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The Appeal: A Novel Hardcover – January 25, 2022

by Janice Hallett (Author)

13,058 ratings

Editors' pick Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

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INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER
Winner of the CWA New Blood Dagger Award

“[W]itty, original…a delight.” —The New York Times

Perfect for fans of Ruth Ware and Lisa Jewell, this international bestseller and “dazzlingly clever” (The Sunday Times, London) murder mystery follows a community rallying around a sick child—but when escalating lies lead to a dead body, everyone is a suspect.

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.

But not everybody is convinced of the experimental treatment’s efficacy—nor of the good intentions of those involved. As tension grows within the community, things come to a shocking head at the explosive dress rehearsal. The next day, a dead body is found, and soon, an arrest is made. In the run-up to the trial, two young lawyers sift through the material—emails, messages, letters—with a growing suspicion that the killer may be hiding in plain sight. The evidence is all there, between the lines, waiting to be uncovered.

A wholly modern and gripping take on the epistolary novel, The Appeal is a “daring…clever, and funny” (The Times, London) debut for fans of Richard Osman and Lucy Foley.

From the Publisher

Editorial Reviews

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"Sparkly. . . . Teasing out the mystery in the madness is nearly as fun as searching for the solution." —New York Times, Best Thrillers of 2022

“[W]itty, original… a delight; teasing out the mystery is almost as fun as searching for its solution.” —New York Times

"A perfect follow-along caper."
—Crimereads

“[I]ngeniously plotted…Hallett skillfully lays an intricate and twisty trail of bread crumbs that leads to half a dozen suspects, which should delight those eager for the opportunity to sift through the evidence…a writer to watch.” —Publishers Weekly

"[A] clever and often wryly funny mystery."—PopSugar

"The Appeal is one of the most addictive books I’ve ever read. With its unique and exhilarating structure, its messy and intriguing characters, and an ever-evolving mystery, this novel will consume you from start to finish." —Megan Collins, author of The Family Plot

“[A] brilliantly entertaining epistolary novel . . . . Readers will get to play investigator right alongside them in this rollicking, and at times laugh-out-loud funny, mystery.”
—Newsweek

"It is both a sophisticated social satire and multi-layered mystery that cleverly updates Agatha Christie’s English-village mysteries...original, expertly constructed, and funny—a breath of fresh air from first-time novelist Janice Hallett." —Airmail

"Hallett does a fabulous job sharing insights into the various traits of her characters through their correspondence ... THE APPEAL is a fascinating, thrilling and complex novel.” —Book Reporter

About the Author

Janice Hallett is a former magazine editor, award-winning journalist, and government communications writer. She wrote articles and speeches for, among others, the Cabinet Office, Home Office, and Department for International Development. Her enthusiasm for travel has taken her around the world several times, from Madagascar to the Galapagos, Guatemala to Zimbabwe, Japan, Russia, and South Korea. A playwright and screenwriter, she penned the feminist Shakespearean stage comedy NetherBard and cowrote the feature film Retreat. She lives in London and is the author of The Examiner, The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels, The Appeal, The Christmas Appeal, and The Twyford Code.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Atria Books
Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 25, 2022
Edition ‏ : ‎ First Edition
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Print length ‏ : ‎ 432 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 198218745X
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1982187453
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.29 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1.2 x 9 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #690,141 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #894 in Murder Thrillers
- #2,603 in Suspense Thrillers
- #3,527 in Psychological Thrillers (Books)

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13,058 ratings

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Janice Hallett

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Janice Hallett is the author of five best-selling novels. Her debut, The Appeal, 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. Her second novel The Twyford Code was named Crime & Thriller Book of the Year in the British Book Awards 2023. It was also a Sunday Times’ Bestseller and a Financial Times book of the year. The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels was an instant Times and Sunday Times bestseller on its launch in January 2023 and a Richard & Judy Book Club pick.

The Christmas Appeal, a fast, fun and festive novella, was launched in October 2023. It was a Times and Sunday Times bestseller.

Her latest novel The Examiner, was an instant Times and Sunday Times bestseller on its launch and is out now.

