What a fabulous novella with a festive twist. Roderick Tanner, KC gets the story started by piquing the interest of Charlotte and Femi with a mystery that involves the Fairway Players, who are about to deliver their Christmas pantomime, Jack and the Beanstalk. A pantomime like no other. But what is the mystery? And who is involved?

The story is told through a mixture of different media, which I have always enjoyed reading. Janice Hallett has cleverly written this story in a way that builds anticipation, because you have no idea what the crime is, never mind who was involved.
I loved the insight into the relationship between Sarah-Jane and Kevin MacDonald. Their text exchange was hilarious. Celia is a fabulous character that you will love to dislike…we all know one of her. Her snarky remarks that stem from her rivalry with Sarah-Jane make for an entertaining read.
If you enjoyed The Appeal, then you will not be disappointed by this book.
Thanks to Netgalley and Serpent’s Tail/Viper/ Profile Books for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

The festive season is fast approaching and with that the Fairway Players in Lower Lockwood are preparing for their pantomime, Jack and the Beanstalk in order to raise money for the church roof.

Sarah Jane (joint Chair) is trying her best to keep things together, but she’s heard that the beanstalk may contain asbestos and someone wants to ruin the panto before it’s even began (booooo – hisssssss!)

During the performance, it all starts unraveling and a body is discovered but who is the victim and why are they there? Lawyers Femi and Charlotte try to get to grips with what has happened and why as they navigate their way through all the festive round robins, emails and police transcripts.

I read the first book – The Appeal and absolutely loved it so when I hear that a Christmas book was also coming, I was delighted. It certainly didn’t disappoint and was great fun and the pages seemed to turn themselves. I love books which are written as emails or diary extracts as it gives a really personal feel as if you’re actually part of it all.

The Christmas Appeal is another smash-hit from a true queen of modern crime. Here, the festive spirit is definitely the Ghost of Christmas Past coming back to haunt our characters.

Janice Hallett is my modern Christie. Her style of writing is just so striking and deeply compelling. Through forms of communication like emails, transcripts and messages, she crafts these stories that just suck you right in and spit you out, reeling. I am bowled over by how deftly she creates these characters through just a text message or two. The Christmas Appeal offers a return to some familiar voices and our charming but claustrophobic town of Lockwood. I would happily read so many more books detailing the mishaps of the Fairway Players.

In terms of plot, Hallett just always delivers for me. This is another one that is so sneaky and underhanded in its use of tiny details scattered throughout that piece together into one shocking image. It also made me instantly want to (and I did a week later) go and re-read The Appeal, as there were now some new depths to ponder. There is just that spot-on depiction of small town life, with the niche infighting of the amateur drama group and how that spirals into a cacophony of farcical antics. All is heightened by the Christmas spirit and a few nicely done references to the previous book, though this could also be enjoyed as a standalone tale. I would recommend reading both, as you do get a deeper appreciation of characters, backstory and relationships.

The Christmas Appeal was a snarky, scandalous return to Lockwood, with Hallett’s distinctive use of unusual narrative formats that just pull you straight into her twisty web of secrets, lies and deception. The happiest time of the year never seemed so unfortunate.

The cast of The Appeal are back in this Christmas-themed murder mystery.

The members of the Fairway Players are staging a one night only pantomime production of Jack and the Beanstalk, hoping to raise funds for the new church hall roof.

The new co-chair of the drama group, Sarah-Jane MacDonald has her work cut out, trying to manage the rehearsals and her busy family life.

As per usual, there is drama (in the form of petty and jealous Celia Halliday), back stabbing (Emma Crooks couldn’t have sunk any lower, could she?), and an 18 feet tall beanstalk, seemingly full of deadly asbestos.

On the night of the play a dead body, dressed as Santa, is found…

I will say no more here, as I don’t want to spoil the story for you.

Oh, I just love Janice Hallett and her books. This one didn’t disappoint. It’s witty, funny (the sweets had me in stitches), and with the pantomime production as the centre piece, it made me ready for Christmas.

I truly hope that this isn’t the end for the Fairway Players and that they will be back again soon.

Thank you to Rachel Quin and Viper Books for the NetGalley widget.

