Reviews with content warning for Classism - The Christmas Appeal

I am someone from a small middle England town who has done am dram (and panto!) all my life. This book was made for me! I laughed throughout and just had such a fun time with all of these loveable and hateable characters just like in a real panto. Oh yes I did! Can't wait to read The Appeal now and return to the Fairway Players.

Content Warnings

mysterymom40's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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serendipitysbooks's review against another edition

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funny mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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shelfofunread's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

I absolutely loved Janice Hallett's The Appeal, which introduced the reader to the eclectic cast and crew of the Fairway Players: Lockwood's premier amateur dramatics society. So I was delighted when I heard that the Fairway Players were back for a Christmas special - and that they'd have another dead body on their hands!

The Christmas Appeal picks up a couple of years after the ending of The Appeal and the passage of time has seen several changes in Lockwood - and in the makeup of the Fairway Players. The ever-organised Sarah-Jane and her husband Kevin have taken charge of the Fairway Players but their reign is being contested by former queen-bee Celia and her husband Joel. Two new estates - an executive development and a development of social housing - have brought new members and new tensions to the town. And reports of a murderer being spotted locally are bringing back uncomfortable memories of the events that marred the Players' production of All My Sons.

Despite this, the show must go on and Sarah-Jane is determined that the Player's charity Christmas panto, Jack and the Beanstalk, is going to be a success. She's even hired an enormous vintage prop beanstalk (which may or may not contain deadly asbestos) to be the centrepiece of the production. Unfortunately open night gets off to the wrong kind of bang when, halfway through the production, a dead body in a Santa suit falls out of the beanstalk. Who is the victim? And who might have killed them? It's up to lawyers Femi and Charlotte to investigate yet again.

Like its predecessor, The Christmas Appeal is told through a series of letters, emails, and texts. This form gives the novella real pace and compulsion - I steamed through it in a couple of evenings - and makes it a quick, pacy, and enjoyable seasonal read.

Catching up with the Fairway Players will prove to be a real delight for fans of The Appeal, especially given the changes in the hierarchy of the group. The simmering tensions and behind-the-scenes cattiness that made the first book such fun are back in abundance and, if anything, The Christmas Appeal is a funnier and lighter novel than its predecessor. The spirit of Christmas panto is infused through the text with a good dose of slapstick (including a drunken pantomime horse and the accidental purchase of some highly illegal 'sweets') and sarcasm to keep the pages turning and the laughs coming. Although a truly awful human being, I was particularly fond of snooty Celia's communiques, the 'holier-than-thou' tone of which made me laugh out loud on more than one occasion.

Although the story of The Christmas Appeal does work as a standalone mystery, I do think you'll get much more out of this festive novella if you've read The Appeal. Although Hallett alludes to previous events, there isn't a huge amount of backstory provided and the relationships between the various characters aren't outlined in any depth.

For fans of The Appeal, however, this return to the world of the Fairway Players is a welcome festive treat. Perfect for curling up with on a cold winter's evening, this is a page-turning, light-hearted seasonal read. Although I read an eBook version (unusual for me as I struggle with e-reading), the hardback edition is beautifully presented (just look at that cover) and would make for the perfect Christmas present for a Hallett fan.

NB: This review first appeared on my blog at https://theshelfofunreadbooks.wordpress.com. My thanks go to the publisher and to NetgalleyUK for providing an e-copy of the book in return for an honest and unbiased review.

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creativelifeofliz's review against another edition

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lighthearted reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

A fun holiday take that returns us to the world of murder and the Fairway Players.

The Fairway Players are busy this holiday season rehearsing for their production of Jack and the Beanstalk to raise funds for the new church roof. Of course, like in The Appeal, there are tons of petty rivalries and seemingly-minor backstage problems. Then a dead body shows up on the stage. Who is to blame? Lawyers Femi and Charlotte again investigate letters, emails, and police transcripts to identify the victim and the killer.

It was delightful to be back in the world of the Fairway Players. Everyone seems to be so enmeshed in petty drama and acts of sabotage. I enjoyed getting to figure out the mystery along with Femi and Charlotte. It's interesting to see how their interpretations varied from my own. I think the only real drawback of this story is that it's really only novella-length. I think getting a chance to explore all the corners of the story a bit more would have been fun.

Overall, if you're looking for a fun Christmas whodunit, I definitely recommend picking this one up. It's fast-paced and surprisingly emotional (both laughter and sadness). Take a look at the content warnings, as there are some tough topics discussed, but overall it's a lighthearted taste of chaos.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for providing an advanced copy of this book for review. All opinions are my own.

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ramreadsagain's review

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adventurous funny mysterious fast-paced

4.25

Definitely one for fans of The Appeal as have the same setting (the theatre group) and some character overlap.

Interpersonal drama alongside a dead body, who knows something? This was nice and short, around half the length of The Appeal, and I read it in an afternoon. It has Hallett’s signature page-turning style and I massively enjoyed reading all the pettiness and drama unfold as the group attempt to put on, and sabotage, a christmas pantomime.

The ARC unfortunately had some formatting issues but this didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the book.

I found the ending slightly disappointing, but apart from that this was super enjoyable. The Appeal remains her best work though.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book! This is my honest review.

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