What a fun holiday mystery to read! I really enjoyed the mixed media format that the author used in the book (emails, texts, etc). Very innovative. It made this read wonderful entertainment and I found myself curled up with a cup of tea and some biscuits chuckling away. This would be a great holiday gift!

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC published on 10/24

I really enjoyed the format of this book- it was very different from anything else I have read. The book was quick and light- I really enjoyed it as a way to get into reading holiday books for the winter season. I really enjoyed this author's reading style and I will definitely be reading more of their books. This book would make a great holiday gift! Perfect for curling up next to a fire with some hot tea. I also enjoyed how very British this book is.

This was a fun holiday read and it was nice to check up on how the characters from The Appeal were doing.

This time staging Jack and the Beanstalk, another crime is committed and the two lawyers are once again faced with emails, texts, and other correspondence to sift through to uncover the truth.

I, as always, am obsessed with Janice Hallett’s writing style and the mixed media captivated my attention. I loved seeing the original characters and even though this wasn’t as big a mystery as The Appeal, I still enjoyed this Christmas novella as a quick and engaging read! All my fingers are crossed for more of these characters in the future.

Pub date: 10/24

This eARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Modern day Agatha Christie strikes again! This holiday mystery is more fun than serious and it brought a smile to my face while reading. I loved the mixed media in the book (emails, texts, etc). This was pure entertainment and it would make a GREAT holiday gift.

The Christmas Appeal is a really one-of-a-kind novella for those looking for something mysterious, yet also quick, light, and cozy this holiday season.

Told through cringeworthy Christmas letters, behind-the-scenes emails, and tell-tale text messages, it's a story of small-town drama amongst the Fairway Players. In the midst of their seasonal production of Jack and the Beanstalk to raise money for a new church roof come personality conflicts, a potentially asbestos-filled beanstalk, and even a dead body.

Read this one in a night with a cup of hot chocolate by the fireplace.

I really liked the format of this book, it was something I haven't read before and it made it go quickly. I do think the mystery could have gotten started a bit earlier in the book as it felt somewhat hastily wrapped up.

This is a silly little book, more of a short story, really, but cheerfully British. So many of the customs will be so unfamiliar to American readers as to seem exotic.

I love a good murder mystery, and I really enjoy Janice Hallett's style of epistolary writing. It makes for a very engaging read to feel as though you are one of the investigators reading the case! I would recommend reading The Appeal before reading this one, however, it could be a standalone novella with just a few questions along the way. I enjoyed the humor and intrigue in this book as well as in The Appeal. I would recommend this short book to anyone wanting to take a dive into a case file with a cast of characters so entertaining that the pages turn themselves! One wish I would have is for a list of characters at the beginning to reference. Thank you Net Galley for a copy of this book in exchange for my review.

I loved this quick holiday return to The Fairway Players. It was fun to revisit the characters and unravel a new quirky mystery. And since the plot device is complicated (though completely unique and entertaining), it was nice that it was shorter and festive!

I could only put this book down for 5 minutes! It was just that captivating! The format (emails and such) made it for such a quick read that I read it In around 2 hours! It was not the traditional “Christmas” book I read (tend to read the nice stories) but it still was great. At times it was even hysterical! My only regret is that I wish I had read the previous book to this “the appeal” because it is referenced in this as what I believe is a spoiler so I don’t think I would go on to enjoy that. I got this advanced readers copy from Netgalley but my review is unbiased.

The Christmas Appeal was not a book that I liked because of the writing style of this book. It was told in interview form, articles and text messages which I personally do not like. The plot of the book was confusing to me but I did not read the first book in the series. I also think that there was way too many characters to keep up with as well. Overall I would not recommend this book to anyone but if you do want to read it I would suggest reading them in order. Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for this ARC read in exchange of my honest review.

3.5, rounded up to 4.

This was my first book in this series as I was sent an e-arc by the publisher, so I had no idea what I was getting into. The style of the story took a moment to get used to, but I found it to be interesting and I rather enjoy epistolary works, so it ended up not being too bad.

