I read The Appeal by Janice Hallett on holiday in France and it’s the perfect murder mystery because, not only is it a cracking story, it’s so unique and gripping in the way it’s written, so has you gripped. The Appeal is a modern epistolary novel, with the story being revealed through emails, texts, police transcripts and newspaper reports.
Opening sentence: Sandra, please deliver to Femi and Charlotte
The first thing to say is how bloody clever The Appeal is in terms of its execution. I was in awe at how the crumbs of the plot were set down and it all came together. You really were putting the pieces together as you read, creating a very immersive experience.
Set in 2018, the story opens with Roderick Tanner QC setting a task for his law pupils, Femi and Charlotte. He gives them lots of evidence from a case and asks them to assess if the right person was convicted for murder.
Meet the Fairway Players
The case in question is the murder of Samantha Greenwood. A nurse and member of local amateur dramatic society, the Fairway Players.
Do you really believe I did it, or are you just rewriting history in my head as well as your own?
The members of this troop are the key suspects in The Appeal and there are a lot in the mix, but the ones that stood out to me, as in, I enjoyed it when they popped up were Isabel Beck, Sarah-Jane MacDonald, Martin and Helen Hayward and Dr Tish Bhatoa.
They all have their own drama going on, alongside the main plot. The threads all weave together in a canny way that just makes you want to keep reading. It’s amazing how much you can learn about a character from they way they phrase a text message.
We tend to consider survivors as strong and heroic. The reality is never as pretty or noble. Some survive because they deceive, some because they delude themselves. Others refuse to engage with reality.
I won’t go into the plot in too much detail here as I wouldn’t want to take any enjoyment away from new readers but suffice to say it’s one of the best murder mysteries I’ve read in terms of its unconventional execution, funny asides and memorable characters.
The Appeal was actually Janice Hallett’s debut novel. She has since written two other books in the similar epistolary style that is her signature: The Twyford Code and The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels. I’ve already read and loved them both.
She is one of my must-read authors, for sure!
- Get your copy of The Appeal here;
- Published by Viper January 2021;
- 432 pages;
- My rating:
Books on the 7:47 
3 thoughts