My thanks to NetGalley and Atria for an ARC of this novel.

British writer Janice Hallett has written a series of unconventional twisty mysteries in her characteristic twisty style. Coming quickly on the heels of her outstanding Alperton Angels, this one vies for my favourite of them.

Gela Nathaniel, pronounced with a hard G even though her name is Angela, as one character remarks, is setting up the first Multimedia Art MA program (MMAM) at the prestigious Royal Hastings University. Their Fine Arts program is rapidly deteriorating. This effort to salvage arts training by making it more ‘real world’ is a last-ditch effort. Although she was responsible for every grad course that preceded it, this one is so experimental that a committee of three examiners is appointed to oversee the program and its students.

Ben Sketcher, the Examiner of the title, is the only member external to the college. While feeling his way through their quirks and internal politics, Ben is closely attuned to the students, made relatively easy because most of what they do individually and collectively is actually documented, thanks to the course design—all media, all the time.

Gela selects six students, with a keen eye to racial, age, educational and experiential diversity. The students range from young Jem, spoiled only daughter with six older brothers, through the fortyish Ludya, a single mother who wastes no time using her circumstances to petition for more flexible deadlines and access, through long-ago award winner Alyson, the seeming ‘teacher’s pet’ who rides on her past glories, to her advantage. They are each fairly obnoxious. The men, Patrick, Jonathan and Cameron, are fundamentally ineffectual. They vary in their aptitude but none are as good as the women. Nor as demanding and belligerent, and inclined to be passive-aggressive. Patrick, the oldest (in his 50s) owns a fine arts supply store of the old-school kind mostly shoved to the margins by large franchises. He is the peacekeeper. All three are marginalized.

Jem is openly and unremorsefully adversarial from the start, focusing mostly on Alyson, though she spares no one, not even Gela. She bad-mouths and backbites, gaslights and outright accuses her of theft and corruption in the student Doodle (their group email), to Gela and the other administrators, even in front of Alyson. Her barbs are bare, venomous, and really funny.

The novel is structured like the fictive course. It takes shape as a contemporary version of the traditional epistolary novel. Instead of letters and personal dairies, we have ongoing email exchanges, chats, short personal essays, presentation summaries, occasional exchanges between Gela and other faculty and support staff much of it dealing with students flouting regulations. I loved the hilarious deadpan messages to Gela, always with stern warnings about some student infraction that she has failed to write up properly, from ‘Griff Technician,’ or Griff the Gruff, as the students know him. There are conventional exchanges with the examiners. And then there are those with the Examiner, which are truly the heart of the mystery that evolves.

Most of what happens is alluded to, talked around, reported after the fact, and revealingly self-serving. It is often hyperbolic and one-sided, especially where Jem and Alyson are concerned.

This gets a bit chaotic but it’s very compelling, and occasional red herrings add to the fun. And it is fun, as well as clever. Hallett is an excellent, smart writer who can keep several herrings in the air at once. She obviously has an insider’s cynicism about contemporary universities and their ill-thought drive to stay relevant by gearing their arts and humanities programs into vocational training for ‘the real world.’ The final arbiters for the student projects are the sponsoring businesses. You don’t have to be an academic to appreciate that this is dark satire, from the jargon that complicates the simplest matters, through the ‘fair practices’ that are often anything but, through the marvellously unreliable technology that the students are fully expected to rely on. It is, in fact, the basis of their work in this multimedia program.

This story is told through multiple voices and multiple perspectives and there are multiple offshoots from the central mystery. But it’s a really keen mystery, and she builds the suspense capably. It draw me in with the Examiner’s plea for help, which starts the story, and I could not stop reading while anticipating, then learning, what spurred him to appeal to the readers.

The following review has been posted on Goodreads and StoryGraph. It will post on Amazon, once it passes review. On pub day, I will share it on my Bookstagram (@mads.is.booking).

This is, hands down, the most creative book I have ever read in my life. I knew I would enjoy the story being told through texts and emails, but I didn’t realize I would enjoy it as much as I did. To be able to write such a story in this manner is so impressive.

The twists within the book kept me on the edge of my seat. I thought I had it figured out several times, but, alas, I was completely wrong. I enjoyed how twisty and unpredictable it was.

This was a fun, twisty read and I thoroughly recommend it to everyone!!

