The appeal

by Janice Hallet

A drama production and a fundraiser lead to murder in this fiendishly clever whodunit, presented as a series of documents – emails, messages and transcripts – that hold the keys to the mystery.

In a town full of secrets... Someone was murdered. Someone went to prison. And everyone's a suspect. Can you uncover the truth?
Dear Reader - enclosed are all the documents you need to solve a case. It starts with the arrival of two mysterious newcomers to the small town of Lockwood, and ends with a tragic death. Someone has already been convicted of this brutal murder and is currently in prison, but we suspect they are innocent. What's more, we believe far darker secrets have yet to be revealed.

Throughout the Fairway Players' staging of All My Sons and the charity appeal for little Poppy Reswick's life-saving medical treatment, the murderer hid in plain sight. Yet we believe they gave themselves away. In writing. The evidence is all here, between the lines, waiting to be discovered. Will you accept the challenge? Can you uncover the truth?

Waterstones Thriller of the Month for July 2021

'The standout debut thriller of 2021 that delivers multiple brilliant twists, and will change the way you think about the modern crime novel. This dazzlingly clever cosy crime novel in emails completely trumps Richard Osman... Hallett uses the epistolatory form to superb effect in this terrific debut.' - Sunday Times

Kindle version