The Appeal by Janice Hallett

Thanks to my trusty and wonderful digital library system, I snagged a Kindle copy of this book which had me intrigued, after reading the reviews.

The Appeal is a real page turner (to coin a well-worn phrase) — but it shouldn’t be. It’s not a fast-paced thriller. There’s no lurking killer, no police work, no espionage, no smart-mouthed detective — none of that.

Instead, the story unfolds through reading of a substantial pile of emails, text messages and press clippings relating to an amateur theater group in England. This correspondence is all part of an evidence bundle for an appeal against a murder conviction that a pair of junior lawyers are reviewing for the head of their law firm — however, as we read along with the lawyers – we are unclear as to the supposed victim — let alone, who is in prison for the murder.

Yes, that’s right, the reader has to try and piece together what’s happened from email, text, and phone messages.

It soon becomes clear that the wealthy Hayward family, who own a local hotel and health club, are the center of the local social circle and are the driving force behind the Fairway Players theater group. Martin Hayward runs the group of amateur actors and, along with his son James, directs the shows, while his wife Helen and daughter Paige are the perennial leading ladies –leaving everyone else vying for the best supporting roles, both on and off stage.

When Martin and Helen’s two-year-old grandchild, Poppy, is diagnosed with cancer their only hope is to try and raise $350,000 through a crowdfunding campaign, so that they can import an experimental drug from the U.S. for the first round of treatment.

Meanwhile, one of the Fairway Players, the often overlooked 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 for the group. 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?

But, not everyone is convinced that the appeals for the funds, and the drug, are legitimate. Suspicions mount, accusations are made, and the tension leads to a dead body, and an arrest on the night of the play’s dress rehearsal .

Ms. Hallett has pulled off some extremely clever and accomplished writing. Although we only have the characters’ own words to go by, we soon develop a clear picture of each of player, as well as the group dynamics. Issy’s creepy, over-enthusiastic, and childlike emails have a clingy, obsessive note to them. Sarah-Jane McDonald’s bossy, capable emails in her role 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.

Each email reveals a bit more about the characters, their flaws, secrets and fears. Some of the correspondence appear to be pure gossip, while others seem enigmatic or irrelevant. Some provide key information if one reads them carefully. And – importantly – what isn’t said is often the most revealing.

Every character is acutely well-observed, as are the social interactions between them, the constant petty battle for status within the group and how quickly the rumors and speculation spread from one to another keeps the reader chuckling – albeit uncomfortably.

I must admit I found it tough to keep track of some of the minor characters – there is a two page list of characters in the beginning which helps, but it didn’t slow me down, as most of the plot revolves around the main players in the group.

What did slow me down was the last third of the book, wherein the two junior lawyers write up their conclusions – I got a bit bogged down in those very long and wordy (lawyers!) suppositions on what really happened.

The Appeal won’t appeal (sorry!) to every reader. If you sit in front of a computer all day, answering emails for a living, doing so when trying to read a book, just may not work for you.

However for me, this mystery worked on several levels — it’s a satire on a very English type of social group, there’s also an intriguing puzzle to be solved, and it is frequently very funny.

Hats off to the author for pulling off a clever, complex and unique mystery – unlike anything I have ever read before.