The Twyford Code

The Twyford Code, Janice Hallett’s follow-up to her début The Appeal, was praised as “brave” and “bold” by our judges, with one dubbing it: “epistolary brainy crime”. Second books can be tricky, but Hallett smashed expectations when The Twyford Code outsold her début novel in hardback, audio and export.

The judges were very impressed by Hallett’s skill in creating a mystery where the reader is invited to solve the crime alongside the characters, testifying to her growing strength as a writer. The striking cover included 33 clues within the fish’s scales and eyes and Viper’s “canny” marketing positioned Hallett as a the “queen of cosy crime” and capitalised on the love for her début. It is a “really wonderful success story”, commented one judge.