Told in a series of texts and emails, so fun! I enjoyed this book overall, but the way the radio and death came together was super anticlimactic. I listened to the audiobook version of this and it had a full cast. If I had to hear the "help, im in a dark room" recording one more time I was going to spiral.

A fun lil mystery -- the death was definitely unpredictable but it was also unjustified. There were some details about the characters that were withheld, so when they came out at the end of the book it was like ?? how were we supposed to follow along if we were mislead about their literal abilities?

The journey made it worth it to read, the end just fell flat for me.

I have read all of Janice Hallett's books and THE EXAMINER is close to the top. THE APPEAL might still be my favorite, but this is a close second. Why? The tension between the characters is juicy and realistic, there's a touch of conspiracy, and the mystery unfolds in a curious and dramatic way.

The small-group setup of MFA students is *chef's kiss.* If you've ever spent time in a university art class, you'll find something to relate to here. Assignments, critiques, academic rivalry - it all felt so realistic. Add to that a possible murder and a definite mystery, with just a hint of a grander scheme, and you'll get a compelling crime thriller.

The reason I still love THE APPEAL so much is because of the characters: so dysfunctional that you can't help but keep reading. THE EXAMINER delivers the same rush, just in a different setting. Loved it.

This was my first novel by Janice Hallett and it certainly won't be my last! I loved the non traditional writing format and how the entire story was told between messages and emails and such. I liked the duel timelines and felt that it was value add to the overall story. At times there felt like there were too many characters and it was a little hard to keep up with who was who and who was doing what. I never saw any of the twists coming whatsoever. However, I do feel like it took an unnecessary long time to get to said twists. There was a point where I felt that I had no idea how this story could go throughout the school year. Once the ball got rolling, the story really took off! Overall, I really enjoyed this novel and would easily read whatever she comes out with next!

JANICE NEVER LETS ME DOWN. These books are sooo much fun, I love trying to figure out what happened (spoiler, I never figure it out).

This was fantastic. Potentially one of my favorite by the author so far. I love the multimedia method of story telling in Janice Hallett books, and this one really worked, This kept me engaged and really paying attention to the story. I supplemented this with the audio book and I highly recommend that reading experience. Hallett's ability to portray certain characteristics and make each student unique was great. I found myself getting so annoyed by certain characters and found it really authentic to how some classroom dynamics play out. I never saw the twists coming and really added so much.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend. Thank you so much for this ARC copy for review!

I was a huge fan of The Appeal so I was excited for the Examiner. This had a similar set up to the Appeal with the multimedia documents being presented to the reader. This time it was over doodle (be still my university past self) and over the course of an MA class in the arts. The cast of characters were eccentric and it kept me guessing. This drug a bit in the middle for me but did pick back up again and as the reveals happened, I genuinely had a good time. I thought some of the reveals left a lot to be desired but I did have a bunch of fun reading this and it was loads better than the Twyford Code. Another fun read out of Hallett for sure!

I love how unique Janice Hallett books are! It always feels like you’re piecing through clues like a detective to put the story together. I always struggle to put the book down because I just want to know what’s coming next.

Thank you to Atria Books & Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

What a fun read! This the second of Janice Hallett's books that I have read & it was just as engaging as the first one. An epistolary tale of the newly created Multimedia Arts course at Royal Hasting University, we experience the events of the course through emails, text messages, & reports. I was intrigued by the different personalities, the mystery of how the final project turns out. Fast paced, complex, and with an interesting twist, I encourage you to read this one!

Formal review to come and be posted online via Instagram and Goodreads. Overall enjoyed the book!! There were twists I couldn’t have seen coming - but all the characters were so shady!

Janice Hallett is the absolute QUEEN of mystery in my opinion. I could not put this one down and was racing to the end to figure out the conclusion. I think her format is so clever and am endlessly impressed with the work it takes to put one of these stories together. An auto-buy author for me, for sure.

Welcome to the Group Project From Hell!

If you've ever wanted to be a fly on the wall to score the real juicy tea, or you're the type of nosy to go through someone's phone - hey, just to see what they're thinking - you'll fit right in with the students in the new RHU multimedia arts course. No one likes group projects,

This was a quick read, instead of chapters you get to read in on the text threads and email exchanges between characters. Everyone is unreliable and annoying in their own way, even with the short chapters, there were times I debated skipping to the end just because I was so tired of the characters. (Gela if you don't send over those damn forms!!!!!!!!) I thought some of the shock-value in the twists was lost in the formatting, but some still got me good.

