I thought this was really well written and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future. I think it will find readers at our library, so we will definitely be purchasing for the collection.

Short fun twist on the usual Christmas book! I loved having a mystery to go to instead of the typical hallmark like stories that flood the bookstore during the holidays..

A quirky little Christmas mystery novella, structured as two lawyers rifling through past paperwork, emails, and letters from a local community theater putting on their annual holiday play. It wasn't quite for me, but it was an easy seasonal read for those looking for something different than the typical holiday rom-com that dominates the Christmas-themed fiction genre.

This was fun and silly. It's the kind of story that is almost ridiculous, but it works here. It's charming and funny and ever-so-slightly over the top. If I ever join a drama troop, it's got to be the Fairway Players. Time reading this short book was time well spent.

The Christmas Appeal is a moderately well written and cleverly constructed sequel(ish) mystery by Janice Hallett. Released 24th Oct 2023 by Simon & Schuster on their Atria imprint, it's 208 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.
The author is well known for her multimedia style of writing. Readers are provided a mix of emails, texts, and other media clues and red herrings. The characters are members of a local dramatic group, the Fairway Players, and then more or less left alone to puzzle out what's going on by themselves.

The format of the mystery is challenging, and readers might struggle for immersion. This one is also character heavy with a large cast, and there are some difficulties with keeping them all straight. That being said, once the book achieves liftoff, it's an engaging and surprisingly cleverly constructed puzzle.

Three and a half stars. This would be a good candidate for a mystery book club read/discussion, public library acquisition, and home use. It's a very oddly formatted book, but readable and engaging after a while (the first third is a slog).

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

I mean, cmon, Janice Hallett never misses with her books! This was such a fun addition to the world of "The Appeal". It was such a quick, fun, engaging mystery that I devoured in one sitting. I hope Janice Hallett continues with her mixed media mystery books since I think they bring so much fun to the genre!

It wasn't a bad read but I will admit I was a little confused. Maybe that's because I didn't read the first book.. I dunno! There was so many things going on it was a little hard to keep up.


*Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review*

In this delightful Christmas mystery featuring familiar characters from "The Appeal," lawyers Femi and Charlotte are tasked with unraveling a mysterious case through emails and text messages. As the Fairway Players prepare for a special performance of Jack and the Beanstalk to raise funds for the church roof, a series of mishaps and unexpected events unfold, including the discovery of a potential crime scene. Overall, this book provided a fun reading experience. While you don't have to be familiar with the first book, readers who have read the previous book will find this one even more enjoyable. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced e-reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I'm a big fan of the Appeal (I don't read a ton of mystery novels and it was one of the company's monthly picks, so why not try?) so when I heard that there was going to be a spinoff of it I was very excited. My secondary thought was that the Appeal really did not need a sequel, but it's worth a try. I thought it was pretty good! It was nice to see the characters all again, I thought this focused more on the cozy aspects rather than the big spooky mystery (you had the foreboding of the "something will go wrong" itself because the detectives tell us early on like with the Appeal). It wasn't a necessary read but as a little Christmas bonus, it was a fun time. Not to mention when I saw it at hardback when we got it was like a miniature sized book and it was adorable so brownie points on that!)

The Appeal is one of my favorite books of all times so I was excited to read it. While I still enjoyed it and the interesting format, I felt like making it a "sequel" to The Appeal was unneccesary and made it more confusing than it had to be. I also didn't feel like the mystery was that satisfying.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for a ARC of this book in exchange for honest feedback. When I requested this one I didn’t realize it was a novella (my fault!) and normally those are not my jam but I enjoyed this one. It was a nice departure from the bevy of Christmas romance books available this time of year and I loved being able to pop in and out of the story. Would be interested in ready another book by this author.

If you liked The Appeal, this is a great peek into the lives of the Fairway Theater players. It's is a novella sequel to the amazing first book. The format is in the same style, detectives are reading over emails of everyone involved in a mystery and trying to figure out what the mystery and its solution is.

This format is great because it makes you feel like one of the detectives, plus it’s also really easy to read. At times it feels like reading a reality TV episode, since you get to hear everything they’re up to, what they say behind each others’ backs and so on.