The reason this isn't rated higher though is it kinda felt like the end was lackluster. I felt like we were ramping up for some big revelation at the end only to return back to a base level with nothing extra. This may just be the authors style, but I own two other novels by Janice so if it is, I'll be ready for it!

3.5 stars rounded up. I liked The Appeal but did struggle a bit with the amount of characters in the novel.

Luckily I enjoyed The Christmas Appeal quite a bit more. It’s definitely more of a cozy mystery than the horror or thrillers I’m used to reading. I found myself absolutely laughing out loud on several occasions. I didn’t have any issues with the formatting of the book. I went thru it quickly and enjoyed the mixed media aspect.

I would definitely recommend this to someone looking for a mystery without much gore and darkness. Nice, fun little read.

A quick review for a quick book (definitely something you can read in one sitting!):

It was quite enjoyable to revisit Lockwood and the Fairway Players! Most of the characters you loved from book one are back, and they have new problems, shifting dynamics (with often hilarious results), and a fresh mystery to solve. I had a lot of fun reading this, even though the crime wasn’t nearly as well-up and executed as the OG. But it was a cozy return to a familiar world, and if you liked The Appeal, it’s a worthwhile read!

Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for the ARC. The Christmas Appeal is out 10/24!

After really enjoying The Appeal, I was excited to see a novella coming out from Janice Hallett that picks up with the Fairway Players again. This story takes us back to Lockwood and to the crazy characters of the Fairway Players, a local theater group as they are busy preparing for the upcoming Christmas Pantomime-Jack and the Beanstalk. I did have to look up what a pantomime-ha! This cozy mystery was writen in epistolary style, mostly emails with some text messages thrown in there-documents that were given to lawyers Femi and Charlotte as the dig into the investigation of a murder that takes place. Hallet revealed the story and the answers to us little by little and kept me turning the page and laughing as the story unfolded. I highly encourage readers to looking into The Appeal (one of my top 10 reads in 2022) first so you get to know the characters-it will add to the enjoyment of your reading experience.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the advanced reader's copy of this novella. Out October 24th, 2023.

The Christmas Appeal is mystery told through the correspondence of the Fairway Players. The Fairway Players are an amateur theatrical group that is producing a Christmas special to pay for a new church group. The emails and texts show a power struggle in the group and the pure cattiness of the main characters. The night of the performance a skeletal Santa falls on the stage and the true mystery unfolds. Who is the skeleton and was it natural causes? The case unfolds in an entertaining fashion as the group shows their real colors for an interesting and unique whodunnit. Easy to read and amusing, the Christmas Appeal will have me looking for more to read from his author. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from NetGalley.

This book was a lot of fun! I didn’t read the first book, but after reading this, it is being added to my list!
The mystery is set out as two detectives are reading through the case information. Everything is revealed through interviews, text messages, emails, etc, between the members of a community theater group, the Fairway Players. The layout of the story was unique and the voices of the characters really came through. While there is mystery to this book, the whole thing is a series of unfortunate events that will have you laughing along with all of the players.
Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Laugh out loud funny at times, this is a clever holiday visit to the Fairway Players. You really need to have read The Appeal first to understand all the backstory. Really fun read.

"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?"

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed herein are my own.

A great addition to book one, The Appeal. We see recurring characters with a whole new mystery / whodunnit. A bit of rivalry, comedy and murder.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

This holiday novella takes us back to the Fairway Players as they prepare a holiday event to benefit a church in their community.

The author reprises all the characters with a few new folks as we see the rivalries play out via email, what’s app messages and other media.

The reader knows there is some mystery to be uncovered as the novella starts off with the two lawyers from before discussing how they are going to review the materials given to them.

If you are looking for a holiday mystery, this book is for you. You don’t have to have read The Appeal (but you should) to follow along in this story.

Thanks to @netgalley and @viper.books for the advanced reading copy