Thrillers & Suspense
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The Appeal: A Novel
INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER
"[W]itty, original…a delight." -The New York Times
Perfect for fans of Ruth Ware and Lisa Jewell, this international bestseller and "dazzlingly clever" (The Sunday Times, London) murder mystery follows a community rallying around a sick child-but when escalating lies lead to a dead body, everyone is a suspect.
The Fairway Players, a local theatre group, is in the midst of rehearsals when tragedy strikes the family of director Martin Hayward and his wife Helen, the play's star. Their young granddaughter has been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, and with an experimental treatment costing a tremendous sum, their castmates rally to raise the money to give her a chance at survival.
But not everybody is convinced of the experimental treatment's efficacy-nor of the good intentions of those involved. As tension grows within the community, things come to a shocking head at the explosive dress rehearsal. The next day, a dead body is found, and soon, an arrest is made. In the run-up to the trial, two young lawyers sift through the material-emails, messages, letters-with a growing suspicion that the killer may be hiding in plain sight. The evidence is all there, between the lines, waiting to be uncovered.
A wholly modern and gripping take on the epistolary novel, The Appeal is a "daring…clever, and funny" (The Times, London) debut for fans of Richard Osman and Lucy Foley.
"[W]itty, original…a delight." -The New York Times
Perfect for fans of Ruth Ware and Lisa Jewell, this international bestseller and "dazzlingly clever" (The Sunday Times, London) murder mystery follows a community rallying around a sick child-but when escalating lies lead to a dead body, everyone is a suspect.
The Fairway Players, a local theatre group, is in the midst of rehearsals when tragedy strikes the family of director Martin Hayward and his wife Helen, the play's star. Their young granddaughter has been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, and with an experimental treatment costing a tremendous sum, their castmates rally to raise the money to give her a chance at survival.
But not everybody is convinced of the experimental treatment's efficacy-nor of the good intentions of those involved. As tension grows within the community, things come to a shocking head at the explosive dress rehearsal. The next day, a dead body is found, and soon, an arrest is made. In the run-up to the trial, two young lawyers sift through the material-emails, messages, letters-with a growing suspicion that the killer may be hiding in plain sight. The evidence is all there, between the lines, waiting to be uncovered.
A wholly modern and gripping take on the epistolary novel, The Appeal is a "daring…clever, and funny" (The Times, London) debut for fans of Richard Osman and Lucy Foley.
Readers Top Reviews
alifabwbmiMichael
The first night I started reading this I couldn't put it down. The format meant that the reader doesn't know what, if any, crime has been committed and I was keen to find out. However, after the second session reading it I was finding the format very trying, I couldn't keep track of the huge cast of characters and was just frustrated. In the second part of the book the two people reviewing the evidence (firstly described as first year law students and then as articled clerks, so even the author was confused!) communicated like teenagers trying to be adults (or like the author trying unsuccessfully to write younger characters!) and the fact that they were involved at all was totally unbelievable. I ended up finding the book frustrating and the story, and the apparent collusion between characters, not credible in any way. After the promising start it turned into one of the worst books I have ever read and I felt that it should have had an awful lot more editing than it did, if, indeed, it had been edited at all! How it ever became the Sunday Times thriller of the year is beyond me....
NachoLibrealifabw
I've never read a story quite like this. It's told in a series of emails from various characters, each with their own agenda, with occasional comments by two people assigned to review the case who act as a sort of Greek chorus. Five stars to the author, I give the book four only because of the unlikeability of a couple of the characters. They are realistic, however. They are us.
Kindle Angie N.N
I was intrigued by the book until I reached the first chunk of the "legal papers" parts. Those pieces were like reading homework I hated it. But the story is interesting, the mystery is interesting, and reading it through people's social media was a really neat way to read the story. I did finish it, but after the first chunk I skipped all the legalese parts.
Adella PiattKindl
I loved the unique format of this story, however it was too slow for me personally. I would really recommend this book to any who likes mystery and some twists.
V HarrisonAbbie R
I read this on recommendation from my SIL. Liked the concept and found it an easy read. But a month later when asked about it I had to go back to the book to refresh my memory of the plot. I usually bore people to death with detail of books I've read.
Short Excerpt Teaser
1. Sandra, please deliver to Femi and Charlotte Sandra, please deliver to Femi and Charlotte
Olufemi Hassan
Charlotte Holroyd
Dear both,
As discussed, it is best you know nothing before you read the enclosed. Please bear in mind:
Only a limited number of emails, texts, and messages could be recovered, so the correspondence is not complete.It is, however, broadly chronological.I've included various extras-i.e. newspaper clippings, social-media activity, and other sundries-in the pursuit of context.If I come across anything else of interest I will forward it to you.
See what you think.
RT
Roderick Tanner, QC
Senior Partner
Tanner & Dewey LLP
Olufemi Hassan
Charlotte Holroyd
Dear both,
As discussed, it is best you know nothing before you read the enclosed. Please bear in mind:
Only a limited number of emails, texts, and messages could be recovered, so the correspondence is not complete.It is, however, broadly chronological.I've included various extras-i.e. newspaper clippings, social-media activity, and other sundries-in the pursuit of context.If I come across anything else of interest I will forward it to you.
See what you think.
RT
Roderick Tanner, QC
Senior Partner
Tanner & Dewey LLP
