A return to the characters and setting of The Appeal- the world of amateur dramatics is rocked once again when a body is found to disrupt the Christmas pantomime.
Highly entertaining and extremely funny- definitely worth reading if you want Christmas fiction with a difference.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review which reflects my own opinion.

I really enjoyed this. A quick, fun whodunnit epistolary novella based around a pantomime, with murder, drug deals and the general bitchiness of a group of people!

Book Review: The Christmas Appeal by Janice Hallett

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 Stars

The Christmas Appeal by Janice Hallett is a delightful and immersive holiday caper that follows the uproarious antics of the Fairway Players theater group as they endeavor to put on a Christmas play and unravel a murder mystery that threatens to derail their production.

Set in the festive atmosphere of Lower Lockwood, the story revolves around the amateur theater enthusiasts of the Fairway Players who are fervently rehearsing for their holiday production of Jack and the Beanstalk to raise funds for a new church roof. However, amidst the holiday cheer, tensions simmer among the group due to petty rivalries, a suspicious beanstalk, and perennially absent players.

The plot thickens with the discovery of a dead body onstage, prompting lawyers Femi and Charlotte to launch their investigation. As they delve into Christmas letters, scrutinize emails, and pore over police transcripts, they race against time to unmask the victim and the killer before it's curtains for their holiday production.

The book's cover is undeniably stunning, drawing readers into its festive world. Hallett's storytelling prowess shines through in this novel, eliciting frequent bursts of laughter from readers. The unique narrative style, conveyed entirely through emails and messages, adds an innovative twist to the storytelling, although it may require some adjustment for first-time readers. Nevertheless, the novella format makes it an accessible and enjoyable option for readers seeking a lighthearted yet engaging read.

In conclusion, The Christmas Appeal is a captivating and entertaining read that seamlessly blends humor, mystery, and holiday charm. With its engaging narrative style and uproarious plot, it is a perfect choice for those seeking a whimsical holiday-themed escapade. Hallett's adept storytelling ensures that this novella is a superlative choice for an enjoyable and laughter-filled read during the festive season.

⚠️This review was written based on personal opinions and experiences with the book. Individual preferences may vary⚠️

Christmas wishes really do come true…if a festive dose of murder and mystery is top of your list!

When I saw THE CHRISTMAS APPEAL first announced, Christmas had definitely come early! I was very lucky to be invited to Janice and Viper’s special Christmas party at Harrogate in the summer and I remember Janice saying that writing this book was like returning to old friends. I can confirm as a reader, it felt exactly the same! I loved being back in the gloriously back-stabbing company of the Fairway Players, feeling like I was snooping in their private affairs and overhearing their intimate conversations. For anyone that loves being a bit nosy, this is the book for you! It’s so much fun trying to piece everything together from snippets of messages. The mystery is really well constructed (as readers, we can expect nothing less from Hallett), but it’s also the wry humour and perfect social commentary that makes this book so hugely appealing (terrible pun intended 😉). Whilst I was frantically trying to work out what the truth was alongside Charlotte and Femi, I was also laughing out loud at the passive-aggressive emails Celia is continually sending, Sarah-Jane’s hilarious exchanges with her husband Kevin, and the two-faced nature of all of Emma’s communication! Hallett really taps into the small town mentality again and creates such a realistic atmosphere you could be forgiven for thinking you were reading a true crime book.

I don’t want to reveal too much of the plot, so I won’t go into too much detail. What I will say is that this book is full of surprises! Alongside the humour and the cracking mystery, there’s also a fascinating exploration of family, social prejudices, and social hierarchies. Hallett draws on her own experiences of being involved in amateur dramatics and creates a really plausible sense of the politics and in-house rivalry. It’s dramatic in all the right ways! If you’ve enjoyed any of Hallett’s other books or you’re a fan of mixed media novels, you’re guaranteed to love THE CHRISTMAS APPEAL!

So, put on a bit of Bing or Mariah (whatever floats your boat!), light that open fire and crack open those chestnuts…Christmas is here 🎄🎅🏻

An absolutely hilarious murder mystery featuring much of the cast of The Appeal. This can be read as a standalone, but I think you'll get more out of it if you've read the first book.

Another little cracker, just in time for Christmas.

Having read all previous books by Janice Hallett I was looking forward to a return to the world of community panto. Characters from The Appeal return and a new story unfolds.

Whilst the best ever Jack and the Beanstalk is being planned by Sarah-Jane, unexpected plot twists are being concocted by Celia yet no-one could ever have imagined the surprise visitor to the stage.

New cast members are introduced and our old faithfuls revisited adding new layers to the complexity of small town life.

I love how these books are written, through text messages, correspondence and police interviews and can’t wait for the next book to arrive!

Thank you for the ARC.
Having read the Appeal this was a must read.
Fun Christmas panto story with a twist. I enjoyed and would give 3.5 🌟 as it fell a bit flat in places for me, but I enjoyed it so have rounded to 4 🌟 it is nearly Christmas!

I really liked this book, the only downside was that it was super short, which is why it missed out on 5 stars. I could definitely have kept reading! Loved that it was set around a pantomime it made it Christmassy but not too much! Characters were great, love the style of the book with conversations being via WhatsApp and email.

What a first Christmas read off the year, this had the pace, the mystery and the laughs with the ReD, Green & Brown SWEETS !!! The Appeal remains in my head rent free ever since reading and my this shall go along side it, the layout of the information in different formats is a cognitive puzzle without being completely abstract or complex to follow the story line. I personally enjoyed the links back to the first book as a little reminder of it. Janice Hallett dose it again !!!!

