#Blogtour The Christmas Appeal by Janice Hallett

It's a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour The Christmas Appeal by Janice Hallett.

About the Author

Janice Hallett is the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Appeal (a Waterstones Thriller of the Month, the Sunday Times Crime Book of the Year and winner of the CWA Debut Dagger award) and the Sunday Times bestsellers The Twyford Code and The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels. She lives in West London. Follow @JaniceHallett on X (the artist formerly known as Twitter)

About the book

* The Cast of Sunday Times Bestselling The Appeal return for a festive Murder Mystery *

One dead Santa. A town full of suspects. Will you discover the truth? Christmas in Lower Lockwood, and the Fairway Players are busy rehearsing their festive pantomime, Jack and the Beanstalk, to raise money for the church roof appeal.

But despite the season, goodwill is distinctly lacking amongst the amateur dramatics enthusiasts. Sarah-Jane is fending off threats to her new position as Chair, the fibreglass beanstalk might be full of asbestos, and a someone is intent on ruining the panto even before the curtain goes up.

Of course there's also the matter of the dead body. Who could possibly have had the victim on their naughty list? Join lawyers Femi and Charlotte as they read the round robins, examine the emails and pore over the police transcripts. Will the show go on?

Review

I've said this before, but it's definitely worth repeating, this author brings an entirely new vibe to fictional writing. It's fresh, innovative, will probably appeal to and bring in a wider audience. It's also worth noting that they are an author to watch.

This a novella length read, a 1.5 add-on to the novel Appeal, and the chaos has lost none of its charm. The focus, once again, is on the Fairway Players and their inability to stay away from murder and mayhem. In the midst of low-key tensions, jealousies and competitive drive, the Fairway Players take centre stage in this murder mystery - if they aren't careful they might start getting a reputation for always being in the middle of a scandal.

It's up to Femi and Charlotte to discern the lie from the truth, the malice from the merely incompetent, the eternally annoyed from the blatantly stupid, but most importantly they have to decide where the line is drawn between accident and intent. 

As always it's the kind of read that keeps you reviewing the information you are taking on board, even if it means revisiting some details, because the answers are in the small details and sometimes they are in the turn of a phrase.

I thought the twist towards the end was intriguing, could this be a potential plot of a further Appeal? Please make the twist the villain in a new venture! Before I forget, can I just say kudos for the murder 'weapon' - I will never see, listen to or read that story without thinking of this rather unusual piece of evidence.

Buy The Christmas Appeal at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher ‏: ‎Viper, pub date 26 Oct. 2023. Buy at Amazon com.

#Review The Appeal by Janice Hallett

The Appeal - 'The standout debut thriller of 2021 that delivers multiple brilliant twists, and will change the way you think about the modern crime novel.' Coming in January 2022 - The Twyford Code also by Janice Hallett

About the Author

Janice Hallett is a former magazine editor, award-winning journalist and government communications writer. She wrote articles and speeches for, among others, the Cabinet Office, Home Office and Department for International Development. Her enthusiasm for travel has taken her around the world several times, from Madagascar to the Galapagos, Guatemala to Zimbabwe, Japan, Russia and South Korea. 

A playwright and screenwriter, she penned the feminist Shakespearean stage comedy NetherBard and co-wrote the feature film Retreat, a psychological thriller starring Cillian Murphy, Thandiwe Newton and Jamie Bell. The Appeal was her first novel, her second The Twyford Code is set to be published by Viper Books in January 2022. Follow @JaniceHallett on Twitter

About the book

In a town full of secrets. Someone was murdered. Someone went to prison. And Everyone's a suspect. Can you uncover the truth?

There is a mystery to solve in the sleepy town of Lower Lockwood. It starts with the arrival of two secretive newcomers, and ends with a tragic death. Roderick Tanner QC has assigned law students Charlotte and Femi to the case. Someone has already been sent to prison for murder, but he suspects that they are innocent. And that far darker secrets have yet to be revealed...

Throughout the amateur dramatics society's disastrous staging of All My Sons and the shady charity appeal for a little girl's medical treatment, the murderer hid in plain sight. The evidence is all there, waiting to be found. But will Charlotte and Femi solve the case? Will you?

Review

I think less will be more when it comes to reviewing this one. I wouldn't want to take away the pleasure of experiencing this little treasure with an open mind.

Just one thing though, the minutes created by Isabel Beck were a riot - this is what happens when you write what you think, as opposed to giving a written narrative of what was actually said. Maybe she can come do some clerking in our town, it would go down a treat.

I have to give Hallett her dues, this is a completely engrossing and original piece of work. Interestingly it never loses the element of intrigue, despite the quite often seemingly mundane flowing in and out of the interactions and communications. It reminded me of a toss-up between a modern Cluedo and a game of mastermind. It's about the right place and time, the right combination of people, place, evidence and above all the clues.

It's a really well executed original piece of fiction. Using texts, emails, letters in a story isn't unusual - completing a whole murder mystery that way is. You either fail to reel in your audience or you excel at it, as Hallett has done.

Buy The Appeal at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher ‏: ‎Viper; pub date 14 Jan. 2021. Buy at Amazon com. At Waterstones.