Following on from the events of The Appeal, we are back in Lower Lockwood at Christmas time where the Fairway Players are getting ready for their Jack and the Beanstalk pantomime. Lawyers Femi and Charlotte pour over the police transcripts, emails and round robins to get to the bottom of the many mysteries that arise. Will the show go on?

In the acknowledgements, Janice writes that this book feels like revisiting old friends and I agree. I really enjoyed The Appeal and rated it 5⭐️ when I read it back in 2021, so when I seen the same characters were making a comeback, I knew I had to read it.

I will always be impressed with Janice’s ability to incorporate mixed media into her stories. I loved the characters, with all of their rivalry, drama and tension they had with one another. I love how there’s commentary from Charlotte and Remi & get glimpses into their thought process, which made for an interesting read. I binged this book in one sitting, I found it so hard to put down as I had to know the ending! There were so many times I was convinced that I knew what happened, then the plot twist would happen and I would be completely wrong.

I love how the book mentions and brings awareness to the Prison Optician Trust, which is a charity that provide training in optical skills for former prisoners and helps them find paid work. I would definitely recommend reading The Appeal first, otherwise you will get spoilers.

⚠️ CWs: murder, physical assault, cursing, alcohol use, language, classism, bullying, substance use disorder; mentions drug use, domestic violence, outdated language on domestic violence ⚠️

Thank you Viper & NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book!

This book is actually book number 1:5 (it is a novella) in ‘The Appeal’ series and to give you an idea of the back story for this one then i think you need to read the first book too. The Christmas Appeal can also very easily be read as a standalone with no problems at all.

This story is not told in the usual way but is told very cleverly using mixed media instead and it works really well and i honestly really enjoyed it.

The Christmas Appeal was a wonderful, quick and easy read that pulled me in right from the very beginning. There were twists and turns and typical pantomime mayhem and it all made for a wonderful, festive story……

A revisit to Lower Lockwood and The Fairway Players, this book is a quick read, following the same format as before, via mixed media (emails, interviews, WhatsApp messages). I absolutely adore this format. The passive aggressive emails between Sarah Jane and Celia in particular really delivered with demonstrating these characters' personalities, much more so than regular prose.
Knowing how both The Appeal and The Twyford Code absolutely bamboozled me (in a good way of course. You ideally don't want to be able to figure out whodunnit!) I took extra care to read this one slowly and pay close attention. I even made notes 😂
And Janice Hallett has done it again, I didn't have a clue who it was! A mark of a great mystery writer indeed, very, very clever and such a fun alternative to the usual light Christmas fare out there.
I would advise other readers not to read this before you've read The Appeal due to spoilers for the first book.

A fun revisit to familiar characters from The Appeal in this standalone seasonal addition.

I absolutely love the passive aggressive relationship between Celia and SJ, as well as the Hyacinth Bucket- ness of the former.

Lots of tongue in cheek humour as you would expect when the subject revolves around a pantomime. Perfect seasonal fare, lots of humour and a mystery to solve. Just what you need when the world is such a mess.

With thanks the the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A cosy, funny, Christmassy mystery which won't take you long to read - both because of the devourable format, and because it's pretty short. I'd recommend reading The Appeal first, so you know who all the characters are. (In fact, read all of Janice Hallett's back catalogue if you haven't already, she's great!) My only criticism is the length. I could have read a book twice as long, and some reveals happened a bit too quickly - maybe the solution was just too easy for Femi and Charlotte to uncover! I enjoyed every second of reading, though.

I loved revisiting The Appeal. Janice Hallett's approach to writing an engaging mystery is clever and fun.
This time lawyers Femi and Charlotte revisit The Fairway Players (looking a bit different to last time) and try to work out what crime has happened.
The Fairway Players are busy rehearsing in the run up to their performance of Jack and the Beanstalk when a dead Father Christmas is discovered? Who is he? How did he die? More importantly, who did it?

I didn't work out what happened and I enjoyed the asides between Femi and Charlotte as they tried to work out the guilt and innocence of the characters involved.

A very enjoyable read.

I was absolutely obsessed with The Appeal - it was one of the bestselling books of the year in our shop when it was published in paperback, and we all loved it. I was so excited that we were getting more from this world and these characters. This book is brilliant, if you liked The Appeal you will love this!

