Janice Hallett has such a fantastic way of making me feel nostalgic towards people I’ve never even met.

The Fairway Players are a mysterious amateur dramatic group with more than one of them hiding a secret. Written in the same style as Halletts earlier work - the story is told through a variety of correspondence alternating between text messages, emails, and police witness statements. All of which will keep you guessing until the very end.

The subtle nods to characters from the previous book provided some much needed closure for a nosey Parker like me.

I've loved Janice Hallett's previous works and this really didn't disappoint. We're back in the company of the Fairway Players, who featured in The Appeal, and this time they're putting on a pantomime to raise money for a new church roof. Naturally an unexpected discovery means turmoil and a mystery to be solved - again the story is told through emails and texts between the Players themselves and the lawyers looking into the case. I absolutely raced through the book, it's a quick read and very, very funny - it had me laughing out loud on many occasions. A great read, especially for the build up to Christmas.
Thanks to NetGalley for the copy in return for an honest review #NetGalley #TheChristmasAppeal

Having not read The Appeal but enjoyed The Twyford Code and The Alperton Angels and knowing the Appeal was a literary sensation, I was intrigued to read The Christmas Appeal ( a shorter festive read sequel) . I wasn’t disappointed; this was an incredibly darkly comedic read- the squabbles, behind the scenes shenanigans and bitchiness of a local AmDram production of Jack and the Beanstalk. The rivalry between the leader of the group Sarah Jane and her predecessor Celia was sharp and waspish especially in the group emails. The madness of trying to organise an event and the petty rivalries were captured through WhatsApp messages - but it is the “Beanstalk “ that is the surreal star - reused or is that up-cycled from along gone pantomime -it is the centre point of many of the events. A pantomime is rehearsed and performed and crimes take place. Unlike Janice Hallett’s previous two novels, this felt as though she was returning to ‘friends ‘ and although feeling tongue-in-cheek at times , this didn’t not undermine a great festive read. Concise, cleverly constructed and entertaining, this is the perfect antidote to a large family Christmas lunch or a great escape over the holiday season.

I love Janice Hallet’s style of writing and The Appeal was fabulous so I couldn’t wait to read this novella. Again there’s a mystery associated with The Fairway Players which has many of the original members with some new ones too. The communication continues to be occasionally bitchy and hilarious especially as there’s competition for leading the group and I read through this far too quickly I loved it so much. The mystery was really well thought out and I liked the degree of ambiguity of the ending, this is a worthy sequel which will be much enjoyed by many.

really like Janice Hallett's books - The Twyford Code remains my favourite but they've all been great. So I was thrilled to get the opportunity to read an advance copy of The Christmas Appeal. It's a short(ish) read which revisits the characters of her first novel, The Appeal. This time, the Fairway Players are staging a festive production of Jack and the Beanstalk, but of course it's beset with problems...

Like all Janice's work it's told through documentary evidence - mainly emails and messages, allowing the story (and the characters) to gradually emerge.

A fun, light (but as cleverly constructed as always) read which I thoroughly enjoyed. Thanks for the opportunity to read and review!

I would like to thank the author, the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this book. I devoured it in one sitting, it was a fabulous read that I will be recommending to everyone that I know.

Having read and loved The Appeal, this was a must read. The plot is presented in the same way as the original (text messages/ WhatsApp messages/ letters) and centres around another event with the Fairway players. Pacy, twisty and fun!

The eccentric cast of Hallett’s bestseller, ‘The Appeal’, return for this fun, Christmas novella. Whilst the mystery is certainly not as complex as its predecessor, it’s still a great, fun read. I read it in one sitting and loved every minute. This is definitely a must-read for Hallett’s die-hard fan base. I can’t wait to see what she releases next.

I absolutely loved Janice Hallett's debut, The Appeal, an original crime novel which first introduced the Fairway Players, an amateur dramatics group.
In the Christmas Appeal we are back with the Fairway Players as they prepare for the performance of their panto, Jack and the Beanstalk and we witness the rivalry between new Chair Sarah Jane and her predecessor Celia. Lawyers Femi and Charlotte are once again presented with whats apps, emails and police transcripts in order to solve the new mystery.
This was a wonderful novella that I raced through, it's a quick and easy read with an excellent plot and strong characterisation. The author brilliantly conveys the rivalries within the society and we get a real understanding of the characters. The plotting is tight and there are lots of twists and surprises. A skilfully told novella that I really enjoyed. Recommended.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

I loved this novella. Janice Hallett brings back “The Fairway Players” for another mystery. I loved “The Appeal” and was very happy to see the characters again, along with new residents. This novella is written in messages and emails just like previous books and from the perspective of two police officers investigating the case.

