The Twyford Code. Hallett, Janice. New York : Atria Books, 2023.
Content Warnings: Death, Violence, Gun Violence, Murder, Death of Parent, Abandonment, Domestic Abuse, Kidnapping
Steven “Smithy” Smith has recently been released from prison and can’t remember the last time anything truly good happened in his life – except Miss Iles. The problem is, he also can’t remember what happened to her.
Miss Iles, Smithy’s middle school remedial English teacher, was the one who recognized that his reading difficulties were undiagnosed dyslexia and the one who actually treated him and the other students in the class with respect. While in her class some 40 years ago, Smithy found a copy of a children’s book by famous but disgraced author Edith Twyford with strange notes and markings in it. When he brought it to Miss Iles, she not only read the story to the class but became convinced that the markings revealed a code hidden in the book that would reveal the location of a hidden treasure. The last time Smithy remembers seeing Miss Iles was on a field trip to Twyford’s hometown – he and the other students came back, but Miss Iles did not.
Now a grown man, Smithy is determined to solve this mystery from his childhood. He tracks down the other students from the remedial class, some of whom want nothing to do with his mission and some who have even more shocking theories: the Twyford Code is real, Miss Iles disappeared because of it, and dangerous people are still trying to crack it today.
Smithy makes a compelling narrator as he tries to trace both the circumstances of his teacher’s disappearance and those of his own life’s descent into crime. He tells his story through a series of voice recordings, as Smithy still finds it easier to explain things verbally than to write them down. This makes for interesting reading at times, with some words being occasionally “mistranscribed,” as a section at the beginning of the book explains (for instance, “Miss Iles” frequently becomes “missiles”). I found this enhances the reading experience, with the reader’s occasional deciphering of transcriptions paralleling the characters’ work of solving the meanings of various codes and ciphers in the all-important children’s book text.
Smithy’s voice recordings alternate between his present task and reminiscing on his past choices in life that led to his imprisonment. Hallett weaves these together in ways that form surprising connections, provide plenty of twists and turns, and offer touching insights into the hardships faced by formerly incarcerated individuals. This title offers everything from World War II gold to commentary on the importance of libraries, all in a mystery that truly keeps you guessing all the way to the end!
Joan Hedrick is a Circulation Assistant at Graham Public Library. She can be reached at jhedrick@alamancelibraries.org and (336)570-6730.