The Christmas Appeal by Janice Hallett
Publication date: 26 October 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and Serpent's Tail/Viper for providing me with an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
~~~~~
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.
~~~~~
This was such good fun! And it's only a little bite of a book which I read in 2 or 3 sittings.
In this Christmas farce, we meet again with the Fairway Players, the amateur dramatics society of Lower Lockwood which was featured in Hallett's The Appeal a couple of years ago. Once again, the story is told through transcripts of conversations, texts and emails and once again, it is up to Law students Femi and Charlotte to solve the mystery. I love epistolary novels, so this was right up my street.
I loved the small town gossip, the behind-the-scenes machinations and the level of pettiness of some of the characters. The panto scenes were utter chaos, masterfully handled by Hallett, and absolutely hilarious.
This was a witty, madcap and slapstick cosy read; I had such a good time with it and will definitely read whatever Hallett brings out next.
~~~~~

Janice Hallett is a genius, of that I have no doubt. It takes a talent to produce entertaining stories in the letters/emails/WhatsApp format and not have them feel stale. I've now read all of her books and she is a go-to author for me. All her books are so entertaining.

Revisiting the Fairway Players gang in Lower Lockwood was such a treat. It follows many familiar characters, as well as some new ones, as they rehearse for the upcoming pantomine, Jack and the Beanstalk. I laughed out loud so many times reading it. The bitchy backstabbing and one upmanship between the characters is hilarious. Then we found out there is a dead Santa as they all try to determine what happened. There's even a drunk pantomime cow. 🐮 🍻

My only complaint is that it is too short! I just wanted it to keep going. It's a perfect stocking filler for a mystery fan and is out now. Congratulations Janice on another triumph!

Thanks to Serpent's Tail, Viper and Netgalley for granted my wish and letting me have an ARC in exchange for an honest review,

Christmas means one thing for amateur dramatics groups, and the Fairway Players of Lower Lockwood prove to be no exception: panto season. With the church in desperate need of funds to repair the roof it is hoped that this year’s performance of Jack and the Beanstalk will be a big success. After all Sarah-Jane has sourced an impressive fibreglass beanstalk to wow the audience but she has accounted for the petty jealousy of others and the liberal application of ‘Sod’s law’.

When the curtain goes up the audience gets a performance that they are not likely to forget.

If you have read any of the previous novels by the author, you will know what to expect. Once again, instead of a more traditional prose format we have we have a series of emails, text and WhatsApp messages to work through. Not as original as it once was but its an entertaining way to construct a puzzle, though I guess it is not everyone’s ‘cup of tea’. It is a great way of demonstrating the two-faced bitchiness of some players as they say one thing and then immediately something else to another character, so read the message to/from carefully.

It is given structure by the framing of a puzzle presented to lawyers Femi Hassan and Charlotte Holroyd by their former boss Roderick Tanner KC (retired), the question is can you the reader solve it first.

At its core it’s the attitudes and social standing of middle-class middle-England, with all its pettiness and one-upmanship. Lower Lockwood now has council and low-cost housing estates and even though The Fairway Player are short on numbers, some don’t want ‘that sort of person’ joining. More energy is expended jockeying for position, control and status within the group than trying to recruit. This is very entertainingly done but in a gentler way rather than caustic.

The traditions of village pantomime are upheld with some aplomb; the dodgy 1970s script, the improvisation (in this case a Sainsburys trolly), the appearance of Santa at the end and sweets for the children (which turn out to be both unusual and expensive). Poor Santa, as the reader will discover.

One family wanted to put on the farce When Did You Last See Your Trousers in the new year but were told farce was dead. However, that doesn’t appear to be the case as Jack and the Beanstalk goes from pantomime to farce before finally tragedy in hilarious fashion, with some genuine laugh-out-loud moments. Elements edge towards the macabre, but most readers will still find it darkly funny in a way that allows us a guilt free escape from a world that is dark enough at times. I love dogs in fiction and here Woof gets a couple of lovely cameos within all this mayhem. Poor Santa. A classic example of how everything going wrong can result in something far better than originally planned, though the Fairway Players are unlikely to top this performance.

I would like to thank Net Galley, the author and publisher for access to a copy in exchange for a fair review.