IDK, now that I've sat with this a little while, I guess I'll say I'm pretty neutral on this book. I didn't like it but I don't dislike it...there's so much in the characters and the story that could've been built out, and parts of the story I thought would be sick plot twists that just turned out to be rabbit holes.
I'm also not someone who enjoys having to pay attention to dates/times things like texts/emails were sent while I'm reading, which is a pretty central aspect to this book, so maybe that took away from my experience with it....I'm okay with that.

Thank you to NetGalley for the free copy in exchange for my honest review!

Janice Hallett returns with another epistolary novel in which the reader solves the mystery alongside the detectives, who, in this case, are art school judges. Follow the group of art masters students as they work together to create a display for a tech company, communicating through group chats and revealing dark secrets with every passing month. When their final project goes awry, it’s up to you, reader, to solve the case…before it’s too late.

Hallett is the master of the uniquely formatted thriller, and the group chats in The Examiner harken back to her stand out mystery The Appeal. I loved the subtle clues and reveals she peppered throughout the messages, and as always, I love playing detective and trying to solve the murder before the answer is revealed to me. Fans of whodunnits and choose your own adventures will love this latest mystery!

I am a huge fan of Janice Hallett's mysteries, especially when mixed media formatting is incorporated. I struggled to distinguish all of the characters in the beginning, but I was able to catch on quickly - so don't you dare give up if it seems overwhelming at first. It's all so worth it! I highly recommend.

I am a huge fan of mixed media novels, so I’ve had Janice Hallett on my “want to read” list for quite awhile. Unfortunately, this book wasn’t for me. Told in emails, text messages, and essays, “The Examiner” follows a group of students in an art master's program. I really liked this unique format, and the mystery was quite compelling. I was so convinced that I had it all figured it out, but I was completely wrong. There were many twists that I did not see coming, and I am still a bit in shock by a few things I totally missed. The book focuses heavily on the students’ art master’s program. I am not an artist, nor do I have much art education or experience, so I just didn’t find the plot as interesting as others might. I did enjoy learning about different media, though. Overall, a very clever and innovative mystery. This one wasn’t for me, but I will definitely be giving Hallett’s other works a try.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I like Janice Hallett's writing and the way she tells the story through e-mails, texts etc.The stories was very original, but I did feel this story was very slow and kind of drawn out. I look forward to see what the author does next.


Thank you Netgalley and Atria books for the digital arc.

I love love love everything about this! It was so easy to read and I love the way it was writing! In emails! It keep my attention sense when page one to the end!

3.5* Rounded up.

This is the second Janice Hallett book I've read and her books are truly different from everything else I've read in terms of format, unexpected themes, and managing to get characterization through to readers using a bunch of text messages, e-mails, and college intranet forums.

This did drag a touch toward the middle and the ending was slightly too overwritten with the amount of pivots, but overall this was a fun tension-filled read. I must have said "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?" at least 20 times, but Hallett has mastered the puzzle box and answers it ten-fold by the end. I don't think I saw any of the twists coming (pun definitely intended), which is a testament to the creativity of the plot and structure of the novel, but I don't know how I feel about an ambiguous ending where you don't know who you should have been rooting for the entire time. It's probably more of a personal choice, but after investing so much in the story, I want to feel a definitive way about the characters by the end. I want my feelings validated. But I guess that "up to interpretation" is the purpose of art... Which if that's the point of the novel, job well done, I guess.

I was pleasantly surprised by Janice Hallett's latest book, The Examiner. Her last two books left me with a lot of unanswered questions, but this struck the perfect balance between tying up loose ends and leaving some open. In many ways this reminds me of The Affair, in that it follows a group of creative people with strong personalities and the tensions that develop between them. In this case, an MFA (or the British equivalent) cohort of fine arts students, several of whom have ulterior motives for being there, and the examiner who's trying to put the pieces together after the fact to see if something horrible has happened.

It's clear pretty early on that things are fishy with the instructor and some of the students, and over the course of the year it becomes more apparent. The story is told primarily in emails and text messages, and getting to see the characters describe events in their own words (theoretically, anyway) is fascinating when you're trying to figure out what might have happened and who knows what. Everyone has secrets and agendas, and tracking the clues as they're unveiled makes reading this so much fun.

While these are cosy and enjoyable, they very much do follow the same format. I am very ok with that but i think some readers may be looking for something more

I will always read whatever Janice Hallett will write.

This book was insane and I was so invested in picking apart every conversation and message trying to figure out where this story was going and who is to blame.

The mystery wasn’t my favorite and I wasn’t that invested in the characters (all of them kinda sucked ngl) but when the twists and reveals started coming, I just HAD to know what was going on and how will it end.

Once again told in messages, emails, WhatsApp group texts, and turned in coursework - this was written beautifully and really drew me in, even though it wasn’t my favorite. I can’t wait for what Janice Hallett writes next!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this earc in exchange for my honest review