2026 ARC Reviews

It was wonderful to reunite with the Fairway Players in The Silent Appeal. I absolutely love Janice Hallett’s unique writing style, and jumping back into this familiar, mixed-media format was a treat. The fact that Sarah-Jane's sister, Nicky-Rose, appears out of the blue and becomes so important to the group added an exciting level of mystery and intrigue right from the start. Plus, the surprise return of a previous Fairway Player was a great twist - that was the moment I knew things were going to get wonderfully wacky!
However, I felt this installment wasn't quite as strong as her previous books. The correspondence and summaries sent from Femi and Charlotte to Roderick were very redundant, often bogging down the pacing. There is also a massive cast of characters to keep track of, and I found it difficult to remember everyone's roles at times, even with the handy character list at the beginning of the book. Surprisingly, the main murder ended up being overshadowed by the other events and interpersonal dramas unfolding at the same time.
I really enjoyed this book even though the ending felt a bit crammed with information. Hallett’s signature format is engaging, and seeing the theater troupe back in action was a lot of fun. If you love a good mystery, this book is well worth the read.