I received this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Femi and Charlotte have been tasked with studying another case which involves the Fairway Players. This time the Fairway Players are putting on the pantomime Jack In The Beanstalk at the local church hall to raise money for the church roof. A body is discovered and it is Charlotte and Femi’s job to work out who the body is and why they died.

The story once again is told via emails and WhatsApp messages. I have always really enjoyed a multimedia format. The story is entertaining and is told with humour. This is just the type of story I love to read at Christmastime. Janice Hallett has become one of my favourite authors.

I thoroughly enjoyed being back in the world of the Fairway Players and their silliness in the world of crime!

So I have read everything by Janice Hallett now and she's one of my favourites for her innovative way of presenting evidence of a crime and showing the people we see in everyday life as the silly people they really are!

We're back with the amateur dramatic society again, this time when they are putting on a panto and something bad happens with the giant beanstalk they have on stage. A mixture of different media, like emails and messages are again shared with Charlotte and Femi, two trainee solicitors who have been given this evidence by their mentor as a training exercise. Can they work out what crime has been committed and by whom? What will be done about it?

I think my favourite thing was being back in the world of silly characters again, where we read messages between characters that seem genuine or a round robin letter you might receive detailing all the excellent things a family has been up to, and then the next minute you see a back stabbing text and we know what people really think! Passive aggressive, petty and full of self importance, even if you're not part of an amateur dramatic society you'll recognise these people from your local PTFA or any community get together!

A lot of fun for Christmas, I'd highly recommend 😊

As Christmas approaches what could be better than re-visiting the Fairway Players as they stage their annual pantomime?
Of course, things aren’t running as smoothly as they could, Sarah-Jane and Kevin McDonald are now co-chairs and determined to put on the best panto ever, while Celia and Joel Halliday are determined to undermine their effort in every way possible.Many of the old gang are here, with some great new faces sprinkled in. In the meantime Roderick Taylor has tasked Femi and Charlotte with solving another mystery that occurred during the pantomime so everything we read is in the form of transcripts and emails. It’s a very clever form of writing, and Janice Hallett’s trademark. The skill here is to give us a novella with as much brilliant characterisation, attention to detail and a proper whodunnit as a far longer piece of work. I thoroughly enjoyed Christmas Appeal, laughed out loud several times ( shouldn’t have read it on the tube!) and I think I may well read it again as the festive season gets closer - it will certainly make its way into a few stockings!

I really enjoyed this! It was fun to revisit the characters from The Appeal and see how they handle another murder mystery

3.5 rounded to 4.

As always I really appreciated the format in the way that this was written! I enjoyed it! It was a little teaser to get Christmas season kicking off and I just love how Hallett forms and tells a story!

I still love this world and Halletts writing style. The wittiness, the banter, the arguments and the twisty storyline that makes you doubt your own thoughts. I shall forever read her books.

I was a little disappointed that Izzy wasn't really featured in this book because she was my favourite in The Appeal. That said it was still a brilliant read and one I have recommended to everyone. Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for my advance copy.

The Fairway Players are about to put on their annual pantomime but there is dissent and rivalry within the ranks. When a dead body emerges from Jack's Beanstalk, a murder investigation ensues.
I know that Hallett is a very popular writer but when I first read one of her books I just didn't get it at all. Therefore I thought I'd try again with this very short festive themed book. Told in an epistolatory manner, this is a mash-up of high farce, nostalgic slapstick and with a mystery hidden deep inside. Yes, it was amusing in places but, to be honest, it did nothing for me. I know the writer has legions of fans so I will emphasise that this is a personal opinion only!

Returning to Lower Lockwood & the characters of The Appeal is like putting your snuggly slippers on. Comforting & cosy, quite appropriate for the title & time of year.

The Fairway Players are front & centre once more with a raft of messages to decipher, be they emails, WhatsApp exchanges or texts etc. Alongside which, Jack & the Beanstalk must be performed using some old props…

Due to the writing style these books are easy to dip in & out of but this one is really short at just over 200 pages. Perfect as a stocking filler for any budding amateur sleuth.

✨ My Thoughts ✨

I’ve read every one of Janice’s books so I couldn’t wait to get stuck into this one and see if I could solve the mystery myself and of course get back involved with the Fairwyay Players.

It’s fair to say I couldn’t solve the mystery because it was such a shocker.

The story had me laughing out loud.

It’s such a funny read and when you think of all the backstabbing and sly comments some players make to each other via email and texts it gets you thinking of what more could be at play?.

It’s the Perfect Christmas mystery.

Now I am not a big Christmas fan but that doesn’t mean I wont tuck into a christmas themed book especially one that comes highly recommended by several people that have been responsible for my ever increasing TBR pile and I can honestly say that I have never laughed so much at a book in my life. The Christmas Appeal follows the Fairway Players in the run up to their annual Christmas Panto and there is as much drama off the stage as there is on it. Now as a child I was involved in a local group that put on similar productions each year and although I was young, I am pretty sure our group was a little more sedate and organised that the Fairway Players seem to be.
Janice Hallett has written the book as a string of emails, text messages and Christmas newsletters. It is this that makes it unique and feel quite pacy. The reader gets quite an insight into some of the members of the group, showing a sense of entitlement and inner snobbery to such an extreme that you cant help but laugh at the stupidity of the seemingly intelligent group and to a certain extent everything that happens is possibly no less than they deserve.
This in not just about the panto though and there is a surprise or two that no one quite expects (although the kids in the audience love it) and the aftermath of it manages to provide a final twist in what you think you know. If you are looking for a christmas book that is slightly different from the norm and will bring a smile to your face then I would 100% recommend this is added to your list.