The Fairway Players return and the story that unfolds doesn’t disappoint.
It’s the Christmas pantomime , Jack and the Beanstalk and things don’t go to plan and there is a mummified skeleton added into the melee.
This story is full of humour and a few twists and turns to make this an excellent read.
The style that Hallet writes in makes for a unique story telling experience.
An engaging, entertaining and quick read .
I read it in one sitting .
Highly recommended!
Thanks to NetGalley Serpent’s Tail/ Viper/Profile Books.

Janice Hallett has done it again! Another piece of work that's just so completely gripping and addictive, it's incredible, I will definitely buy this as a Christmas present for friends and family.

“I have another fascinating case to run past you. Why you? Well, it seems The Fairway Players are once again at the centre of a mystery. I’ve read the enclosed and think I’ve worked it out. I wonder if you can.“

My thanks to Serpent’sTail/Viper for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Christmas Appeal’ by Janice Hallett. In this novella the cast of Hallett’s best selling debut novel, ‘The Appeal’, return for a festive mystery.

Roderick Tanner, KC, now retired, sends his former young colleagues, Femi Hassan and Charlotte Holroyd, a bundle of evidence, including emails and police transcripts, suggesting that they might enjoy trying to solving this new mystery.

In December 2022 the Fairway Players are rehearsing their festive pantomime, Jack and the Beanstalk, to raise money for the church roof appeal. It might be the season of goodwill but there’s plenty of drama going on among this group of amateur players. Then there is the body…

‘The Christmas Appeal’ has the same epistolary format as ‘The Appeal’. The intrigues of small town politics, including those of its local am-dram group, were well observed and provided plenty of humour throughout. Plus, the comments of Femi and Charlotte were entertaining as they sought to piece together the evidence and solve the mystery.

‘The Christmas Appeal’ is bound to be welcomed by Hallett’s many fans. I certainly found it a great deal of fun and am recommending it widely.

The Christmas Appeal by Janice Hallett is another incredibly clever and enjoyable mystery by this extremely talented author. In this case, we welcome the return of the amateur dramatic society the Fairway Players who are putting on a Christmas performance of Jack and the beanstalk that doesn't quite go according to the script!! There is a considerable archive of email and text message conversations to review that expose the underlying power struggle for control of the society and possibly explain the strange events that unfolded on opening night.

The Christmas Appeal is a resounding success which could actually become a pantomime in its own right.

The Christmas Appeal - Janice Hallett

I read The Appeal a few years ago and loved the ‘solve the mystery’ approach where you are reading the evidence at the same time as those trying to solve the crime. This short novella follows the same format with two trainee lawyers trying to work out exactly what has happened as The Fairway Players prepare for their annual Christmas pantomime, Jack in the Beanstalk. In the same way as the first book, the murder isn’t revealed until we’ll over half way through the book so you really get to know the characters before anything happened.

This was a short novella at just over 200 pages so I raced through it in one sitting but I really enjoyed it - it was a really engaging way to tell the story and I found myself trying to piece the clues together to find out what had happened. I loved how so many of the characters came across as really unlikeable but as you only get to know them through their emails and What’s App messages you find yourself wondering what they are really like in person.

A really fun read that I enjoyed enormously.

Thank you to the publishers @viperbooks and @netgalley for the free digits copy of the book.

I have been a huge Janice Hallett fan ever since I dived into an ARC of The Appeal relatively blind and was blown away by its originality. So I couldn’t have been more excited to read The Christmas Appeal, and to have the chance to get reacquainted with the Fairwood Players. And it proved to be everything I hoped it would be - and more!

If you’ve read The Appeal you’ll know what to expect - if not, welcome to the genius that is Hallett who manages to tell a story entirely through emails, texts, Whats Apps and interviews and yet bring the story and its fabulous cast of characters alive in a genuinely hilarious whodunnit.

This time the Fairway Players are putting on a pantomime - Jack and the Beanstalk - but they are far from a united team. AmDram is not for the faint hearted! There’s rivalry, backstabbing, sabotage and a dead Santa …. alongside some truly funny madcap moments!

If you’re looking for something a bit different from the more “cutesy” Christmas reads and prefer mystery with some laugh out loud festive fun then you need to pick this one up - at only 200 pages long it’s a quick read, ideal if like me you didn’t want to put it down!