THE CHRISTMAS APPEAL by Janice Hallett

First off, it’s important to realize going in (which I did not, as I got a digital copy) that this is a novella. So when I got about 30% through super quickly and realized I’m not THAT quick of a reader, it dawned on me that this was intentionally shorter. Set in the same setting as THE APPEAL, this mystery novella takes place as the community theater stages a pantomime in December in order to raise funds for renovating the church building where they also host their plays.

Once again we are reading a mixed media novel with transcripts, emails, and text messages, going along with the two lawyers who have been sent these documents for review. The mystery itself is interesting, because we all as readers know going in that someone is going to end up dead, but we are also finding out who actually died and why.

Personally, I would have rather the author waited and released a second in the series that is more fleshed out, as I actually love these characters and setting and wanted to spend more time with them. Ultimately, I think if you read THE APPEAL and loved it, and you go into this one with the mindset of just being happy to be back in the world of the Fairway Players theater group, you will enjoy it as a fun Christmas themed book to read during the holiday season. This would also be a perfect one-sitting book for Jolabokaflod!

Thank you @netgalley and @atriabooks for a free review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

**Review will be reposted on Goodreads and Instagram the week of the publication date**

Pub date: 10/24/23
Genre: mystery, humor
Quick summary: In THE APPEAL, we met the Fairway Players of Lower Lockwood. This Christmas, they're back, but there's a dead Santa in the scenery.
Do I need to read THE APPEAL first? Yes. Trust me, it's worth it.

I really needed an escapist read, so I decided to mood read THE CHRISTMAS APPEAL even though it's August and definitely still summer in NC. It turned out to be a great decision! I didn't really remember all the characters from book 1, but Hallett did a good job bringing me back into this world. I really love the email format of the book - as someone who reads emails all day, it's nice to laugh at snarky and passive-aggressive emails that aren't actually addressed to me. The mystery was compelling as well.

If you enjoy a light-hearted mystery, definitely read this series!

Thank you to Atria Books for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I will gladly read anything Janice Hallett publishes, especially if it’s in this epistolary format. She manages to make the characters’ distinct personalities stand out through nothing more than emails and text messages.
The Fairway Players are still around and putting on a Christmas pantomime in order to raise money for a new church roof. Do you need to have read The Appeal first? Not necessarily. There is a possible spoiler towards the end but only if you’re paying really close attention.
I know this is just a novella but I wish it was longer!

The Fairway Players are putting on their Christmas pantomime, “Jack and the Beanstalk” (the Beanstalk is its own special character) and, of course, a murder has occurred. And once again, lawyer/investigators Femi and Charlotte are reviewing all types of correspondence regarding the “incident” in Hallett’s clever epostilary compilation. If you’ve been a fan of Hallett’s unique style (“The Appeal,” “The Twyford Code,” “The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels”) you’ll be delighted again, this time with a Christmas twist. We have some repeat players from “The Appeal,” and the fundraising is for a church roof this time, but this novella can be read as a standalone.

I love these sorts of puzzles for readers — I’m reading exactly what Femi and Charlotte are reviewing and so it’s possible that I can determine the clues as well (but thank goodness the investigators/ “Greek Chorus” can explain betterand ask questions). The characters are delightful and quirky again. Like its non-holiday predecessor, “The Christmas Appeal” deserves 5 stars.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for a free advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): NO Since this is a series of texts, emails, and interviews, no one is expected to mention eye colors.

Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO, but there is a giant beanstalk filled with something mysterious that’s basically the star of the play

Janice Hallett takes us back to the small town Fairway Players (The Appeal) where inexplicably another murder may have occurred!
Join Femi and Charlotte as they read through letters, emails and police transcripts to determine what actually happened when the Fairway Players presented "Jack and the Beanstalk" in pantomime at the local church.

The insanity is real as any competitive neighborly get-together can be! I devoured this story and only wish someone was murdered every month on or off stage! Join our players as the modern day Agatha Christie takes us through the motions. Keep your detective hat handy as there are plenty of suspects and more then one crime occurring!

A return to the scene of Janice Hallett's first book, The Appeal - and after reading her two intervening books, I found it a very welcome diversion, although the epistolary gimmick is getting old. It just is not credible that people would write all those text messages! The little-theater setting is the most entertaining thing about her writing; I wish she'd stick with that and do a more conventional narrative. I think she's talented enough at dialogue and character that she could venture into another format. Or else find a new gimmick.

One other note: weird that though clearly set in England, the prices for treats at the show are given in dollars???

I loved the Appeal, so I was excited to read this holiday mystery about the Fairways Players!

The Christmas pantomime of Jack and the Beanstalk has brought out the best and the worst of the village's acting troupe members, and once again Hallett uses the device of telling the story through emails, What's App and text messages, leading us through the story in reveals that turn out to be twisty and turny. Everyone is an unreliable narrator, but the show must go on.

Really, really funny - you'll laugh throughout!

When the Fairway Players (first featured in Hallett's book The Appeal) present their Christmas play as a fundraiser for the church's new roof, the performance is hampered by a drug dealer, threats to the director, and the discovery of a body in the stage scenery.

Told via emails, texts, transcripts, and direct messages, The Christmas Appeal offers the same complex mystery as The Appeal but with more humor and a touch of the holiday spirit. Entertaining, fast-paced, and at 200 pages, a quick read, this book is recommended for mystery lovers and anyone looking for an original Christmas read.

