Following the same format as the first book in the series, The Appeal, this is not your typical mystery read. janice Hallett creates a short story based on emails between a theatre production.

Having heard the Appeal previously by audiobook, I was happy to receive this ARC by ebook. While still slightly overwhelmed by the design and the amount of emails going back & forth, I was able to follow better than the audiobook.

That said I do not believe this is a series for me. This format is not easy to follow and the stories have fallen flat for me. The emails generally give little to no information as to what is actually going on, however we do get a lot summed up by our 'students' who are reading through the cases with us.

I will say, this one very much gave me Agatha Christie and "Bones" vibes while trying to figure out what happened. I think I would be very choosy with who I recommend this to, however, I would recommend this.

3.5 stars
The Christmas Appeal was a short and sweet holiday mystery. I really enjoyed the author’s previous installment, The Appeal. The format is so intriguing and entertaining and the book flies. The Christmas Appeal followed the same epistolary format in which documents related to the dead body found at the Fairway Players pantomime performance are revealed. I found the book enjoyable and easy to read but felt the actual mystery a little lacking and rushed. Overall, I did really enjoy spending time with these characters again. Definitely suggest reading the Appeal first to have some familiarity first. Thank you to the author, Net Galley and Atria Books for the opportunity to advance read this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Fans of Janice Hallett’s The Appeal, will love this Christmas themed novella written along the same lines. The Fairway players amateur theater group is busy with their Christmas production of Jack and the Beanstalk to benefit the church. While they gain new members and continue their hilarious backstabbing and snarky ways via email and instant messaging, sure enough, a body turns up. Entertaining and fun!

Thank you for the egalley!

I loved this Christmas novella by Janice Hallett! It was so funny, refreshing, and entertaining. It was written in the style of The Appeal and had overlapping characters, which was neat, but not necessary if you have not read The Appeal. Once you get used to the characters and the style, which is correspondence-based, it was a lot of fun, and so true to how people text, email, and show themselves on social media. Highly recommend for a quick, seasonal, light read!

Thank you very much to NetGalley and Atria Books for the advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I swear Janice Hallett writes books specifically designed for me. Slow-paced, multi-layered puzzles told through mixed media (interviews, emails, etc.) I have enjoyed so much of what I have read, and after recently reading The Appeal and loving it, I couldn't wait to read The Christmas Appeal.

The Christmas Appeal takes place two years after the events in The Appeal, and while this does work as a standalone, I think you will appreciate it more and understand the characters better if you read The Appeal first.

Opening night of the Fairway Players' Christmas Pantomine of Jack and the Beanstalk has arrived. After weeks of rehearsals, set decoration, backstage bickering, and mishaps galore, the Players are ready to take the stage for a packed house. Yet, the Players once again find themselves at the center of a murder investigation when a dead body tumbles out of the beanstalk as the show begins. So, who is the killer this time?

I had so much fun with this holiday novella. The antics the Players get up to made me laugh out loud. I especially liked how Hallett pits two families against each other. It led to so much dark humor, snark, and hilarity. While the mystery and the ending did fall a bit flat for me, I still think this is worth the read, especially, if you loved The Appeal. I would love another mystery with this gang.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a quick little read, and like The Appeal, it’s fully epistolary. It’s a little mystery that takes place at Christmas, and it was so fun to see all the characters again! My favorite part was reading everyone’s reactions to the events during the pantomime. And I liked that the ending was very open-ended, and the reader could imagine what happened afterward.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the advance copy! The Christmas Appeal is out now!

I was excited to.be back in this world. I love how the author pulls everything together in the end. The unique format is fun!

This novella is set in the same place as The Appeal, with the action happening as the community theatre stages a pantomime of Jack and the Beanstalk (interesting choice for Christmas) to raise funds to renovate the church building that hosts their productions.

Like The Appeal, this novella also features a mixed media style with emails, transcripts, text messages and more between all the players in the town - most that we met in The Appeal plus some new members - plus the communication between the two lawyers who have been sent these documents to review and figure out what happened. I love this style and enjoyed being in this world and with these characters again.

Overall this was entertaining and a very quick read but I almost wish we would have just gotten a full novel. The overall mystery and murder seemed a tad underdeveloped and I really wanted to spend more time with the characters from the novel and also get to know the new characters a bit more. This is perfect for a one sitting read though and definitely a must for anyone who enjoyed The Appeal.

Thank you @netgalley & @atriabooks for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Pretty cover, charming epistolary mystery, Christmas setting, what's not to like.

It's not your typical saccharine Christmas novel, it's fast-paced and snarky. I didn't read "The Appeal" before and enjoyed this book all the same. Plus, it puts me in the right mood for the holiday season!

A sincere thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange of an honest review.

This was the cutest, book I have read in a long time. It was a quick, smart read. I was invested to see how The Fairway Players would get their annual Christmas production completed. They were tasked at presenting Jack & The Beanstalk. There isn’t much of a Christmas vibe between the two production teams that take turns putting on the show. It’s hard to tell who will come out ahead. The team putting on the production, and all the obstacles thrown there way. Or the other producers, slowly but surely trying to sabotage the play. Throw in a dead body and everyone in the town is buzzing about this years play. Will they raise enough money to fix the Church roof? Who will be or not be suspects? Can the play be saved? The characters in this book were so human and caddy. This was a 4 star read for me. I want to thank Netgalley and Janice Hallet for my copy of The Christmas Appeal, for an honest opinion. It was an absolute pleasure reading and reviewing this book. I can wait to see if there is a 3rd book coming out.

I recently finished reading “The Christmas Appeal” by Janice Hallett over the weekend, having received a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for a book review.

This marked my first experience with Janice Hallett’s work, and I am eager to explore more of her writing.

"The Christmas Appeal" is a novella and serves as the sequel to "The Appeal."

