It took me a moment to get my head around the style but then I quickly fell in to it. A murder mystery told through WhatsApp messages, emails and police interview transcripts. The Christmas element comes from the action being built around the rehearsals and performance of a pantomime but otherwise it’s not heavily festive and could be read anytime of the year. I really enjoyed this simple but entertaining mystery.

Once again an amazing mystery from Janice Hallett. Truly love that we get to revisit the Fairway players at Christmas with a new mystery afoot. Love the use of multi media that helps us piece together who done it! Would highly recommend!

This is a good quick read and I enjoyed being thrown back into the drama (both rehearsed and real-life) of the Fairway Players. It's been a minute since I read the first one, but it's not completely necessary to read that one before this novella. This story and all the correspondence builds up to a body being found during a pantomime performance of Jack and the Beanstalk. My favorite think about Janice Hallett's books is going back and looking back at the clues once I know the outcome/solution, It's all there to be discovered, it's just a lot of other hijinks that are also going on!

I loved Janice Hallett's book The Appeal and was so excited to read this one which includes a lot of the same characters. I love the unique format of both these books -- told mostly in e-mails, text messages, and news articles.

This book was very engrossing -- once again it follows the Fairway Players as they are rehearsing and getting ready to put on a play. There have been some leadership changes since The Appeal, and it's fun to see the power dynamics shift around.

I couldn't put this down, the format makes it so quick to read and I was engaged the entire time.

I would definitely recommend reading The Appeal first, as parts of it are discussed in this book -- and it does give you a good look at many of these characters. Both are so good and I am looking forward to reading more from Janice Hallett!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an early copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I love Janice Hallett and I LOVED The Appeal. So I couldn’t wait to read this one! I didn’t even realize it was a “sequel” to The Appeal. I love the writing style of these books. I fly through them and feel like I’m a part of the investigation. While I loved the writing style and the characters as much as the first book, this story line fell a little flat for me.

I love Janice Hallett's books. Twyford Code was one of my favorite mysteries when it came out. The Christmas Appeal is a novella with a Christmas community play as the backdrop. The plot unravels through a series of emails and text messages.

Janice is an extraordinary writer as you find yourself immersed in her world. There were a few twists and mystery wasn't hard to predict. Being a novella, I don't think the whodunit part was the point of the story. I enjoyed the unraveling of the plot and understanding the politics of the group.

I am eagerly awaiting the release of her book as well.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read and review an advanced copy of this book.

The Fairway Players are doing a pantomime of ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ as their Christmas production. The group has some definite conflicts within themselves as the battle for leadership is very hot. There are troubles with casting, the schedule, scenery, and all of the other details, including getting treats for children. If things do not go well, the roof of the Parrish hall, which they use, may never get fixed and they might lose their venue. When one couple tries to surprise everyone, a mystery is revealed and the whole operation might be forever doomed.

The story was interesting, but the format did not hit me in the best way.

The goal of the Fairway Players is to raise enough money to put a new roof on the church with their Christmas production of Jack and the Beanstalk. Their goal will be met but not before the players have dealt with player politics, dirty tricks, global warming, asbestos poisoning and murder. Or, as a member of the players puts it “Jack and the Beanstalk turned from a pantomime into a farce and then into a Christmas tragedy.” The novella is told by email, text messages and police transcripts. We watch as the former player leaders plan a coup to return to power and glory. It will not go well. Nor will the gender neutral gift bags, stuffed with unusual sweets. The Christmas Appeal is a quick, clever read. Put you feet up and enjoy this early Christmas present! 5 shiny Christmas stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books and Janice Hallett for this ARC.

Mrs. Hallett never fails to write a five star, immersive mystery. They are filled with drama, secrets, ridiculous antics, and always an investive mystery. This is my 4th read from the author, all are five stars. I love the mixed media format so much. Never gets old for me. I can't wait to pre-order her next book for 2024, The Examiner, when available.


Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Janice Hallett kills it once again!

The Appeal is one of my all-time favourite mysteries and a spin-off felt like an early Christmas gift. Despite being just slightly over 200-pages, this book was brimming with intrigue, tension and drama. I loved it all!

No one does epistolary whodunits like Janice Hallett and this one certainly kept me guessing. Even though it didn't blow my mind as much as her previous works, I enjoyed every moment. Can't wait for her next!!!

Cute, quick read. This book takes place as transcripts from emails and text chains, so it was definitely different from what I've been reading. I have not read the first book in this series and I might go back and read that. There was some character development that I missed by not reading it but it didn't detract from the plot at all.

The book was a very quick read, a lot of build up and then it did seem like a rushed ending. I enjoyed it though!