I was so pleased to receive this novella ARC from #Netgalley and Atria Books. I loved Janice Hallett's The Appeal - a great mystery told mainly through emails. The Christmas Appeal is the same format and is set in the same village two years later. Like all of Hallett's books, this one is really funny. The mystery isn't the main attraction here - it's the interplay between the characters leading up to the Fairway Players Christmas Pantomime. I definitely recommend The Christmas Appeal

Janice Hallett has once again delivered a stellar read that left me utterly captivated. The chance to delve into this book ahead of its official release filled me with excitement. The fact that it seamlessly continues the narrative from one of my cherished reads only added to the delight. Familiar faces return, making it a joyous reunion in this novella (which is actually more extensive than the typical novella but slightly shorter than a standard book). The pacing is swift, allowing for a leisurely afternoon of reading that I savored wholeheartedly. Every moment was a delight, and I found myself completely immersed.

Anticipation is already building for the next book, slated for release next year (although I believe it's unrelated to this one). It's safe to say that I'm eagerly awaiting what Janice Hallett has in store for readers next.

The Fairway Players are back in this holiday-themed epistolary novella. This time, the players are putting on a pantomime production of Jack and the Beanstalk, and readers are treated to another ingenious mystery told through emails, letters, texts, and other communication.

When I saw this one on NetGalley, I couldn’t hit request fast enough after loving The Appeal in 2022, and it’s everything I hoped a Christmas-themed follow-up of that fabulous book would be. Filled with lighthearted drama, petty grievances, humor, and hijinks, the Christmas Appeal is a character-focused cozy mystery sure to get you in the holiday spirit. This story was a joy to read, and I literally laughed out loud when all of the shenanigans started to spill out. At just over 200 pages and the epistolary format making for a quick read, this novella is the perfect length to put you in a Christmassy mood during a busy holiday season – I enjoyed it so much that I knocked it out it in a single sitting!

I’m sure I’m not alone in hoping that Janice Hallett brings us future adventures of the Fairway Players! Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me an advance copy of this book.

I love these books. I love that they are told in a series of letters, emails and messages. I love it so much I could not put it down and read from start to finish in a single day.

Hallett is truly the master of unique stories.

Thanks to Atria for the eGalley.
I loved being back with the Fairway Players and all of their drama. The structure of this novella is the same as the first, and I just love the mix of texts and emails that keeps this story entertaining and engaging. The characters here are all unique and it's easy to root for and against them. Even though the story was short, I found it to be a satisfying read. Highly recommend picking up The Appeal and this one.

Pros: I loved the author’s first two books—The Appeal and The Twyford Code—and was delighted to revisit the characters from The Appeal in this story. This novella follows the same unique structure as The Appeal, using texts, emails, newspaper clippings, etc. to set up and solve a mystery.

Cons: This is not a con but just a note about formatting—because of the unique formatting, I think it is great to read on Kindle or in print, but I’m not sure how it would translate to audiobook.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read this book.

The Christmas Appeal made me laugh out loud several times. The book had so much drama, and I loved all of it.

Hallet tells the story in a multi-media form, for instance, emails, texts, and even police reports. This novella is over the top. Watching Celia and Sarah Janes' (SJ) ridiculous back and forth put me in a good mood.

The story takes place in a church where the Fairway Players are putting on a Christmas production of Jack and The Bean Stalk to pay for the church roof. The production of the play causes a lot of problems. I did not realize that The Christmas Appeal is a novella. The Appeal is the book before this novella. However, I was not lost or confused. I will be going back to read The Appeal because I enjoyed the humor of this book so much.

4 Stars! The Christmas Appeal is a great palette cleanser after reading a heavy fantasy, It is a fast and easy read. I am only giving 4 stars because the mystery does not start until about 60 percent through the book. I recommend it if you are looking for a funny and quick read.
Thanks, NetGalley and Atria Books. For providing this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

5 sparkly stars! A favourite of the year! This is what I imagine the love child of “The Goes Wrong Show” and “Midsomer Murders” to look like. It’s an utter delight!

The Fairway Players are back! And this time they are doing panto!

While The Appeal was slightly darkly humorous, this novella takes the funny up another notch. It is hilarious! In the most vicious, juicy and gossipy way imaginable!

Oh, and there’s obviously going to be a murder that our two lawyers from the first book have to puzzle out!

All around amazing and I hope Janice Hallett writes more novellas to go in between her main books!

So much holiday sleuthing fun! A fabulous follow-up to The Appeal, which I devoured. Hallett is a puzzle master.

Another amazing read by Janice Hallett. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to read this one early. The fact that it continues on from one of my favorite books made it that much better. All (most) of the usual suspects are back for this fun novella (it’s actually longer than the usual Novella, but shorter than the average book) it’s a quick read, took me an afternoon, and I loved every minute. I can’t wait for the next book coming out next year. (Not related to this one I believe)

Another great mystery from this author. I’ve enjoyed everything she’s written so far and particularly love her use of “found documents” to build her story. My only critique is that a few of the jokes about “wokenes” and mocking minority people’s names don’t land and already seem dated and old.

I was delighted to get the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book thanks to the publisher and Netgalley. I have loved all of Janice Hallett's books, and this novella, a sequel to The Appeal, was great as well. It was fun to read more about the members of the Fairway Players and their power struggles. This book was very humorous, with funny observations on Christmas letters, fundraising, etc. Of course, the corpse found during the Player's Christmas pantomime provided an unusual mystery to be solved. This will be a great treat for readers during the holidays. I highly recommend this book and look forward to the next book by the author.