Just in time for Christmas we return to the Fairway players as they prepare for their charity pantomime of Jack and the Beanstalk. Written in the form of round robins, emails and text messages Femi and Charlotte are once again tasked by Rodrick Tanner QC to discover both who is been murdered and by whom. The humour and sarcasm in this book had me just laughing out loud as rivalries come to the fore and actions are taken to sabotage the play. I will never look at a wrapped sweet in the same way again. I just loved it and it will be making its way to several stockings this year, no matter if the recipient has been naughty or nice everyone deserves to read this. I can’t wait for the authors next novel. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read the ARRC of this novel in return for an honest review.

Returning to the world of the Fairway Players, The Christmas Appeal follows the characters we know and love from The Appeal put on an unforgettable pantomime – for all the wrong reasons. It started slowly as we are thrown back in with Femi and Charlotte reading through all the documents to decipher what happened at the yearly pantomime. However, it did not take long to get fully back in the flow as I feverishly read all the developments in one sitting. As a true Christmas special, this novella featured nonstop comedic episodes, petty provincial rivalries and ridiculousness galore. Best not to read too much of the synopsis of this as it does cover the major reveal – but do not worry too much if you already know where this is building.

Written exclusively in mixed media as in the previous installment, and at only just north of 200 pages, this charming novella is the perfect cosy mystery to spend a day with during the festive period. As it is so short with little time to develop the characters, I would recommend picking up after reading The Appeal.

It was such a pleasure to meet the Fairways Players again in this festive mystery! It was indeed like meeting old friends, like the author says in the acknowledgements.

This is a great novella and the perfect book to read in a cold winter night. The characters are sassy and the story is very entertaining and fun. I loved all the drama, the passive aggressive messages, and the pettiness of some of the characters. That's such a close representation of real life.

The mystery was excellent and, as always, perfectly executed using only emails and messages. Hallett really is the master of telling a story using these media.

A book I recommend!

Thank you NetGalley and Viper for an arc of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved The Appeal, so was delighted to have the opportunity to read this follow up.

It was a very quick read, but packed with plenty of details. I really enjoyed the texts/letters/email format of the original, but found myself a little frustrated with the style in this particular tale. I think this has more to do with the level of exposition here. I grew tired of 'for the benefit of the transcript' in the police interviews, and the strange message towards the end which mentioned fracking - it just seemed like it was trying too hard to be funny.

I noticed others have said you don't have read The Appeal in order to understand this one. It's been a while since I read the first book, and so I couldn't remember most of the characters and what had occurred. I found this a bit disorientating at the start, so read up on what had happened previously. I don't think it's completely essential, but there's a lot of details that have been sprinkled throughout which would be hard to understand without that prior knowledge.

Leaving it so long to reveal what had happened (just in terms of the crime that had been committed, rather than explaining the whodunnit) meant I got a bit bored - and this is a short book! There's only so long that you can spread out the parochial chitchat, and most of the events in the book are pushed towards the end.

I think previous fans of the author will really like this book, but I just felt it wasn't for me on this occasion.

The Fairway Players from ‘The Appeal’ are back with another play and another mystery. This time it’s the Christmas pantomime. New Chairs of the company, Sarah-Jane and Kevin MacDonald are staging a classic 1970s production of Jack and the Beanstalk, determined it will be funnier and more professional than the company’s previous pantomimes. Meanwhile, aggrieved and jealous couple Celia and Joel Halliday (OBE), who believe they should have been elected Chairs of the company, are doing their best to undermine the production and make it the biggest flop ever.

As with ‘The Appeal’, the mystery is laid out in the form of texts, emails, interviews and reports which retired QC, Mr Tanner sends to his two trainee lawyers, Femi and Charlotte for them to work through and solve. This works well because the novel is short, humourous and engaging. The correspondence is often bitingly funny as the characters tell each other what they really think about other people and their actions. The main character is without a doubt is the behemoth of a Beanstalk which overshadows the stage and the players and has its own story to tell. The plot builds up to the night of the pantomime and the discovery of an unexpected extra cast member followed by the police investigation of the mystery. There isn’t a lot of backstory given so readers may want to read ‘The Appeal’ first to find out what really happened before to get the most enjoyment out of this cosy Christmas mystery.

I love Christmas, I love mystery and I love that it all starts with a dead Santa. This book I just couldn't put down and I must say I finished it in no time as I loved it that much.

This book is filled with everything you want in a good book. There is Christmas (of course), drama, secrets, humour, murder and mayhem. This book/novella was just the thing I needed to read, quick easy and lots of fun and entertainment. And although I know nothing about this author and the other book so many reviewers have alluded to, I didn't miss a thing but I now have to go find the other books as I feel I must be missing out.

Great read, loved it.

