Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Examiner.

I'm not a fan of epistolary novels but I enjoyed the author's previous books, including The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels and The Appeal.

I didn't enjoy The Examiner as much mainly because I didn't like the story about a group of MA students in an art program. The discussions about their studies and assignments went right over my head.

I would forget who was who and doing what just from reading emails and text messages.

I did like the twists at the end, though I guessed from the messages everyone was hiding something.

I look forward to the author's next book.

I was so excited to be chosen to read an advance copy of this book. I have read other selections from this author and I love the format they use. I enjoy reading diary format type novels and this is next level using app discussion groups and emails etc. The overall mystery keep me interested and engaged throughout and I read late into the night to get to the end. No one or nothing is as it seems and the last of the book is full of surprising twists. The premise of a diverse group of adult learners joining an MA program to broaden their career skills in conjunction with a commercial art installation is a perfect jump off point for the whodunnit that follows.

A unique and interesting way to take a journey through a book. Epistolary novels are such a fun way to read and experience a character(s). It did run a bit long and at times skimming was easier then reading, but the twist was worth it and quite inventive.

AHHHHHHHHHHH! Janice Hallett does it YET AGAIN!

I am so pleased with this book, and I finished it in LESS THAN 24 HOURS!!!!

I am so thankful to Janice Hallett, Netgalley, and the team at Atria Books for granting me advanced digital and physical access to this twisty whodunnit before it hits shelves on September 10, 2024.

Told through a mixed media format, we are propositioned as university admins to help solve the case of Ms. Gela Nathaniel's legitimacy and accuracy in grading her students' work. It seems she's playing favorites amongst a few of her students, leaving others out of such criticisms. Amongst the various email messages and Doodle chat threads, our admins and examiner on staff find that more nefarious activities are taking place within this Masters of Arts program.

Several students are seemingly not who they played themselves out to be and are enrolled in the class for their selfish reasons, spoiling the class experience for those truly looking to expand their skill sets. It's up to US, the readers to crack the case before too many outsiders notice that a few students are repeatedly missing class and could even be deceased as well.

I loved this one so much and cannot wait until publication day!

First of all, I want to say I was a HUGE fan of Janice Hallet’s 2023 release “The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels.” I think the format is so much fun, and I find it very engaging. I got very into that mystery.

The Examiner has a similar format. The reader reads through Doodle messages and what’s app messages, as well as Art and Essay assignments in a Master’s program for Multimedia Art. Twists and turns, no one is who they seem to be. Teamwork is difficult and worth it. Teamwork brings out the best and worst of us.

The story was not as richly satisfying and was more simplistic. I don’t love “climate change activists” being portrayed as dangerous kooks. Climate change is really the only issue that matters, and it needs to be everyone’s number one priority. We have to stop stereotyping activists as extremists.

It was interesting to explore the setting of academia also. Overall this was a fun read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria books for the ARC.

That was fun! I enjoyed reading this story told in documents about a misfit group accepted into an arts course by a university employee desperate to make it work so her program isn't given the axe. An examiner, who is supposed to judge the students' work by reading through the messages we see, has questions and believes one of the students has been murdered. Reading along, we guess who is missing and what has happened to them, but guess again - nobody is who they appear to be. And everyone has something to gain.

I did find the number of switchbacks and deceits to get a little much after a while, and some of the reveals were head-scratchers (though one was brilliant - a thoroughly enjoyable experience of having the rug pulled out from under one). This is the first novel by Janice Hallett that I've read, but I'll certainly try others.

5 stars. Loved this puzzle format mystery. Set in an art class (well, "career focused creative media class"), Janice Hallett uses group chats, emails, and assignment outlines to paint a picture of a mystery alongside a year in a masters' art class. Great plot twists and clever structuring. My one critical point would be a slight re-use of a plot device from The Christmas Appeal, but its pretty minor.

All in all, loved this -- not as dark as her last, and very funny. She is a master of this genre that feels uniquely hers.

(Hold til Sept to publish) Will be posted on our site:
beachreads.ca

What a fun ride in this new twisty mystery by Janice Mallett. I read and really enjoyed both The Appeal books so was excited to dive into her newest mystery. I thought the book really evoked a lot of the same feeling as The Appeal, with the group dynamics and as with the others, love that the story reveals itself through messages and emails.

I was lucky enough to be able to enjoy the entire book in a day and really immerse myself into the unfolding story.
I thought the setting over a school year with a group of students was really clever and didn’t see any of the story twists coming, as I prefer to just enjoy a mystery and be along for the ride. I recommend this for fans of her other books.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the gifted digital ARC to review.

2.5 rounding up for GR

Unfortunately, I just don’t think Hallet’s writing is for me 🥲

I love the idea behind the style of her writing, but the execution just really falls flat for me. Luckily, the format does allow for a quick, binge-able read, and that’s likely all that prevented me from DNF’ing this one.