I know August–let alone the October release date!–is far too early to contemplate murder at the holidays. But “The Christmas Appeal” was another delightful entry in Janice Hallett’s unique epistolary style novels. The back and forth nature of the text and email exchanges adds layer upon layer as you, the reader and amateur sleuth, decode the relational hierarchies, the hidden grudges, and the petty remarks. I would recommend this for a lighthearted read by the hearth with a cup of tea, as appropriate to what is spilled in this funny little mystery.

This was a fun little murder mystery and a good sequel to the original. We see quite a few returning characters but definitely different power dynamics within the Fairway Players Theatre group. Similar to the previous book, the murder itself is not revealed until about halfway through the book and even then you're left wondering until about 75% of the way through who was actually murdered so that was probably my only little bit of frustration. It's hard to feel invested in a murder mystery if you're not even sure who was actually murdered and how they are related to the story. The storytelling format was pretty interesting just like in the original, it's mostly done through electronic communication. I'll be excited to read another installment of this series in the future for sure.

Jack in the Beanstack is the play being put on to raise money for the church roof.
Much to everyone's dismay many shenanigans take place and it seems that the play will not see fruition.
Then there is the matter of a dead Santa.

This Christmas cozy has enough mystery to keep me going and enough Christmas sentiment to be just the right antidote for a busy holiday season.

Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for the arc! I loved the synopsis of this book when I requested it. However, I did not realize the format of the book, and that it was only told through; emails, text messages, articles, newspaper, etc etc. I made it a solid 12% before I had to quit. I loved where the story was going but this "epistolic" (Relating to letters or epistles; in the form or style of letters) is just NOT for me. I hated it, to be honest, and will never be able to read this type of book to completion, but if you can handle this style of writing.. Read it! It sounds like a really fun murder mystery, and it's set during.... CHRISTMAS!!

I did learn a new word through this book though: epistolary, epistolic. Now I will drop that word into so many conversations and be a genius!

This was a really fun holiday mystery told in the same world and with the same multi-media style as The Appeal. I particularly liked watching Sarah-Jane and the Hallidays bump heads. There were moments where it got a little cutesy, but given it was a holiday story, I could roll with it, and mostly enjoyed the hijinks

The Christmas Appeal takes us right back to Lockwood and into the world of the Fairway Players - the overly cheerful, secretive community theater group at the center of The Appeal.

I thoroughly enjoyed this. As with Hallett’s previous work, this story is told through transcripts of emails, text messages, and police interviews. It will keep you guessing about what is actually happening with the Fairway Players and get your suspicions up right away. I love Hallett’s immersive style of writing. She manages to recreate the small English village mystery genre with a fresh approach and offers a wonderful critique about how in our modern society appearances are everything.

This book, much like Hallet’s the Tywford Code, has much to say about trying to escape one’s past. The Fairway Players are doing their very best to move on since the recent unpleasantness but old resentments and grievances won’t quite let them.

Highly recommend for anyone looking for a short, entertaining mystery read.

Very grateful to Atria Books and Netgalley for the ARC.

This review was posted to Goodreads.

Another fun craxker if a mystery by Hallett. She just gets better with each novel she writes. A Christmas Panto that goes horribly wrong. A must fun read .

The Christmas Appeal revisits the Fairway Players theater group three years after their last tragedy, recounted in Janice Hallett's first book, the Appeal. The group is putting on a Christmas pantomime, Jack and the Bean Stalk, in order to raise money for the local church's roof. But during the holiday events, there is tension amongst the group as couples battle for power and a body is found on stage. Follow two lawyers as they pour over emails and letters to discover who is the body and is this a case of murder?

What makes Hallett's books special is how she tells stories through emails, texts, and police interviews. I love how I am right alongside the detectives, reading through all the evidence to figure out who committed the crime. I am seeing information that other characters don't see.

The Christmas Appeal is such a fun experience. You get to revisit the Fairway Players from Hallett's first book and feel some holiday magic. You've gotta love a Christmas murder mystery.

Hallett is also great at developing characters through these texts and emails. All of the characters have a different voice and have a different feel. You feel the bad attitude from the son, the stress and frustration from the theater lead, and the cockiness from the wannabe lead.

I would recommend this book to those who like feeling like a detective, reading different mediums like emails, texts, and interviews, following actors as they put on a play, and spending time in a Christmas murder mysteries.

5⭐️
The writing style of this book was absolutely perfect for me. I loved how the entire book is told in different forms of media, such as emails, text messages, etc.

This story is all centered around a community play group. A new couple has taken lead and others of the group that are loyal to the original leads are undermining them any chance they get. The biggest drama is centered around the beanstalk prop.

Oh my amount of sass and petty small group politic dynamics was fantastic! I found so much joy in the interactions of these characters and small attention to the dialogue between them.I found it to be absolutely hilarious.

I have never read anything from this author before but I for sure will be checking out others from her.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Atria books for this advanced reader copy. My review is voluntarily my own.

I will be posting my review to my Instagram page the.floofs.booknook and retail sites close or on publication.