Thank you NetGalley and Serpent's Tail / Viper / Profile Books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Janice Hallett only writes clever and entertaining books, this one is the perfect example of how she mixes humour, social satire and a description of the relationship amongst the member of the The Fairway Players.
There's a good balance amongst these elements: the power plays, the snobism and class distinction, the secrets hidden behind the facade.
I had a lot of fun but I think there was also food for thought as sharp and witty social remarks are spot on.
This is a story set at Christmas time but it's not a Christmas story. There's any magic moment with the snow falling, there's plenty of very funny moments.
It was a great follow up to The Appeal, an original and fresh novel that I read in one sitting.
I strongly recommend it.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

It's Christmas and The Fairway Players are back rehearsing their pantomime. Sarah -Jane is now the chair of the Players but she is getting a lot of grief from other members. This is such an amusing tale, a oversized beanstalk, a dead body and so much more.

The book is written as The Appeal with lawyers trying to crack the case, looking at emails, messages and police evidence. Party bags take on a whole new meaning in this engaging and entertaining festive tale. If you loved The Appeal as I did you will be delighted to return to Lower Lockwood and Janice Hallett’s clever take on a murder mystery novel. One to add to the Christmas reads list !

If you loved The Appeal then you will love getting a chance to get back tot hose characters with the spin of Christmas. It was so nice getting to see some old friends. I adored this one and highly recommend reading book 1 first.

A great novella from Janice Hallett. This is a follow up to The Appeal, but I read that so long ago I couldn't really remember all the details, so I feel this is very easy to read as a stand alone. It's Christmas themed, but only in as much as the plot revolves around the village panto - Christmas itself just gets the odd passing reference, so this can really be enjoyed at anytime. Janice Hallett is the master of the "found footage" genre of mystery. There is no story as such, just a pile of evidence to read through to solve the mystery. I find her books compelling and entertaining and will admit I tend to just read for enjoyment and forget about looking for clues, but the clues are here if you pay attention. Because this is a novella I would recommend it to anyone who is not sure about the "found footage" genre. I have tried to read a few in the past and have always given up because I have found them irritating. Janice Hallett is the first person I have found who manages to make a very readable story out of a pile of documents.

Thank you Netgalley and Serpent’s Tail/Viper for this ARC. Available 26th October!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

LOVED THIS SO MUCH!

I am completely obsessed with Janice Hallet’s style of writing and was so incredibly excited to receive this new book.
The Christmas Appeal follows on from the OG The Appeal with the return of the Fairway Players and the production of their new panto, ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ with a little sprinkling of murder on the side.
Featuring old and new characters, this book was incredibly masterful with how they were developed. I also found myself laughing at so many of the interactions between the character’s.
Janice Hallett has again mastered her storytelling with SMS Texts, Emails and What’s App messages.

This book was everything that I would hope a sequel to be.

Highly recommend.

Hi and welcome to my review of The Christmas Appeal!

Technically, The Christmas Appeal is a sequel to The Appeal, but even if you haven’t read The Appeal, I’m sure you’ll be able to enjoy this mystery set around Christmas. Regardless, I was completely blown away by The Appeal so I would definitely recommend you treat yourself to both if you haven’t already!

The Christmas Appeal is a slow-burner in the sense that it takes a while to get to the heart of the mystery. However, it doesn’t feel like a slow-burner, I was so supremely entertained, I never got impatient (and that’s saying something, as patience is undeniable NOT my strong suit). It was such a joy to join the Fairway Players as they prepare for their Christmas panto, they had me giggling and rolling my eyes (bloody Celia 🙄😄) at every turn.

Much like The Appeal, The Christmas Appeal is a mix of emails, texts and WhatsApp messages, which makes for a pacey and addictive read. The temptation to read just one more message exchange is real and before you know it, you’re halfway through the book.

At only a little over 200 pages, The Christmas Appeal lacks some of the depth that the original appeal did have, but even in this shorter mystery, Janice Hallett manages to get in a few twists and reveals. If you, like me, enjoy reading Christmas books but don’t like the cheesy kind, this is your kind of Christmas story and I would happily recommend it to readers looking for a (Christmas) mystery.

The Christmas Appeal is out today, 26 October.

Massive thanks to Viper Books and NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

Christmas came in early this year with this continuation (almost felt like) of the Appeal, which I had thoroughly enjoyed. The Christmas Appeal was another great read too, which I won't doubt to recommend.
Thanks to NetGalley, the editor and the author for the opportunity to access this copy.