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

What an inquisitive and fresh-style of writing. The author is a mastermind at keeping you guessing and guessing yourself. When you read, you must really pay attention to the details and when you think you figured something out, surprise, you’re thrown a monkey-wrench but then you’re like oh wait… ok I misinterpreted it originally. The Examiner was a fun read. Writing style is fresh. I like the story line. I had a hate-like relationship with the characters. If you like mysteries and want to be kept on your toes, I recommend this book.

I absolutely love multi media books and find them so intriguing.
This is definitely a page turner that had me up way past my bedtime.
Three examiners are analyzing the work of six students in the Multimedia Art masters program. One examiner believes something happened to one student and sends messages, reports, emails, journal entries, and essays to the other examiners to get their opinions. While reading through everything you definitely can tell some of the students are up to something. Did something happen to one of the students? And what are the others trying to cover up?

I am a huuuuuuge fan of Janice Hallett and her style of writing. The way we get to see an entire mystery through the eyes of an independent investigator, where the entire book is solely comprised of text messages, emails, and essays. No one does it better than Hallett. It's so interesting getting to know the characters thru their own words, the thoughts of others instead of it being just a one dimensional story. The Examiner blew me away with it's twists and turns and all around great story. LOVED LOVED LOVED!!!

INCREDIBLE. My head was spinning and was jaw was on the floor throughout this entire book. The concept of plot being told exclusively through internet communications (chat and emails), was unique and accomplished far better than I expected. You were able to really get a grasp of the characters and the events that unfolded outside the messages. A book with so many characters could easily get muddy, but I found them all to be different enough to keep it straight.

This book had so many twists, and was genuinely interesting throughout. It was a mix of mystery and sci-fi which I appreciated as a mood reader. The timelines worked well, and were generally easy to keep together.

The Examiner is another barnstormer of a mystery from a modern queen of mysteries.

Janice Hallett delivers her distinctive style with a fiendish and tricksy story that has plenty of secrets up its sleeves.

For me, Hallett is a modern day Agatha Christie for her inventive take on the mystery genre, intriguing characterisation, and consistently brilliant plot twists. You become used to her unique stylings and the way they completely pull you into the story. This latest offering from Hallett’s nefarious brain continues her distinctive style, a modern twist on the epistolary novel—often combining emails, texts and investigatory transcripts. Here she turns her glare on a twisted Arts degree course that goes very wrong. This masterful mimicry is so true to life and that authenticity is what totally entrances you.

Hallett’s work appeals to the gossip lover hidden within all of us—it is eavesdropping taken to the extreme. As usual, you are invited to play detective yourself, if you can sift between the catty messages to find the hidden secrets within. The reader can piece together scraps from discussion boards, WhatsApp groups, essays and exam transcripts. In particular, I loved the inclusion of the mark sheets for the various assignments on the course. They exposed allegiances and favouritism at play, which takes a turn when further information is revealed. I love how this always places the onus on the reader, you are invited to become an armchair detective and try to solve it for yourself.

However, nothing is ever as simple as it first seems. Hallett has a knack for delivering excellent twists that truly reframe everything you may have thought you knew before. There are several here that completely gobsmacked me. I always think the best types of twists are ones that almost seem obvious in hindsight but completely shock you in the moment. The ones that make you instantly want to go back and re-examine everything to see the clues you missed. Hallett’s brand is delivering these types of twists perfectly. They’re buried in the mass of the little details of life, meaning you miss them to begin with and then they jump out on a reread. It helps that her writing style is so conversational and natural. The pacing is always exquisite, giving you enough titbits through the examiners’ future investigation to keep you lured into the story as a whole. The use of the dual timelines allows for some jaw-dropping reveals and smaller pieces of the overall picture.

We have a fairly insular cast of characters here and you start getting a sense of them quickly through their different messaging styles. You can build up a picture of exactly who they are and the different ‘types’ Hallett is observantly satirising. It adds a bit of humour—that kind of ultimate eavesdropping that allows you to see some of the backstabbing, corruption and collusion here. That balance of humour and tension is always masterfully delivered in Hallett’s work, often with a wry smile and a meta gloss. It is amplified here by the specific choices of media used within the narrative. Often, you can see exactly what someone is saying behind someone else’s back and what they’re saying to their face. The duplicity is incredibly juicy and adds layers to these characters, but the motivations are sometimes left deliberately vague or misleading. You get so invested in these somewhat unlikeable people and Hallett takes you by the hand down the many rabbit holes woven into this narrative.

The Examiner easily secures its spot as one of the top five mysteries I’ve read so far this year. It certainly delivers top marks for murder.

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.