The Appeal: The smash-hit bestseller

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It was so hard to put the book down because we have all these short snippets of information, it was so easy to say "just one more" and keep going an hour after I needed to be in bed. Towards the end of the book it can seem like an information dump but it's information I wanted to know. And then there is the last chapter where we see that life goes on in the most creepy of ways. The Twyford Code is out in January. It’s about a former prisoner who, at the behest of his probation officer and to occupy his time now he is going straight, looks into an episode from his childhood where his English teacher took his remedial English class out for the day and then disappeared. The Appeal is an ensemble piece; The Twyford Code is one character’s personal journey. And I’m working on a third book for 2023 and have a deal for another two novels. Overall, this is a very clever, immersive and gripping Crime mystery. It’s well written, I like the touches of humour, the astute observations on a community and the intriguing way the cast of characters reveal themselves. It’s been so refreshing to read something presented in a different format to the norm. Highly recommended. stretching the parameters of the goal a little bit, since this book isn't one that's been languishing on my shelves for years, like many others, but one i JUST RECEIVED from my gr secret santa this year. still, it ain't published here (yet), so i'm counting it! I was not a good detective in this one, but I did enjoy trying to figure things out along the way! I loved the way this one wrapped up, very true to character!

All you know in the beginning is that someone was murdered, someone was sent to prison, and it's up to you, the reader, to figure out the who, what, when, where, and how. 🕵️‍♀️ I loved this story and the telling of it. The narrations were outstanding, making all of those pieces of communication come alive like dialogue instead of flat messages. I figured out a lot of the mystery but there were still hosts of unexpected twists and turns delivered before it was all revealed, even a little bit of something at the end to keep me wondering. This was a marvelous listening experience, reinforcing my appreciation of the epistolary writing style that’s really tough to master. It’s at its finest here. For mystery fans that are open to trying a new format with a book – this one is filled with messages, texts, social media posts, and news articles – but has all the trademark elements of a case to solve. There’s a murder, a wide cast of characters, and lots of details to read!It seems like the family is tight lipped about the drug therapy and other details which is suspicious a little and when we add murder into equation, things get juicer and more complex! Little Poppy has been diagnosed with cancer and there is a massive fund raising campaign to raise money for an experimental treatment. But is everyone on the up and up? Enter nurse Samantha who is very focused on the truth and weeding out corruption. She knows all about corruption because she lost her last job trying to expose it. Now she's seeing the signs again and she wants the bad characters exposed. The community she lands in for her new job is led by Poppy's well respected family. The Fairway Players, a local theatre group run by this family, is central to the story as are the goings on at the local hospitals. fulfilling my 2022 goal to read one book each month that was not published in my country that i wanted badly enough to have a copy shipped to me from abroad and then...never read. So, while I give the author top marks for thinking outside the box and getting super creative with her format, the story itself was just average for me. It was solid, but it wasn't great. I certainly wouldn’t want to read this kind of book all the time (and I imagine the author put so much time into it that she wouldn’t want to write another anytime soon), but this was a great change of pace for those looking for something a little different. Especially recommended for those who like things like logic puzzles, actually enjoyed classes like Con Law, or who find themselves always solving the mystery before the big reveal in most thrillers. Here, even if you do solve it, it feels like you’re making a professor or boss proud, rather than simply ruining the book for yourself.

The beginning was a little slow! To learn more about characters, their motives, their secrets, you have to read a lot of paper work! The Fairway Players, a local theatre group, is in the midst of rehearsals when tragedy strikes the family of director Martin Hayward and his wife Helen, the play’s star. Their young granddaughter has been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, and with an experimental treatment costing a tremendous sum, their castmates rally to raise the money to give her a chance at survival. I applaud the author for trying something different and out of the box. This is a modern take on the epistolary novel concept and definitely has a lot of different feel than your typical mystery book. It may take some time to get used to. Janice Hallett's The Appeal is definitely a fun change of pace in the standard Murder Mystery genre. Harry Bosch and the Lincoln Lawyer team up to exonerate a woman who’s already served five years for killing her ex-husband.Pay attention to everything! If you don't you could miss important clues but also you could miss some funny tidbits. I felt like I was a fly on the wall, getting to peek into the lives of these people but I also knew that much of what was being written was meant to deceive. It's just that it isn't clear just who is in on the deception or not. And then there is Issy who is one big mess of weirdness, contradictions, lies, and creepy clinginess. There's reason to believe that the incarcerated person is actually innocent, however, but if they are, who is the murderer? Many thanks to Edelweiss, Maudee Genao at Atria, and Janice Hallett for a DRC in exchange for an honest review! Now available in the US as of 1.25!!** A prominent family finds out that their granddaughter, Poppy, has a rare form of cancer. The family learns of an experimental treatment that they hope will cure Poppy. Since the treatment does not qualify for health coverage, the family calls in the help of their amateur theatre company, and together, they begin to raise funds for Poppy’s treatment. As they begin to fundraise, some begin to raise questions about the treatment and the fundraising itself. While everyone participates in this fundraiser, the theatre company begins rehearsals for its next play. As the play nears, lies begin to unravel. They must decipher IF the appeal is being used for personal gain, and by whom. And, also if the suspect in custody is the correct one.

The case centers around a group of community members involved with a play, and a two year old girl who has been diagnosed with brain cancer. The community members rally around the family involved to raise money for experimental treatment to save the little girl's life. Giving every character an arc is the most important thing – especially when writing a story with multiple characters. With this being said, the mystery itself wasn't super-engaging for me. Even when I found out who was murdered, I wasn't particularly bothered by it, or really compelled to discover who did it. Set in a small town in England, the leading and most influential figures are Martin and Helen Haywood. The couple owns the Grange Golf and Country Club and are instrumental in forming the Fairway Players, an amateur drama society. Helen is considered the most talented actor in the group, and every play chosen must have a leading role for her. A couple of new arrivals, Samantha and husband Kel, are drawn into the dramatic society. They are former medical workers for MSF in war-torn Central Africa. Both are soon employed as nurses in nearby hospitals.

A book that will leave its mark on both mystery and epistolary novel writing as in a single book, in her first published work aged 50+, Janice provides a about-to-be-much-copied way of setting these out for 21st century audiences. In the mystery, not only am I the reader studying all the available communications the same time as the law students; I as a reader, am also investigating the students and the trial lawyer's aims. Last shout-out to the Isobel character, what an exceptional, spot on, and heart breaking character... if this is ever adapted, this is a dream role, from a dream book. All the hearts, all the stars, a Five Star, 10 out of 12. (I was going to give this a Four Star 9.5 out of 12, but as I began writing this review, I realised how wrong that would be!) We, the reader join them in their endeavor, as the story is told ENTIRELY through these various means of correspondence, as they attempt to determine who is guilty and who is innocent. Suspicions mount, accusations are made and the tension leads to a DEAD body, and an ARREST on the night of the play’s dress rehearsal . Yes, there is more drama off the stage than on it!,