I have all Janice Hallett’s books waiting for me on my TBR, but life has always got in the way of my reading them, despite all the fabulous things I’ve heard about them. Consequently, I was determined to participate in the blog tour for her latest, The Christmas Appeal, and would like to thank Anne Cater of Random Things Tours very much indeed for inviting me to take part.

The Christmas Appeal is published by Viper and is available for purchase through the links here.

The Christmas Appeal

One dead Santa. A town full of suspects. Will you discover the truth?

Christmas in Lower Lockwood, and the Fairway Players are busy rehearsing their festive pantomime, Jack and the Beanstalk, to raise money for the church roof appeal. But despite the season, goodwill is distinctly lacking amongst the amateur dramatics enthusiasts. Sarah-Jane is fending off threats to her new position as Chair, the fibreglass beanstalk might be full of asbestos, and a someone is intent on ruining the panto even before the curtain goes up.

Of course there’s also the matter of the dead body. Who could possibly have had the victim on their naughty list? Join lawyers Femi and Charlotte as they read the round robins, examine the emails and pore over the police transcripts. Will the show go on?

My Review of The Christmas Appeal

Femi Hassan and Charlotte Holroyd have an intriguing email from Roderick Tanner KC!

The Christmas Appeal is simply delicious. I wolfed it down in a day because it was so entertaining I simply couldn’t set it aside. The story is so cleverly constructed through emails, texts and police interviews and whilst this rapid fire mixture ought to be tricky to follow, it simply isn’t because Janice Hallett’s attention to detail makes it sublimely mesmerising and totally engaging. It’s not really possible to say too much about the plot without spoilers, but I will say there are some surprises and it’s completely diverting.

The pantomime setting is so pertinent to the story. Everyone is playing a part, the farcical nature of some aspects, the heart-warming sensation at other times, the decrepit church hall where the panto is to be held – all the aspects combine into a wonderful relatable and yet unusual coherence. I just loved it.

What took me by surprise was the immense wit in the book. I rarely laugh aloud when I’m reading but The Christmas Appeal had me snorting with laughter. It’s the way Janice Hallett shows such insight into the human psyche through her humour and observation that makes it so appealing. In this brief book she encompasses family and friendships, snobbery and social climbing, the underprivileged and the criminal, deceit and manipulation with such dexterity that the reader can imagine each character vividly.

And what characters they are. I think I found The Christmas Appeal so engaging because I feel as if I have met every type portrayed here. From the moment of reading the Halliday round robin Christmas message I was hooked. I know these people!

I’m aware I haven’t really said anything particularly lucid about The Christmas Appeal but that’s because I don’t want to spoil the read for others. Let’s just say I thought it was a cracker of a book and would make the perfect gift for someone to enjoy on Boxing Day. I thoroughly enjoyed it – though I won’t necessarily go to a panto this Christmas season now I’ve read it and if I do, I won’t be eating the sweets!

About Janice Hallett

Janice Hallett studied English at UCL, and spent several years as a magazine editor, winning two awards for journalism. After gaining an MA in Screenwriting at Royal Holloway, she co-wrote the feature film Retreat. The Appeal was inspired by her lifelong interest in amateur dramatics. Her second novel, The Twyford Code, was published by Viper in 2022 and The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels in 2023. When not indulging her passion for global adventure travel, she is based in West London.

For more information you can follow Janice on Twitter/X @JaniceHallett, or find her on Instagram.

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