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3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Ending really underwhelming. Thought we would see an act of justice and we didn't. Still love the format.
Was a very meh book for me
Wasn’t a fan if the choppy way it was written, the ending was predictable and boring, and I got confused with SO many characters that it just lost me a lot of the time
Not wanting to read the initial Appeal book anytime soon after this, but at least it got me in the Christmas spirit
Wasn’t a fan if the choppy way it was written, the ending was predictable and boring, and I got confused with SO many characters that it just lost me a lot of the time
Not wanting to read the initial Appeal book anytime soon after this, but at least it got me in the Christmas spirit
A very strange story indeed. Farcical as the story and characters are, perhaps I could enjoy this mystery it if it had been told another way. Rather than employing a narrator to relay the story, Hallet unfolds the story through a series of a series of emails, texts, and other documents shared between characters. Not my cup of tea.
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
a cute, much shorter christmas addition of the original. was not disappointed. definitely a must read if you’ve read the appeal!!
the ending was much different than the first time around, a lot more nuanced… no spoilers though so i’ll leave it at that.
the ending was much different than the first time around, a lot more nuanced… no spoilers though so i’ll leave it at that.
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
The Christmas Appeal is such a fun, festive read. For fans of [a:Janice Hallett|20523461|Janice Hallett|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1641132243p2/20523461.jpg]’s book, [b:The Appeal|55810629|The Appeal (The Appeal, #1)|Janice Hallett|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1643472269l/55810629._SY75_.jpg|85222105], this novella is like a lovely little Christmas gift from Janice to her readers.
Christmas is around the corner and the Fairway Players are rehearsing Jack in the Beanstalk to raise money for a new church roof. A pantomime put on for charity? Well, it sounds like it’s all peace and good will in the amateur drama company for a change, doesn’t it? Not so. The group are back to their old tricks with petty jealousies, gossiping, not to mention, a dead body overshadowing the Christmas spirit.
Lawyers, Femi and Charlotte, team up to pour over letters, emails, text messages, and police transcripts, in an effort to discover a killer and their victim.
This book is so funny! The sniping between characters and the absolutely ridiculous situations these people get themselves into makes for very entertaining reading.
The only stumbling block for me is the framing of the story with two young lawyers being sent documents from a retired colleague.
The reader must be willing to suspend their disbelief that these lawyers would receive so much correspondence and in such a convenient order for creating a thrilling story structure. It’s a new take on the frame narrative, which I appreciate, but like most novels that use this convention it feels a bit clunky and unnecessary.
That said, I would willingly suspend my disbelief a third time around if Janice Hallett wanted to revisit Lower Lockwood and the despicable dramatists for... Let’s say, Halloween?!
Thank you to Atria Books for providing me with a copy of this book through NetGalley.
Christmas is around the corner and the Fairway Players are rehearsing Jack in the Beanstalk to raise money for a new church roof. A pantomime put on for charity? Well, it sounds like it’s all peace and good will in the amateur drama company for a change, doesn’t it? Not so. The group are back to their old tricks with petty jealousies, gossiping, not to mention, a dead body overshadowing the Christmas spirit.
Lawyers, Femi and Charlotte, team up to pour over letters, emails, text messages, and police transcripts, in an effort to discover a killer and their victim.
This book is so funny! The sniping between characters and the absolutely ridiculous situations these people get themselves into makes for very entertaining reading.
The only stumbling block for me is the framing of the story with two young lawyers being sent documents from a retired colleague.
The reader must be willing to suspend their disbelief that these lawyers would receive so much correspondence and in such a convenient order for creating a thrilling story structure. It’s a new take on the frame narrative, which I appreciate, but like most novels that use this convention it feels a bit clunky and unnecessary.
That said, I would willingly suspend my disbelief a third time around if Janice Hallett wanted to revisit Lower Lockwood and the despicable dramatists for... Let’s say, Halloween?!
Thank you to Atria Books for providing me with a copy of this book through NetGalley.
I’m a huge fan of The Appeal so I was really excited to read this Christmas novella featuring some of the original cast of the Fairway Players alongside some new recruits. This time they’re putting on a panto - Jack and the Beanstalk, featuring a thirty year old beanstalk that holds its own secrets!
The book is written in the same format of emails, texts, and interviews which I absolutely love and think works really well to tell the story. The characters really are the stars of the show though, my favourite being the rivalry between Sarah-Jane and Celia, not forgetting Joel, OBE! There’s a death, drug deals, a missing couple, and not everyone is telling the truth about their true identity. It’s brilliant read if you’re looking for some Christmas mystery and fun, I’d highly recommend getting your hands on a copy!
The book is written in the same format of emails, texts, and interviews which I absolutely love and think works really well to tell the story. The characters really are the stars of the show though, my favourite being the rivalry between Sarah-Jane and Celia, not forgetting Joel, OBE! There’s a death, drug deals, a missing couple, and not everyone is telling the truth about their true identity. It’s brilliant read if you’re looking for some Christmas mystery and fun, I’d highly recommend getting your hands on a copy!
emotional
funny
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes