The Appeal is the debut crime novel by Janice Hallett. It was was awarded the CWA Debut Dagger of 2021 and was a Sunday Times’ Bestseller, Waterstones’ Thriller of the Month and Sunday Times’ Crime Book of the Month.
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Book Blurb
There is a mystery to solve in the sleepy town of Lower Lockwood. It starts with the arrival of two secretive newcomers, and ends with a tragic death. Roderick Tanner QC has assigned law students Charlotte and Femi to the case. Someone has already been sent to prison for murder, but he suspects that they are innocent. And that far darker secrets have yet to be revealed…
Throughout the amateur dramatics society’s disastrous staging of All My Sons and the shady charity appeal for a little girl’s medical treatment, the murderer hid in plain sight. The evidence is all there, waiting to be found. But will Charlotte and Femi solve the case? Will you?
The Appeal Book Review: My Opinion
I really enjoyed The Appeal and found it to be such a clever and unique take on the crime genre.
The format of the book is a modern take on the epistolary style and told entirely through emails, texts, and WhatsApp messages. I’m not usually a fan of epistolary novels, but this format was refreshingly unique and cleverly done.
I enjoyed how the story pulls the reader directly into the investigation, putting us in the same shoes as Charlotte and Femi, trying to solve the mystery ourselves. It feels like you’re sifting through evidence in real-time, which adds an interactive layer to the reading experience. Picking up on the subtle clues hidden in these communications was a lot of fun.
The premise of the book is fantastic, and the plot is cleverly twisty, though I did find some elements a little less believable. For example, Tanner withholds certain key documents until later, which felt like a convenient way to draw out the plot rather than something that would actually happen in a real investigation. That said, the overall mystery is well-crafted, and while the ending ties up most of the loose ends nicely, there was a slightly ambiguous element that I didn’t love.
The character development is a bit uneven. Some, like Issy and Sarah-Jane, had strong and distinct voices even through their emails, while others were less interesting and felt somewhat forgettable. Given the huge cast of characters, it could be a bit overwhelming at times, and a few characters seemed unnecessary to the plot.
The pacing is steady, though it’s not a fast-paced thriller in the traditional sense. Instead, Janice Hallett builds suspense gradually, revealing layers of deceit and secrets until the final reveal.
Overall, The Appeal is a satisfying, slow-burn mystery that encourages you to play detective and come to your own conclusions. I’ll definitely be reading more books by Janice Hallett.