The concept for this book is SO FUN!! Pub Trivia Night? Myster? Yes, yes, yes! Unfortunately, the format wasn't for me. If you enjoy reading message threads (texts, emails, etc), you would really like this! The whole book is written in messages and emails. Which did make me feel like I was reading soooo fast, so that's a plus! Loved the premise. Love the vibes! If pub night, trivia, mystery, and texts/emails are your thing, then this book is your thing!

This is an interesting book, in that I've never read a book that reads more like a screenplay than a novel. Maybe not even a screenplay, as the entire book consists of emails, texts, and transcripts of conversations. While I appreciated the unique format, I honestly found it difficult to be drawn in and feel immersed in the story.

Sue and Mal are police officers turned pub owners, who hold a secret and were apparently killed. Five years after their deaths, their nephew, Dominic, approaches a movie/tv executive proposing a documentary about their lives and death. Did their pub quiz and the final tie-breaking question get them killed? Or was it something in their past?

As I said, this was a hard book for me to connect with and feel like I couldn't wait to pick up again. It wasn't until the final 20% that I really found myself settling in and becoming invested in the characters and plot. I really liked the storyline with all its twists, and do think the characters were interesting and multi-layered, but didn't connect with the sterile format.

Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for providing the ARC for an honest opinion.

A cool storyline following quite a few opportunists.

Sue and Mal are former police officers who open a derelict pub. Quizzing is an important weekly event. A new team shows up and not all is as it seems.

Another fun multimedia book from Hallett! These books remind me of being a kid and reading books that get you to solve the crime (and they’re also perfect for nosy people who love reading text messages and emails lol)

This book was a fun (albeit ridiculous at times) installment and had lots of quirky, passionate characters that I struggled to keep straight at times but it was definitely a fun little puzzle of a book and I enjoyed the plot device of the documentary pitch

Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for a free copy in exchange for my honest review

I've enjoyed all of Janice's books so far and The Killer Question is no exception! A really clever way of telling the story. Loved the dual story line and having Polly as the voice of the reader through her emails.
4* read

Any book by Janice Hallett promises a fun adventure. I enjoyed how this time I was put in an English pub for a quiz night. As an American, I am not as familiar with this fun activity, but I have enjoyed trivia nights in cruise ships. I enjoyed learning how intense quizzing can be and what all goes into making a quiz.

But this book is not just about quizzing. The author unraveled such a fun mystery with a few shockers. I was caught by surprise more than once and can say I had so much fun seeing where this story was going.

This book felt like reading through a group chat of drama and watching a TV show, and I loved it! It made the reading fly by and the plot had so many pieces that came together beautifully (but I was puzzled throughout the book) Janice Hallett is great at this format of murder mystery.

Janice Hallett's book are always a treat, and this one is true to form. Surrounding a pub quiz, she twists things in a way that only she can do. I always come away from her books thinking that she captured the only way a particular story could possibly be told, and I'm thrilled that she chose to.

LOVED it. Janice Hallett is at it again and the twists in this one were incredible. Hilarious characters had me laughing out loud (Fiona's texting was PEAK!), a bunch of kooky pub folks kept the cast interesting, and as a trivia host myself I felt the competition and suspense of what was up with the General's team deep in my bones. As always, a perfect whodunnit!

Hallett’s mysteries are active reads. They engage the reader with the novel and varied styles that shift throughout the book. I never get bored reading her books and have a tough time putting them down. These are definitely not books for skimming but, instead, for voracious attention. Always a pleasure.

Another five star read from Janice Hallett. I don’t know how she does it. I’m amazed with every book I read. First of all the format of her books makes them so readable. This book is basically transcripts of text messages, emails and transcribed audio so it’s fun to read. The book starts out with a young man trying to get Netflix interested in his aunt and uncles story for a true crime documentary. They tell him he needs a production company to go through, so he finds one and writes to them. Sending over all the info piece by piece as the documentary would unfold. It’s all very intriguing so of course the assistant he is talking too asks for more and more. The setting of the book is basically in a country pub usually during the Monday quiz night. There is another time line as well that goes back a bit to when the owners were police officers working on an undercover assignment in the north of England. As the story unfolds we learn more and more and it all gets twisty-er and twisty-er. There were several times I actually gasped with shock as I was reading. Because seriously, you just never saw it coming. But thinking back, you should have. So well done! I loved it! I can’t wait for the next one!