I read this in one evening. An absolute page turner with twists and turns to keep the reader guessing. Janice Hallett at her best.

Thank you to NetGalley and Viper Books for the ARC

I think I let out a little squeal when I saw this read was available to me, after the huge success of the original read.

This one doesn't disappoint either.

Packed with just as much drama off the stage as on. As a member of a local am dram company this is scarily accurate and makes for fun reading.

It takes a while for the action to get going, which was surprising for such a short read. That being said it didn't put me off, and it was glorious being with characters with that sense of familiarity again.

A thrilling read, oh yes it is!

I absolutely loved this return to the antics of the Fairways Players. The perfect festive read that can be read as a standalone novel but has all the characters I enjoyed in 'The Appeal". I read it in one sitting and was chuckling and laughing out as I read the passive aggressive mesages and hilarious amateur dramatic pantomine of Jack and the Beanstalk. This is a really fun read with a clever mystery I enjoyed trying to unravel. I'm really impressed with the way the personalities of each character is conveyed so well eventhough this is a relatively short read. The perfect read to go in your Christmas stocking.

In her acknowledgements, Hallett refers to writing this book as meeting back up with old friends and that is definitely how it felt to me.

Anyone who has read The Appeal will be familiar with The Fairway Players and their internal politics. At just over 200 pages, this is a quickly devoured novella, and it reads much quicker given that the majority of the novel is told through emails, WhatsApps, transcripts etc.

If you enjoyed The Appeal, you will love this too.

Thanks to Netgalley and Serpent's Tail / Viper / Profile Books, Viper for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

I raced through this book, there is something comforting about Christmas in August.
Once again Janice Hallet has written another stonker of a book. Seeing and reading about the Fairway Players’ and their past exploits always brings an unbridled joy. I read this book in less than a day, THAT’s how brilliant it is. I implore everyone to read it and love it!
Well done, Janice.
Huge thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read this book long before publication. If I could award it a whole galaxy of stars ⭐️ I would. Such a fantastic achievement and book. Merry Christmas 🎄

Janice Hallett's 'The Appeal' is one of my favourite mystery novels ever - a hilarious, ingenious and unputdownable whodunnit set in the cutthroat world of amateur dramatics. In 'The Christmas Appeal', we once again meet the Fairway Players, as Roderick Tanner KC presents young lawyers Femi and Charlotte with another dossier of messages to investigate.

It is December 2022 and the Fairway Players are preparing for their Christmas pantomime - an 'authentic' production of Jack and the Beanstalk using a 1970s script. It doesn't take long to sense that there is discord between the 'power couple', co-chairs Sarah-Jane and Kevin MacDonald, and their rivals Celia Halliday and her husband Joel (OBE). The MacDonalds are hoping the production will be a big success and raise lots of money to repair the church hall roof, but the Hallidays don't want anything to overshadow their own 'triumphant production' Glengarry Glen Ross.

Tanner keeps Femi and Charlotte guessing what the mystery will be - does it have something to do with the enormous beanstalk last used 30 years ago? Or the nice new couple who auditioned for parts in the panto and haven't been seen or heard from since? What about the rumours that a convicted murderer is on the loose in Lockwood? And why exactly is there so much correspondence about the sweets Sarah-Jane is trying to procure for Santa to give out?

As with all Hallett's novels, the solution, when revealed, is immensely satisfying and hinges on a number of clues which are cleverly planted earlier on in the story but easily missed. But this is only part of the pleasure of 'The Christmas Appeal' - I enjoyed it as much for the brilliantly observed communications between Hallett's memorable cast of characters. There are plenty of cringeworthy round robins, passive aggressive e-mails and two-faced WhatsApp messages to relish; Sarah-Jane's blunt replies to timewasters remain a highlight this time round, and I almost cheered out loud at the return of another favourite character from 'The Appeal' midway through this installment.

This is a quick read which I devoured in a single sitting and was a most welcome early Christmas present. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.