If you loved The Appeal then you will love getting a chance to get back tot hose characters with the spin of Christmas. It was so nice getting to see some old friends. I adored this one and highly recommend reading book 1 first.

A great novella from Janice Hallett. This is a follow up to The Appeal, but I read that so long ago I couldn't really remember all the details, so I feel this is very easy to read as a stand alone. It's Christmas themed, but only in as much as the plot revolves around the village panto - Christmas itself just gets the odd passing reference, so this can really be enjoyed at anytime. Janice Hallett is the master of the "found footage" genre of mystery. There is no story as such, just a pile of evidence to read through to solve the mystery. I find her books compelling and entertaining and will admit I tend to just read for enjoyment and forget about looking for clues, but the clues are here if you pay attention. Because this is a novella I would recommend it to anyone who is not sure about the "found footage" genre. I have tried to read a few in the past and have always given up because I have found them irritating. Janice Hallett is the first person I have found who manages to make a very readable story out of a pile of documents.

Thank you Netgalley and Serpent’s Tail/Viper for this ARC. Available 26th October!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

LOVED THIS SO MUCH!

I am completely obsessed with Janice Hallet’s style of writing and was so incredibly excited to receive this new book.
The Christmas Appeal follows on from the OG The Appeal with the return of the Fairway Players and the production of their new panto, ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ with a little sprinkling of murder on the side.
Featuring old and new characters, this book was incredibly masterful with how they were developed. I also found myself laughing at so many of the interactions between the character’s.
Janice Hallett has again mastered her storytelling with SMS Texts, Emails and What’s App messages.

This book was everything that I would hope a sequel to be.

Highly recommend.

Hi and welcome to my review of The Christmas Appeal!

Technically, The Christmas Appeal is a sequel to The Appeal, but even if you haven’t read The Appeal, I’m sure you’ll be able to enjoy this mystery set around Christmas. Regardless, I was completely blown away by The Appeal so I would definitely recommend you treat yourself to both if you haven’t already!

The Christmas Appeal is a slow-burner in the sense that it takes a while to get to the heart of the mystery. However, it doesn’t feel like a slow-burner, I was so supremely entertained, I never got impatient (and that’s saying something, as patience is undeniable NOT my strong suit). It was such a joy to join the Fairway Players as they prepare for their Christmas panto, they had me giggling and rolling my eyes (bloody Celia 🙄😄) at every turn.

Much like The Appeal, The Christmas Appeal is a mix of emails, texts and WhatsApp messages, which makes for a pacey and addictive read. The temptation to read just one more message exchange is real and before you know it, you’re halfway through the book.

At only a little over 200 pages, The Christmas Appeal lacks some of the depth that the original appeal did have, but even in this shorter mystery, Janice Hallett manages to get in a few twists and reveals. If you, like me, enjoy reading Christmas books but don’t like the cheesy kind, this is your kind of Christmas story and I would happily recommend it to readers looking for a (Christmas) mystery.

The Christmas Appeal is out today, 26 October.

Massive thanks to Viper Books and NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

Christmas came in early this year with this continuation (almost felt like) of the Appeal, which I had thoroughly enjoyed. The Christmas Appeal was another great read too, which I won't doubt to recommend.
Thanks to NetGalley, the editor and the author for the opportunity to access this copy.

If you’re looking for a highly entertaining cosy Christmas murder mystery, look no further! This is just the perfect read for the festive season when you’re busy and you want a little break in between the pages of a good book. Janice Hallett has served up a truly festive treat: deliciously sharp sarcasm; humour galore; competitive tensions; village politics and gossip; and of course a murder mystery.
What a treat it was to be back with the Fairview Players, and Charlotte and Femi as they sift through the pages of transcripts sent to them by their old mentor Roderick Tanner QC. I laughed out loud so many times at the priceless words of Celia and loved the new dynamics amongst the cast. Again, I really enjoyed this format and obviously found myself joining in out loud with Charlotte and Femi as they discussed the evidence and tried to work out what was going on!
With huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an E-arc in exchange for a review.

Wry, funny, entertaining tale of the lengths people will go to if miffed. Told in the form of emails but the characters come through clearly. A short Christmas read.

A short follow-up on The Appeal and it certainly didn't disappoint. It is a much lighter reading than its predecessor and features almost all the previous characters, therefor I would recommend to read The Appeal first.

