This was everything I want in a Janice Hallett book. Fun, different, and totally engaging. I love how the story unfolded throughout.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for a copy of this book.

To say I'm obsessed with Janice Hallett's books is an understatement! I love her writing style, and was not disappointed with this book! I do think that it started out a little slow but once the sourcing trip happened, I was hooked! There were some plot twists that I didn't see coming at all. Every time you think you have something figured out, you find out something new that changes everything. I want to keep my review spoiler-free, so I'll leave it at that.

I always highly recommend Janice Hallett's books because I find the style so interesting. I would say even if you're just a little bit interested, go for it! You won't regret it!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a copy to review.

I thought that this one was a bit silly. I like Hallett’s writing a lot and that was still true for this book. However, I felt like this one dragged on far beyond what was necessary. I think this book would have benefited from an additional stricter edit, especially in the first ~75% or so.

The ending was unexpected, but not necessarily in a good way. It felt a bit out of left field to me. I didn’t really feel that a reader would have been able to predict the twists at all. It also got a bit convoluted. There was a lot going on at the end and not all of it felt earned or necessary.

I will definitely read whatever Hallett puts out next, but this was a bit of a miss for me.

As someone who doesn't usually like epistolary novels, I am still a huge fan of her books, which are so clever and readable.

That said, this was probably my least favorite of her books. As a former grad student, I thought I'd love the backstabby academic environment but the overall concept was very art-heavy and harder to translate to the page.

There were a few great reveals though, her books are always so interesting!

3.5 Stars rounded up. I really enjoyed the reading experience of this book. The formatting of this book is really unique with the narrative being told through emails and messages. It makes the reading experience very immersive. I had a tough time with the characters in this book because I don't think that I liked any of them. I certainly didn't really trust any of them either. Reading this book was pretty addictive up until the end. I wanted to know what was going on with the mystery. But then, it started to get sorted out and I started to lose interest. Not only that, I felt as though the mystery and resolution was SO unrealistic and difficult to follow. There was also a weird element of magical/paranormal realism that really turned me off. Overall, I enjoyed most of the book but the ending took a pretty significant hit for me in terms of star rating.

Janice Hallett's books are made up of snippets of communication--usually emails or messaging apps(as this one is). This one doesn't come together very well. It's not bad but so far fetched. And you are at least 3/4 finished before any of the clues start to point toward a real mystery. Not as good as her others.

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑬𝒙𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒓 by Janice Hallett was a fantastic mystery told in various formats, which I was thrilled to download via @netgalley from @atriabooks.

I loved it!

This was a cleverly plotted mystery that had me nervous at first, but once I settled in to the messages, emails, charts, and essays I was engaged. This story took dark academia to a different literary level.

I don't even know how to explain this, except as a group project for a Master's Art Program that went bonkers. There are really strong personalities that inevitably clash. I was often left wondering how much was real vs perception or imagination of critical personalities. What emerged was absolutely not what I expected. The way it all was revealed was so fun to read.

I found the themes of how art is used, specifically in corporate situations to be fascinating, as well as how we make assumptions about others.

Putting the story aside, I absolutely love Janice Hallett’s writing style - other than I have an extremely hard time putting her books down - I’ll just read one more email - one more group chat - one more essay, then I will clean the house, do the laundry, iron the clothes, open the mail - and it all sits waiting until I have finished reading her latest book.

Not only does she weave an interesting story about a master’s program in art and the students who are vying for their Master’s degree, with all their dysfunctional personalities, but she manages to insert a multi-layered mystery that just defies solving. Dropping the most minute breadcrumbs, when you finally gain some traction the “AHA” moments are breathtaking.

I would love to write more, but I have to get to the cleaning, ironing, and mail that I let linger while I binged on “The Examiner.” Many, many thanks to Atria Books and Janet Hallett for a copy.

Janice Hallett is such a master at mixed media. She does it like no other. The Examiner is such a fun, unique, puzzle of a mystery. You know going in that someone has been murder, but you don't actually know who until close to the end. This is such a fun book that will keep you entertained and guessing the entire way!

*The audio of this book includes a full cast that is out of this world! They level up this book like no other audio cast I've ever heard.

I love the format of Hallett books - reading texts, essays, and other transcripts rather than the typical straight format narration. The premise of The Examiner was interesting - a group of students embarking on a new executive masters program, their entire semester of assignments and group work evaluated from an outside perspective, trying to figure out if something sinister happened. So many twists and turns towards the end of this book, I could barely keep up!

What I find so interesting about Hallett's writing is that you THINK you don't like the main characters. I found Jem so earnest and obnoxious, but as more is revealed about her character, I found myself rooting for her over anyone else. The main setting of the university mixed media studio provided a thrilling plot point, as it was full of strange rules and flammable materials. Thorney Coffin as a secondary setting was eerie, and Hallett really built up a mystique surrounding the history of the site. This book was a wild ride - you're led one way, then the other, before finally ending in a completely different place you didn't know was possible.

Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

I loved both The Appeal and The Christmas Appeal but, sadly, this latest just didn’t completely work for me. I did like the twists and turns, though, so ultimately I would recommend it especially for fans of epistolary novels.

Starting this read be sure to realize that it is presented in a mixed media format - once you can get your brain wrapped around that, be prepared! Janice is amazing at executing layered plots and completely unexpected twists. Everything she writes is top notch. This felt like a very immersive read where you get a bit more personal reading emails, texts, etc. The talent to be able to make a reader feel like they are IN the story through this format is incredible. Total must read!!!

I want to be Janice Hallett and think up these wonderful quirky novels told through communications among the characters. The Examiner is her latest entry where Gela, an art professor, is hanging on by a thread because to stay relevant, she must connect art to its commercial potential. To be relevant, as we have all learned, arts and humanities must help students get jobs. No more, "follow your passion!" or "use college to gain a broad knowledge of many subjects for their own sake." So, Gela develops an MA course in conjunction with a high tech company that is planning an event in the spring for its most important stakeholders. Along the way, students must write papers but the ultimate assignment is to create a "wow" effect interactive art installation to raise the energy and spirit of the attendees. This is a collaborative effort, emphasizing teamwork.

So, six students are taking the class with an odd array of backgrounds, all individually selected by Gela. Jonathan is the son of a gallery owner and expects to take over one day. He is not an artist Allyson is already an established artist who wants to expand the mediums she uses. Patrick owns an art store and makes gorgeous sketches. He wants to return to Ireland and be an artist full time. Ludya is a graphic designer in the sandwich generation with two children she's raising and a mother with needs. Cameron took an art class from Gela when he was in rehab, I think. (told in passing in unclear way) And then there is Jem, fresh out of college as an art student, graduated with distinction, brilliant and involved with a capital i. She is into sculpture and soundscaping. We get to know these characters through their group and private chats on Doodle, the University intranet program; the essays they write and the observations of their "outside examiner." The outside examiner reviews the work and recommended grades of students in the MA program to ensure they are proper. He also engages in a group chat with other outside examiners throughout the novel.

But... nothing is as it seems and no one is how we first picture them. All the information is there. Have fun with this mystery! Hallett's approach to writing these novels through the character's voices is priceless and gives such insight into how they want to present themselves. Just like how we present ourselves on Facebook or texts or... writing comments on a new novel. Hugely recommend.

In the epistolary style of Hallet’s previous books, this new novel does not disappoint! The focus is on an MA program in mixed media arts at a university in England. The class uses a platform called Doodle for the class to keep in contact, with message boards and the ability to create private groups. The reader is looking at the aftermath of the course, from the perspective of an outside examiner working to validate the grades received.

There is A LOT going on here. I felt like the book was off to a slow start, with little mystery or intrigue for the beginning. But things picked up and it got better and better. There were plenty of surprise moments for readers like me who don’t have the creativity to predict twists and endings. Plus I think Hallett is a master of clever plots and complex characters, so there’s potential for shock for even the most astute reader and knower of plot twists.

I don’t want to say a lot because I don’t want to spoil it for others. I’ll just say that I really, really enjoyed this book, both in style and substance. I cannot recommend it enough. There is lighthearted hijinks but also deep thoughts and commentary on todays society. The Examiner will keep you on the edge of your seat, right up until the very end. This is a 4.5 star book, rounded up to 5. The slower start is what prevented a 5 star rating from me.

When Gela Nathaniel proposes the idea of a new Multimedia Arts Masters Degree program to the Royal Hastings college of the University of London, little does she know exactly how much chaos she's inviting both into her life and to the campus. Her six candidates have all been hand selected for the year-long pilot course, with her little group representing a multitude of experiences and backgrounds. Gela’s ultimate goal is to prove the program’s ability to ready all sorts of students for careers that merge artistic flair with corporate interests. To that end, the six will work not only on individual and small-group projects but also on a final team installation sponsored by a company with which Royal Hastings has good relations.

As graduation approaches, however, the external examiner going over the course materials and student work begins to suspect that something strange is going on with the program and its candidates. This is only underscored by the writing of the youngest student on the course, the bright and pushy Jem Badhuri. While generally the candid sort, Jem is also one of those people who rarely passes up an opportunity to make herself look better than her colleagues, including in her answer to this final project survey question:

QUOTE
Did we achieve our aims?
The whole project would’ve been different if I’d gone to Somerset. What went on there? All I know is that something came back with them and haunted us all from that moment on. Was it the radio? What we heard that afternoon in the studio? Even now, I’m not sure. But it started long before that meeting. It began the moment we arrived in the Media Arts Department in September. And if I manage to submit this exam paper safely, then it’s going on even as you, the examiner, read this essay.
END QUOTE

Drawn in not only by Jem’s words but also by what he's reading between the lines of the rest of the paperwork, examiner Ben Sketcher tries to sort out fact from bias as he goes through the group members’ essays and school-hosted correspondence. The more he reads, the more convinced he becomes that one of the students is in mortal danger. As the night of their final presentation approaches, Ben must race to uncover the truth, and potentially save a life in the process.

