Name: Abby Brake's review of The Christmas Appeal by Janice Hallett
Item: The Christmas Appeal
Rating: 4
Author: Abby Brake

Janice Hallett

* THE CAST OF SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING THE APPEAL RETURN FOR A FESTIVE MURDER MYSTERY *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?

The Christmas Appeal

Laura Dobie

Mrs Walford is very stoical. However, Nick and Barry still don't realise the skeletal remains that burst out of a stage beanstalk in a Santa suit, and swept them off their feet as they were dressed as a pantomime cow, was actually their biological father. I'd appreciate it if you kept those details to yourself for now.

Finally, a reminder of the good cause that will benefit from this fundraising production. The church hall in Lockwood is where The Fairway Players have staged their plays for nearly forty years. It is our home. This spring it was discovered that a family of bats had inadvertently wreaked havoc when their urine and feces built up in a roof cavity, which was damp from a water leak the previous spring. This perfect storm nurtured a destructive fungus that ate the wooden beams. The hall had to be closed for two weeks while the bats were humanely evicted, a giant patty of petrified dung was cut out and the damage patched up.

The Grange Estate is on the other side of the big Tesco, and most people there don't have cars or much interest in theatre. Celia

I need to sweet-talk the vicar into removing a stud wall behind the stage to make room for the beanstalk. It's enormous, is over forty years old and has been in countless pantos, but it's by far the best beanstalk in the local area. We need a good, sturdy stem for Jack to climb up. When you can clearly see that a group has cobbled a beanstalk together and Jack mimes climbing it, well, the story loses all credibility for me.

Abby Brake

SUPER quick read - done in a day! Great lil holiday read. Especially interesting if you’ve read The Appeal! 

Looooove the format of this book. Love trying to figure it out as it unfolds. 

Harlee K

SUPER quick read - done in a day! Great lil holiday read. Especially interesting if you’ve read The Appeal! 

Looooove the format of this book. Love trying to figure it out as it unfolds. 

Thoroughly enjoyed revisiting the acrimonious Fairway Players for this festive mystery, which had me laughing out loud in places. A masterpiece of passive-aggression, sabotage and snobbery, which captures the personality clashes that I imagine must be all-to-common in community groups, even if they aren’t generally murderous.

Not a bad little novella, I think the novelty of the writing style (i.e. texts, emails, etc) has just worn thin a bit for my taste.

Cheri McElroy

After reading and loving the Appeal last year, When I heard that we were going back The Fairway Players I knew that I need to check this out and it was safe to say that I was not disappointed, this was full of the humour and drama that I loved in Book 1.

The Fairway Players are gearing up for their Christmas production. This time it’s a pantomime of Jack and the Beanstalk and the proceeds are meant to go to repairing the church roof. Leadership within the community theatre group has changed hands and though much effort is being made toward casting, rehearsals, costumes and of course, set design which includes an old but impressive beanstalk, there is quite a bit of tension between old and new leadership.

Opening night is not without mishaps and some not-so-pleasant surprises, including a body in a Santa suit on stage. As the narrative progresses, we follow the investigation in the aftermath of the incident.

Told once again in mixed media, it is told through email, WhatsApp messages and Text messages, which makes this book easy to read, easy to pick up although very difficult to put down! Despite its short length I really enjoyed the mystery and working out what had happened with the 2 lawyers who are reading over the notes, there once again is a lot of laugh out loud moments, this is such a festive mystery!  

Ian Brakspear

After reading and loving the Appeal last year, When I heard that we were going back The Fairway Players I knew that I need to check this out and it was safe to say that I was not disappointed, this was full of the humour and drama that I loved in Book 1.

 

The Fairway Players are gearing up for their Christmas production. This time it’s a pantomime of Jack and the Beanstalk and the proceeds are meant to go to repairing the church roof. Leadership within the community theatre group has changed hands and though much effort is being made toward casting, rehearsals, costumes and of course, set design which includes an old but impressive beanstalk, there is quite a bit of tension between old and new leadership.

 

Opening night is not without mishaps and some not-so-pleasant surprises, including a body in a Santa suit on stage. As the narrative progresses, we follow the investigation in the aftermath of the incident.

 

Told once again in mixed media, it is told through email, WhatsApp messages and Text messages, which makes this book easy to read, easy to pick up although very difficult to put down! Despite its short length I really enjoyed the mystery and working out what had happened with the 2 lawyers who are reading over the notes, there once again is a lot of laugh out loud moments, this is such a festive mystery!  

ellie🤍

Lesley McNeil

Beth Bartholomew

Sian Wadey

This immersive holiday caper from the “modern Agatha Christie” (The Sunday Times, London) follows the hilarious Fairway Players theater group as they put on a Christmas play—and solve a murder that threatens their production. The Christmas season has arrived in Lower Lockwood, and the Fairway Players are busy rehearsing their festive holiday production of Jack and the Beanstalk to raise money for a new church roof. But despite the season, goodwill is distinctly lacking among the amateur theater enthusiasts with petty rivalries, a possibly asbestos-filled beanstalk, and some perennially absent players behind the scenes. Of course, there’s also the matter of the dead body onstage. Who could possibly have had the victim on their naughty list? Join lawyers Femi and Charlotte as they investigate Christmas letters, examine emails, and pore over police transcripts to identify both the victim and killer before the curtain closes on their holiday production—for good.

Abby Brake &
The Christmas Appeal by Janice Hallett

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Abby Brake &The Christmas Appeal by Janice Hallett

Reviews

Highlights

Join the club

Abby Brake &
The Christmas Appeal by Janice Hallett