Around Christmas the Fairway Players are rehearsing Jack and the Beanstalk and everything that could go wrong does, even the corpse of Santa falling out of the beanstalk on stage. It is crazy, funny and exactly what a pantomime should be!

If you are looking for a short and fun read around Christmas, without the usual syrup but some dark humor instead, pick up this book and you will not be disappointed !

A sincere thanks to NetGalley and Serpent's Tail / Viper / Profile Books for an advanced copy in exchange of honest review.

I like the different formats of Janice Halletts books and while I enjoyed this story there was something missing when compared to The Appeal. I had fun but it wasn't amazingly memorable imo.

The Christmas Appeal is an amusing seasonal mystery novella for readers who enjoyed The Appeal by Janice Hallett. The Fairway Players are putting on their traditional Christmas panto in aid of the church hall roof, but not everything is going quite as planned with a dead body arriving on stage when it shouldn't.

A thoroughly enjoyable quick read, snuggled up on the sofa with a hot drink. Recommended!

As some of you may know, I’m not exactly a fan of Christmas or festive reads. And most definitely not before the start of December, when any and all talk about the holidays should be against the law. But, I wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity to hang out with The Fairway Players again, now was I?

Roderick Tanner KC, now retired, has more case notes to share with Femi and Charlotte. Is retirement already boring his socks off? Or is something going on in the theatre company again? If you’ve read Janice Hallett’s debut The Appeal, then you know the answers and clues are somewhere in a big pile of emails, text messages and police transcripts. This time, they are mostly centred around rehearsals for the annual pantomime. What could possibly go wrong? Hm, well, you’ll see.

As the description mentions, there is a dead Santa. Who is it? Who killed them? And why? It takes quite a while for that part of the tale to be revealed and I admit I couldn’t help but wonder why it’s right there in the blurb. Which I luckily didn’t read beforehand. That worked out better for me, I think, because it made me wonder if there even was a mystery to be solved or if Tanner’s retirement boredom was just making him see things that weren’t there. Plus, the back and forth between the various members of this community provided the most excellent entertainment and it held my attention easily. Full of jealousy and backstabbing, bitterness and fabulous snark, childish and petty behaviour, I often found myself chuckling at the characters’ behaviour. Or rolling my eyes, because they’re so utterly believable.

At 208 pages, The Christmas Appeal is a short, quick, witty and hugely entertaining story. Not entirely sure it’ll get you into the festive spirit but personally I’d swap tinsel and mistletoe for crime and mystery every time. If at any point, I was supposed to figure out what happened and work out all the clues, I once again failed miserably. But, I thoroughly enjoyed my time with The Fairway Players and hope maybe some day I get to do so again.

In her afterword Janice Hallett wrote that writing a novella in the world of "The Appeal" was like meeting with old friends again. I share this sentiment – "The Appeal" was one of my favorite crime stories I read this year and reading about The Fairway Players shenanigans once more was simply cozy and comforting, especially since it's a Christmas story.
I was wondering how Hallet would fill the void left by the most vocal and distinctive characters from the original, since many of them are no longer in town (or... are they? <wink, wink>) and moving Sarah-Jane and Celia forward was an excellent move. Their rivalry was used as a ground for witty satire and snarky remarks on small-town minded people. I loved "The Appeal" for it's humor and this installment is still hilarious, despite there being a body (although, once again, readers need to be patient, it doesn't appear until later stage of this story).
I think I might have enjoyed the pacing of the novella more than the previous book - the plot is condensed, with less side intrigues and it's easier to follow all the moves of each individual character. After some consideration, I probably would have enjoyed it better if the stakes were higher (you'll see what I mean if you read it). This one definitely stands closer to "cosy crime" than the original.. Nevertheless it was worth reading and I enjoyed it a lot.

I think it goes without saying that it's not supposed to be read as stand alone?

I must find some time to read other books by Hallett - I wonder if her writing style and using only emails and other piece of evidence to form a plot is sustainable. My working theory is that at some point it would become repetitive and wearisome, but I'd love to be proven wrong.

Perfectly Festive..
A very dead Santa Claus, rampant round robins, a confounding puzzle, red herrings aplenty, misdirection galore as suspects abound in this perfectly festive murder mystery. Join in and examine the evidence, consider the media messages and pull apart the police reports and transcripts to try to discover the truth as we return to Lower Lockwood at Christmastime. Hugely enjoyable, confoundingly clever and immensely immersive, once again. The ideal Christmas read.

