As the dramatic group prepares for its special one-day-only Christmas time production of “Jack and the Beanstalk” to benefit the Church Hall Roof Fund, newly appointed co-chairs Sarah-Jane and Kevin MacDonald face backlash from former leaders Celia and Joel Halliday. As they work to overcome obstacle after obstacle, can Sarah-Jane and Kevin overcome dire events on the night of the event to pull off a successful fund-raiser?
Told by using text messages, e-mails, police interviews and other written formats, Hallett fills “The Christmas Appeal” with cheeky fun, twists and turns, and unique characters. She keeps the reader guessing and even adds some unexpected developments.
Fans of Agatha Christie, Richard Osmond’s Thursday Murder Club series, and Robert Thorogood’s Marlow Murder Club series will love this short story.
The novella, which is due out Oct. 24, does include occasional curse words, for those concerned about that.
Five stars out of five.
Atria Books provided this complimentary copy through NetGalley for my honest, unbiased review.