The Christmas Appeal by Janice Hallett (Viper, £12.99)
Bestseller Hallett’s latest novel reunites us with the Fairway Players, the beleaguered am-dram group who featured in her debut, The Appeal. As before, young lawyers Femi and Charlotte are tasked with working out whodunnit from a bunch of emails, messages and transcripts of police interviews sent to them by their now retired pupil master, Roderick Tanner KC. Here, the source of discord is the Christmas show, Jack and the Beanstalk, with infighting over casting, logistics and scenery – the giant stem, a 40-year-old panto veteran that began its life in the West End, is rumoured to contain asbestos. Unfortunately, it also contains something else, which is gruesomely revealed during the first, and only, performance … Hallett is particularly good on small-town snobberies, rivalries and social dynamics – the splendidly snippy reactions to a boastful round robin are a highlight – and while this is a considerably slighter and less complex and emotionally engaging novel than The Appeal, there is a great deal of festive fun to be had.