Her first novel for children aged 8-12 is A Box Full of Murders, out in June 2025.

Janice is a former magazine editor, award-winning journalist, and government communications writer. As a playwright and screenwriter, she penned the feminist Shakespearean stage comedy NetherBard and co-wrote the feature film Retreat.

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Customers find the book's plot engaging with numerous twists and turns, and appreciate its clever and unique concept. The readability and character development receive mixed reactions - while some find it fun to read with interesting character dynamics, others say it's hard to follow with too many characters to keep track of. The book's format and content receive positive feedback, with one customer noting its refreshing approach, while another mentions the entries feel like filler. Customers disagree on the value for money, with one considering it a waste of money.

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44 customers mention "Story length"36 positive8 negative

Customers enjoy the mystery plot of the book, which features numerous twists and turns.

"...And then, I couldn't put it down. I found some parts hilarious, especially those related to how awkward it is for some people, the use of social..." Read more

"This story is presented in a unique way. It was an intriguing mystery that kept me guessing from the beginning." Read more

"...I have to say this was a compelling formula with interesting charachters but the plot was overcome with a mound of red herrings being placed on it..." Read more

"...I was very surprised by the quality of the storytelling and how much I wanted to continue reading to find out what would happen next...." Read more

17 customers mention "Concept"17 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's concept, finding it clever and fresh, with one customer noting its unique structure.

"This story is presented in a unique way. It was an intriguing mystery that kept me guessing from the beginning." Read more

"...I have to say this was a compelling formula with interesting charachters but the plot was overcome with a mound of red herrings being placed on it..." Read more

"...I cannot emphasize enough how unique and fun this story was and I highly recommend it to every fan of mysteries...." Read more

"...Sheer brilliance. Janice Hallett is an author to watch." Read more

4 customers mention "Fun format"4 positive0 negative

Customers find the book's format fun, with one noting it is refreshing.

"It is clever and it is entertaining, and it is filled with red herrings...." Read more

"The format of the book is refreshing, albeit a little hard to get accustomed to...." Read more

"Kept me guessing. Brilliant cast of characters. Fun format. Compelling puzzle with such intricacy of plot and character , definitely a great..." Read more

"Unique and Fun..." Read more

44 customers mention "Readability"30 positive14 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the book's readability, with some finding it an engaging and enjoyable read while others describe it as hard to follow and confusing at times.

"...Other than that, it is a great book." Read more

"...This was nevertheless fun to read." Read more

"...The Appeal has more twists and turns than a pretzel, and is decidedly more satisfying...." Read more

"...A novel format to me, but somewhat difficult to get into. But then I am a stuck in my ways old lady. You may adore it." Read more

15 customers mention "Character development"8 positive7 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the character development in the book, with some praising the brilliant cast and interesting character dynamics, while others find it difficult to follow with too many characters and three names per character.

"...The characters are surprisingly dimensional, even those without a voice of their own, and I laughed out loud more than once. Sheer brilliance...." Read more

"...Gleaning personality traits from them, understanding the clues (misleading, misrepresenting and misuse) becomes a bit laborious...." Read more

"...And are options change. It is an interesting and engaging way to learn the details and to hopefully solve the puzzle." Read more

"...The characters are just names on a page, they have little personality except Issy, who is clearly meant to be clingy and annoying, and ends up..." Read more

7 customers mention "Value for money"0 positive7 negative

Customers find the book to be a waste of money, describing it as nonsensical and unengaging.

"...information presented several times along the book, quite long and redundant. Other than that, it is a great book." Read more

"...Events develop *very* slowly and ultimately it's not worth reading. So many of the entries just seem like filler." Read more

"...However, I think the first half of the book was a bit redundant...." Read more

"Nonsensical and completely unfulfilling ending. The email idea works well, but the junior solicitors are inane. Worth all of the $1.99 I paid." Read more

3 customers mention "Content"0 positive3 negative

Customers express dissatisfaction with the book's content, with one mentioning that the entries feel like filler material.

