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A review by beau_reads_books
The Twyford Code by Janice Hallett
5.0
“(00:00:27)
This may be your diary, but I KNOW you're making some things up. How can I work out what's true and what isn't, especially when you didn't finish the story?”
God, I love an epistolary mystery. Nothing quite gets me going like uncovering hidden truths via various methods of recorded narratives. In this instance, the transcribed voice diaries of the narrator, filled with auto-corrected errors (“must’ve” = “mustard”) act as dialogue and supplemental summarization after the fact. This was a challenging read and I appreciated the mental exercise of parsing what was really happening with the dodgy transcriptions. Hallett’s unique style concocts growing suspense, consistent puzzlement, and an emotional attachment to the finale.
The ending felt over-explained but it’s hard to avoid being there was a structure transition in the writing itself. That said, with how entrenched this mystery ended up being, readers would have been robbed without adequate clarification.
4.5/5 No one’s doing codes anymore. We need more codes. Let me happen upon a multi-generational hidden puzzle within children’s stories. Free me from the shackles of my mundane life and let me soar into possibility. I can do the NYT easy sudoku in 1m45s. I was built for this.
This may be your diary, but I KNOW you're making some things up. How can I work out what's true and what isn't, especially when you didn't finish the story?”
God, I love an epistolary mystery. Nothing quite gets me going like uncovering hidden truths via various methods of recorded narratives. In this instance, the transcribed voice diaries of the narrator, filled with auto-corrected errors (“must’ve” = “mustard”) act as dialogue and supplemental summarization after the fact. This was a challenging read and I appreciated the mental exercise of parsing what was really happening with the dodgy transcriptions. Hallett’s unique style concocts growing suspense, consistent puzzlement, and an emotional attachment to the finale.
The ending felt over-explained but it’s hard to avoid being there was a structure transition in the writing itself. That said, with how entrenched this mystery ended up being, readers would have been robbed without adequate clarification.
4.5/5 No one’s doing codes anymore. We need more codes. Let me happen upon a multi-generational hidden puzzle within children’s stories. Free me from the shackles of my mundane life and let me soar into possibility. I can do the NYT easy sudoku in 1m45s. I was built for this.