Knowing that something will go wrong the whole time (since the detectives are told so at the very beginning) really puts you on edge to try to see when it’s gonna happen. However, I do think this is focused on the interpersonal relationships and the troupe drama more than the mystery for most of the book. And there’s plenty of drama! So much backstabbing, gossiping, ulterior motives, and everyone wanting to be in the limelight… It’s all delicious!

I do wish the mystery was a bit more involved but I suppose it makes sense with the length of the book. As well as the cozy vibes.

This is the perfect fun Christmas read with a sprinkle of mystery and lots of drama, especially for fans of The Appeal or epistolary books.

Thank you so much to Atria Books and Netgalley for the eARC!

Thank you to Netgally, the publishers, and Janice Hallett

When I requested this book I was unaware that it was apart of a series, one that requires you to read the previous books for this one to make sense. I am unable to read all the previous books along with this one before the publish date. Therefore, I will rate this a fair 3/5 stars and will adjust the rating and review when I am able to read all the books in the series along with this one.

Totally forgot to come here and say I read this one and I enjoyed it but thought The Appeal was better.

Unravel secrets, untangle tinsel, and let this festive mystery warm your heart like a cup of spiced cider. The Christmas Appeal by Janice Hallett delivers a delightful holiday caper set in Lower Lockwood. Meet the quirky Fairway Players theatre group. They are preparing for a Christmas play. One thing leads to another and the group unexpectedly find themselves solving a murder.

I adored the eccentric amateur theatre enthusiasts rehearsing their festive holiday production of Jack and the Beanstalk. Their camaraderie is laced with petty rivalries and mysterious absences. Hallett captures the chaos of community theatre during the holiday season. The blend of humour, suspense, and seasonal cheer keeps readers engaged at every turn.

I found Hallett's writing style to be layered, revealing a new surprise every chapter. The characters are endearing, flawed, and utterly relatable. The murder mystery unfolds against a backdrop of goodwill and goodwill-gone-awry. Whether you're a theatre enthusiast, a mystery lover, or simply craving holiday vibes at any time of the year, this book delivers. Prepare for laughter, intrigue, and a dash of cinnamon-scented nostalgia.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for a temporary e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I love, love, love Janice Hallett. Her books are so captivating and fun. I'm enamored with the mixed media that she uses and I think it makes the books so interesting to read. I was very happy to see that this little novella revisited the characters from The Appeal.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic copy to read in exchange for an honest review.

This is a quick novella with the Fairway Players putting on a Christmas panto. It is just as entertaining as The Appeal. I am constantly in awe of authors who can write epistolary novels and do it so well. An super fun read that is engaging and entertaining!

I really enjoy a holiday themed book. Add in a murder mystery and I'm set! I thought this book was well-written, I enjoyed the mystery portion against the backdrop of a play and the holidays. I loved the characters.

When their former professor sends them a packet of notes concerning a crime, Femi and Charlotte take time out of their fresh law careers to work out who is responsible for the dead body that makes an unexpected appearance at the yearly Christmas pantomime put on by the local theatre group the Fairway Players. The events leading up to the performance are told through various emails, texts, and group messages among the various members of the group. The Hallidays, who were previously in charge, are not happy at the direction of the group, and are doing anything they can to ensure the current production fails (so everyone will remember how much better things were when they were making all the decisions). This year's production of Jack and the Beanstalk is being put together by Sarah-Jane McDonald, who has her hands full wrangling not only the actors, but also the props. She was able to source an enormous beanstalk that had been used for another performance years before. The beanstalk becomes a major point of contention for being too big, too heavy, dominating the stage, and (possibly) containing toxic substances. So poor Sarah-Jane really doesn't need the added stress of Celia Halliday working behind the scenes to sabotage the production. When something goes terribly wrong on the night of the play, everyone is left scrambling for an explanation.

I really liked the way the story was told from different points of view as they sent of humorous message to each other. I didn't think the whole over-arching story of the retired lawyer trying to get his former students to work out "whodunnit" was necessary. The students then exchanged texts with each other here and there throughout the story as they tried to work through all the documents related to the case. I think the story would have been more enjoyable without that interruption to the action that popped up from time to time. Overall the story was funny and enjoyable with some twists and turns to keep the reader guessing!

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to receive this book for an honest review.

Although I decided to read this after Christmas I see found it to be a fun mystery. It had a lot of Agatha Christie in it.

Even though its after the holidays I highly recommend this one.