4/5⭐

This is my second (and most-liked) Janice Hallett book, and I admire her unique contribution to the murder mystery genre. You'll read through a compilation of emails, assignments and message boards to determine if a crime has even been committed - and if so, who is at fault.

What I liked: I have already applauded the unique format, which not only made the story interesting but also allowed Hallett to pull off some major twists that had me rethinking everything I knew. Within the limited format, she also does a great job of creating and developing characters.

What could have been better: I wish there were some more visual aids. Since this was about an art class, it was a little hard to visualize some of the projects - especially the final project which was very central to the plot. A quick schematic could have made that a lot easier and could have easily been included as an email attachment or something.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for my e-ARC.

At first, I was unsure about the writing style of this book, since it it written mostly as instant messages, e-mails, and other similar ways of communicating. Due to this, it was hard for me to focus on the story, and keep track of who was saying what/learning who the characters were. However, once I was able to sit down and focus on what was happening, it was a lot easier to get invested in the story, also while keeping in mind that the Examiner must make their decision for the group while reading their essays, texts and message boards, just like it was written in the book, and just like the reader must also make their decision based on what they read.

In the beginning, the plot is a bit slow as the characters are first being put together to work on a group project and getting to know one another. However, as the story goes on, the mystery aspect comes in and different twists and turns were added. I will say though, that in the last part of the book, it really did go from 1 to 100 very fast with what happened to a certain character. Also, none of the characters were particularly likeable, but that is the appeal when it comes to this book. You aren't rooting for any specific characters and you are equally invested in all of them and their side of the story.

Thank you to Janice Hallett, Atria Books, and NetGalley for the eARC of this book. This is my honest review.

4.5 ⭐️
This is my third book read by Janice Hallett and I just have to say I’m obsessed. I love the formatting of her books, it makes them so unique and interesting. The storytelling in The Examiner was top tier and kept me hooked until the end! I absolutely loved this book and I can’t wait to read more from this author!

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

It is absolutely impossible to not get swept up in a Janice Hallett novel (for me at least). This one had more of a curve at the beginning than I remember but soon enough I was hooked. She writes such distinct personalities and their interpersonal relationships are always fun to read. I do love the way this turned out. I never go in suspecting something in particular because I know it will not be what I think it is.

The author has made such a name for herself with the new take on a mystery novel told solely through multimedia. This particular story was told through a college’s communication app, WhatsApp messages, diary entries, class assignments, and teacher/examiner scorings.

I received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I need to stop giving Hallett a try. I loved her first book but ever since each story has gone down in ratings. Not knowing who the victim was hurt the fun of trying to solve the case your self. It was a quick read due to it being mixed media which is always something I enjoy.

I have really enjoyed Hallett’s previous works because of their intriguing storylines and her unique way of presenting them (email, texts, etc.). However, I am probably a real outlier on this one, but The Examiner just did not do it for me and was rather disappointing. Although the basic premise was definitely an interesting one, the students’ messages to one another seemed really disjointed, the plot moved way too slowly during the first 75% of the book, and even though this was a novel about art students, there was much too much detail about their art assignments and even art in general. I had a difficult time slogging through this one, sad to say. Nevertheless, I do look forward to Hallett’s next endeavor.

I totally loved the way this book was written using email exchanges.. I totally missed all the clues. My Jaw dropped multiple times. What an interesting plot. So out there. It was great how your thoughts about characters changed over time. I thought Jem was just a complete *itch. Then you find out more about her and your viewpoint changes. Overall a great mystery.

I’ve read and enjoyed all of Janice Hallett’s books, and I’ve wondered how she can keep up this idiosyncratic method she has of presenting every story via written materials like emails, WhatsApp and other e-messages, letters, forms, documents and more. In The Examiner, though, she exceeds all her previous books. This book is wild! You wouldn’t think that of a story about an MA art course with six strangers coming together for a one-year course intended to guide artistic students to expanding their talents and using them in ways that will pay off in money-making enterprises.

The personalities are established quickly, and it’s clear right away that they are a disparate and not-very-harmonious lot, and it seems that there are mysterious and possibly dangerous and even deadly things going on during the course. The pace intensifies and the sense of foreboding and new danger ratchets up. At the same time, the book is funny—in a darkly satirical way.

I don’t know where Janice Hallett will go from here, but I’ll never again doubt her ability to come up with something new and exciting, unbound by her choice of the epistolary form.

4.25 stars - I'm always entertained by Janice Hallett's books. The Appeal and The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels are still my favorites, but I also enjoyed this clever book. A unique master's in art program has been set up at Royal Hastings University to help artists prepare for the business world. Six diverse students are chosen by Gela Nathaniel for this unique program, but it soon becomes clear that everyone is keeping secrets, some more dangerous than others.

Janice Hallett's books are so unique. She tells this whole story through text messages, essays, and evaluations of the work of the art students. Mixed in with these interchanges are also comments from another timeline from "The Examiner" whose job is to make sure the grades the students have received are fair and accurate for their work. I find this type of book to be fast and fun reading. I love getting to know the main characters, and Hallett's stories always amaze me with how much of the characters' personalities come through just from just their messages.

