I received a free e-arc through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. The premise of this book sounded fascinating as a whodunit. I'll admit that I didn't love the format of the book told in messages and found that a bit annoying, but the content of the book pulled me in so it was able to keep my attention until the end. It has a lot of action and intrigue and behind the scenes subterfuge that they let the reader know about in bits and pieces. It was a different, but good read.

I love reading anything by Janice Hallett and The Examiner is no exception. This was quick and entertaining read told in epistolary style following a group of students working on a Masters Art course. The mystery was good and kept you guessing till the end. I want to thank NetGalley and Atria Books for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I love Hallett's writing style which consists of the reader trying to solve a mystery based on emails, texts, notes, diary entries of all the characters. This is her most recent book and unfortunately it didn't have the same spark as the others. For me it boils down to the actual crime and why it was committed and I just didn't find it interesting enough.

The newest Janice Hallett novel, The Examiner, is a witty & satisfying mystery revolving around a Master’s level art class, a diverse group of students all with their own agenda, a murder and a cover up. I’m such a fan of this author’s unique voice & writing style. This was a quick read because I couldn’t put it down!

I would give this a 3.5. I love this format of telling a story, I love the different media transcripts. It is so different from normal books, so it is a great way to bring some fun into reading. The mystery of who the missing student ended up being did a great job of not being able to be predicted until it was revealed, which is perfect for me as I love not being able to figure things out. I also enjoyed the character development in Jem and see her grow. Patrick however is my favorite character, and I wish his life had been easier for him, even if most of his issues were a result of his actions. The plot line was kind of iffy for me, I don't love art enough to relate to that part of the story. The radio piece was interesting and kind of shocking, but was not as mysterious as it was originally presented to be. The bit where they were trying to cover up for Cameron, and prevent any discovery seemed like a lot of extra work, and like they could have done something smarter. I don't understand how they couldn't have figured out his phone to turn off the security details, especially as people so well versed with tech. I was kind of confused by the lack of intelligence shown by people who are supposed to be smart.

What a wild ride. Normally I enjoy the mixed media layout of a book, but this one took me for a loop. I am still trying to wrap my head around what actually happened. I found myself in a major slump while reading this because it took so much energy and willpower to keep going. I hated Jem she was absolutely insufferable, the exact type of person I would avoid at all costs. I found myself wishing someone would trip her down some stairs, sad but true. Other times I found this “course” to be such a joke I can’t imagine anyone would have passed it given the leniencies awarded to these students. All in all much like the students of the MA, I’m glad it’s over.

What an interesting book! This was my first book by author Janet Hall. She has an unconventional way of unfolding a plot. This mystery is told through emails and message board correspondence. There’s nothing conventional about this book and its style will captivate mystery fans who desire something more than the average run-of-the-mill who-dunnit-it. It kept me engaged and kept me guessing. What more could you ask for from a mystery?

Another hit straight out of the park for me. This author wins most times using their mixed media method of story telling. Not always, but this is the case where that is true.

This was my first introduction to Janice Hallett, and all I knew was that she writes in unconventional ways to convey a story. Other than that, I didn't know what to expect!

All in all, the storyline here is quite unbelievable when all is revealed - but I'm not reading for something realistic! I found it quite enjoyable and I couldn't put this down. I really came to enjoy getting to know each of the characters, and once I thought I'd figured out what was going on, something would come up that proved me wrong (yet again) and I'd be sucked back in to find out what truly happened.

I greatly enjoyed this first introduction to Janice Hallett's work, and will definitely read her others!

There came a point about 2/3 of the way through that I could not put the book down and was constantly thinking about it.
The story follows a group of 6 mixed media art masters students and their tutor, though quickly you realize that something went wrong in their course.
The story jumps in timeline a bit, even including parts with the external examiners discussing what theyve read and their theories. The novel does a good job of making you feel like you are the examiner.
All in all this novel was a solid whodunnit story where you don't even know what you're looking for until you've passed the half way mark. This was a well done mixed media story with a handful of twists I genuinely did not see coming. Because of the format it was a quick read that was difficult to put down.
4.25/5

The Examiner is a mystery told through emails and message board correspondence. I really enjoyed Janice Hollet's book The Appeal and was looking forward to another story in her unconventional style.

While The Examiner was an easy and fun mystery, I felt more detached from the characters and subject than in her previous works. The book follows an MA Fine Arts course examination and the students' conversations that hint at a crime. The characters were hyperbolic and worked too hard to fit stereotypical personalities. The coursework played a big part in the narrative, and I found the niche subject matter a bit boring.

📚 Readability 4/5 ⭐️'s
📚 Writing Style 3/5 ⭐️'s
📚 Character Development 2/5 ⭐️'s
📚 Plot 2/5 ⭐️'s
📚 Gut Rating 3/5 ⭐️'s

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of The Examiner

I really enjoyed The Examiner. Told through emails, text messages, and essays, it follows a group of students in an art master’s program that goes dangerously off course.

I couldn’t figure out what would happen next, and it is by far one of the best books I’ve read this year! 5++/5 stars, no doubt.