If you’re looking for a highly entertaining cosy Christmas murder mystery, look no further! This is just the perfect read for the festive season when you’re busy and you want a little break in between the pages of a good book. Janice Hallett has served up a truly festive treat: deliciously sharp sarcasm; humour galore; competitive tensions; village politics and gossip; and of course a murder mystery.
What a treat it was to be back with the Fairview Players, and Charlotte and Femi as they sift through the pages of transcripts sent to them by their old mentor Roderick Tanner QC. I laughed out loud so many times at the priceless words of Celia and loved the new dynamics amongst the cast. Again, I really enjoyed this format and obviously found myself joining in out loud with Charlotte and Femi as they discussed the evidence and tried to work out what was going on!
With huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an E-arc in exchange for a review.

Wry, funny, entertaining tale of the lengths people will go to if miffed. Told in the form of emails but the characters come through clearly. A short Christmas read.

A short follow-up on The Appeal and it certainly didn't disappoint. It is a much lighter reading than its predecessor and features almost all the previous characters, therefor I would recommend to read The Appeal first.

Around Christmas the Fairway Players are rehearsing Jack and the Beanstalk and everything that could go wrong does, even the corpse of Santa falling out of the beanstalk on stage. It is crazy, funny and exactly what a pantomime should be!

If you are looking for a short and fun read around Christmas, without the usual syrup but some dark humor instead, pick up this book and you will not be disappointed !

A sincere thanks to NetGalley and Serpent's Tail / Viper / Profile Books for an advanced copy in exchange of honest review.

I like the different formats of Janice Halletts books and while I enjoyed this story there was something missing when compared to The Appeal. I had fun but it wasn't amazingly memorable imo.

The Christmas Appeal is an amusing seasonal mystery novella for readers who enjoyed The Appeal by Janice Hallett. The Fairway Players are putting on their traditional Christmas panto in aid of the church hall roof, but not everything is going quite as planned with a dead body arriving on stage when it shouldn't.

A thoroughly enjoyable quick read, snuggled up on the sofa with a hot drink. Recommended!

As some of you may know, I’m not exactly a fan of Christmas or festive reads. And most definitely not before the start of December, when any and all talk about the holidays should be against the law. But, I wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity to hang out with The Fairway Players again, now was I?

Roderick Tanner KC, now retired, has more case notes to share with Femi and Charlotte. Is retirement already boring his socks off? Or is something going on in the theatre company again? If you’ve read Janice Hallett’s debut The Appeal, then you know the answers and clues are somewhere in a big pile of emails, text messages and police transcripts. This time, they are mostly centred around rehearsals for the annual pantomime. What could possibly go wrong? Hm, well, you’ll see.

As the description mentions, there is a dead Santa. Who is it? Who killed them? And why? It takes quite a while for that part of the tale to be revealed and I admit I couldn’t help but wonder why it’s right there in the blurb. Which I luckily didn’t read beforehand. That worked out better for me, I think, because it made me wonder if there even was a mystery to be solved or if Tanner’s retirement boredom was just making him see things that weren’t there. Plus, the back and forth between the various members of this community provided the most excellent entertainment and it held my attention easily. Full of jealousy and backstabbing, bitterness and fabulous snark, childish and petty behaviour, I often found myself chuckling at the characters’ behaviour. Or rolling my eyes, because they’re so utterly believable.

At 208 pages, The Christmas Appeal is a short, quick, witty and hugely entertaining story. Not entirely sure it’ll get you into the festive spirit but personally I’d swap tinsel and mistletoe for crime and mystery every time. If at any point, I was supposed to figure out what happened and work out all the clues, I once again failed miserably. But, I thoroughly enjoyed my time with The Fairway Players and hope maybe some day I get to do so again.

In her afterword Janice Hallett wrote that writing a novella in the world of "The Appeal" was like meeting with old friends again. I share this sentiment – "The Appeal" was one of my favorite crime stories I read this year and reading about The Fairway Players shenanigans once more was simply cozy and comforting, especially since it's a Christmas story.
I was wondering how Hallet would fill the void left by the most vocal and distinctive characters from the original, since many of them are no longer in town (or... are they? <wink, wink>) and moving Sarah-Jane and Celia forward was an excellent move. Their rivalry was used as a ground for witty satire and snarky remarks on small-town minded people. I loved "The Appeal" for it's humor and this installment is still hilarious, despite there being a body (although, once again, readers need to be patient, it doesn't appear until later stage of this story).
I think I might have enjoyed the pacing of the novella more than the previous book - the plot is condensed, with less side intrigues and it's easier to follow all the moves of each individual character. After some consideration, I probably would have enjoyed it better if the stakes were higher (you'll see what I mean if you read it). This one definitely stands closer to "cosy crime" than the original.. Nevertheless it was worth reading and I enjoyed it a lot.

I think it goes without saying that it's not supposed to be read as stand alone?

I must find some time to read other books by Hallett - I wonder if her writing style and using only emails and other piece of evidence to form a plot is sustainable. My working theory is that at some point it would become repetitive and wearisome, but I'd love to be proven wrong.