For those seeking a unique and easy read, "The Christmas Appeal" might be just what you're looking for—it's not your typical Christmas story.

Upon commencing this novella, the narrative positions you as a reader in the role of a paralegal, meticulously reviewing all the documents related to the case.

Initially, I found this approach confusing, as most novels and novellas do not adopt such a style. However, once I became accustomed to the setup, I thoroughly enjoyed the novella.

The unconventional setup threw me for a loop initially. As a reader, I am accustomed to the traditional narration structure, and this novella deviates significantly from that. A heads-up about this unique approach would have been appreciated. Nevertheless, once I adapted to the structure, I appreciated the characters, dialogue, and the immersive experience of pretending to be a paralegal while reading.

This was a fun and entertaining read, and I enjoyed the mystery trying to figure out who killed Santa and why. I loved searching for the clues, and the conflict between the characters and their motivations that kept me engaged.

I highly recommend reading 'The Christmas Appeal,' especially for readers who love mysteries. You're in for an enjoyable time deciphering the clues and attempting to unravel the mystery of who killed Santa.

"The Christmas Appeal" is available in e-book, audiobook, and hardback formats.

This is cute and sure to be a hit with fans of the series.

Community theater stuff doesn’t do much for me in general. Adults doing amateur theater is kind of a tough hang, especially the silly politics of it. But some of this is funny, and the epistolary format works surprisingly well.

I would have preferred it be a bit more Christmasy, but the atmosphere is otherwise well rendered.

The mystery itself is fine, and light enough to be appropriate to a holiday novel. The characters are unfortunately more irritating than amusingly quirky, but I enjoyed this well enough to consider trying the next book in the series.

I loved this book! I loved the way it was written and looked forward to every time I picked it up. The characters were very well developed and the plot was easy to follow and extremely interesting. Definitely a fun book to pick up around Christmas to get the holiday spirit going.

The Fairway Players theater are putting on a Christmas play of Jack and the Beanstalk. But when a dead body turns up on stage there must be an investigation. Fun new mystery by Janice Halley.

A Christmas pantomime about Jack and the Beanstalk turns into a murder. Who killed Santa and stuffed him the stalk? The story develops through emails--at first, I had a difficult time adjusting my mind to this, but soon, I was seeing clues and humor--definitely some snarkiness toward other characters. Throw in some treats for the kids which turn out to be illegal drugs and this book has you smiling in an offbeat way.

Janice Hallett has done it again! Her previous story involving the Fairway Players of Lower Lockwood had me hooked from the first lines. Once again Femi and Charlotte, studying Criminal Law, are provided the correspondence from members of the Players, asked to review them and confirm the conclusions of their mentor, Roderick Tanner. The group, headed by Sarah-Jane, is preparing for their Christmas pantomime to raise money for the church’s roof. The chosen play is Jack and the Beanstalk and Sarah-Jane has procured a beanstalk prop that has been in storage for years. It smells and there is a rumor that it contains asbestos, but properly fixed it could become the centerpiece of their production. This is a story told in e-mails and phone conversations. From the auditions to opening night it follows Sarah-Jane, a perfectionist, Celia, who believes that she should be the group’s leader, and various friends and relatives who appear supportive but are happy to spread gossip and stab you in the back.

I laughed out loud as I read the comedy of errors that occurred the night of the play. Poorly worded signs caused confusion. The “sweets” that Santa was to distribute to the children were not candy, but drugs. As things go wrong on stage, the beanstalk splits and a skeleton in a Santa suit falls out on the stage. Who was the victim and how long has he been hidden in the beanstalk? Only one of the many questions for Femi and Charlotte. This is a very entertaining holiday story that is guaranteed to bring smiles and make Hallett a favorite author. I would like to thank. NetGalley and Atria Books for providing this book for my review.

While the writing style may not be for everyone, The Christmas Appeal is at times a laugh-out loud pantomime which morphs into a farce and ultimately a Christmas Tragedy, that remains hilarious throughout. This short little piece of fluff was enjoyable from start to finish as the Fairway players are sniping at each other, undermining their production, as they are, one and all, picking it up, giving it a wink, and knocking it out of the park. What can you possibly say about the excitement of being cast as a giant fairy but later being promoted to the ugly idiot?!Janice Hallett just has a way of coming up with the most outrageous dialog that had me laughing so hard I almost choked.

A warning - if you are reading on a kindle it is very helpful to have a magnifier close at hand to read the very small emails. I enjoyed The Appeal and while acknowledging that The Christmas Appeal may not be for everyone it’s was definitely a win for me. Thanks to Atria Books/Simon & Schuster for a copy.

I enjoyed this one after LOVING The Appeal, but it didn’t quite live up for me. I have a horrible memory for details and know that there’s plenty I missed by not remembering some of the finer points of The Appeal. Overall, it wasn’t robustly christmassy to me - but a fun gateway read to get into the season. Still as always amazed by Hallett’s skill with a murder mystery!

A good follow up to The Appeal-a fun, holiday story! I didn’t need to revisit this world, and think there are better holiday reads out there.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria books for this advance copy of The Christmas Appeal by the fabulous Janice Hallett in exchange for this review - this in no way influenced this review.

The messy Fairway Players are back with another mysterious dead body surrounding a production they’re putting on, and I was so happy to go back to Lockwood with these awful people. I will say, I live in the United States, and I do think some of the British humor might have been lost on me, and it took me way too long to figure out that sweets = candy (welp maybe not in this case…) but overall this was a really fun holiday Novella to kickstart my Christmas reading. If you didn’t like the Appeal, you probably wouldn’t like this - I do also personally feel like you need to read The Appeal before going into this one, as a lot would not make sense.

Thank you again NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for this review. The Christmas Appeal is available now!