The Appeal
ISBN: 9781788165
Description
There is a mystery to solve in the sleepy town of Lower Lockwood. It starts with the arrival of two secretive newcomers, and ends with a tragic death. Law students Charlotte and Femi have been assigned to the case. Someone has already been sent to prison for murder, but they suspect that they are innocent. And that far darker secrets have yet to be revealed.
Reviewed on 31st October 2021
I bought this book entirely on the promise of the cover and the large presentation table of them in my local bookshop, and I was not disappointed.
While the tale is a classic mystery - with a wide ranging set of characters, all of whom are suspects - the unique twist in this book is the way it’s presented.
The conceit is a framing story about two lawyers who are sent the case by their boss, in the form of an incomplete set of correspondence between all the suspects in the months leading up to the crime. And it’s through this set of mostly emails that they, and we, get to learn about the case and try to solve the mystery.
It’s a really good fun way to tell the story, and I could barely put the book down, racing through it. I’m really looking forward to Hallett’s next novel in the new year.
