I loved The Appeal and was ready to return to this world and this format. Told through multimedia messages and similar communications, The Christmas Appeal is set up as a series of items sent in a portfolio to a team of women to solve. The receivers of the portfolio are the same team who worked together to piece together The Appeal, and I squealed to see their exchanges and banter again. I LOVE this format! It feels like you're playing detective along with them; looking for clues and analyzing motives. We follow the trials and tribulations of a group attempting to put on a Christmas play, and the hijinx keeps coming. This was a wonderfully fun holiday murder mystery.

The Christmas Appeal

by Janice Hallet

I found myself confused at the beginning of The Christmas Appeal and puzzled most of the way through. I have no way of knowing, but I suspect that I would have understood more of this novella if I had read The Appeal first. Notes at the end of this book tell me it is set in Lockwood, the location of The Appeal written three years earlier. The Fairway Players, a community theater group, are the focus of both books. This is an epistolary novel of sorts composed entirely of a few emails, some transcriptions of police interviews, and lots of What’s App messages. It was very confusing because none of the characters were actually “knowns” to me. The story begins with a lawyer presenting these documents to two other lawyers for their review. The reason is obscured. The characters are mainly theater people presenting a traditional British Christmas pantomime of Jack and the Beanstalk to raise money for reroofing the church where they present their productions. A good portion of the novella is mean- spirited exchanges regarding power struggles within the theater group. Eventually a skeleton makes an onstage appearance. Fortunately the cast improvises and carries on to the amusement of the audience.

The mystery and the ethical questions raised were marginally interesting. I found some good laughs in a few of the lines, but in general this British novella was not my cup of tea.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Rating: 3/5

Category: Mystery, Fiction, Novella, Epistolary

Notes: According to Goodreads, The Appeal, the parent book to The Christmas Appeal (#1.5), follows this same format.

Publication: October 24, 2023—Atria Books

Memorable Lines:

Mrs. Walford: The truth is, we don’t talk about it. Not the bad memories. You focus on the good things—that’s the way to live. Sgt. Crowe: You may be right there, Joyce. Mrs. Walford: When us Walfords find an obstacle, we pick it up, give it a wink, then a kick out the park.

3.75 stars!

I adore Janice Hallett and loved The Appeal and was excited to read this novella. Although I love the mixed media aspect of this, I was a little disappointed that it wasn't very Christmasy nor was I intrigued by the murder mystery. Regardless, I was glad to revisit this world and I love Janice Hallett's writing so it was fun to read this as a palette cleanser.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an honest review!

I LOVED The Appeal so this was a really cute dip back into that world. I would read anything Hallett writes with these characters in that world.

Thank you to Net Galley, the author, and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review! I received both an electronic and physical copy of the book!

Fans of Janice Hallett's The Appeal (counting myself amongst them) are given an unexpected holiday treat in the form of a mini-sequel. Many of the same characters from its predecessor reappear, only this time they're putting on a pantomime, Jack & the Beanstalk. We've seen a change in leadership, which has obviously not gone over well with everyone involved.

As was the case with The Appeal, everything is relayed to us through text message, email, and other correspondence. Two law students are asked to look over the documents by their former teacher. Given their familiarity with the group, they're able to infer and comment on the group dynamics easily.

While it takes a bit to get to the heart of the "mystery," the journey there is fun, specifically for those who remember the alliances and disputes shared between the Fairway Players.

Ultimately, it was nice to revisit these characters. I'm generally very entertained by Hallett's clever mysteries and unique way of pulling the reader in. Given that The Appeal was my first and favorite read by her, this was a welcome addition.

I really enjoyed The Appeal by Janice Hallett, so I figured I would like this one too. I love the expository set up, with the emails and chats. I do think it was a bit difficult to keep track of characters, etc. In the original story, I had the physical book and it had a list of characters at the front that I could flip to; having it in ebook form kind of made it more difficult. Overall, a cute cozy mystery for Christmas!

This was a fun little cozy mystery. It had mystery, comedy amd also some fee good vibes and kindness. I enjoyed this little novella that brought back the fairway players. Will definitely recommend if hou were a fan of The Appeal

I really couldn’t get into the first of this series. I tried again with this one and the formatting just really kills me. I can’t get into this one no matter how hard I try

It’s Christmas Eve and we’ve got a real treat for today. Long-time readers will know I am an avid fan of Janice Hallett and have been since she first wrote _The Appeal_. So when I heard about _The Christmas Appeal_, a holiday spin-off of that novel, I knew I had to read it.

_The Christmas Appeal_ takes us back to Lockwood, where the Fairway Players are back to their shenanigans. This year it’s the Christmas pantomime, which seems planned to perfection. But pulling off a successful pantomime will require more than just planning, and it’s an open question whether the Players will make it through _Jack and the Beanstalk_ with all their cast intact. How will the Players make it through the holidays? Only one way to find out…

###Puzzles (and jokes) galore
Despite the seemingly innocent facade, there is a murder at the heart of _The Christmas Appeal_. Bodies are uncovered, suspects investigated, all shared via electronic documentation as per usual. The mystery is a fair-play one, and it’s definitely possible to solve with the evidence provided. Hallett’s mastery of this balance - sharing all the information needed to draw a conclusion, but not a word more - is a delight to read.