Rating: 3.5 - 4 stars
Format: ebook*

Highlights:
⭐️Plot was quickly engaging & fast-pace enough that I binged this read in 24 hours.
⭐️The writing style of this novel consists of message board posts/instant messages/emails between our main protagonists as the mystery/crime unfolds for the reader. I was not expecting the story to be written out like this & was at first worried it would be confusing following the plot. Everything flowed very well & there was no backtracking at all.
⭐️Plot twists were blinding! I was not at all expecting the major twists & turns that unfolded as I was reading.
⭐️All characters were very different & stood apart from each other.

I really wanted to enjoy this book, but it didn't have the same feel as her others. It is still told in that mixed media format that I adore, but I had more difficulty connecting with the story and the characters as I did with her previous books. I don't know if it's just because the academia/art history setting or topic is usually just not for me or if the writing wasn't the same but this one just wasn't for me. I do hope to continue reading anything she comes out with, this one just didn't hit for me. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC.

Janice Hallett truly is the queen of mysteries. The way she tells stories is truly unique and this book is no exception.
My second favorite book by her (after The Appeal), The Examiner followers the examiner of a university art masters program who is inspecting the class after it has ended and it noticing strange things about the documents and transcripts he has been given. What follows is a stressful telling of the semester from hell and all the twists and turns that came with it.
The characters are a mix of insane and convoluted in a way that combines to make the perfect storm. You spend the entire novel second guessing everything that you have been told and trying to guess what happens next. You know that SOMETHING is going to happen, but you're left speculating as to what.
My only big critique is that the plot goes off the rails a bit at the end. While Hallett was able to tell it with just the right amount of absurdity and seriousness to make it work, when I told the plot to my roommates later, they were thoroughly confused as to how we got to the end.
I already knew that I will be a lifelong fan of Janice Hallett but this book has just cemented that fact.

I was very excited to see Hallett’s new book on Net Galley and it didn’t disappoint. Hallett has again created an extremely clever multi-media mystery/thriller with many twists and turns I didn’t see coming. The participants in a MA graduate cohort are slowly revealed through their what’s app messages, university chat system and course assignments but it isn’t until the end of the book that all of their roles and motivations are clear.
Halley’s creativity and skill are evident in her latest thriller! Thank you to Janice Hallett and Viper for the advanced reader copy!

Read this if you enjoy : a mystery in a mixed media format set in academia with some unforgettable characters. I cannot wait to read more of Janice Hallett as I love the way she writes and the twists! With these books, the reader quite literally is put in the driver's seat as the lead detective and solves the mystery! THANK YOU to Atria Books and NetGalley !!

Review will go live Sept 2: https://www.mwgerard.com/review-the-examiner/

At this point it is safe to say that author Janice Hallett is the queen of the modern epistolary novel. This outing centers around a multimedia art masters degree program and its disparate students. Their messages, essays, thoughts, and ramblings are helpfully contained on the school's centralized communication system, with the occasional off-platform text chain or email.

The one-year course is headed by Gela Nathaniel, a professor desperate to keep her department funded and relevant to the bean counters. She has retooled the program to teach students how to take their artistic abilities and make them a commodity for the corporate world. Sketches can become logos, soundscapes can become atmosphere, installations can become industry reveal events.

It's all well and good until the students become more interested in their own agendas than the coursework. When a corporate client with a sketchy past "hires" the the team for a launch party a crosscurrent of morals turns into a whirlpool of chaos.[spacer height="20px"]

Something strange happened this morning. Dad had a meeting, so he dropped me off early. When I tried the studio door it was unlocked. That usually means Alyson has been there overnight and is clearing up, but I didn't hear her music. She always has her phone blasting out old tunes. I was making a cup of tea when there was a noise from the stockroom corridor. Someone moving, but secretly, like they didn't want me to hear. It wasn't Alyson -- she always thunders out to say hello. This was someone else." ~ Loc. 585

[spacer height="20px"]Hallett is adept at not only telling the story through the 'documents' but she gives such personality to the characters. The reader genuinely finds themselves disliking or rooting for different people. In this book in particular, Hallett manages to turn one character from zero to hero just by revealing one detail late in the book. Of course, the clues were all there to be found from the beginning...

As always, Hallett's books are compulsively readable. I think The Twyford Code is still my favorite, but The Examiner is a close second.

I received an eARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Parts of this felt a little over-the-top but as usual, I was completely along for the ride. The framing device was great, as always, the mystery was solvable but not TOO solvable, and the experience of reading everyone's correspondence (which is always the best part for me) was delicious. The characters had such strong personalities in this one, it reminded me of the Appeal all over again (in a good way), these clashing, dramatic personalities playing out on page in front of you. Another smash hit from Janice Hallett! Now I go back to patiently waiting for her next release....

As always, thanks to Atria books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an arc of this. Janice Hallett is a writer in her own league. Her ability to weave in so many details that all tie together in the end is incredible. This is another fantastic work and I would absolutely recommend to any mystery reader. Twists galore that made me want to reread to see where I had missed the first clues. The joy of Hallett’s work is that it is always interesting no matter how many times you read it. The characters here were all complex and while interesting it was occasionally a struggle to like them as people. But I will say that didn’t ruin the work for me. I’ll read anything by Janice Hallett for as long as she is writing!