Chris McDonald, author of Roses for the Dead 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, author of Five Minds 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, author of I Wanted You To Know Ingenious * Good Housekeeping * Addictive * Waitrose Weekend * A thoroughly unusual thriller * Daily Mail *