"This book just dragged on, endlessly...." Read more

"...So many of the entries just seem like filler." Read more

"...There is A LOT of extra that especially bogs down the last third of the book.." Read more

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Runner49
Refreshing book
Reviewed in the United States on February 16, 2025
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I have to confess that it took me a while to get into the story. This book is written mainly as a series of emails (in many cases, you get to read only one side of the email exchange). So, at first, it was hard for me to understand who is who and to get a hold of the story, but being patient paid off, and slowly, a clear picture began to emerge. And then, I couldn't put it down. I found some parts hilarious, especially those related to how awkward it is for some people, the use of social media, mobile devices, etc.
The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because I found the recap of the information presented several times along the book, quite long and redundant. Other than that, it is a great book.

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Angie74
The Appeal
Reviewed in the United States on January 29, 2025
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This story is presented in a unique way. It was an intriguing mystery that kept me guessing from the beginning.

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Jeremy D. Booty
Clever story and delivery but too many red herrings and confusing at times
Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2023
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The framework of the story is the engagement of two interns by an experience solicitor to review correspondence and see what ideas they come up with on appeal Primary suspects have already been convicted and the solicitor seems to just see corroboration of a theory that will exculpate them. It seems crucial to him that this occur in order for him to proceed with the appeal. Instead of giving them all of the information at once, he gives it to them in a piece by piece fashion, perhaps putting the theory together in the way he did.

I have to say this was a compelling formula with interesting charachters but the plot was overcome with a mound of red herrings being placed on it It all became confusing to the extent that the two intern charachters had to straighten everything out for us every once in a while.

This was nevertheless fun to read.

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Dan Roop
Very well done mystery story!
Reviewed in the United States on April 15, 2025
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When I first heard about the unique style the author used to tell this story, with emails, text messages, and other communications between the suspect parties and their families and friends, I thought it sounded intriguing, but wondered how well the story could be told this way. I was very surprised by the quality of the storytelling and how much I wanted to continue reading to find out what would happen next. I cannot emphasize enough how unique and fun this story was and I highly recommend it to every fan of mysteries. Parts of it, I had figured out on my own, but other parts were great twists that really added to the story.

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Melissa Dinwiddie
A Tour de Force!
Reviewed in the United States on November 21, 2023
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With its layered story revealed in emails and texts, and in the texts and emails of those trying to decipher what happened after the fact, The Appeal has more twists and turns than a pretzel, and is decidedly more satisfying. The characters are surprisingly dimensional, even those without a voice of their own, and I laughed out loud more than once. Sheer brilliance. Janice Hallett is an author to watch.

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4 people found this helpful

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Elizabeth du Fresne
A Mystery Revealed in Texts and Emails
Reviewed in the United States on October 16, 2024
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Having read reviews galLery's world for the last few years, I had every intention to read her books, just hadn't gotten to it. Then the New York Times Book Review described her newest book and I thought, I own all the previous ones. I need to read them. So I started with the first, The Appeal. Being a lawyer I automatically thought the title referred to a legal appeal from a criminal case -- and near the end I found that obliquely such an appeal did exist within the book: but it was another Appeal that was the heart of the story. A charitable, crowd-funded type of appeal for money for
treatment f.or a sick child. Whether the treatments legitimate, who may be conning whom, what if anything does the community drama group have to do with the appeal. Two young female law students are asked by head of form to examine a series of documents (mostly texts and emails) to see if any wrongdoing is suggested to them in the papers. We the readers examine the papers along with the young women and as we begin to think we understand what happens, the senior lawyer files out further documents. And are options change. It is an interesting and engaging way to learn the details and to hopefully solve the puzzle.

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Mary E. Kmitch
Fresh concept....
Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2024
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Very interesting way of telling a convoluted story. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about all the characters and their lives through their email communications. While the mystery wasn't too complicated, solving it was fun!

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Leopard6
Challenging read for me!
Reviewed in the United States on May 1, 2023
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I found this book challenging in a number of ways, not just who is murdered and why, but the presentation itself. I admit that I am not a big texter, and am very reluctant to spend too much time communicating in that format (age and personality play a big factor in those inclinations), so the presentation of characters, their personalities, and the information that was and was not presented was difficult for me to sort through. Who was killed and why was pretty straight forward. The suspect pool was substantial, and I did not develop much feeling for any of them. A novel format to me, but somewhat difficult to get into. But then I am a stuck in my ways old lady. You may adore it.

