This article was written for Annabel & Grace, which is now part of Rest Less.
It is not often that I review two books in one post as I am not a quick reader but these two books had me engrossed for different reasons from the start.
THE TWYFORD CODE by JANICE HALLETT (Viper)
I read Janice Hallett’s first book, The Appeal, and absolutely loved it as it kept me guessing to the end. (Read my review HERE). Janice writes uniquely, so I was not surprised that she adopted another distinctive style with The Twyford Code.
Steven Smith had a rotten childhood, troubled adolescence, and did a stretch in the Scrubs. Now he’s going straight and is hellbent on discovering what happened to his teacher, Miss Isles, who went missing on a school trip. He believes the answer lies in encrypted novels by Edith Twyford, a children’s author comparable to Enid Blyton.
The distinctive style comes in the form of Steve, who is dyslexic and tells the story in distorted audio transcripts, which are entertaining on their own.
I must admit that this form of writing is hard to get used to, but once you do, the story rolls out in an intriguing and gripping way. It is a brilliantly deceptive murder mystery that will captivate you to the end.
THE WHITE ROSE NETWORK by ELLIE MIDWOOD
The White Rose Network brings to life the incredible true story of Sophie Scholl—one of history’s bravest women—who risked everything to lead a revolution against darkness.
Sophie, a young German girl, meets Alexander of Russian/German descent, and together, they are united by their hatred of Hitler and drawn to each other like moths to a flame; Sophie and Alexander form the White Rose Network. They vow to inspire others to resist—to start a chain reaction and overthrow the regime. But it is a lethal game; impossible to know who to trust. Who is willing to put their life on the line? Who would betray them to evade capture?
This is an absolute tear-jerker, so have a box of tissues handy. I had heard of the White Rose Network but knew very little about it, so this book was educational and fascinating. I have read so many stories set during WWII showing the extreme horror inflicted by the Nazis, so this was the other side of the coin, the Germans who did not want to be part of this barbarity.
If you would like more of our book reviews of thrillers and other genres by various guest contributors, click HERE.