3.8

A quick and fun read, with the much loved characters from the Appeal.
Another dead body and another mystery to be solved.
Janet’s writing is so captivating, that once you start you can’t stop reading.

Janice Hallett has done it again!
Another book that had me hooked from page one and not knowing who the killer was going to be. At this point Janice Hallett is an auto-read author for me!

I really loved the appeal, and I really wanted to love this. The story itself is fine, but knowing what Janice Hallett can produce, I was left wanting more. It would have been interesting to see further character development, this left me feeling more like it was just an exercise in making more money.

It was lovely to get back to The Fairway Players for this Christmas whodunnit. Just like the original, I loved the bitchy tone of voice that came through in the texts and emails and the character development. A very enjoyable Christmas read,

I adored The Appeal so I was so happy to see that Janice Hallett was bringing out another story set in the same town. I ended up listening to this one on audio because I felt like it suited the tone of the novel better, and I was correct. While reading the print copy I struggled to get into the story, but on audio I had no problems at all and completely flew through it.

The Christmas Appeal is a lot of fun and I really enjoyed myself as I listened to the drama about the beanstalk, a panto, and a dead Father Christmas.

I found that certain characters were written very stereotypically, but it wasn't bad enough to ruin my enjoyment.

My husband also listened in to some parts and was laughing out loud, so that's a really good endorsement!

I should start by saying that I'm a big fan of Hallett's work. I enjoy the intrigue and cleverness of her mysteries.

So when I heard she was revisiting the world of the Appeal for Christmas, it was a no-brainer.

We are again given the story in an epistolary manner, with emails making up the majority of the text. The emails are again humourous and enjoyable.

The Christmas Appeal is shorter than its predecessor and it does show in that there is less depth and a less interesting mystery.

However, it's still a great read that I highly recommend.

Many thanks to Janice Hallett, Netgalley, and Viper for this copy..

The Christmas Appeal is another entertaining mystery by Janice Hallett, returning back to the Fairways Players and their somewhat questionable ways. As with The Appeal, I didn't find the reveal all that dramatic but it was still a solid read nonetheless and one that I would still recommend to others.

Thanks to Netgalley and Serpent's Tail/Viper for the ARC of this one.

The Christmas Appeal is a little book that packs a punch!

If you’ve read The Appeal you’ll be used to the format of emails and texts that make up the story. You will also be familiar with a lot of the characters but it can easily be read as a standalone.

It’s a fantastic Christmas read that had me laughing out loud on more than one occasion. I love the original way Hallett writes and her characters are brilliant.

Despite the fact this is a lot shorter than The Appeal it still provides the reader with an intriguing storyline and is really hard to put down once you’ve started it.

A perfect stocking filler for Christmas!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me

Lovely christmas reading for all mystery lovers! Perfect holiday read! I loved that i got to go back to the world of the Appeal!

I remembered I hadn’t read this on Christmas Eve and it was a perfect read in one sitting on a quiet Christmas Eve!

I loved The Appeal and really liked Alperton Angels. This is nowhere near as good as either of these but for a short, quick, fun festive read I definitely recommend it!

4 stars

3.5⭐️
Loved being back with the Fairway Players again, especially with the format of the book it was super engaging from the start, just like The Appeal.

We follow the group as they prepare for their panto, Jack and The Beanstalk. The book was short and sweet, and did have me laughing in many moments. The mystery was intriguing however I thought the ending fell a little flat and I wish the rest of the side storylines had been further explored, but for a Christmas novella I think this is the perfect read for this time of the year!

I’ve read every book from Janice Hallett so far and she is definitely becoming an auto buy author for me.
I love the structure of the books, with the slow unraveling mystery and wild cast of characters. The Appeal wasn’t my favourite book so I was a little hesitant to head back to the fairway players however this did not disappoint.
I already can’t wait for the next book to publish.

Janice Hallett is a genius. The way she's opened up the crime fiction genre, through format and style, is incredibly exciting. I loved ‘The Appeal’ so I was delighted to revisit the cast in ‘The Christmas Appeal’. Aside from cooking up dastardly crimes, Hallett’s humour is hilarious. Her observations and asides, delivered by her lifelike characters, are nothing short of superb. I will always want to read anything she writes and I highly recommend this festive offering. Thank you, Janice. This book made my Christmas complete.

I have adored The Appeal and was very excited to read a short book set in the same parish, with similar character. Femi and Charlotte are as good as the first time and their deductive skills help solve the crime.
I liked the story line and enjoyed the reading experience.

It's time to visit Lower Lockwood again, right on time for the Fairway Players to put on their traditional Christmas panto. Femi and Charlotte are once again tasked by their old mentor to plough through emails, voicemails and texts from pretty much everyone connected to the theatre company in order to solve another mystery.

It was fun to revisit the characters from The Appeal and see how they were coping with the fallout from the events of the first book. Because of the format, this is a quick and easy read. There was plenty of humour throughout the story, offsetting the drama from yet another murder mystery hitting these characters.

This is definitely not a standalone. It's a novella and the author (rightfully) assumed that readers didn't need long-winded introductions to all these characters they should still remember from the first book.

A lighter read than its predecessor, this was the perfect mystery to get into the Christmas mood.

"The Christmas Appeal" by Janice Hallett is a festive delight that brings readers back to the beloved Fairway Players for the holiday. Hallett's unique storytelling, reminiscent of the modern Agatha Christie, employs correspondence to craft an engaging mystery filled with drama among this batch of frienemies. The author seamlessly blends holiday cheer with suspense, creating a compelling and enjoyable read. With well-rounded characters harbouring secrets, "The Christmas Appeal" is a must-read for those seeking a perfect balance of festive warmth and mystery this holiday season.

I loved The Appeal and wasn’t as keen on Hallet’s next two, so I was keen to read this and see what I thought. I enjoyed it a lot, but it was very short! I think this could have been a full novel, rather than just a short novella. That said, it had all the elements I enjoyed from the first book and a great storyline that kept me reading. I hope there is another set in this world. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers.

This was the perfect Christmas read for any thriller lover! I loved The Appeal and this did not dissapoint! I love the multi media aspect of Hallet's writing, it is great <3

If the idea of solving a crime wasn’t appealing on its own, the epistolary nature of the Christmas Appeal is sure to win over the time-poor. Within the community of Lower Lockwood a dead body dressed as Father Christmas has been unearthed in the hollowed out body of the giant beanstalk prepped for use for this year’s Christmas panto. Follow emails, what’s apps and texts between the community players to try and solve the crime.

This was enjoyable, but ultimately an unnecessary follow up - it did feel a little rushed (given the nature of it being a novella) and the characterisations were a bit thin. A good Christmas treat but I'll look forward more to the author's next "proper" novel.