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A review by booksbytheglass
The Christmas Appeal by Janice Hallett
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
while this book CAN be read as a standalone, I definitely wouldn’t recommend it 👀 there are SO many callbacks to the author’s first book, THE APPEAL, and it helps to know the characters and their motives when you also know their past…
that being said, I found the story itself to be lacking a bit more mystery. it plays out predictably the same as THE APPEAL flipping back and forth between police evidence and interviews with notes and emails during the play itself. it was fun to follow along but lacking a sense of urgency and motive.
the final plot twist was arguably the best thing about this book - even if I guessed it from the beginning. it was super satisfying to finally solve the case, especially going through the same bouts of evidence as the detectives.
this was an easy holiday read to get through (just over 200 pages!) and perfect for those who want a sense of christmas and winter without the cheesy hallmark romances!
rating: 3.5 stars
wine pairing: sonoma coast chardonnay
that being said, I found the story itself to be lacking a bit more mystery. it plays out predictably the same as THE APPEAL flipping back and forth between police evidence and interviews with notes and emails during the play itself. it was fun to follow along but lacking a sense of urgency and motive.
the final plot twist was arguably the best thing about this book - even if I guessed it from the beginning. it was super satisfying to finally solve the case, especially going through the same bouts of evidence as the detectives.
this was an easy holiday read to get through (just over 200 pages!) and perfect for those who want a sense of christmas and winter without the cheesy hallmark romances!
rating: 3.5 stars
wine pairing: sonoma coast chardonnay