DOA's Saturday Puzzle A Word Search for The Christmas Appeal

 Lucky for you I reviewed The Christmas Appeal on my book blog last week, so you can read the review, and take the word search as clues to the plot.

https://merlynperilous.wordpress.com/2024/12/19/thursday-reviews-december-19-2024/

 

 

DOA's Answer Key for The Twyford Code Word Find

 

Librariandoa's Sunday Word Finds: The Twyford Code by Janice Hallett

 

DOA's Answer Key for: The Appeal A Word Find by Janice Hallett

 

Review: The Twyford Code by Janice Hallett

 

Hallett's The Appeal was told in the form of emails and texts.  The Twyford Code is a transcription of some 200 audio files recovered from an old iPhone.  

In this case, Inspector Waliso asks Professor Mansfield, a mathematics professor, to read through the files and to get back to the Inspector with any insights when he has finished.

Software called DeciperIt has been used to transcribe the recordings, but it is often inaccurate in the words it uses, giving an awkward sense of what's meant by the speaker.

Steven Smith, newly released from a long prison sentence, is the teller of the tale.  He has recently learned to read, he says, but writing is difficult.  He wants to tell his story for the benefit of his son, whose old phone he's using.  His son has asked him not to contact him, and told Smith he doesn't want to see him.

There's something simple about Smith, and it's difficult to tell if he just has trouble expressing himself or how much of it is the transcription software.  He seems to have memory issues as well, particularly relating to an incident when he was young.

On a bus, he found a book.  He wasn't able to read it, but found the illustrations to be intriguing.  While in class, his teacher noticed he was not paying attention and took the book away.  Not only would she not give it back at the end of class, she declared the book had been banned.  Nevertheless, over a period of days she read the book aloud to the class.

She seemed obsessed with it, and took the kids to the beach one day, and to the house of Edith Twyford, author of Six on Goldtop Hill.

Steven cannot remember how they got home from the trip, but the teacher disappeared and he can't remember what happened that day.

Contacting the other students in the class, he tries to piece together what happened.  He enlists the help of a librarian who is all in for helping him do research into the author Edith Twyford, and the code that appears to be sprinkled throughout her books.

We also learn how Steven got involved with a crime family, the life lessons he learned from them, and how he ended up in prison.

It's all done for his son, who now has a puzzle of his own to solve.

Though the recordings seem straightforward, they're fantastically plotted.  Shadowy figures close in on Steven as his story nears its end.  

Hallett is so great with her characters, revealing them essentially through dialog.  Despite it being audio recordings, I wonder if it wouldn't be a disservice to make an audio recording of this one, as it might reveal too much. 

In the front of this book is list for 2023 publication: The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels.  Can't wait!

Librariandoa's Sunday Word Finds: The Appeal by Janice Hallett

 

Review: The Appeal by Janice Hallett

 

 

Told in a series of email and text messages between The Fairway Players, The Appeal presents a lively cast, and a show that must go on.

As the cast prepares for a new play: All My Sons by Arthur Miller, casting choices are made, practices are scheduled. 

Then, the scion of the group and the village itself Martin Hayward reveals his family has been stricken with tragedy in the form of a diagnosis of brain cancer in his two year old granddaughter.  He will not be directing this time around, as he will be devoting all of his time to an Appeal for funds to help his granddaughter get a special treatment available only in the US.

As the play practices go on, the cast goes all in trying to help raise funds for the toddler.

So much about each character is revealed as they chat about the play, the Appeal, and about their work life, as some of the cast work together.  

Soon it becomes clear that several characters have completely different motivations than you'd expect.  One character seems quite off balance.  Another seems bent on revenge.  A couple of people have an unusual desire for attention, more than even actors may be known for.  The Appeal itself seems to be drawing in undesirable types who seem to want the money for themselves.

Once all of this does lead to murder, there is another Appeal. This is a legal Appeal to try to clear the name of the person accused of murder.

A most enjoyable debut novel. I have on order the author's second novel, The Twyford Code.