After reading “The Appeal” a few years ago it instantly became one of my favourite books so needless to say I have been counting down the days till the release of this festive return.

In “The Christmas Appeal” we return to Lower Lockwood at Christmas where the Fairway Players are busy rehearsing their festive pantomime. The festive goodwill is somewhat lacking though and when a dead Santa is discovered the whole town is under suspicion. Who could possibly have added Santa to the naughty list? Lawyers Femi and Charlotte are on the case but will you discover the truth before they do?

Janice Hallett has fast become one of my ‘must-read’ authors and I continue to be amazed by her writing talent, the way she can take the simplest methods of communication in the form of emails, text messages etc and make them seamlessly flow together to create the tension, the excitement and the anticipation of what comes next is just enthralling. From the moment I picked up this book I had a smile on my face, giggling at the escapades of the characters in the community and how everyone can relate to these ‘people’ in their own areas - honestly you will know someone like everyone in the book!

I look forward to everything this author publishes and this latest novella is no exception, my only complaint is that it was all over so quickly as I simply devoured it! A perfect festive accompaniment, you will want this on your Christmas list!

It’s Christmas, and the Fairway Players are back rehearsing their festive pantomime, Jack and the Beanstalk. But with an internal authority battle, a rumour of asbestos, and an accidental drug deal, the panto might be over before the curtain even goes up. To add to the drama, there’s also the matter of the skeleton in the beanstalk. Lawyers Femi and Charlotte dig through emails, messages and police transcripts to get to the bottom of the mystery.

This is a short, festive revisit to the style and characters from Hallett’s The Appeal, which I read a few months ago and absolutely loved. Once again, this Christmas edition is fantastically well-written, with a very well thought-out mystery and the same unconventional narrative style. Many of the characters from The Appeal make an appearance, plus some new faces. As such, I would say you need to have read The Appeal before reading this novella, or the dynamics and the backstory won’t make much sense.

It’s a quick and humorous read, perfect relief from the stress of Christmas shopping as the season approaches.

Funny, well written, great characters, and panto scenes to get you in the festive spirit. What more could you want from a book. I love the email/ text communication style and found the book whizzed by because of it. All in all a great festive murder mystery.

If you loved Janice Hallett's first mystery novel 'The Appeal' then you will love 'The Christmas Appeal'! I was delighted to see her revisit the characters introduced in The Appeal and hope she continues to write about them.

Once again Roderick Tanner KC sets his young law disciples Femi and Charlotte a set of messages to uncover the latest shenanigans taking place among the Fairway Players as they prepare for the Christmas Pantomime. Some wonderful characterisation through texts, Wattsapp, and emails among the organisers and amateur actors while Femi and Charlotte try to unravel the mystery.

Wonderful book and I highly recommend it. Should be a huge Xmas bestseller. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review 'The Christmas Appeal'.

The Fairway players are back and preparing for their Christmas production of Jack and the Beanstalk to raise money to repair the Church roof. This is a sequal to The Appeal and follows the same format of emails, messages, etc. This was a bit hard to read on my Kindle, I'll be picking up a physical copy when it's released.

We revisit familiar characters, some of who made me laugh out loud. This was an enjoyable, lighthearted fast read for me. It's a good mystery to start off the festive season and I absolutely adore the cover illustrations!

I absolutely adored and devoured Janie Hallett's first book - The Appeal - and was super excited that there was another cheeky addition to the world of the Appeal and the Fairway Players.
Like the original, this book is hilariously funny and completely immersive and engrossing. The plot was a little far fetched, but that didn't ruin my enjoyment. The idea of a Panto being staged was brilliant, and perfect for a christmas bonus.
This book was great - the only downside was it was too short!
More please Ms Hallett!!

I loved this, it was such an entertaining and funny read. It is a sequel to The Appeal but it can be enjoyed as a standalone. It told in a sequence of emails and texts between the characters, which seems to be the format for this authors books, It tells the tale of the annual Christmas Pantomime production Jack and the Beanstalk. All the usual characters are in there, there’s Celia who is prim and proper and Sarah and Kevin whose relationship is so funny. Of course everything seems to go wrong and not to plan. We have a giant beanstalk, a dead Santa and a script that was written in the seventies so is not politically correct by any means. Such a fun easy read. Every time it comes it my mind it makes me smile.