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Joanne Sheppard
Clever, original satirical mystery
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 8, 2021
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I started reading Janice Hallett's The Appeal on the recommendation of a friend who told me she'd stayed up reading it until 1am because she couldn't put it down, and I have to say that I was similarly gripped.

On the face of it, The Appeal shouldn't be anything like the page-turner that it is. It's not a fast-paced thriller. There's no lurking serial killer, no police work, no espionage, no detective, none of that. For most of the book, we're reading a substantial pile of emails, text messages and press clippings relating to a provincial amateur dramatics society. These documents are part of a QC's evidence bundle for an appeal against someone's murder conviction, but we aren't even told who the supposed victim is, let alone who is is in prison.

That means it's up to us to piece together what's happened from the content and tone of the conversations available. It becomes clear that the wealthy, middle-class Hayward family, who own a local hotel and health club, are at the centre of their social circle and are the driving force behind the Fairway Players. Martin Hayward runs the group and, along with his son James, directs the shows, while his wife Helen and daughter Paige are the perennial leading ladies while everyone else is vying for the best supporting roles, both on and off stage. When Martin and Helen's two-year-old grandchild, Paige's daughter Poppy, is diagnosed with a brain tumour, their friends and hangers-on immediately form a committee to crowdfund an experimental new treatment from America.

Meanwhile, Fairway Players stalwart Issy Beck has introduced two new members to the group. Issy is a nurse on a geriatric ward and is delighted when her new colleague Sam Greenwood and her husband Kel agree to audition. Sam and Kel have just returned from volunteering in Africa with Medecins Sans Frontieres but why did they leave? And what's their connection with Poppy's doctor?
Creative writing students are often instructed to 'show, not tell' when it comes to their characters and Janice Hallett is certainly an absolute master of this. With only the characters' own words to go on, we can immediately start to build up a clear picture of each of them and of the group dynamic. Issy's excitable, over-enthusiastic and almost childlike emails have a clingy, obsessive note to them. The bossy, capable tones of Sarah-Jane McDonald, who as a former charity sector fundraising manager is naturally best placed to assume the mantle of campaign coordinator for A Cure for Poppy are spot-on - sometimes persuasive, sometimes hectoring. Martin Hayward is confidently authoritative while his son, James, takes a softer and more theatrical tone. And - importantly - what isn't said is often as revealing as what is.

Every character is acutely well-observed, as are the social interactions between them, the constant low-level battle for status within the group and the rapidity with rumours and speculation spread from one to another. It's as much a satire on the nature of certain types of social group as it is a puzzle to be solved and it is frequently very funny.

I'm sure some readers may not take to the way the story is told, or to the gossipy pettiness of so many of the characters' interactions - it has a very parish council feel to it, and there are definitely characters who would not accept that Jackie Weaver has any authority here, so you will occasionally have a strong urge to punch them. But I'm fascinated by this kind of very English, microcosmic story and while I'm delighted that I never have to spend time with these people in real life, I was delighted to observe them from afar.

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Vanya Vatsal
My mind is blown
Reviewed in India on April 3, 2025
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The way The Appeal is written is just brilliant. I felt like I was one of the law students solving the case along with Charlotte and Femi. We have access to mails and messages between the characters - which there are many, I had to keep notes. There are also press releases and other things. We are thrown in blind with no clue what is it exactly that we are looking for but the story keeps you hooked from page 1! We learn that our characters are rehearsing for an amateur theatre play, there is a person who seems obsessed with her friend, a volunteer nurse who is back from Africa, a pregnant woman, and above all - an appeal - to donate to save a two year old child from cancer.While going through the case files, certain things start to seem suspicious.

My mind was absolutely blown. I was so invested, frantically taking notes and dreading moments when I will be done with book. There have been books that I have absolutely loved and keep thinking about even years after I read them but the last time I felt this good about reading was when I was reading the Harry Potter books - and that’s saying something.

The Appeal is a vibe! Must read.

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Vanya Vatsal

My mind is blown

Reviewed in India on April 3, 2025
The way The Appeal is written is just brilliant. I felt like I was one of the law students solving the case along with Charlotte and Femi. We have access to mails and messages between the characters - which there are many, I had to keep notes. There are also press releases and other things. We are thrown in blind with no clue what is it exactly that we are looking for but the story keeps you hooked from page 1! We learn that our characters are rehearsing for an amateur theatre play, there is a person who seems obsessed with her friend, a volunteer nurse who is back from Africa, a pregnant woman, and above all - an appeal - to donate to save a two year old child from cancer.While going through the case files, certain things start to seem suspicious.

My mind was absolutely blown. I was so invested, frantically taking notes and dreading moments when I will be done with book. There have been books that I have absolutely loved and keep thinking about even years after I read them but the last time I felt this good about reading was when I was reading the Harry Potter books - and that’s saying something.

The Appeal is a vibe! Must read.

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@ReadWithThomas
An inventive take on the epistolary novel!
Reviewed in Canada on January 26, 2025
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“𝑷𝒐𝒑𝒑𝒚’𝒔 𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 - 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒍 𝒊𝒕𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇 - 𝒑𝒖𝒕𝒔 𝒖𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒗𝒖𝒍𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒖𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏. 𝑾𝒆’𝒓𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒍, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒖𝒅𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒆’𝒗𝒆 𝒅𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈.”

After being approved for an ARC of Janice Hallett’s sequel novella The Christmas Appeal, I took it as my sign to go back and pick up the first book in case there were spoilers (thank you to my friend @MrMarple for confirming that there are!)

Hallett’s modern take on the epistolary novel, told mostly through emails along with text messages, flyers, and transcripts, has you, alongside two lawyers, examining various pieces of evidence to discover what happened, who is to blame, and who is not who they say they are. I wondered at first if I’d struggle making a connection with the many characters or knowing what was going on, but after I got used to the format and who the essential players were, I found myself saying “just one more page” to try and solve this case. Hallett shows the power of the rumour mill and how facts can get misconstrued and spread, even if it is humorous ways (Sarah Jane’s mortification over the mix up with Poppy going blind, for example). The characters can be very judgemental, especially of “strangers,” illustrating the otherness that people moving to a tight knit community can feel. I was reminded of the one off television show Reunion, where you knew something bad had happened but the victim wasn’t revealed until quite a few episodes in; similarly I especially loved the exploratory document that gave Femi and Charlotte’s interpretations to key questions (and framed the evidence in some ways that I had not thought about). Although some of the emails are a bit contrived (you know that people might not have messaged in that way), you can’t help but be pulled into.

The Appeal is a story of gossip, small towns, lies, manipulation, social status, and “otherness.” It is a tightly plotted exploration of the pursuit of the greater good and what we are willing to do to get there.

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Derek Wildman
Too tedious to finish
Reviewed in France on March 21, 2021
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At first the format was novel, but the novelty soon wore off. In the end my patience was exhausted and I wasn't sufficiently interested to continue.

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Luiz Tadeu Fernandes Eleno
Don't bother buying it...
Reviewed in Brazil on July 14, 2021
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That's it: just don't bother buying it... Very childish and boring. It seemed promising at first, a sort of 21st century epistolary novel, but it just ended up being a teen game in book form. If that was the author's intention all along, then I've been duped into buying it, for the book was advertised as a coming from a new Agatha Christie in the making. That's a bit of an overstatement, to say the least. I ended up reading it through just for the sake of it --- maybe it would eventually surprise me. Wrong decision. Again, just don't bother.

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Slow burn crime mystery

Top reviews from the United States

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5.0 out of 5 stars Clever, original satirical mystery

5.0 out of 5 stars My mind is blown

My mind is blown

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5.0 out of 5 stars An inventive take on the epistolary novel!

1.0 out of 5 stars Too tedious to finish

1.0 out of 5 stars Don't bother buying it...

Clever, original satirical mystery

My mind is blown

An inventive take on the epistolary novel!

Too tedious to finish

Don't bother buying it...