On the surface, this looks like a story of artists with different strengths and flaws, trying to work together on their coursework which includes a huge project for a real-life client. However, there is so much going on behind the scenes with a complex plot that I'll admit sometimes confused me. I liked trying to guess what was really going on and what was being hidden, such as whether or not one of the students really had gone missing. I figured out a few things, but during the last part of the book, there were so many twists and turns I couldn't put it down. I've read all of Hallett's wonderful books and would put this in the middle after The Appeal and Alperton Angels but before The Twyford Code.

I received an advance copy of this ebook at no cost from NetGalley and Atria Books, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

*The Examiner* by Janice Hallett is a brilliantly crafted mystery that keeps readers guessing with its clever twists and intricate plot. Hallett's unique storytelling style and sharp attention to detail make for an engaging and immersive read. It's a masterclass in suspense, full of surprises and depth.

This was interesting -- I usually really like epistolary novels and this one purporting to solve a murder mystery was unique. I found it pretty long and there is something about reading endless emails and text messages as opposed to reading a novel that was fast at times and slow at other times. I don't necessarily think I would describe this as having a big plot twists but there were some things I wasn't expecting. If you like Agatha Christie, et al, this may be right up your alley!!

The Examiner comes out next week on September 10, 2024 and you can purchase HERE.

Dear reader,

I need to oversee the final grades for a master's degree at a prestigious university. Despite access to all the documents I require and some I wouldn't normally expect to see, I find myself unable to grade the submissions. In fact I can't quite work out what happened on that course at all. It was either something so disturbing I can't even bring myself to write it down; or, as the police seem to think, it was nothing.
I'd appreciate your help. Please read the enclosed and let me know.

For context, it includes an academic year calendar marked with key dates, the official guidelines that govern our marking process and my correspondence with the college admins.

Be aware that if my worst fears are true, then one of the students on this course is dead.

Thank you,
The Examiner

LOVED THIS ONE! I've really enjoyed Janice Hallett's past books, but this one is really my favorite. It's like reading a soap opera script for a show set in an arts program.

This was such fun and interactive mystery! I was trying to guess what was happening throughout the story, and boy, this book surprised the heck out of me. This was new format for me but I really enjoyed it. Feels like going through those mystery crosswords and puzzles on a Sunday morning.

I really love the mixed media of Janice Hallett books. It's interesting and fun, as it feels like a mystery game in trying to solve. However sadly with this one I just couldn't get invested. I didn't find the mystery to be that interesting and the characters were pretty grating at times.

I will continue to pick up Janice Hallett's books as I find them to be fun and unique.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for this advanced reader copy. This review is voluntarily my own.

Janice Hallett has done it again!! Another twisty murder mystery in the books!! 🙌

There were definitely some twists I did not see coming in this one!! Very interesting and at times humorous dynamics between the characters!! Highly recommend this one!! 👏

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Janice Hallett for the opportunity to read the eARC in exchange for my honest review! ❤️

I made 200 pages into this book and just couldn't read anymore. It was too heavy on the actual art project with no mystery or suspense. I didn't care less about any of the characters or the ending. I found spoilers on Goodreads and even then, it was a lackluster attempt at mystery. I enjoy the mixed media but not enough to finish this book.

It might seem unaccountable to some but I have a soft spot in my heart for the 3 star books that I enjoy and recommend, and Janice Hallett’s mysteries are top of that list. The format is always unique, the characters mostly unlikable, and the plot so intricate that you can’t skim over the slightest detail or you will absolutely miss something. Reading “The Examiner,” like Ms. Hallet’s previous novels, requires work and concentration but the surprises are always astounding and although I wouldn’t read it again, I can and do recommend ”The Examiner” for mystery buffs everywhere.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

"The Examiner" by Janice Hallett offers an engaging and unique mystery, told in an unconventional narrative that is refreshing to see. This book fully embraces this writing style by telling the story entirely through chat messages, emails, reports, and journal entries to the group, tutors, and staff. While Hallett’s style is always entertaining, this novel would have been five stars if the first chunk of the book wasn't so slow moving - I found the plot picks up and the pieces start to come together just past the halfway point.

I also found the characters SO irritating and hard to connect with, which made it difficult to care what any of them were talking about (was I that annoying as a student during my BA??) But, fans of her previous work will still find this worth a read!

This is such a good book! Janice Hallett is both the master of these epistolary thrillers, but ALSO a complete master of this character study. The way her characters come through so vividly just through correspondence is actually amazing. I felt inside their heads the whole time and that I knew them so well, which made the twists even that more shocking. I love how the story was crafted and perfectly pieced together; the different missives were presented to the reader in the perfect order to lead the reader to make certain assumptions and miss others.

I had SO much fun reading this and I stayed up way too late to finish it!

I always enjoy Janice Hallett's puzzle books, where the reader gets to piece things together as they go along. This one has a fun premise: six students in a new MA that combines art and marketing skills are required to communicate and submit assignments on a classroom app. It's all being reviewed to make sure their grades are fair by an outside examiner. There are messages between the students, their primary professor, and other staff, submissions for various projects, journals the students are supposed to keep to add to their final project, etc. As someone who has spent a fair amount of time n academia, the results were ridiculous and plausible at the same time--I enjoyed it a great deal. It did seem a bit easier to work out the solution than some of Hallett's other puzzles, but I found it entertaining throughout.

Thanks to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for my free earc. My opinions are all my own.