Beyond just a murder mystery, though, _The Christmas Appeal_ is an epistolary mystery. I love the epistolary genre in large part for its inherent mystery - I really enjoy the process of putting all the pieces together as a reader. Hallett’s skill is in writing not just an epistolary mystery, but a fair-play one, AND tying in plenty of additional hilarious plot threads. Lower Lockwood is TEEMING with crime, and somehow none of the principals notice. As with any great epistolary, there’s immense humor and tension derived from the dramatic irony, as you predict well in advance what might go wrong.

_The Christmas Appeal_, in short, is dense with puzzles and jokes to make your mystery-solving bright. It’s a preponderance of puzzles that makes this mystery shine.

###All the angles of Christmas
_The Christmas Appeal_ is also the most obviously Christmassy of all the books I’ve rad this year. It literally starts with an end of year recap email while telling the story of a recap panto. Reading these notes and letters, you would be forgiven for thinking that the residents of Lower Lockwood do nothing but Christmas prep for months. The story _feels_ like Christmas as so many experience it - a holiday that creates joy but also requires so much planning and prep work and stress and community spirit.

The epistolary format, again, adds greatly here. Most of the Christmas stories I’ve read have to balance between the personal / family elements of the holiday and the pageantry of public celebrations. Because _The Christmas Appeal_ follows the organizers of the local panto, we get both spheres here. On the one hand, you see the organization of the performance itself, encouraging and celebratory. On the other hand, you see all the work (and emotional labor, and tension) that goes into the holiday season. It’s a perfect encapsulation of all that can make the holidays bright.

###Reader’s notes and rating: 🎁 🎁 🎁 🎁 🎁
In my opinion, _The Christmas Appeal_ is the absolute perfect holiday mystery. Puzzles on puzzles, some serious and many less so. Tons of humor but also the poignant moments to reflect the spirit of the season. And brimming with Christmas cheer from the first word to the last. (And to top it all off, epistolary!) If I read one Christmas crime book every year, this is the most likely to be it.

5 Christmas presents.

If you’ve followed me this far on the Christmas mystery adventure - thank you! I will be back tomorrow with a wrap up and some final thoughts. Until Christmas, stay cozy and stay curious!

Instagram post will be posted and linked shortly!

4.5 star

The Christmas Appeal is a dramatic, and at times laugh out loud funny, novella following The Appeal that came out in 2021. I really enjoyed The Appeal and the format that it was written in by using mixed media (e-mails, text messages, transcripts, etc.) The Christmas Appeal is told in the same format so I assumed I would also enjoy this one.

And I was right!

I really loved coming back to these characters. Since the story is told via text messages, emails, etc., it feels like you really get an insight into each character and their thought processes. I want to find more books with this format! I find it’s similar to how I like when books have a podcast element to the story.

I really like having options for Christmas and holiday books that aren’t just romance. As someone that loves thrillers, I really liked this one. I also found that there were other Christmas and holiday thrillers out there this year, which was really fun!

Thank you to Atria Books and Simon & Schuster Canada for my copy of this!

3.5 stars to this book by Janice Hallet. I didn't read The Appeal but I'm sure it is as funny as this book was. I enjoyed the way the book was structured and I was able to read this book really fast because of it. Femi and Charlotte are two lawyers that received police transcriptions, emails and texts of a murder case to determine the victim and killer. There we meet the Fairway Players and how each one of these characters play a fundamental role on the murder.
Overall it was a funny and easy read and I wish it would have been a little bit more longer and know what happens with the second plot of the story (an undercover police officer on the play trying to find out who sells drugs).

Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books for this ARC in exchange of my honest opinion.

It has been years since I read "The Appeal" but as soon as I read the first message to the Fairway Players in this book I quickly remembered the characters. This novella brings the same humor and drama as The Appeal but with a Christmas setting. The Christmas feels are light so the story could be enjoyed all year long. There are many characters in this story but it was fairly easy to keep them straight. There were a few references to the book's predecessor but it could still be read as a standalone. Overall, this was a super fun peek back into the lives of the Fairway Players.

I received this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I started off my Christmasy reading this year with “The Christmas Appeal” by Janice Hallett. This novella is a sequel to her first book, “The Appeal” which was one of my favourite books of 2022, so when I saw that she was publishing a Christmas-themed follow up this year I knew it would have to be part of my holiday reading!

Set a few years after the events of “The Appeal”, “The Christmas Appeal” picks back up with the Fairway Players as they are rehearsing for their holiday Jack and the Beanstalk pantomime performance. This novella had all of the same elements that I loved in the first book with a multimedia format that unfolds the story as a pair of lawyers sifts through the emails and text messages that make up the evidence files. Full of twists and turns, interpersonal drama and two-faced cast members, and the impending dread of knowing at any moment something terrible is going to happen and someone is going to end up dead!

