Thank you to NetGalley and Viper for this ARC.

In October 2024, Dominic Eastwood approaches TV production companies about making a true crime documentary about the case of his aunt and uncle Sue and Mal Eastwood, formerly the landlords of the pub "The Case is Altered" in Hertfordshire. When one company bites, he sends them various documents including emails, letters, texts, one star restaurant reviews, WhatsApp messages, quiz sheets, interview transcripts and police statements. The case starts in September 2019, when, after the popular weekly pub quiz, one man is killed and his body found in the water behind the pub a month later.

An isolated pub, a body in the river, a mysterious new quiz team that wins every time - the story starts interesting but then we get a separate timeline from 2014 when Sue and Mal, who used to be police officers, are part of Operation Honeyguide, investigating the kidnapping case of two young women, one with rich parents they are sent to comfort. For the longest time we have no idea how those storylines are connected, as we always go back to the quiz nights, and frankly, boring quiz teams texts, plus talks with other landlords belonging to the Ye Olde Goat Brewery emporium.

I found the story dragged plus the multi media writing style was irritating because it contained so much useless material that was just filler. I'm not a quizzer and I found that some of those team members take the quizzing way too seriously. I actually liked the small-town community and if that had been the book I'd have lapped it up, but as part of a complicated crime plot it just didn't fit.

Towards the end it speeds up and we get a lot of good twists and turns but by then I had pretty much lost interest in this convoluted story. The twists turned the whole story on its head, just when I'd warmed to Sue and Mal. A lot of people will love this but it wasn't for me. I had to read this on the NetGalley shelf app as it didn't download to my Kindle, and what was only two days felt like a hundred years.

I love Janice Hallett books. Something I have learned to do is to not try and work out who did what, because most of the time the what that happened isn’t the what you think it is! Basically once the twists are revealed, going back to reread sections always shows that they clues were there but oh so finely laid that now, with the whole picture, it makes sense. This is no different. I don’t know where the author gets her ideas from but I sure hope she continues to have them! Some authors are pretty formulaic in their plot or characters, Hallett seems to manage to follow a similar formula of ‘lay out the clues that will only be obvious at the end’ but in very different ways in each of her stories. The plots and characters and twists are oh so different in each of her books. I loved this book (like I do all her work) and don’t want to give away a single spoiler, because everyone deserves to go into The Killer Question without seeing the quiz questions in advance 😉

If you have read any of Janice Hallett’s previous books then you have an inkling of the format to expect. I was ready for text messages, emails and short bursts of information pooling together to form a mystery. In truth, this is much more than concocting a mystery, it is piecing together characters, lives and connections in a variety of ways.

This book centres around the idea of a pub quiz and a county with several linked pubs hosting on various nights. The owners keep in contact and there is banter between them. There are a dedicated set of quiz teams at The Case is Altered, where Mal and Sue play host every Monday. As the weeks go on, a new quiz team enters the race and is quickly declared the winners, week in and week out. It is causing issues with the regulars.

When a body is discovered in the water nearby, more information becomes available and as the reader, we are party to it all. Admittedly, I didn’t see the plot twists until they were right in front of me but that is a testament to the cleverness of the author. She leads the reader on a merry path believing one thing and then shocks in the next page.

I find the format enjoyable and easy to follow- and it plays out just as a show might. I am always keen to dive into a Janice Hallett book and think this might be the best one yet. It will certainly keep readers guessing and surprised as everything is revealed!

This feels like a nice return to the small town community and crimes of The Appeal. As always I read it in today and had a delightful, satisfying time. Sort of wanted to try Mal's quiz questions!

Having devoured Janice Hallett's ingenious debut, The Appeal, some years back, I eagerly anticipate any subsequent work, and The Killer Question absolutely delivers.
True to Hallett's signature epistolary style, this novel unfolds through a compelling tapestry of emails, WhatsApp exchanges, and an intriguing new addition: quiz sheets. The central mysteries immediately snag the reader: What prompted the abrupt closure of The Case is Altered pub? Who comprised the enigmatic new quiz team? And what tragic circumstances led to a body being discovered in the river?

Prepare for a thoroughly enjoyable, intricately plotted, and deeply immersive experience. The sheer mental agility required to keep pace with the unfolding secrets left me delightfully drained. The wait for Janice Hallett's next offering has already begun!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.

I adore Janice's writing it so smart you feel totally engaged with it from start to finish none of her books have been in any way alike and the are unique in every way. I didn't think she would ever write anything as wonderful as The Appeal but this stands right up there along side it. Outstanding read!!!