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

Incredibly clever, smart, and twisty mystery that I couldn't put down nor predict what was coming. The pacing and style took me a few chapters to get used to, but I found myself appreciating the format of the book (told through posts on a university messaging platform) and the skill it took to write from each character's POV, slowing unwrapping the mystery throughout. This was my first Janice Hallett book, and far from my last. I can't wait to dive into her backlist.

I LOVE Janice Hallett!! Her approach to suspense and mystery is so unique and keeps me engaged all the way though the story. I did guess a few things based on previous books of hers that clued me into “tricks” she uses, but it wasn’t anything that ruined the plot or overall mystery. There was one reveal that actually shocked me which is always so fun. I love these mysteries that aren’t scary but still have incredible suspense. Fun read!!

Another winner from Janice Hallett. I have consumed everything from the author and love the writing style of a story that is told via different mediums like email, texts etc. The mystery is fun as always but it is the style that is the winner

Six students start an MA course in hope of learning how to transition from art to industry. Only five make it through.

Episotolary novels have long been a favorite of mine. When I first read The Appeal, I was delighted to discover Janice Hallett’s mastery of the technique. Her novels since then have not hit as well for me, and I didn’t even finish Alperton Angels. I was nervous that nothing of hers would ever hit for me again the way The Appeal did.

I am so happy to say I was wrong. I was captivated by The Examiner from the beginning and couldn’t put it down. The twists made me gasp, but weren’t so outlandish that they didn’t fit the context of the story, and the end resolved just enough without it being overly tidy. The story was creative and the cast varied and well fleshed out.

I was a bit concerned at the beginning that Jem was too much like Isobel from The Appeal, but those concerns were resolved by the last third of the book. I also had to reread a bit in the last few sections to track everything, which dropped a half star for me.

In addition to talking about the content of the book, I think a book club would find a lot of jumping off points here. What we value as a career path, environmental activism, disability, and regret are all themes that could be teased out for a robust discussion.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

Honestly, Janice Hallett is so unmatched. I’ve read all of her books and I think this one may be my favorite so far! It has a great premise (MFA program filled with regular students, secret agents, and activists) and truly delivers a super fun can’t-put-it-down reading experience. So many thoughtful twists and turns that change the way you think about everything that came before, masterful misdirection, and just a great plot. Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review!

3.75 stars rounded up to 4!

Janice Hallett is back! Every year, I look forward to reading Janice Hallet's new book because of the mixed media integration and the fun story that keeps me guessing until the end. It was super fun to enter this world of academia and I really liked how 1) the story told us all of the assignments that the students had to do and what they made 2) the students and artwork became increasingly more chaotic as time went on.

Without giving any spoilers, I thought the integration of a disability with one of the characters was so well integrated and I was so immersed in the story that I didn't see a lot of the twists coming.

My only issues with the book were that I couldn't differentiate between some of the male characters (specifically Cameron and Jonathan) and I think that the book could have been a little shorther.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for an arc in exchange for an honest review!

This was an exciting read. I will admit, it starts off a bit slow, but then picks up at the end. I love this style of book and will always read Janice Hallett’s books! I think the way she tells a story through messages is so fun and exciting.

If you haven’t read a book by @janice.hallett , you need to ASAP. These mysteries are so unique! I love the way all of her stories are laid out and this one did not disappoint! There were a few twists in this that I did not see coming! Highly recommend to anyone that likes a unique mystery that is a fun, refreshing read from start to finish!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was unfortunately not one of my favorite books by this author. I found some of the plot to be repetitive and did not enjoy the way that the characters acted around each other.

While I wanted to love this book, it just fell for me. I absolutely LOVE Janice Hallett’s writing style. The format of texts, emails & diary entries make her stories so much fun to read. However I wasn’t a huge fan of the plot. The tech & multimedia just wasn’t something I was excited about but that’s a me problem not the book! Hallett does the “annoying” character so well & I always loved reading Jem’s bits! I enjoyed the not knowing and wondering wtf actually happened.

"The Examiner" by Janice Hallett is a crime novel uniquely told through emails, text messages, and essays. It centers on Gela Nathaniel and her efforts to manage a small group of students in a pilot art master's program at Royal Hastings University. As tensions rise and secrets come to light, a third-party examiner uncovers that someone is in grave danger through their final projects.

I thought the modern epistolary style would be a good fit because I'm nosy and my favorite middle-grade books were Kate Klise's "Regarding the Fountain" series. However, I think this would work better as a YA novel. It somehow felt both boring and farfetched, with the storyline and characters' actions often feeling implausible. While the assignments and communication methods were realistic and reminiscent of my own online college learning experiences, the plot dragged on until it finally picked up around the 60% mark. It did end with several unexpected twists.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the advanced copy.