Book Review of The Appeal and The Christmas Appeal by Janice Hallett

The Appeal by Janice Hallett

Series: The Appeal #1

Pub Date: 14th Jan 2021

Goodreads Book Page: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59527165-the-appeal

Genre: Epistolary Mystery/Suspense

3.8 Stars

One Liner: Can be a hit or a miss; worked for me

Book Blurb

Lower Lockwood

The Fairway Players is a local theatre group amidst rehearsals when the director’s family (Martin Hayward and his wife Helen) receives shocking news about their daughter’s diagnosis. The castmates rally to collect funds for an experimental treatment for the rare form of cancer. However, not everyone believes in the treatment or the intentions of those involved. As tensions escalate, a dead body is found, and an arrest is made. During the trial, two young lawyers go through the documentation — chats, emails, messages — to realize that the actual killer could be hiding in plain sight.

My Thoughts

Having read the author’s The Examiner, I knew what to expect from this one. This is slower than that book because it is more text-intensive (long emails).

Think of the book as a slow-cooked dish. When we prepare atta ke halwa, we have to stir continuously, be it when roasting the wheat flour or cooking it in ghee and sugar. If you pause, increase the heat, or blink, it will stick to the pan and burn. That’s how this book is. Needs your attention and adds details bit by bit by bit.

Moreover, not all information is revealed initially. Usually that doesn’t work for me. But it fits here because it is mentioned upfront. Also, I guessed a couple of things based on the emails, even if I couldn’t see everything.

The cast is huge. A lot of people to track, but once you get into the flow, you’ll remember who is who. Also, you’ll know the regular names and who is important for the plot. That said, there can be red herrings.

The chats between F & C add a bit more detail, or rather, their speculation of what has happened. It may or may not align with your ideas (mine didn’t a few times). Tanner, as such, has a very minor role. But an important one, nevertheless.

What I liked was how the characters’ personalities came out in their emails, responses, texts, and even in the absence of any communication from them. This needs meticulous plotting and detailing.

The final chapter was actually hilarious. While the writing is a bit clunky, it did sustain my interest. Also, this is the author’s debut, so it is to be expected.

To summarize, The Appeal is a slow-paced mystery that takes a lot of time to get to the actual murder. But the crime is just a catalyst for everything to unravel completely. The book is more about people and what they are capable of (not in a positive way).

The Christmas Appeal by Janice Hallett

Series: The Appeal #1.5

Pub Date: 24th Oct 2024

Goodreads Book Page: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/107526829-the-christmas-appeal

Genre: Epistolary Mystery/Suspense

4 Stars

One Liner: Quick and fun

Book Blurb

Lower Lockwood

The Fairway Players are busy rehearsing for a Christmas play (Jack and the Beanstalk) and to raise money for the local church’s restoration. Seems that there isn’t much goodwill among the amateur dramatics enthusiasts. Sarah-Jane is doing her best to defend her new position as the Chair; the fiberglass beanstalk seems to be made of asbestos, and someone is determined to ruin the play before it even opens. Then, there’s a dead body, with more potential deaths on the list. But who and why? Lawyers Femi and Charlotte are back, reading emails, messages, and texts to get to the bottom of the matter.

My Thoughts

This should work as a standalone, but I wouldn’t actually recommend that. I enjoyed it more because I read it back-to-back with The Appeal.

Some four years after the ‘incident’, The Fairway Players are back in the news for a different reason. This is a novella (still novel-length but short for the author, since she writes a minimum of 400 pages) set around the year’s Christmas play and what happens.

There are fewer emails and more texts, which makes it a faster read. We see how some people have changed (or rather, showing their true colors), while others are being their usual selves.

It was fun to meet SJ again. I like her. We met some new characters too, people who moved to the region, and the changes happening in that small town.

Unlike The Appeal, this is lighter, funnier, and even a tad silly. Comedy and not humor, but it works well. Entertains the reader while subtly exploring the human psyche.

To summarize, The Christmas Appeal is a fun read that still tackles a few important themes, but the themes are not a priority. Entertainment is, and that’s what we get. I’m not sure why the book has such low ratings. I liked it!