It's hard to talk about this book without revealing too many details of this fiendishly clever, brilliantly constructed epistolary novel. Janice Hallett has written yet another winner, with the petty dramas of academia serving as a witty, often humorous backdrop for a far grimmer tale of skullduggery and, eventually, murder. The plot unfolds like the most exquisite puzzle box, with callbacks and hints seeded masterfully throughout the text.

Yet it's the funny, exasperating, highly recognizable people at the heart of the situation who stand out the most. Jem really is the worst, but the way her classmates’ personalities shine through, for better or worse, even in seemingly innocuous text conversations is a testament to Ms Hallett’s facility with both the written word and modern forms of communication:

QUOTE
Ludya Parak
Way out of my lane in clay. Jem, are you up for a chat tomorrow?

Jem Badhuri
I’m helping Jonathan.

Ludya Parak
So that’s a “No, I won’t help you?”

Patrick Bright
You’ll have time for both, I’m sure, Jem.

Alyson Lang
I’ll help you, Ludya. I’ll focus on stop-motion and we can help each other.

Ludya Parak
Thanks, Ali. You’re a professional.

Jem Badhuri
What will you do, Pat? There are so many mediums you haven’t worked in, you’re spoiled for choice.

Patrick Bright
Resin. I like the end results, but the chemical process scares me. You need a technician present and I hate bothering them, but it’s my least-explored medium, so they can’t complain, surely.

Jem Badhuri
If you need any advice, just ask.

Patrick Bright
That’s nice of you, Jem, thank you.

Jem Badhuri
I mean ask Griff[, the technician]–he’s really good with resin.
END QUOTE

As these six personalities – including gallery owner Jonathan Danners and corporate burnout Cameron Wesley – come together and clash over their respective visions and interests, they provide a fascinating look into modern English academia, as well as the dark secrets that compelled at least some of them to enroll in Gela’s course. Fast-paced, twist-filled and as humorous as it is deeply clever, this is another winner from Ms Hallett that will delight her existing fans and likely create many more.

I like the way Janice Hallett tells stories. The story unfolding through texts and messages is a fun gimmick that I’ve enjoyed thus far.

The story itself lost me a bit though. I felt there were a bit too many things going on for me. I preferred a more straight-forward story, like in the Appeal. But it was still fun to read anyway and I think it will be an enjoyable mystery for others to solve.

Thank you to Atria Books and Simon Audio for the copies to review.

My second book by Hallett and I’m officially a fan! I love her mixed media / epistolary format of writing novels, especially reading via audio I think they work so well and are fun to listen to. There were quite a few characters to get to know in here, so following along with the physical copy while listening to the audio was crucial in the beginning in order to keep them all straight, but then I was able to listen via audio only about 25% in and was just fine. I loved the snark in here, which came through via audio well, I did not see a couple of the twists, which were still coming even at the end. This was thoroughly enjoyable, did not feel like it was almost 500 pages, and I loved it overall. I cannot wait to read more of her backlist now!

3.5 stars rounded up. This book had a really cool concept and format. It was fun to follow a mystery through social media and academic pieces. The content didn't quite live up to the concept for me though. I found the actual story pretty boring at times and kept waiting for something exciting to happen. The characters were realistically flawed though and it was fun to try to figure out where the story was going, even if the ending didn't really live up to all the build up.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.

The Examiner by Janice Hallett follows six students who have enrolled in an Art Master's program and their professor. The students are from across the UK and represent a wide demographic, from a recent university graduate to a 60-something art supply store owner. As they navigate the course, complete assignments and prepare for the final project, the students find themselves in the middle of mysterious, and even dangerous, circumstances. They're all just here to make art - or are they?

This was my first novel by Janice Hallett and it was unlike anything I've ever read before. The story is told through emails, texts and social media messages sent between the students, their professor and the examiner who is hired to give the final grade. This was such a unique and completely captivating way to tell the story - the entire story! No dialogue, no scene setting, just the messages between the characters.

At first, I loved it and I flew through the first half of the book. The plot began to feel too drawn out, however, and there were some parts that were confusing and a bit over my head. The story was very layered and I had to go back and reread some parts to make sure I could understand what was happening.

Overall, this was a fairly entertaining read but there were too many layers to sift through to make sense of what was going on, especially as you got closer to the big reveal at the end. Thank you to Atria for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Six Masters students get together to work in a small program, but will all of them make it out alive? Hallett’s newest unique-format mystery book tackles issues prevalent within society to share her thoughts on the issues while you try to keep count on who’s still alive.

I’ve really enjoyed this author’s other books, but found this one a little dry & too long. The ending somewhat confused me, although I got the general message. Going to read a few of her others to see if they are for me!