See my full review at http://michelleardillo.com/2025/06/30/book-review-the-killer-question-by-janice-hallett/

Quiz night in an English pub, The Altered Case, and something’s up. There’s a new team in town, making appearances at other pubs, winning everywhere they go. How??? Sue and Mal, owners of The Altered Case, ban the cheaters and then a body turns up dead. Suddenly this is much bigger than cheating at a pub quiz.

Another great one from Janice Hallett. I wasn’t completely sure about this one at first, it didn’t grab me like some of the others, but the more I read the more intrigued and invested I became. Hallett is the master of the unexpected twist. I have come to expect my mind to be blown at some point in a Hallett novel, and this one was no exception. I would seek out any book Hallett reads, and I’m adding this one to my mental list of GOOD BOOKS.

I throughly enjoy Janice Halley’s writing style. It’s so unique and well-developed. That being said, I loved all the different mixed-media formats used in “The Killer Question.”

The cast of characters was great, they were so fun. The book did have some moments where it dragged on, but overall I really liked it. There were a lot of twists that kept me guessing and it all came together nicely at the end.

Thank you NetGalley & Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book.

I have enjoyed all of Janice Hallett's books. Because all of her books are told in an unusual format, it may take some adjusting if you are unfamiliar with her works, or it may not appeal to you if you prefer a more straightforward mystery tale.

In this instance, the framework of the story is that Dominic Eastwood is reaching out to try to get a documentary series made with materials he has in his possession. The story involves mysterious circumstances with his aunt and uncle and the pub they ran.. The story then weaves many layers to tell the tale, via texts, emails, video transcripts and the like. It is an unusual approach to a mystery book, with lots of little clues and tidbits to pick up along the way to help you figure out the mystery as you read.

Four stars to a truly unusually presented mystery with lots of intrigue and twists and turns.

It’s no shock to me that Janice Hallett delivered another absolute masterpiece of a story. You will never find a better combination of intrigue, humor, and jaw dropping plot twists.

Janice Hallett never fails to write a unique story that keeps you begging for more. Presented in a Netflix documentary pitch, episode by episode, the mystery unfolds surrounding a quiet quizzing pub. We’ve got murder, mystery, and secrets galore. When the identity of the mystery quiz team was revealed, mind blown.

I will forever love Janice’s writing style and if you love unique whodunnits, she’s the perfect author for you.

I have absolutely loved every Janice Hallett book that I've ever picked up and The Killer Question was no exception! Framed in the style of a documentary proposal, the reader is introduced to a mystery surrounding an isolated pub called The Case is Altered and a strange new team that has been shaking up their weekly quiz nights. Told through a series of emails, texts, police reports, and transcripts, Hallett thrusts the reader into the center of a fascinating whodunnit full of twists and turns.

Truly, I cannot think of a book I can describe more than The Killer Question as written for me, specifically. I love watching true crime documentaries, reading mysteries, and regularly attend a trivia night at a local British themed pub. I also really enjoy Hallett's style because it feels so immersive, like I've been pulled into the middle of the story and I'm trying to solve the mystery as it unfolds. I read The Killer Question all in one sitting, as once I started, I simply could not put it down!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Atria for giving me the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for my review! This was my most anticipated read of 2025 and it did not disappoint!

The format of this book was like any I have ever read. It is told through emails, text message threads, and recorded conversations/documents. Dominic Eastwood is pushing to get a Netflix documentary made from the tragedy and circumstances surrounding his aunt and uncle. He has investigated the story, and the book is written in the pretext that you're reading the evidence being shown for the documentary. It was set up in a way where you are brought along with the producer on this journey of figuring out what exactly happened. It brings you from the past to present and really grips you. I enjoyed that about the book. I felt like you still got a good grasp on the characters' personalities and the twists...they blew my mind. I was not expecting the ending and enjoyed the journey. Fans of true crime fiction stories will love this! There is intrigue, interesting story buildup, and unique, funny characters.

Another well crafted thriller in typical Janice Hallett style. I eagerly await anything new from the author and the mysteries unraveled and solved via text messages, phone transcripts, emails, and news articles are always a joy to follow/