While this novella could certainly work as a standalone, I would recommend reading “The Appeal” first to have a better insight into the Fairway Players’ dynamic as many of the characters make a reappearance and there are whispers of “the shocking events of a few years ago” throughout. Anyone who enjoys unique storytelling formats and twisty mysteries with lots of moving parts would enjoy both “The Appeal” and “The Christmas Appeal”.

*DISCLAIMER: I received an eARC of this book from Atria Books through NetGalley for the purposes of providing an unbiased review.*

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

I've read both of Janice Hallett's other books this year, and I really enjoyed the Appeal. While I appreciated that this was a short quick read and brought back the same cast of characters, I didn't enjoy it as much as I enjoyed the Appeal.

I think I was just not as invested in this as much as the previous book. One of the main things that contributed to this was the mystery itself. The body that was found was not a character we knew and I just wish I could solve the mystery along with Femi and Charlotte. Otherwise, there were plenty of twists for a short book that had me hooked. I also wish I had a reminder of the characters since there were so many but that's more of a me not remembering issue.

I do love how Janice writes her books though, so I am excited to read Alperton Angels as well. If you were a fan of Janice's other books, I would definitely recommend this! Also, this got me out of a bad reading slump, so that's always a positive as well.

This is the follow up to Hallett’s book, The Appeal, and I definitely recommend reading that first. Why? Because you’ll already know most of the characters in this novella and you’ll have a better understanding of their quirky personalities. I loved being back with the Fairway Players theater group and all of their drama! I think I enjoyed their interactions more than I did the actual murder part of this story. The ending was a little rushed for me, but for a small story it succeeded in packing a delightful punch!

The Christmas Appeal is a sequel novella to the uniquely popular book, The Appeal. In the novella, the cast of characters from the original novel once again find themselves in the midst of an investigation when their holiday season play doesn’t go exactly as planned. This is definitely a novella that needs the context of the original book to make sense, but it was great to jump back into the world of the Fairway Players.

The cast of characters that make up the Fairway Players never fail to disappoint. They are interesting and well developed, despite the fact that the only way to get to know them is through their emails and texts to one another. It was fun to see the drama unfold and try to figure out who was trustworthy, and who was double crossing everyone. The back and forth of the characters would have much less of an impact and would make little sense without a firm understand of everything that occurred in The Appeal.

As a novella, there was little time to fully develop a solid mystery, and that was apparent from the beginning. There was quite a bit of time leading up to the case itself, so that once it happened, it felt lackluster and rushed. This mystery was clearly more about the characters than the investigation. The unique presentation of the facts made it difficult to decide what was actually important and what was just being used to fill the blank spaces in the story. Despite the lackluster presentation of the actual mystery, it concluded itself in a manner that was satisfying enough, if not thrilling.

This novella is definitely worth a quick read for any reader who read the first book and wanted to see how the characters survived after the upset of the original.

⅘ stars

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

This book was okay. The ending wasn’t as shocking as I would have liked. Thank you for letting me read this book!

It’s the Christmas season and the Fairway Players are getting ready for their holiday production to raise money for a new church roof. Although it’s the holiday season, the group is lacking goodwill and now there’s a dead body onstage.

The Christmas Appeal is a fun holiday murder mystery. This is my first Janice Hallett book and it did not disappoint. I am a fan of Agatha Christie and the writing felt similar. There’s a cozy familiarity to Hallett’s writing style that I enjoyed! I see this is part of a series and even though I haven’t read the first book, I did not feel lost at any time while reading this one. I will definitely be picking up more books by this author. If you’re a fan of Agatha Christie, I’m almost positive you’ll be a fan of Janice Hallett!

Thank you so much NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC and the chance to read and review it honestly.

Happy reading!

The Appeal is definitely my favorite of Janice Hallett's novels thus far. However, since it had been a couple years since I read The Appeal, it was a bit difficult remembering who the characters were and how past events unfolded.

I really love the format of these books, although others find it quite confusing. It's such a unique way to pen a murder mystery and allowed the twists to unravel in a great way. I was not sure what to expect going into The Christmas Appeal, but I was not disappointed. I look forward to what this author has to come.

The Christmas Appeal is a short follow-up to The Appeal, a completely unique and original mystery by Janice Hallett. You need to read The Appeal first to get a feel for the players and the format.

In the Christmas Appeal. the Fairtown Players are back putting on their Christmas panto. They are trying to move on from the scandal of the first book, but another dead body is in their future. Hallett is so skilled at telling the story of this small-town community theater through emails, text messages, and other unconventional texts. Readers need to decode the messages right alongside the lawyers/ sometimes narrators who are reading them.

Perfectly fun and seasonal little book! I recommend The Appeal to anyone who loves a cozy mystery and whimsical character studies. Great for fans of Thursday Murder Club!